The Henson Journals

[41]

Monday, May 19th, 1924.

I finished the sermon for Newcastle, being much handicapped by the absence of the letter t from my typewriter. I had never realized the importance of that letter. However I did finish the beastly thing, and "for this relief much thanks"!

After lunch I motored to Middleton, & there confirmed 58 persons. Middleton is just 20 miles from Auckland, & the road lies over open moorland most of the way. I returned to the Castle for tea, and then set out again for Chester–le–Street. There I confirmed, as the Rector assured me, no less than 215 persons, very equally divided between the sexes. I made as much speed as I could, & we were out of the church by a few minutes after 8 p.m. After service we returned to Auckland.

The waste of time over the Byron lecture led me to resolve that I would accept no more invitations to undertake tasks which lay outside my proper work. Now arrives a request from G. P. Gooch, the President of the Historical Association asking me to deliver the "inaugural address" when the Association holds its annual meeting at Newcastle in January, 1925. I hardly like to decline; yet I hardly venture to accept. Probably I shall have to do it, and waste yet more time. I can take any historical subject I like!

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