Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2024 July 15

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July 15

Looking for a novel/short story

Hello, I'm looking for a short story, or maybe a part of a novel. It's about a sacristan/custodian of a church in England. He fulfills duties with joy, but he can't read/write. As the (new?) priest notices it, and after discussions the sacristan gets "sacked". He then opens a cigar shop, has great success, expands and so on, but he still can"t read. The story ends that a customer or someone else asks him surprised: "You created all this, without being able to read? Imagine what you could have been, if you COULD read!" The former sacristan, now shop owner, replies: "oh, that is easy! I would still be sacristan at St. -Elsewhere-."

Can someone help me? Sadly I don't remember the author, or the title, not even the church name. What I do know, the language was english. (I'm German).

--Maresa63 ^Talk 17:18, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

"The Church Warden" by Lilian Comer? --Wrongfilter (talk) 17:49, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

No, "The Verger" by the esteemed William Somerset Maugham! --Wrongfilter (talk) 17:52, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Well done. It's a short story that you can read here. Alansplodge (talk) 18:52, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Thank you all! William Somerset Maugham of course! Love his work! Must have read this story in a Public Library book many years ago, then! Now I have to get hold of a German edition of "The Verger", as a gift for a friend of mine, who doesn't speak english!

So glad for your help!

Cheers! --Maresa63 ^Talk 19:16, 15 July 2024 (UTC)