The Henson Journals

[79]

Tuesday, December 4th, 1923.

Snow fell briskly at intervals throughout the day. I did not leave my room, but after dealing with the correspondence, fell to reading a book which was sent me by John Murray, with a request for my opinion on it. "The causes of the present conflict of Ideals in the Church of England" by R. D. Richardson B.A. is a "Modern Churchman's" publication, & discloses but too fully the muddleheadedness of that type. Still there is both promise and ingenuity in the volume, & I think the Author will be heard of again.

An old gentleman named Stokoe writes from Sunderland to tell me that he desires to contribute something towards establishing the Chaplain in the Gatehouse, & that he has bequeathed £1000 to the Bishop of Durham for the good of the diocese. If this actually matures, the money – £50 yearly – will be very useful for the clergy.

The general impression of the progress of the General Election seems to be increasingly favourable to the Government. Most of the forecasts give Protectionism a majority, though perhaps hardly large enough for its programme. It would almost appear to be the case that Free Trade is sharing the fate of all Victorian ideals & institutions. Protestantism, law & order, the middle classes, free trade – all that was great in the eyes of our fathers seems to have lost hold on our minds, & no longer wakes the smallest enthusiasm in any quarter.

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