The Henson Journals

[168]

Friday, March 12th 1926.

Dr Price sends me the following:–

"Try and be in bed for at least 8, and still better 9 hours each night. You should have an hour's rest some time during the course of each day, preferably after lunch.

The rules with regard to exertion are:–

If it is accompanied by breathlessness, palpitation, giddiness or faintness, a sense of oppression or tightness or discomfort or pain in the front chest, its pace is too quick & shd.be proportionately diminished: or its character is unsuitable and should be altered. If it is followed by undue fatigue, palpitation, giddiness or faintness, a sense of oppression, or tightness or discomfort or pain in the front chest, its amount has been too much, & this should be proportionately diminished.

Mental exertion shd not be such as to induce undue fatigue.

Providing work is done efficiently, the less you take it out of yourself the better.

If at any time you are feeling tired, stay in bed for the whole, or greater part, or at least for breakfast, on one day a week.

[169]

It is very advisable to have a whole day, or at least the greater part of a day, off work each week.

To have at least 4 weeks holiday on end each year, during which no writing or any other kind of work: and also one week's rest and change twice yearly would be an advantage.

The above rules are for the whole of your life. It will pay you to observe them. Having pointed them out, it is not necessary for me to say what you may be allowed to do and what you shd. avoid, & this applies to your work.

F.W.P.

This is a truly admirable programme, which no doubt would command the unstinted admiration of the saints & asceticks of our time! How far it is practicable may well engage the pedestrian intelligence of less exalted folk. But, though I do not suppose that Dr Price's allocution will effect much change in my habits, I do not dispute that I ought not to ignore the fact that I am in my 63rd year, that I ought to realize the uncomfortable fact that senectitude, perhaps even senility, is beginning to throw its shadow on my life: &, in short, that I have no moral right to exhaust myself before my time.

[170]

I received a letter from Miss Alice M. Bayliss, which, perhaps, is worth noting. It runs thus:

"You see, I happen to teach in a Secondary School, where Religious Observances get fewer & fewer, and where from all accounts comparatively few of us take Scripture with any degree of regularity. In short, your sermon was on a subject which has been troubling me for a long time, & I was thankful that one in your position was bringing the matter to the public notice."

This state of affairs is, I believe, very common. There is little time for religious instruction, & no inducement to make it efficient. The better teachers lament the gradual secularisation of the schools: the worse exult in it.

The Bishop of Jarrow came to see me in the course of the afternoon. He seems to be making progress with his scheme for training Ordination candidates. The real difficulty will be to dispose of the men whom we ultimately ordain. Will they ever be really competent for appointment to the cure of souls? And, if not?

---