Luke's wife

by Evelyn R. Garratt

"London!" cried Rachel. "Oh Luke, I should hate it of all things. Besides you must be a man strong in body as well as in soul to work a London parish satisfactorily. I should be very sorry to see you undertake such a work."

"I'm quite strong enough," said Luke. "The only things that try me are the petty quarrels and vexations of such a parish as this. I heard this morning that Went and Ethers have fallen out, and on a ridiculously small matter. I fancy everything would be larger and more important in London. It is just the petty matters that worry me."

"Human nature is the same everywhere. I expect you would find small souls in a London parish just as you do here."

"Would you very much object to London?" asked Luke. "Not that there is the slightest chance of me being offered a Church there. But it is the dream of my life. Fancy working in the very hub of the Universe. I should revel in it."

"The work would be enormous, unless you had several curates. And you know how difficult they are to find now-a-days."

"I shouldn't mind the work. The more the better, so long as it is not spoilt by bickerings and quarrellings. Should you very much dislike it?"

"Intensely. I don't feel in my present mood, as if I could endure it." Then seeing a look of disappointment on her husband's face, she added, "But where thou goest I will go, you know that."

"Yes, I have no doubt of that," he answered.

And his longing for London increased during the next few months. It was a time of great disappointment for him. When he had first come to Trowsby, he had had the warmest of welcomes, and the largest congregation in the place. His preaching was arresting and people congratulated themselves on having such a Vicar. He had come straight from France where he had been acting as Chaplain, and had there shown great bravery under fire. Many came to hear him just because of this. But when the rage for amusements began to show itself, and it was found that the Vicar had no sympathy with it, and had no new Gospel to preach, but preached the same Gospel as they had heard before the war, untouched with modernism and the various other new religious theories, the congregation that had increased out of curiosity gradually dwindled, for they said, "He's not up to date." It was disheartening for Luke, specially as he heard that a Church not very far off was crowded to overflowing on account of all the social questions that were discussed during the sermons, and well-known lecturers on the various religions came down from London, Sunday after Sunday, to preach.

"Nevertheless," he said one day to his wife, "I shall continue to preach the Gospel; and by-the-bye Rachel, I must somehow get three days of quiet at least, for some of the men's Bible Class want to discuss those questions which have been raised by the Modern Churchmen's Conference; and I must prepare for the discussion. But I really don't see how I can manage it. I am late as it is with the Parish Magazine."