The Comings and Goings of the Reverend Bertram Moorehouse by John Umfreville

The Reverend is returning to England from India.  He wants his daughters to learn English ways so they will find suitable husbands when they are old enough for that.  He has his church and is winning over the congregation and the town.  Things are good.  He and his family are happy.

BooksGoSocial and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

The town is divided between teetotalers and drinkers.  There are breweries recently established and they're doing a good business.  Bertram writes for the local paper and supports the teetotalers but does not speak against the businesses.  They still hold a grudge against him. 

When he goes to a male event in town he doesn't come home until late and he's drunk.  He tells his wife what he was drinking and it shouldn't have made him drunk.  But he is and the whole town saw him...

The aftermath means he get transferred to another church, in Australia.  He leaves his family in England.  When he gets settled in and has a place for them, they can join him.  But he never gets settled in.  His congregation are aborigines and he has to visit them on horseback most of the time.  He writes to his wife, not much about his life there but about how much he loves her and misses her.  He finally writes and says he's on his way home and will be catching the boat soon.

The years go by with no more communication but his faithful wife still holds out hope.  One day he arrives on the doorstep and she doesn't recognize him.  He's a changed man and he has a lot to tell her. She tells him his drinks were spiked to make his humiliation complete.  An old enemy of his tried to kill him over there.  The man who returned knew how to deal with that...