Quote:
Originally Posted by sun surfer
I often have little questions like this while reading but I wonder if anyone will answer this one:
In the first part of the book, around the first fourth or so, it is mentioned that, though Edmund is bound for the church, and soon, that somehow Tom's carelessness and extravagance have prevented Edmund from taking a better church position and that Edmund must wait a bit now to take a position, and that the father is cross because of it but cannot do anything.
I thought in the reading I may eventually understand it but still don't as the point seems dropped. I'm midway through now, and Edmund is about to leave to become ordained and will then set up in Thornton Lacey and it seems the position will be, if not great, nice and well off enough for someone in the church, and there's no other mention of this being his second-best church option but rather is insinuated as his only real church option.
So what I wonder is what position was Edmund unable to take because of his brother and why. What I don't understand is how it was prevented. Because it was said earlier that Edmund should take a position sooner to make money sooner and help out the family. But then at this point it's said that he can't take a position presumable because of a shortage of money in the family. So it's contradictory.
Was it the parsonage at Mansfield? It mentions that Sir Thomas could've installed an old friend to temporarily occupy it until Edmund is ready, but then instead they give it to Dr. Grant who seems ready to stay for a long while.
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Clergymen then could hold more than one living--called "pluralism", and thus boost their income--it was contentious at the time. Rev. Norris held the Mansfield living and the family had another as well that was being kept in reserve for Edmund's ordination. But Tom has been so profligate that the Mansfield living had been sold to Dr Grant to help pay Tom's bills. Dr Grant will now hold it and receive its revenues for his lifetime--after which it reverts back to the family--and possibly--but not necessarily-- to Edmund. The other living is actually being held temporarily until Edmund is ordained. Edmund, however, because he takes his religious vocation seriously, intends to live in the Thornton Lacey Parish and minister to it. The Mansfield living is obviously not going to be a factor in his life for quite a while {if at all}.
One more thing--Dr Grant and Mrs Norris dislike each other because, as we will see in Chapter 6, Rev Norris did not keep the parsonage in good repair and Dr Grant was able to claim "Dilapidations", a discount against repairs he was required to make.
I hope that clears up the point.