The Henson Journals

[186]

Friday, November 11th, 1927.

The cold weather continues. My morning post contained several letters which required immediate answering, and took long to answer. Thus my whole morning was occupied with letter–writing.

Rawlins, the Vicar of Rainton, came to lunch. He is only 62, but he asks permission to retire on the score of incapacitating infirmity. He has a weak heart, is asthmatical, and has recently had some kind of a stroke. He speaks with visible embarrassment, & is said to be difficult to understand. He gave me a harrowing account of his experiences during the long strike. The Church life of Rainton seems to have been almost destroyed by this eruption of "envy, hatred, malice, & all uncharitableness". It is easy to see why the clergy in the mining parishes tend to join the Labour Party, & to dabble with Communism. There seems no other way of securing a tolerable existence.

After Rawlins had departed, I walked round the Park. A decent old man addressed me, & said that he had known five of my predecessors. Bishop Maltby had patted him on the head, & given him half–a–crown, for answering well when his Lordship visited the School. His grandfather had made the gates for the Castle, & his father had described to him the pomp of Shute Barrington, who emerged in a carriage drawn by six horses! His name was Tillburn.

[187] [symbol]

The Archbishop of Canterbury sent for 12 copies of the Bishoprick: & Earl Grey asked for a supply in order to send to some of the Peers. Canon Peter Green, acknowledging a copy, writes appreciatively:

"May I say that the Open Letter to a peer strikes me as far and away the best & most convincing thing that I have yet read on the subject".

This is handsome. Lord Selborne writes:–

"Your 'Open Letter' is quite admirable, & the "Sunday golf & motoring" sentence will surely enable the higher critic of 4000 A.D. to identify the Author though the signature be missing from the letter."

The 'Church Times', 'Guardian', & 'Church Family Newspaper' ignore it altogether: & the 'Record' quotes it with hostile intention!! I do really think that the "Church" papers are an excellent standard of quality. What they emphasize & magnify is surely bad: what they ignore or abuse is probably good!

The local paper reproduces the nonsense which the 'Observer' wrote about me on October 23rd. There must be much gossip in circulation, for Inge tells me that I am credited with 'ambition' to become Cantuar, & Sir Thomas Oliver writes darkly of my "further advancement". Even Mrs Storr, who ought to know better, babbles of my being at Lambeth!! It is the most annoying folly in the world!