This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1880 edition. Excerpt: ... in the course of months, the decided improvement in her health astonished even her incorrigible doctor, who, however, to this day stoutly maintains that giving up wine had nothing whatever to do with the change, and Mary is too happy and thankful in her growing strength to care to combat the point with him. I should only weary my readers if I attempted to tell half the gossip and remarks, friendly or ill-natured, that the Westons excited in their own circle. They were "mean, rash, better than their neighbours, always trying some new plan, low church, ascetic, tainted with Dissent," and a dozen other terrible things; some of which speeches hit them unpleasantly at first (especially the boys, who met with no lack of ridicule from their schoolfellows), but afterwards disturbed them not the least in the world; and it is an absolute fact that at the end of three years, during which time Mr. Nash, the builder, had contrived to "shore up" the chancel sufficiently to insure safety, a sum of money was resting in the bank at Waltham-by-the-Sea, to justify Mr. Weston in commencing his long wished for restoration. His 16 How they Rebuilt West Waltham Chancel. parishioners, rich and poor, were alike astonished when he told them frankly how his saving had heen effected, and many a one wished he could have recalled an offensive remark, lightly uttered about the rector's meanness, when it became clear what motive had incited the change. In the face of what so many considered a great personal sacrifice, few, indeed, declined to take their share in the work of rebuilding, and precisely four years from the summer evening when Molly made her astounding proposition about turning teetotalers, West Waltham Church was reopened, fully and...