The Supply at Saint Agatha's E-Book

Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

• Herausgeber: Booksell-Verlag
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

In "The Supply at Saint Agatha's," Elizabeth Stuart Phelps masterfully weaves a narrative that explores the convergence of faith, community, and sacrifice within a small, fictional New England town. Set against the backdrop of the late 19th century, a period rife with social change, Phelps employs a realistic literary style and poignant character development to depict the struggles of the townspeople. Her narrative unfolds with a keen insight into the moral dilemmas faced by individuals when communal needs clash with personal desires, capturing the essence of human resilience and empathy. Elizabeth Stuart Phelps was a pioneering figure in American literature, known for her advocacy of women's rights and her exploration of social issues through her writing. The experiences of Phelps, particularly her involvement in 19th-century reform movements, undoubtedly influenced her portrayal of diverse characters grappling with ethical questions and societal pressures in "The Supply at Saint Agatha's." Her nuanced understanding of the social fabric of her time informs her narrative, providing depth and authenticity to the story. This compelling tale is recommended for readers seeking both a engaging story and a lens into the complexities of human relationships in a rapidly changing society. Phelps'Äô thoughtful exploration of moral issues offers timeless insights, making this work a worthy addition to any literary collection.

Leseprobe

Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

The Supply at Saint Agatha's

Published by Good Press, 2022

[email protected]

EAN 4064066207687

Table of Contents

THE

SUPPLY AT SAINT AGATHA'S

ELIZABETH STUART PHELPS

THE SUPPLY AT SAINT AGATHA'S.

Books by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps. (MRS. WARD.)

"The kneeling people lifted their wet faces ... But the chancel was empty"

THE

Table of Contents

SUPPLY AT SAINT AGATHA'S

Table of Contents

BY

ELIZABETH STUART PHELPS

Table of Contents

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY E. BOYD SMITH AND MARCIA OAKES WOODBURY

BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY The Riverside Press, Cambridge 1896

THE SUPPLY AT SAINT AGATHA'S.

Table of Contents

At the crossing of the old avenue with the stream of present traffic, in a city which, for obvious reasons, will not be identified by the writer of these pages, there stood—and still stands—the Church of Saint Agatha's.

The church is not without a history, chiefly such as fashion and sect combine to record. It is an eminent church, with a stately date upon its foundation stone, and a pew-list unsurpassed for certain qualities among the worshipers of the Eastern States. Saint Agatha's has long been distinguished for three things, its money, its music, and its soundness.

When the tax-list of the town is printed in the daily papers once a year, the wardens and the leading parishioners of Saint Agatha's stand far upwards in the score, and their names are traced by slow, grimy fingers of mechanics and strikers and socialists laboriously reading on Saturday nights.

The choir of Saint Agatha's, as all the world knows, is superior. Her soprano alone (a famous prima donna) would fill the house. Women throng the aisles to hear the tenor, and musical critics, hat in hand, and pad on hat, drop in to report the anthem and the offertory for the Monday morning press.

In ecclesiastical position, it is needless to add, Saint Agatha's has always been above reproach. When did Saint Agatha's question a canon? When did she contend with a custom? When did she criticise a creed? Why should she contest a tradition? She accepts, she conforms, she prospers.

In one particular Saint Agatha's has been thrust into an attitude of originality foreign to her taste. Her leading men feel called upon occasionally to explain how the eternal feminine came—a little contrary to the fashion of our land—to be recognized in the name of the church. Saint Agatha's first pastor, one should know, was a very young man of enthusiastic and unconventional temperament. He did not live long enough to outgrow this—for a clergyman—unfortunate trend of nature, having died, full of dreams and visions, in the teeth of a lowering conflict with his wardens; but he lived long enough to carry the day and the name for a portion of his people who desired to call their church in honor of a sweet, though rich, old lady who had put her private fortune into their beautiful house of worship, and her warm heart into their future success. It had befallen this dear old lady to bear the name of Agatha, which, for her sake,—and, of course, in due ecclesiastical remembrance of the strictly canonical saint of similar cognomen,—was accordingly bestowed upon the church.