"THE GLOOMY DEAN."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20244, 2 May 1929, Page 14

"THE GLOOMY DEAN."

RECREATIONS WHEN YOUNG. ' CRICKET AND LAWN TENNIS. [FROM our own correspondent.] LONDON, March 19. The Dean of St. Paul's, when "the guest of the evening at tho annuajL, dinner of the Sylvan Debating Club, was challenged by Mr. Cecil Harmsworth to reveal his recreation.

Mr. Harmsworth pointed out that tho Dean was the only one among the 20,000 celebrities in "Who's Who" who did not say what was tho nature of his recreation. Ho was referred to as "the gloomy dean," but Mr. Harmsworth thought of him rather as a witty, humorous being, a theologian, a scholar, a mystic, -and a trenchant journalist. Dean luge repliedr"l used to. play both cricket and lawn tennis with moderate success, but now I am about to enter my 70th year I am confined to pottering along tho Embankment." He said that tho English were a truth-loving and honest people, and added:—"Wo owe our present predicament to this characteristic, that wo are so simple-minded and honest. Ever since tho war we have been doing out bpst to promote tho cause of peace in tho world. Wo havo oven gone to tho length of paying our debts, which nobody clso has thought of doing. In consequence, we are in a very bad position as compared with our brilliant neighbours in France."