The Henson Journals

[84]

Tuesday, December 11th, 1923.

The lapse of ages changes all things – time – language – the earth – the bounds of the sea – the stars of the sky, and everything about, around, and underneath man, except man itself, who has always been, and always will be, "an unlucky rascal". The infinite variety of lives conduct but to death, and the infinity of wishes lead but to disappointment.

Lord Byron, Work V, 162.

The weather has become comparatively mild. I wrote many letters, walked in the Park, read the papers, and Byron. Voila tout!

It is amusing the read the letters of departed candidates explaining their discomfiture at the polls. We are given to understand that Protection was rejected by an unparalleled outbreak of bigotry, ignorance, and misrepresentation, as if these amiable factors were unknown in the Conservative camp. We are gravely assured that, if only time had sufficed, there could have been no doubt of the triumph of the Protectionists, as if it were not certain that the best intellect of the country as well academic as commercial were not on the side of Free Trade. In any case the complaint of inadequate time for understanding the issue comes ill from those who were themselves responsible for fixing the date of the election!

The papers report the death of that excellent old man, the Rev. Canon Bonney at the age of 90.

---