The Henson Journals

[214]

21st Sunday after Trinity, October 24th, 1926

I went to Chapel at 8.30 a.m. but found that the service was not held until 8.45 a.m. I spent the interval in reading the epitaphs on the western wall, on either side of the War–Memorial. They carry the names of those Fellows who, either as seniors or as contemporaries, were known to me as those of pleasant acquaintances, and (in some cases) personal friends. Forty two years have passed since my election to a fellowship in this College. How far I have travelled, and how much I have changed since All Souls Day, 1884!

I accompanied the Vice–Chancellor and Mrs Pember to the University Sermon, and sate in the doctors' seat alongside of Macan. The preacher was Goudge, the Regius Prof: of Divinity. He preached a commonplace sermon from a great text – "Here we see in a glass darkly". – There was a very scanty gathering of dons, and undergraduates in the gallery were as teeth in an old man's jaws! Six men in surplices sate on either side of the pulpit, replacing the naughty boys from New College who used to occupy the screen, & whose naughtiness, becoming insufferable, had (so I was told) led to their permanent dismissal. After the service I had a few words with Phelps. When leaving the Church, one of the doctors, whom I did not recognize, whispered to me: "You have no right to be anywhere but in the pulpit: you are one of the two men who can fill S. Mary's". Inge, of course, is the other, & so far as he is concerned, the statement is true; but, so far as I am concerned, I doubt it. Mine hostess took me for a walk, in the course of which I called on old Dr Jackson, now in his 90th year.

[215]

To lunch there came Buchan and Massie with their wives: and I had much talk with both. The former I regard as one of the most admirable of my contemporaries, and the nearest approach to a "genius". The latter I had not met before. He is about to take up his position at Washington as the diplomatic representative of Canada. His wife is a daughter of Parkin, and (if I make no mistake) a niece of Raleigh. She spoke to me about him, and said that he was "devoted" to me. After they had departed, I rested for an hour, & then walked across to the Common room, where I found Cruttwell, & some of the junior fellows. We talked about the Strike. There is much prejudice against the mine owners, but why I cannot understand. They do not seem to me better or worse than other employers. [Cruttwell spoke about Cole, the poisonous Communist who is now a University Lecturer in Economics! He personally persuaded the Clarendon Press Employees to come out on Strike during the General Strike. Fisher, who being in the Government at the time, says that there was abundant material for prosecution of the said Cole, & that he himself had seen the papers.]

Phelps sent across a copy of "Sylvestra" with this inscription: "To: Herbert Dunelm, from L. R. Phelps, in gratitude for an affection never chilled by dignity or cloked by cares". That is rather nice.

I dined in College. There was a large party, including Oman, Fletcher, and Johnson. I had much talk with Wilkinson, Firth, and Rouse. The last is a most interesting youth, the son of a Cornish artisan, and a vehement advocate of a rather extreme Labour politics. I am really very old, and passé.

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