Perhaps all the years of his life had not taught the Rector so much as did that half hour in an unknown poor bed-chamber, where, honest and humble, he stood aside, and, kneeling down, responded to his young brother's prayer. His young brother--young enough to have been his son--not half nor a quarter part so learned as he; but a world further on in that profession which they shared--the art of winning souls.

A poignant little story (hardly a novella) about a bookish rector who learns, in perhaps the most painful way possible, that he isn't really cut out for pastoral ministry.

You can definitely tell that Mrs. Oliphant was inspired by Trollope. Her writing style is...how to put it...more ponderous? But I liked it. There's humor sprinkled in as well, and patient insight into her characters.

This story reminded me a lot of the beginning of [b: Hammer of God|90006|Hammer of God|Bo Giertz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347513816s/90006.jpg|1878668]. ( )

First in Mrs Oliphant's series of Carlingford novels. The first (short) tale of a rector who leaves his position in an Oxford university for a normal role in a small town- and finds himself seriously ill-suited - wasn't hugely gripping.
But the main part of the tale is taken up with the most compelling Doctor's Family. Not, as you might imagine, a wife and children, but a dead-loss, alcoholic brother, who has billetede himself on his long-suffering brother after returning from Australia. And then his abandoned wife and children come looking for him, along with his spirited sister-in-law, Nettie, who keeps it all together...
Many trials and tribulations, most readable. Was further intrigued to discover that some think Carlingford might be my hometown of Aylesbury (the author's husband came here to create stained glass windows in St Mary's Church!) ( )

Two sweet little novellas set in Carlingford, Oliphant's imaginary Victorian town. In "The Doctor's Family," young Dr. Rider is burdened with a small practice and a good-for-nothing older brother. When his brother's family tracks him down and requires his assistance, Dr.Rider is annoyed--until he falls in love with his sister-in-law's sister, the willful workhorse Nettie. Stubborn, practical, and devoted to her sentimental sister, Nettie refuses to be considered a martyr while simultaneously refusing to be anything but selfless. I was surprised by how much I liked Nettie.

"The Rector" follows Morley Proctor, a man who has lived all his life in the cloisters of All-Souls. After spending his youth in the driest of studies, he goes to Carlingford in pursuit of a slightly wider life--he hopes for a family of his own. But his decades in academia have not prepared him for the exigicies of being the pastor of a small town. He lacks any ability to relate to his fellow humans, or bring them comfort through Christ. Mr.Proctor struggles with the question of whether to return to his passionless, useless cloistered life or to stay in Carlingford, overwhelmed, overworked, but striving toward becoming a better human being. ( )

The Rector and The Doctor's Family represent the first two parts of Victorian author Margaret Oliphant's Chronicles of Carlingford. At 35 pages, The Rector, is more like a short story, relating the experience of a clergyman who assumes his first parish role after several years in academia. Needless to say, pastoral care is very different from studying arcane elements of theology. In The Doctor's Family, Dr. Edward Rider's loathsome and slovenly brother Fred turns up unannounced after a long absence in Australia. His wife, children and sister-in-law eventually catch up with Fred and they move into lodgings in Carlingford. Dr. Rider is smitten by the sister-in-law, Nettie, but her sense of obligation to Fred's family stands in the way of their relationship.

These Victorian novels are similar to Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire in their portrayal of provincial life during the period. They are feel-good novels, but less satirical than Trollope, so while they were enjoyable they didn't pack the same punch. I'll still read further books in this series, since they serve as an antidote to heavier stuff. ( )

These days of course a series is a very popular thing, both with readers and booksellers. A series of books of course are by no means a new thing. Anthony Trollope’s Barsetshire chronicles for example have delighted readers for many a long year. Less well known perhaps though from a similar era, are the Chronicles of Carlingford by Mrs (Margaret) Oliphant. Written in the 1860’s they then spent many years out of print. The Rector (a short story) and The Doctor’s Family a short novel– were published together by Virago Modern Classics and are the first two stories in the series. The books are now best obtained either on Kindle or in second hand VMC’s – I have three of the next four books in the series (2 VMC’s and a penguin classic) and hope it will be as easy to pick up number 5, books 2, 3 and 4 are fairly chunky, this delightful little book serving as something of an introduction to Carlingford – much in the same way as The Warden does with Barsetshire.
The Rector of the opening story is Mr Proctor – a middle aged clergyman who having spent the previous fifteen years cloistered happily away at All Souls, now takes up the living in Carlingford, in part to provide a comfortable home for his ageing mother. Mr Proctor is somewhat unused to the world is certainly unprepared for the blue ribboned prettiness of Miss Lucy Wodehouse.
“The Rector was not vain – he did not think himself an Adonis; he did not understand anything about the matter, which indeed was beneath the consideration of a Fellow of All-Souls. But have not women been incomprehensible since ever there was in this world a pen with sufficient command of words to call them so? And is it not certain that, whether it may to their advantage or disadvantage, every soul of them is plotting to marry somebody?”
In ‘The Doctor’s Family’ we meet the young Doctor Edward Rider, a bachelor who lives in the newer part of Carlingford, with a blue plaque outside his door bearing the legend M.R.C.S he ministers to those afraid of the word physician. It is Dr Marjoribanks in the older part of the town who has the practice Dr Rider coverts. However Edward’s elder and dissolute brother Fred has arrived back from Australia unexpectedly taking up idle residence in Edward’s house. Edward is incensed by his brother’s idle selfishness, and yet is little expecting to be faced by his brother’s wife Susan, three children and sister-in-law Nettie, arrived from the colonies to seek him out. Nettie is a small but determined young woman, she manages her family completely as Fred’s wife is as lazy and useless as he is himself. Only Nettie is able to manage the children, and it is only Nettie who has any money on which the family can live. Nettie secures the family some lodgings and her sister and brother-in-law much to Edward Riders disgust are happy to live upon her goodness and be managed absolutely by her. Dr Rider’s feeling towards Nettie inevitable lean towards romance and he is appalled that Nettie should be quite so content to sacrifice herself to others.
“Edward Rider stared at his brother, speechless with rage and indignation. He could have rushed upon that listless figure, and startled the life half out of the nerveless slovenly frame. The state of mingled resentment, disappointment, and disgust he was in, made every particular of this aggravating scene tell more emphatically. To see that heavy vapour obscuring those walls which breathed of Nettie – to think of this one little centre of her life, which always hitherto had borne in some degree the impress of her womanly image, so polluted and vulgarised, overpowered the young man’s patience. Yet perhaps he of all men in the world had least right to interfere.”
I absolutely loved this book. I hope it doesn’t spoil it for future readers to say that the ending is of course very satisfactory. Readers today may like to think ourselves oh so more sophisticated than in the 1860’s – but really? don’t we all rather like a happy ending? I am already a fan of Carlingford, and hope I find the next much fatter instalments of the series just as charming and readable.

The Chronicles of Carlingford comprise:

The Rector and The Doctor’s Family
Salem Chapel
The Perpetual Curate
Miss Marjoribanks
Phoebe Junior ( )