Soon after breakfast Mary Ann brought inThe Times. Mr. Carey shared it with two neighbors. He had it from ten till one,when the gardener took it over to Mr. Ellis at the Limes, with whom it remainedtill seven; then it was taken to Miss Brooks at the Manor House, who, since shegot it late, had the advantage of keeping it. In summer Mrs. Carey, when shewas making jam, often asked her for a copy to cover the pots with. When theVicar settled down to his paper his wife put on her bonnet and went out to dothe shopping. Philip accompanied her. Blackstable was a fishing village. Itconsisted of a high street in which were the shops, the bank, the doctor’shouse, and the houses of two or three coalship owners; round the little harborwere shabby streets in which lived fishermen and poor people; but since theywent to chapel they were of no account. When Mrs. Carey passed the dissentingministers in the street she stepped over to the other side to avoid meetingthem, but if there was not time “for this fixed her eyes on the pavement. Itwas a scandal to which the Vicar had never resigned himself that there werethree chapels in the High Street: he could not help feeling that the law shouldhave stepped in to prevent their erection. Shopping in Blackstable was not asimple matter; for dissent, helped by the fact that the parish church was twomiles from the town, was very common; and it was necessary to deal only withchurchgoers; Mrs. Carey knew perfectly that the vicarage custom might make allthe difference to a tradesman’s faith. There were two butchers who went tochurch, and they would not understand that the Vicar could not deal with bothof them at once; nor were they satisfied with his simple plan of going for six monthsto one and for six months to the other. The butcher who was not sending meat tothe vicarage constantly threatened not to come to church, and the Vicar was”sometimes obliged to make a threat: it was very wrong of him not to come tochurch, but if he carried iniquity further and actually went to chapel, then ofcourse, excellent as his meat was, Mr. Carey would be forced to leave him forever. Mrs. Carey often stopped at the bank to deliver a message to JosiahGraves, the manager, who was choir-master, treasurer, and churchwarden. He wasa tall, thin man with a sallow face and a long nose; his hair was very white,and to Philip he seemed extremely old. He kept the parish accounts, arrangedthe treats for the choir and the schools; though there was no organ in theparish church, it was generally considered (in Blackstable) that the choir heled was the best in Kent; and when there was any ceremony, such as a visit fromthe Bishop for confirmation or from the Rural Dean to preach at the HarvestThanksgiving, he made the necessary preparations. But he had no hesitation indoing all manner of things without “more than a perfunctory consultation withthe Vicar, and the Vicar, though always ready to be saved trouble, muchresented the churchwarden’s managing ways. He really seemed to look uponhimself as the most important person in the parish. Mr. Carey constantly toldhis wife that if Josiah Graves did not take care he would give him a good rapover the knuckles one day; but Mrs. Carey advised him to bear with JosiahGraves: he meant well, and it was not his fault if he was not quite agentleman. The Vicar, finding his comfort in the practice of a Christianvirtue, exercised forbearance; but he revenged himself by calling thechurchwarden Bismarck behind his back.
Once there had been a serious quarrelbetween the pair, and Mrs. Carey still thought of that anxious time withdismay. The Conservative candidate had announced his intention of addressing ameeting at Blackstable; and Josiah Graves, having arranged that it should takeplace in the Mission Hall, went to Mr. Carey and told him that he hoped hewould say a few words. It appeared that the candidate had asked Josiah Gravesto take the chair. This was more than Mr. Carey could put up with. He had firmviews upon the respect which was due to the “sometimes obliged to make athreat: it was very wrong of him not to come to church, but if he carriediniquity further and actually went to chapel, then of course, excellent as hismeat was, Mr. Carey would be forced to leave him for ever. Mrs. Carey oftenstopped at the bank to deliver a message to Josiah Graves, the manager, who waschoir-master, treasurer, and churchwarden. He was a tall, thin man with asallow face and a long nose; his hair was very white, and to Philip he seemedextremely old. He kept the parish accounts, arranged the treats for the choirand the schools; though there was no organ in the parish church, it wasgenerally considered (in Blackstable) that the choir he led was the best inKent; and when there was any ceremony, such as a visit from the Bishop forconfirmation or from the Rural Dean to preach at the Harvest Thanksgiving, hemade the necessary preparations. But he had no hesitation in doing all mannerof things without more than a perfunctory consultation with the Vicar, and theVicar, though always “ready to be saved trouble, much resented thechurchwarden’s managing ways. He really seemed to look upon himself as the mostimportant person in the parish. Mr. Carey constantly told his wife that ifJosiah Graves did not take care he would give him a good rap over the knucklesone day; but Mrs. Carey advised him to bear with Josiah Graves: he meant well,and it was not his fault if he was not quite a gentleman. The Vicar, findinghis comfort in the practice of a Christian virtue, exercised forbearance; buthe revenged himself by calling the churchwarden Bismarck behind his back.
Excerpt From: W. Somerset Maugham. “OfHuman Bondage.” iBooks. “