The Rector

In Mrs. Oliphant's novella, 'The Rector', Mr. Proctor, a theological academic of fifty, takes up the job of rector of Carlingford to support his aging mother. But he soon realizes that he is ill-equipped for the job—his sermons are dull, he struggles to relate to women, and he has no idea how to perform his duties at a deathbed. As he tries to fit in, he finds himself at the center of attention for some of the unmarried ladies in town, causing him to question whether he is cut out for this work.