Mrs Oliphant

The Rector Mrs Oliphant

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1870. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... Chronicles of ©arlmsforl)!. THE RECTOR. CHAPTER I. It is natural to suppose that the arrival of the new Eector was a rather exciting event for Carlingford. It is a considerable town, it is true, nowadays, but then there are no alien activities to disturb the place--no manufactures, and not much trade. And there is a very respectable amount of very good society at Carlingford. To begin with, it is a pretty place--mild, sheltered, not far from town; and naturally its very reputation for good society increases tho amount of that much-prized article. The advantages of the town in this respect have already put five per cent upon the house-rents; but this, of course,,only refers to the real town, where you can go through an entire street of high garden-walls, with houses inside full of the retired exclusive comforts, the dainty economical refinement peculiar to such places; and where the good people consider their own society as a warrant of gentility less splendid, but not less assured, than the favour of Majesty itself. Naturally there are no Dissenters in Carlingford--that is to say, none above the rank of a greengrocer or milkman; and in bosoms A devoted to the Church it may be well imagined that the advent of the new Eector was an event full of importance, and even of excitement. He was highly spoken of, everybody knew; but nobody knew who had spoken highly of him, nor had been able to find out, even by inference, what were his views. The Church had been Low during the last Eector's reign--profoundly Low--lost in the deepest abysses of Evangelicalism. A determined inclination to preach to everybody had seized upon that good man's brain; he had half emptied Salem Chapel, there could be no doubt; but, on the other hand, he had more than half filled th...