The Henson Journals

[297]

Friday, October 23rd, 1925.

Stephen, the young footman who has been looking after me, packed my bag – a dropsical phenomenon. He hails from Bucks, and has served in the Army. He is 25 years old, so was too young for the war. He loves birds & horses, being of a country breed himself, yet he prefers life in the towns, because there he has friends & amusements. I gave him Buchan's novel "John McNab", with which I had solaced sleepless nights.

I spent the morning in the House of Bishops, where, perhaps, the pace and dignity of our proceedings were advanced by the absence of the Bishop of St Alban's on the count of illness. We engaged in the work of mangling Mattins & Evensong. I urged that the question of the Athanasian Creed should be debated in public, and the requisite 6 bishops supported me. These, to my surprise, included neither Pearce, Nixon, nor Barnes. I lunched at the Athenaeum, & then went back to Church House, where I continued until it was time to get away for my return to Auckland. I travelled by the 5.30 p.m. express, having for my travelling companions two members of the wealthy West Hartlepool merchants, of which one now sits as Member for the Sedgefield division. Leng met me with the car at Darlington.

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