The Henson Journals

[217]

Tuesday, April 8th, 1924.

Byron again all the morning. After lunch we motored to Tanfield, where I confirmed 170 persons. Old Canon Archdale is very feeble and foolish. He said that he had had a second stroke. I noticed that the rather disconcerting curate, Lister, had done all the work for some while past. After tea at the vicarage, I went on to Whickham, where I confirmed 180 persons in the parish church: and afterwards had supper with the Rector.

Little said that when he was working as a clergyman at Arbroath he had discovered that copies of "Lux Mundi" were let out to the artisans for a charge of threepence per night. This discloses an interest in theological literature which would hardly be found south of the Tweed. He also described the solitary occasion on which he had met the late Lord Morley. It was about the time that the statesman, then known as "Honest John", had been turned out from Newcastle. Morley suggested, as they stood together on the Scottish railway–platform, that they should travel southwards together. Where do you get out? he asked, to which Little replied rashly "Where you got out – Newcastle". Morley turned on his heel, & walked wrathfully away. That is an exhibition of petty resentiment [sic] which is rather surprising in a man of his stature in public life. But one never knows 'where the shoe pinches', & the defeat at Newcastle wounded his vanity.

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