The Henson Journals

[211]

Saturday, August 29th, 1925.

I wrote letters & cleared up things before leaving home for a week. Shortly before 11 a.m., we left the Castle, & motored by way of Tow Law to within 6 miles of Haltwhistle. There we lunched comfortably by the way–side. When we sought to resume our journey, the motor failed to move. Leng found that something vital had snapped asunder. So we pushed the helpless thing into an adjacent farm–yard: and made our way by a motor, which Leng obtained in Haltwhistle, to the station there, from which, after waiting an hour, we went on to Carlisle. There we learned that the only train to Stirling would bring us to Sauchieburn after midnight, so we determined to put up for the night, & proceed to our destination by the early train on the Sunday. Having despatched telegrams to the Steel–Maitlands, we walked in the town, went in to the Cathedral, and visited a furniture shop. Here we purchased a small table, as a wedding present for Katherine Pember, & then went back to the Hotel for dinner. This was a dilatory & comfortless meal, as there was a crowd of diners, & but one driven waitress to look after a whole roomful. I gave the poor girl half a crown out of sheer compassion.