| Description | Bason mainly describes everyday situations and typical days in his life. Mentionings of the workplace, descriptions of sermons that he himself holds or listens to, and numerous remarks about how sinful he feels. One recurring theme is the various talks with signalmen on spiritual, Christian and social matters.
Inserted at the beginning of the diary are a few pages containing what seems to be notes taken at Sunday school or sermons.
Bason visits a Liberal meeting (13 Jan 1910) and comments on Sir Ivan Herbert's character, he trusts him to hold true to his word.
Throughout January (1910) many entries refer to a mission that is soon to commence in the area. The aim of which is to convert people to the church.
Another argument with Ellen, his wife (2 April 1910). These kind of entries are often very similar: the couple have an argument or discussion, Bason has a tantrum but seeks forgiveness later, after a prayer to God usually. These tantrums also seem to be the reason why he feels sinful before God.
During April 1910 some accounts of mounting unrest and problems in the church community as a certain Brother Williams has fallen to drink.
A certain remark about how Bason loathes the "barbarous jail system" and capital punishment (2 May 1910).
Entry about a crisis in the church (27 May 1910) that "nearly destroyed it", but no further explanation is given.
Bason seems to have retaken some of his offices within the church community, since he mentions being society's steward again (13 June 1910).
Mentions the intention of starting a chapel in Hengoed (6 July 1910).
Entry about the newspaper "News of the World"(19 July 1910): "such a paper is not fit to be printed and should not be in the same house as children".
Bason is very troubled by the situation of children and their mothers in the modern working class society (20 July 1910). He calls for a "revolution in the social life of the child" and states that the church has to do much more for such poor children. |