The Henson Journals

[100]

Wednesday, December 26th, 1923.

[symbol]

The snow lay heavy on the ground. But the chauffeur having ruled that the roads were passable, I returned to Auckland after breakfast being met by William not far from Sedgefield. Jimmie Dobbie came to lunch, and afterwards walked with Ernest and me in the Park. He is an affectionate lad or rather man, for he was 21 last May, and it is a sad pity his boyish desire to take Holy Orders never gained fulfilment. He is, I think, sincerely religious, & devoted to his Vicar, Canon Wykes, a clergyman of whom I think highly.

I read Winston's Book for several hours. It is absorbingly and painfully interesting.

There was no post today, and no newspapers.

I wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledging the advance copy of his letter to the Anglican Metropolitans, & made a copy of my own letter, which I entered in my private "Register". I cannot see my way to mitigate, still less to withdraw, the disapproval of his Grace's action which I expressed at the Bishop's meeting. The Primate ought not to have given his approval to "conversations" in which the Church of England has for its representatives none but Anglo–Catholics. It is certain that the impression of Anglicanism which they could give to the Papists would be gravely misleading.

---