THE CANON'S AWARENESS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 251, 5 August 1941, Page 4

THE CANON'S AWARENESS.

A Canon of Westminster’s recent experiences, with an instructive climax at Oxford, are worth recording, notes "Janus” in the "Spectator.” Ho began the night, with his normal duties as air raid warden. In the course of it he watched various historic buildings blazing, tried in vain to fight fire in his own house, and saw everything he possessed (except his ear, which was elsewhere) reduced to ashes, saved Westminster Abbey by telephoning desperately to exalted quarters at three in the morning (Sunday), when all other attempts to secure help had failed owing to the breakdown in communications, and subsequently went round his parish visiting the scenes of the worst disasters .At eight o’clock, clad in a sports shirt and sodden flannel trousers he took a celebration in the chapel in Tnfton street; still so clad be took the morning service there at 11; still so clad he set out in the afternoon by car to preach near there and fetched up before nightfall at a relative’s house at Oxford. Next morning, in that prosperous and bombless city (still so clad) he set about obtaining a few necessities to start life with afresh. On going to one shop to buy a razor lie was confronted by a young lady with painted nails behind the counter who, outraged apparently that anyone should suppose the unobtainable obtainable, fixed the vagrant with a hostile eye and asked icily "Are you aware that there is a war ? on?” He had, in fact, begun to realise that dimly.