Of that particular clergyman, I may as well here say that he was the
Rev. Charles Comfort, and that he was rector of Cawston, a parish in
Devonshire, about two miles out of Baslehurst. Mr. Prime had for a
year or two been his curate, and during that term of curacy he had
married Dorothea Ray. Then he had died, and his widow had returned
from the house her husband had occupied near the church to her
mother's cottage. Mr. Prime had been possessed of some property, and
when he died he left his widow in the uncontrolled possession of
two hundred a year. As it was well known that Mrs. Ray's income was
considerably less than this, the people of Baslehurst and Cawston
had declared how comfortable for Mrs. Ray would be this accession of
wealth to the family. But Mrs. Ray had not become much the richer.
Mrs. Prime did no doubt pay her fair quota towards the maintenance
of the humble cottage at Bragg's End, for such was the name of the
spot at which Mrs. Ray lived. But she did not do more than this.
She established a Dorcas society at Baslehurst, of which she became
permanent president, and spent her money in carrying on this
institution in the manner most pleasing to herself. I fear that Mrs.
Prime liked to be more powerful at these charitable meetings than her
sister labourers in the same vineyard, and that she achieved this
power by the means of her money. I do not bring this as a heavy
accusation against her. In such institutions there is generally need
of a strong, stirring, leading mind. If some one would not assume
power, the power needed would not be exercised. Such a one as Mrs.
Prime is often necessary. But we all have our own pet temptations,
and I think that Mrs. Prime's temptation was a love of power.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account