The Henson Journals

[181]

Thursday, February 28th, 1924.

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A bright bitter day. In the course of the morning I called at 10 Downing Street, and had an interview about Egglestone, which I advised the Patronage Secretary Mr Duff, to fill up. Then I walked to the Abbey, & spent an hour with Barnes. I lunched at the House of Lords, and had some talk with Ld Buckmaster about Carnegie's reported refusal to allow a Presbyterian minister to baptize a member's child in the Crypt chapel. This seems to me great folly, & very surprising for I know that the Archbishop was consulted. I went back to the Athenaeum, & there remained until I returned to Park Lane to dine alone with Lady Scarbrough. Buckle was in the Club, and with him I had some talk. Also, with Hicks, who has just been appointed to the Vicarage of Brighton.

The newspapers report little of my speech, and what they report is comparatively harmless. But one never knows when & where the echoes of one's indiscretion will assail one. One person familiar to me by face but not by name came to me in the Club, and expressed approval of my speech, but I know not what report of it he had seen. A letter from Ella assured me that her function yesterday had gone off without hitch. The Princess seems to have been amiable!

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