The Henson Journals

[166]

Wednesday, August 15th, 1923.

There was a thunderstorm about 7.45 a.m. while I was dressing. The 77th Psalm which is one of the psalms for the day, contains a description of a thunderstorm.

"The clouds poured out water, the air thundered, & thine arrows went abroad. The voice of thy thunder was heard round about: the lightenings shone upon the ground, the earth was moved, & shook withal. Thy way is on the sea, & thy paths in the great waters: & thy footsteps are not known. Thou leddest they people like sheep: by the hand of Moses & Aaron."

We left the House in the motor, & proceeded by way of Grove Ferry to Birchington, where Ella and I visited Carissima, while our host & hostess waited for us in the car. We found the Vicar just leaving the house after ministering the Holy Communion to Carissima. Our visit concluded, we rejoined the car, & motored to Canterbury, where we lunched & went into the cathedral. I admired the improvement effected by the removal of the reredos, erected (if I mistake not) by Dean Fariar. Then we returned to Sandy Hatch, & had tea. At 4.30 p.m. we motored to Lympne, & visited Sir Philip Sassoon's house, which attained European importance as the scene of two conferences in the time of Lloyd George. The beauty of the gardens, & the wealthy equipment of the house moved our wonder. We had a second & a sumptuous tea, visited the old parish church, & returned home again.

[167] [symbol]

There came to dinner Lord & Lady Broom, & General & Mrs Metcalf. The latter is a relative of Colonel Stobart, & has some knowledge of the North. She sate by me at dinner, and acquitted herself very intelligently. After the ladies had withdrawn, the conversation turned on ecclesiastical affairs, & I expounded to ^the laymen^ the situation into which the Enabling Act had brought the church. They expressed themselves very resolutely against the Anglo–Catholicks = but, indeed, their knowledge is so limited, & their real interest so slight, that their opposition need cause the Anglo–Catholicks little anxiety. There was a display of fireworks in Hythe in honour of the cricket week which is now in progress: the view from the grounds of the house was so excellent that we stood outside to see the show. After the guests had departed, Lady Cohen shewed us some of her paintings. They disclose unusual ability & good taste.

The suggestion of Sir Philip Sassoon's house was almost startlingly non–Christian. It exhaled in all its arrangements the sensual splendour of the Oriental unchastened by the ascetic shadow of the Cross. There was not lacking a touch of quite vulgar ostentation. The water of the bath & basins in the gardens was dyed with Reckit's blue! I realised with unwonted clearness the effect of Christianity in 'taking the greatness out of' terrestrial things. They are all trivial & even squalid in front of the Son of Man .

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