The Henson Journals

[208]

Tuesday, October 19th, 1926

Another bright cold day, I wasted the morning in writing letters, and "clearing up" my study in preparation for my departure on Thursday. The problem of letters, whether to keep or destroy them, and, then, with respect to those which one decides to keep, the problem how to keep them so that they shall be both secure and accessible – these are insoluble.

Mr Ernest Goddard, to whom some days ago I sent a copy of "the Bishoprick" writes in acknowledgement thereof an interesting letter, in which he says: –

"In my undergraduate days at Oxford, now twenty years ago, I was persuaded in the enthusiasm of youth to join the Christian Social Union, but it was not long before I discovered in what direction its doctrines were leading, and I ceased to be a member as I could not possibly reconcile myself to its views."

I remember that I opposed the C. S. U. at its first beginning, & that it was by crossing swords with its champion, Rashdall, that I first made the acquaintance of that philosopher, with whom I afterwards formed a genuine friendship. Now, after nearly 40 years, I am of the same mind. Socialism was then a novelty: it is now an assumption. But then and now it is a falsehood.

The Edinburgh Review arrived. My article has first place, a distinction which it owes to the painful "actuality" of its topic. Ralph writes a very laudatory and readable review of Trevelyan's "History of England". Altogether it is a very interesting number.

We had a dinner party in honour of Lillingston's new wife. The company numbered sixteen viz. General Surtees & Sybil, Lady Eden, Colonel and Mrs Headlam, Captn and Mrs Johnson, Sir [Halsbury?] Mainsforth and Lady M.[,] Canon & Mrs Lillingston, Mrs Fortescue, Ernest, Lionel, Fearne, Ella and myself. Sir H. Mainsforth expressed himself rather strongly against the unsympathetic & unyielding attitude of the Coal–owners. But he admitted that the miners had been rather impracticable.

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