The Mirror and the Lamp

The Rev. Edward Churchill is the third son of a widow, whose husband died when the children were quite small. Edward is her favorite child, and most accomplished, as he has completed his studies at Oxford, is ordained and awarded curacy on the East-End, where he works long hours. His own enthusiasm is dampened when his mother marries a vulgar man. Edward determines to make the "Lamp" of his soul reflect in the "Mirror" of his mind, showing nothing but a steady flame of right content. Then Edward finds his ascetic celebacy shattered when he meets a woman married to a brute. He rescues her from her unhappy marriage, and the two fall in love, causing the loss of his position, his reputation, and his faith.