Drove Kate Mountain to Banbury, en route for Yarmouth where she is to join Mrs Moss.
Bell and I called on Mrs Smith at Tadmarton Rectory on our return.
The note below is pasted into the diary. Stevens has annotated the last page with “Hon. Canon of Salisbury. Brother and executor of the late Canon Edward Payne of Swalcliffe.”
Adderbury
Banbury
July 24
Dear Mr Stevens
I and mine have I believe to thank you heartily for a very truthful and at the same time very gratifying notice of my brother in the last Guardian, and I do so most sincerely, and am very glad to find, that he was so justly appreciated in his sphere of work. Such notices in memoriam are apt to be, perhaps too much so, confined to men, who have advocated party views, and so gathered round them a certain number of warm admirers, who naturally praise them, when they are taken from us, but I do not think, that those, who walk, it may be said between the extremes, are often esteemed as highly as they ought to be; and I can further add that your notice of him, gratifying as it is, is fully borne out by the correspondence, which has been brought under my notice during these last three weeks. I knew he had taken an active part in Diocesan work, as well as his own parish, in such order as was possible, and such, as I should be glad to think, would continue, but his large and confidential correspondence shews me that it was more influential than I was aware of. However pray accept my sincere thanks and believe me
yours faithfully
Richard Payne
