A SHORT STORY.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 15134, 21 January 1922, Page 7

A SHORT STORY.

A PUBLIC SCANDAL

BY GEORGE A. BIRMINGHAM

A scandal is'an unpleasant business anywhere, 'especially in a village, English, Scottish or Irish. Yet I think that J-d----borouh-Price was singularly ill-advised in choosing Ballymahon, a west of Ireland village for the scene of his experiment. He is an Englishman and knew nothing of Ireland beforehand .except' what be read in newspapers. He very naturally believed that we are a wild people who care very little for morality of any kind. Up to a. point he was right enough. A man. may get> drunk as often as lie can afford to in Ballymahon and no one thinks much the worse of him. He can perpetrate almost any kind of fraud without losing caste among us. We have the utmost tolerance for people who commit arson or murder. But there is one kind ■o9 immorality which is utterly abhorred. Our patriots have made speeches for' years about the “distinctive purity of the Irish race” and their boasting is justified. We will not tolerate anything the least irregular about a marriage.

That is true about any place in the West of Ireland. It is particularly true about Ballymahon, because Father O’Brien cur parish priest, though a kindly man in other ways, is a rigid moralist. (Colonel Chailonerf, our only resident gentleman, though Re pretends to be man of the world, is very easily shocked. Mrs. Mervyn, wife of Canon Mervyn the rector fakes the view of these difficult questions which all good women ought to take. Whatever chance Jedborough-Price and his lady might have had elsewhere they had none at all in Ballymahon, once their position was known. And they made no secret about it. The lady called herse.f Miss Shannon, even while she was going about leading a three-year-old child by the hand. Jedborough-Price never spoke of her as his wife to anyone, or even pretended that she was his widowed sister. If Colonel Chailoner had known beforehand what he knew a week after their arrival, he 1 would not have accepted them as tenants for—Rose Cottage even for an hour. He certainly'would r\ot have given them a five years’, lease of that charming little, house. Poor Canon Mervyn gentlest and kindest of men suffered .most of all through Jedborough-Price’s outrageous conduct. “It’s very awkward” he said to his wiile on Monday morning, “very awkward indeed.”

“It’s perfectly intolerable,” said* Mrs. Mervyn, “and something must be done about it at once.” She meant that Canon Mervyn must do something, something drastic and decisive. He quite understood that the responsibility rested on his shoulders “but lie diu not see wHat he could possibly do. “I for one” said Mrs.. Mervyn “decline to enter the church again if that .woman’s allowed to sit in the next seat:—or in any other seat.”

‘‘But I. don’t” said her husband, ‘‘l really don’t see how I can possibly forbid the people to come to church. * “You can and must. It’s the mostbrazen apd shameless thing I ever heart! of.” Canon Mervyn stroked his forehead in perplexity. He fully admitted the enormity of the scandal, but he did not believe that he had a right to i'orbid. anyone, even a notorious sinner, to enter the church. He tv as relieved from the necessity of making an immediate decision by the entry of the parlour-maid, who said that Colonel 1 Chad oner wished to see him. “Show him in at once” said Mrs. Mervyn. “Please ma’am,” said the maid, “he says he wants to see the Canon on particular- business and I thought it best to show him into the study.” Canon "Mervyn went to the' study atonce.

"I’m sorry to bother you Mervyn,” said the Colonel, “hut we’ll have to take some steps* about this fellow JedboroughPrice and his lady—Miss Smithson or whatever her name is.”

Canon Mervyn stroked his .forehead again. He had not escaped from his embarrassment though ho had left his wife behind him. Miss Smithson was the lady whom Mrsr. Mervyn wanted him to excommunicate. j

“It. won’t do” said Colonel CRalloner. “It really won’t do here. We are not-over-particular about' most points of morality in Ireland, but these irregular unions—you know perfectly well Mervyn. that the people won’t stand it. There’ll be Tows and every kind of unpleasantness unless we can get them cleared out of this.”

Canon Mervyn saw the difficulty from that point oil view just as clearly as the Colonel did. Public opinion in Ireland is apt; to express itself in violent ways. It might easily happen that Jcdborough Price and Miss Smithson, might find themselves one day with a booing, crowd at their heels in the village street. They might even be stoned. They would certainly be boycotted and the windows of P.ose Cottage would be broken, which would be as disagreeable for the Colonel as for them. All this Canon Mervyn understood well enough, but he did not see how to avoid the unpleasantness. “Father O’Brien was talking to me about the matter this morning. He feels very strongly that we must put a stop ’to the matter at once. In fact, I gather that he means to he nasty about! the srfinln lMioinnow -- ?>- -

“1 jsee his point- all right” said Canon Mervyn.

“Corrupting effect- of a bad example in our midst and all that sort of thing ’ ’said the Colonel. “You and I may notagree with him, but ” “I do agree with him,” said Canon Mervyn. The Colonel took no notice ol this.

j “You and I” he said, ‘‘as men of the world, know that this kind of thing does | happen and of course, we don’t want fro come down too heavily on the offender.”

It is very nice to be called a man of the world., and most clergymen appreciate such a compliment But Canon Mervyn was not sure that he liked it. He did not want to be too hard on any one. But he could not pretend to be (indifferent to the conduct of Mr. Jeborou'ghPrice and Miss Smithson; especially Miss Smithson who came' to church and actually Had the nerve to bring her child with her.

“But all the same” the Colonel went on, “we can’t have it here. It’ll upset the whole place if it goes on.” “What can be done!” said Canon Mervyn. “It seems to me” said the' Colonel, “that it’s your business to represent matters to them in a proper light. After all they’re our parishoners, more or less. If she’d gone to Mass it would have) been Father O’Brien’s business.” “But what can I do 7” said Canon Mervyn. “Tell them to clear out” said the Colonel. “Put it nicely of course. Talk about all the unpleasantness there’ll be if they stay here; appeal to their better feelings, and all that; but make it plain that they must go. If they want to live in that land of way they ought to go-to some (large city where (they’ll not lie noticed—Dublin or Glasgow or somewhere. In a small village like this it simply won’t do and you must tell them So)-*® '

“Why don’t- you tell them yourself.” said Canon Mervyn. “I’m, not- a clergymah,,” said the Colonel. “No,' ’ said the Canon, “but it’s your house they are living in. You let it to them. And if they’re to bo turned out you’re the proper person to- do it.

The Colonel as a fair-minded man had to admit the force of this contention, but he had his answer ready. VI can’t turn them out,” he said. “I’ve given Jedborough-Price five years’ lease of the house, and I can’t turn him out, no matter ,how much 1 want to. J would if I could, and I needn’t tell you Canon, I wouldn’t have let: the house to him at all if I d known he meant to bring a woman like that with him.”

“She doesn’t look that kind” said the Canon, “not in the least. She seems—l’ve only spoken to her once—but she seems a very nice young woman, nor at all. the kind of person you mean.”

“Nor does he” said the Colonel. “In fact-, from what I saw of him when we were negotiating about the house I’d have said he was a thoroughly respectable, decent sort of young fellow. But there the facts arc. I’m told her letters are addressed to Miss Smithson. They certainly make no secret about' the state of affairs. N -

“I don’t see how I can possibly force them to go,” said the Canon, “if they

don’t want to.”

Tho difficulty was obvious. Canon Mervyn had neither authority to command nor any means of persuading. The Colonel saw that but be also saw quite as plainly ?is ever tire impossibility of allowing Mr. Jedborough Price and Miss Smithson to continue to outrage* the moral sense of the neighbourhood.

“Couldn’t you”—lie said—“couldn’t you persuade them to be married? Hang it all, Mervyn, that really is your business. And why shouldn’t, they be married. What possible objection can they have? They’re just the sort of young people that ought to- be married.' • And if you marry them—it s a bit late of course—but still, if they consent to your marrying them even now, I expect it’ll be all right. Father O’Brien won’t want to raise a row. I’ll'ask them to dinner. Your wife can call.. That’s the thing to do, Mervyn. Talk them into getting married and everything will be all right." Canon Mervyn was not. sure Thai his

wife should call on Miss Smithson, even if she became Mrs. Jcdborough-Price that very day. But lie did not see how he could refuse the mission which the- Colonel suggested. It was plainly his duty to try to persuade the young couple to- adopt a better and less scandalous way of life.

He sighed and went into the hall for his hat and stick, li' an unpleasant duty has to be performed it is far better to get through with it at once. The Colonel walked with him as far as the gate of Rose Cottage. There .-lie left him with a final admonition to he firm.

Half an hour later Canon Mervyn came out of the door of Rose Cotfage again, and "walked slowly toward the village. Anyone could see. that, he was-perplexed and troubled.

Father O’Brien, was at the gate of his presbytery. The CoTonel was standing beside him, talking -to him. Mrs. Mervyn emerged suddenly from the door of Evans’ shop, the principal shop l ip, the village. She joined the Colonel and Father o’’Brien. They were all three ready to pounce- on Canon Mervyn as he passed. “Well?” said Colonel Challoner. “I hope you’ve told that woman what you think of her,” said Mrs. Mervyn. “In a plain matter of morality,” said Father O’Brien, ‘‘there can be no room

“It’s a puzzling) case,” said Canon Mervcn, “a very puzzling case-. I hardly

know what to say about it.” “There’s only one thing to say, ’ said Mrs. Mervyn. “I agree with you there, ma’am,” said Father O’Brien.

“I don’t say they’re behaving quite rightly,” said Canon Medvyn—“in factthere can bo no doubt that they’re doing wrong. But —what I’m going to tell you must bo kept strictly secret. Of course, I ask permission to explain the position to you, Father O’Brien.’ “It) will take a good deal of explaining,” said the priest. ‘And to you Colonel” said the Canon. “And I’m sure they won’t mind my telling you my dear” he said to his wife; “in fact Mrs. Jedborough-Price would like you to know.” “Mrs. Jedborough-Price indeed ! She calls herself Miss Smithson.*

“Yes, -yes, quite so,” said Canon Mervyn. “But when you’ve heard the explanation.—You see she happens to be fairly well off. I understand she has £SOO or £6OO a year of her own. And he has about the same—private means. He doesn’t seem to have any profession.”

“All the more shame for them to be living as they are,” said Father O’Brien “when they’re quite well enough off to be married.”- '

“But” said Canon Mervyn,, “they are married. That’s the whole point. 1 saw the marriage certificate. They showed it jto me quite willingly. I saw the bap'tismal certificate of the child. I saw several other' papers. There’s not the least doubt' that they’re married. . They couldn’t bo any more married than they are if you performed - the ceremony yourself, Father O’Brien,' or -if I’d done it, or if we’d both done it.”

“Then why on earth don’t they say so’" said the priest, “instead of causing all this scandal.”

i “fiat’s what I’m trying to explain,” said Canon Mervyn. “You see—in their financial position—if they admit that they’re married her income is reckoned as his for income-tax purposes, and they have to pay—l forget how much though they told me. But it’s something very large'. Whereas if they conceal the fact of their marriage their incomes are treated separately, and - they get: off with £l5O / a year less income-tax. I don’t_ say that what they’re doing ’is night 1 , but ” “Its perfectly right” said the Colonel. “Anyone who can get the better of in-come-tax collectors in any way ought to do so. It’s a puEuo duty.”

“It seems to me,” said Canon Mervyn “to be—er—l don’t want- to be too hard on them but isn’t it slightly fraudulent since they really are married I mean?” “I don’t see that a little fraud matters’-’ said Father'-O’Brien “so long as they are married.’ “‘That poor girl!” said- Mrs. Mervyn. “What (she must have suffered ! And that dear litle child, too! Pil go and call on her at once'.” ' . {The secret of the- Jedborough-Price’s marriage was not well kept. I think that* everyone in the village knew it next day. But .nobody would give them away. And we are all most particular to address Mrs. Jedborough-Price as Miss SimitTC son. The Inland Revenue collectors have not tlie remotest chance of getting the extra £l5O a year out of the young couple.

THE END