The Uncalled. by Paul Laurence Dunbar

The Uncalled tells the story of Frederick Brent, a man abandoned by his father and orphaned at an young age, who sees himself thrust into religious life by his devout guardian despite his lack of vocation for it. The Uncalled was Paul Laurence Dunbar's first novel. It was neither a critical nor a commercial success, as it was overshadowed by his more successful novel The Sport of the Gods.