The Henson Journals

Sat 23 June 1928

Volume 45, Page 101

[101]

Saturday, June 23rd, 1928.

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I left Park Lane after breakfast, & went to the Athenaeum, where I found Lord Northbourne, who spoke to me about the vacancy at Jarrow Grange. Then I went to King's Cross, & took the Pullman express to Darlington, where I was met by Ella with the car. I relieved the tedium of the journey by reading "Through the Looking Glass of Lambeth" by "An unknown Layman". The writer allows himself in all sorts of impertinences about individuals. Its references to me are particularly offensive for, inter alia, it attributes to me the description of the Evangelical Party as "an army of degenerates generalled by octogenarians", whereas my word was 'illiterates', &, so far from adopting the description, I said that it was only true if a sharp distinction were drawn between the Evangelical Party and the Evangelicals. The naming of possible successors to the Archbishop is extraordinarily annoying. The young Pullman Car attendant who put out my bags at Darlington, said to me. "Are you going to succeed the Archbishop of Canterbury, my Lord?'! James Parker–Smith, who ought to know better, writes to entreat me not to say anything which would hinder my appointment to Canterbury!! I feel disposed to do something really extravagant.