Chapter XLVIII. The Softness of Sir Raffle Buffle
Chapter L. Lady Lufton’s Proposition
Chapter LI. Mrs Dobbs Broughton Piles Her Faggots
Chapter LII. Why Don’t You have an ‘It’ for Yourself?
Chapter LIV. The Clerical Commission
Chapter LVI. The Archdeacon Goes to Framley
Chapter LVIII. The Cross-Grainedness of Men
Chapter LIX. A Lady Presents Her Compliments to Miss L.d.
Chapter LX. The End of Jael and Sisera
Chapter LXI. ‘It’s Dogged as Does it’
Chapter LXII. Mr Crawley’s Letter to the Dean
Chapter LXIII. Two Visitors to Hogglestock
Chapter LXIV. Tragedy at Hook Court
Chapter LXV. Miss Van Siever Makes Her Choice
Chapter LXVI. Requiescat in Pace
Chapter LXVIII. The Obstinacy of Mr Crawley
Chapter LXIX. Mr Crawley’s Last Appearance in His Own Pulpit
Chapter LXX. Mrs Arabin is Caught
Chapter LXXI. Mr Toogood at Silverbridge
Chapter LXXII. Mr Toogood at ‘The Dragon of Wantly’
Chapter LXXIII. There is Comfort at Plumstead
Chapter LXXIV. The Crawleys are Informed
Chapter LXXV. Madalina’s Heart is Bleeding
Chapter LXXVI. I Think he is Light of Heart
Chapter LXXVII. The Shattered Tree
Chapter LXXVIII. The Arabins Return to Barchester
Chapter LXXIX. Mr Crawley Speaks of His Coat
Chapter LXXX. Miss Demolines Desires to Be a Finger-Post
Chapter LXXXI. Chapter LXXXI Barchester Cloisters
Chapter LXXXII. The Last Scene at Hogglestock
Chapter LXXXIII. Mr Crawley is Conquered
The Warden
Chapter I
Hiram’s Hospital
The Rev. Septimus Harding was, a few years since, a beneficed clergyman residing in the cathedral town of —-; let us call it Barchester. Were we to name Wells or Salisbury, Exeter, Hereford, or Gloucester, it might be presumed that something personal was intended; and as this tale will refer mainly to the cathedral dignitaries of the town in question, we are anxious that no personality may be suspected. Let us presume that Barchester is a quiet town in the West of England, more remarkable for the beauty of its cathedral and the antiquity of its monuments than for any commercial prosperity; that the west end of Barchester is the cathedral close, and that the aristocracy of Barchester are the bishop, dean, and canons, with their respective wives and daughters.
Early in life Mr Harding found himself located at Barchester. A fine voice and a taste for sacred music had decided the position in which he was to exercise his calling, and for many years he performed the easy but not highly paid duties of a minor canon. At the age of forty a small living in the close vicinity of the town increased both his work and his income, and at the age of fifty he became precentor of the cathedral.
Mr Harding had married early in life, and was the father of two
