The Henson Journals

[147]

Thursday, February 28th, 1929.

The severe cold continues without mitigation. Major and Mrs Fraser left after breakfast. Lionel and I motored to Sedgefield, where I confirmed 56 persons in the parish church, and afterwards had tea in the Rectory. Canon Sykes is in bed with phlebitis, an evil malady which (as Mrs Sykes informed me) has destroyed his father & brother. He has now been in bed for about 7 weeks, and is warned by the doctor that he must stay there for an indefinite period. We motored to Darlington, where I confirmed 105 persons in S. Cuthbert's. At both these confirmation the fewness of the male candidates was very apparent. One parish – Heighington – sent 15 girls and a single boy. This has a bad aspect. I suspect that the approach of the General Election has rendered keener and more pervasive the normal antipathy of "Labour" to the Church: and the effect of this keener hostility is felt most and earliest by the boys, who are starting work (or idleness), and coming directly under the influence of men. But this will not account for so complete a failure as that which Heighington implies.

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