"The Perpetual Curate" is the 5th of seven works set in the delightful country town of Carlingford by Margaret Oliphant. She wrote most of her books in the middle of the night, after all of her children and deadweight relatives had gone to bed. With that kind of constraint, she was able to crank out a novel as good as "The Perpetual Curate" in 1864.

Frank Wentworth is the popular Perpetual Curate of the beautiful church of St Roque's in Carlingford. The position is poorly paid and has no district attached, though he has unofficially taken over the poor district of Wharfside and is proud of the "great work" in progress there. He has yet to declare his love for Lucy Wodehouse, who works alongside him. Then numerous events affect his reputation and shatter his calm...