Luke's wife

by Evelyn R. Garratt

But Rachel was disappointed, though at the same time she was thankful that her mother-in-law had something to interest her and to fill up her time.

That it was Mrs. Greville's party was quite evident when the day dawned. Rachel was amused when her mother-in-law told her that she had better stand at the gate and welcome the people, as she herself would be engaged seating them at the tables. Rachel had quite intended to be at the gate.

"But," she said, "I think it would be better not to have tea the moment they arrive. They might walk about the garden and have games first."

But Mrs. Greville had arranged in her own mind that tea was to be the first item of the programme and she did not wish it altered.

"It's far better to get the business of tea well over first," she said, "then we shall be free to think of games," and Rachel gave way. She felt it was not worth while discussing the matter.

About sixty people with their children arrived and were shown at once to their seats by Mrs. Greville. Rachel saw them looking at the plates before them with a smile, and heard them making jokes with one another. But after Luke had appeared and had said a word of welcome and tea began in earnest, they were silent. The business of eating did not seem in their estimation to need the effort of talking. Suddenly Rachel heard Mrs. Greville say:

"Mind you all make a good tea, and what you don't want you can put in your pockets and take home with you. I won't look!" There was a laugh and the sound of it sent the colour into Rachel's face. The talking too began in real earnest and did not cease till tea was over; but the words that Rachel occasionally heard convinced her that Mrs. Greville's tactless remark was not liked by the men; and she noticed that no-one save the woman with the puny baby took advantage of the invitation to take the food home.

Rachel did what she could to take away the impression made by her mother-in-law's mistake, by noticing the many babies that the mothers had brought with them. And the subject of babies was so absorbing that when Luke took the men off for a game of bowls, the women were quite contented to sit and tell Rachel of the various complaints their children had suffered from.

They were not allowed however to sit still for long. Mrs. Greville bustled them about from one part of the garden to the other dividing them into groups and setting them to games. The mother with the puny baby alone refused to budge. She was too tired, she explained, and Rachel, looking at her as she talked, came to the conclusion, that probably the reason why the baby was so thin and weird looking was because the money went in drink. She tried to gain the mother's confidence and to help her, but the woman simply sat and cried and complained of her hard life. One of the women who had been playing games and was a little jealous at seeing Mrs. Grot having such a long talk with the Rector's wife, informed her spitefully, that she was a "bad lot," and left the baby alone in the house while she went to spend her evenings at the public house. Rachel came to the conclusion that the village was not such a little heaven below as she had imagined; but that the great enemy of souls was as busy there as elsewhere.