Monday 28 September 2009

Mr Tree in the Restaurant

A brilliant Anglican student Rowan Tree of Catholic leanings and his fiancé Elizabeth Dogberry of Anglican evangelical leanings decide on trying a restaurant for their evening meal during a holiday in a village in Ireland at O'Flattery's Restaurant. It is Monday, and they have been there two days, and they have just spent a day walking around the lush, rolling hills and taking in the fresh air. It's a simple life for two getting to know each other, and it all happened some decades ago.

It was a peculiar village, this, one of the few places in the Irish Republic where a church in the Church of Ireland (regarded as Protestant) had continued on and done so next door to a Roman Catholic church. They ran the services at the same time, and the people tended to leave as copuld be together, and seemingly ignored each other as they did. The Roman Catholics assumed that, in time, the Protestant population would wither away as it had done in other parts of Ireland.

So a waiter approaches Mr Tree and Miss Dogberry, and they order a meal centred around Irish lamb and spotted dick, and order a Guinness each to begin and will have ordinary tea to finish. Just a hearty meal to finish the day, then, before retiring to their rooms at a nearby pub (where, so far, they have eaten).

However, they sit there and obviously notice nothing coming their way. They see others being served, who must have come in after them. So eventually Mr Tree calls a waiter.

"It was not some time ago that we entered and somewhat made orders for our meals and, sitting here, notice that there may be others being served who have origins here after our arrival."
"Yes sir. I will go and check with the chef, sir."
So the waiter went, and then returned.
"Sir, madam: yes all was received but I am afraid that the chef and the proprieter do not recognise Anglican orders."

And with that Mr Tree and his fiancé left and returned to the public house. He said to her, "Well, Elizabeth, I cannot but hope that we never encounter that particular problem again."
"No indeed, not until probably you discuss women priests," she replied, knowing his ecclesiastical ambition.

1 comment:

Brother David said...

I have to wonder if Danté did not have a little spot in mind for you as well!

Deliciously evil you are.