Unleavened Bread | Page 8

sorts to
relieve the poor; Bible classes and evening reunions which the
members of the parish were urged to attend in order to become
acquainted. Mr. Glynn's manner was both hearty and pompous. To him
there was no Church in the world but the Church of England, and it was
obvious that as one of the clergy of that Church he considered himself
to be no mean man; but apart from this serious intellectual foible with
respect to his own relative importance, he was a stimulating Christian
and citizen within his lights. His active, crusading, and emotional
temperament just suited the seething propensities of Benham.

His flock comprised a few of the residents of the River Drive district,
among them the Flaggs, but was a fairly representative mixture of all
grades of society, including the poorest. These last were specimens
under spiritual duress rather than free worshippers, and it was a
constant puzzle to the reverend gentleman why, in the matter of
attendance, they, metaphorically speaking, sickened and died. It had
never been so in England. "Bonnets!" responded one day Mrs. Hallett
Taylor, who had become Mr. Glynn's leading ally in parish matters, and
was noted for her executive ability. She was an engaging but
clear-headed soul who went straight to the point.
"I do not fathom your meaning," said the pastor, a little loftily, for the
suggestion sounded flippant.
"It hurts their feelings to go to a church where their clothes are shabby
compared with those of the rest of the congregation."
"Yes, but in God's chapel, dear lady, all such distinctions should be
forgotten."
"They can't forget, and I don't blame them much, poor things, do you?
It's the free-born American spirit. There now, Mr. Glynn, you were
asking me yesterday to suggest some one for junior warden. Why not
Mr. Babcock? They're new comers and seem available people."
Mr. Glynn's distress at her first question was merged in the interest
inspired by her second, for his glance had followed hers until it rested
on the Babcocks, who had just entered the vestry to attend the social
reunion. Selma's face wore its worried archangel aspect. She was on
her good behavior and proudly on her guard against social impertinence.
But she looked very pretty, and her compact, slight figure indicated a
busy way.
"I will interrogate him," he answered. "I have observed them before,
and -- and I can't quite make out the wife. It is almost a spiritual face,
and yet -- "
"Just a little hard and keen," broke in Mrs. Taylor, upon his hesitation.

"She is pretty, and she looks clever. I think we can get some work out
of her."
Thereupon she sailed gracefully in the direction of Selma. Mrs. Taylor
was from Maryland. Her husband, a physician, had come to Benham at
the close of the war to build up a practice, and his wife had aided him
by her energy and graciousness to make friends. Unlike some
Southerners, she was not indolent, and yet she possessed all the
ingratiating, spontaneous charm of well-bred women from that section
of the country. Her tastes were aesthetic and ethical rather than
intellectual, and her special interest at the moment was the welfare of
the church. She thought it desirable that all the elements of which the
congregation was composed should be represented on the committees,
and Selma seemed to her the most obviously available person from the
class to which the Babcocks belonged.
"I want you to help us," she said. "I think you have ideas. We need a
woman with sense and ideas on our committee to build the new
church."
Selma was not used to easy grace and sprightly spontaneity. It affected
her at first much as the touch of man; but just as in that instance the
experience was agreeable. Life was too serious a thing in her regard to
lend itself casually to lightness, and yet she felt instinctively attracted
by this lack of self-consciousness and self-restraint. Besides here was
an opportunity such as she had been yearning for. She had met Mrs.
Taylor before, and knew her to be the presiding genius of the
congregation; and it was evident that Mrs. Taylor had discovered her
value.
"Thank you," she said, gravely, but cordially. "That is what I should
like. I wish to be of use. I shall be pleased to serve on the committee."
"It will be interesting, I think. I have never helped build anything
before. Perhaps you have?"
"No," said Selma slowly. Her tone conveyed the impression that,
though her abilities had never been put to that precise test, the

employment seemed easily within her capacity.
"Ah! I am sure you will be suggestive" said Mrs. Taylor. "I am right
anxious that it shall be a credit in an architectural way,