“She did. That is why I come to you for help. I want to ask if you would be willing to call on her. She is a woman of great strength of character, unusually intelligent, and has much influence in her own community. She came to church on one or two occasions prior to her husband’s death, and she was present at the service last Sunday morning. While she is interested in the Church, she is distinctly hostile to it. I wish greatly that her attitude of hostility might be changed into one of at least friendliness, both for her own good and for the influence which she can command.”
“I will call on her. I shall be very glad to. She is an unusual woman in appearance. I have heard that she is unusual also in character and ability. I’ll do my best to persuade her.”
“Thank you again. That’s splendid!”
What a comfort she was! What an inspiration! What a pity that she was not the wife, not to become the wife of a progressive rector of an advancing church!
Mrs. Tracy swept into the room, with Mrs. Farrar in tow.
“Oh, here you are!” she exclaimed, giving the rector a warm hand-grasp. “I suppose Ruth has been vowing allegiance to your heresies, Mr. Farrar. I can’t get her to look at the matter reasonably, and Philip can’t either; and her father just smiles and says she’s of age and can do as she wants to.”
“You’ll have to convert Mr. Farrar first, mother,” laughed Ruth, “and then let him convert me.”
“It would serve you both right,” continued the mistress of the house, “if we had Jim Dodder, the blacksmith, here to dine with you, with his three hundred and fifty pound wife who is bald on the back of her head.”
“Oh, mother!” protested Ruth, “she doesn’t weigh a bit over two hundred.”