But surely his good intentions, his way of life, his gentle kindness should carry sway.

Instead of which the parish seemed to have quite left the Church, and the parson was outside the real modern life of the village.

No matter what he did, even if popular, it soon seemed to pass out of his hands.
There was the school, for instance.

He could indeed go across and visit it, but he had no control, no more than the veriest stranger that strolled along the road.

He had always been anxious for a good school, and had done the best he could with means so limited before the new Acts came into operation.