The Henson Journals

[161]

Saturday, March 10th, 1928.

A considerable snow–fall during the night had invested the country with 'the saintly veil of maiden white', and I had the doubtful joy of contemplating a rare scene of winter–fashioned beauty when I looked out from my windows.

I dictated to Lionel an address on the Castle for the Broad–casting people, and finished a sermon for the Shildon Freemasons largely dealing with the same theme.

Ella and Lionel accompanied me to Stockton, where I "opened" a Palestine Exhibition, & afterwards had an interview with the churchwardens of the Parish Church, who desired to lay before me the condition of the parish in view of my appointing a new Rector. The Rural Dean (Douglas) told me that he had arranged to have the communicants from the vacant parish of Long Newton to be brought to Stockton by motor–omnibus on Easter Day as it was not possible to find a priest to celebrate Holy Communion in Long Newton itself. That is a significant indication of the gravity of the shortage of clergy.

More snow fell at intervals during the day, & by nightfall there was a good deal on the ground.