The Henson Journals

[40]

Saturday, May 19th, 1928.

A damp thunderous day, very depressing. I basely 'cried off' the gathering of Girl Guides at Lumley Castle, but the three ladies went. Ella talked to Princess Mary instead of me, without doubt to the advantage of both.

I worked very unsuccessfully at the Newcastle Sermon. The Chronicle a 'progressive–liberal' organ of the Protestant Episcopal Church in America has something like an attack on the Bishop of Durham in its article on 'English Church Life'. It is evidently inspired by Ralph's onslaught in the 'Church of England Newspaper'. I suppose the general mass of 'Protestants' are really in capable of distinguishing between a bishop's personal beliefs and his official action. They assume that the last must express the first. In a divided Church like ours only thorough–going partisans could satisfy them, and if anything be certainly true about me, it is that I never have been, and never can be a partisan. Nature has stamped me as a born 'mugwump'!

The Royal Society of St George desires me to be their Honorary Chaplain "in succession to our good friend Bishop Carr Glyn"!!! Have I fallen to this?