Bless my soul, the clergyman comes under that head, to my mind.

Yes, sir, he's willing to live on his wife! I declare, the fellow's a--a--well, I don't know any word for him!" There was a chorus of astonishment from the ladies.
"'Christian' would be a pretty good word," said Gifford slowly.

"Isn't he following Christ's example rather more literally than most of us ?" "But to live on his wife!" cried Dr.Howe.
"I don't believe," Gifford responded, smiling, "that that would distress John Ward at all." "Apparently not," said the rector significantly.
"He loves her too much," Gifford went on, "to think of himself apart from her; don't you see?
They are one; what difference does it make about the money ?" "Could you do it ?" asked Dr.Howe.
"Well, no," Gifford said, shrugging his shoulders; "but then, I'm not John Ward." "Thank Heaven!" said the rector devoutly.
"But it is a mistake, all the same," Gifford went on; "it is unbusiness-like, to say nothing of being bad for his people to have the burden of support lifted from them; it pauperizes them spiritually." After the relief of this outburst against John Ward, Dr.Howe felt the inevitable irritation at his hearers.

"Well, I only mention this," he said, "because, since he is so strange, it won't do, Gifford, for you to abet Helen in this ridiculous skepticism of hers.

If Ward agreed with her, it would be all right, but so long as he does not, it will make trouble between them, and a woman cannot quarrel with an obstinate and bigoted man with impunity.