Mrs. Venables is the wife of the Reverend Venables. She is hospitable, practical and organized, showing a lot of patience with the absent-mindedness and the almost continual tardiness of her husband. When her husband misplaces items, she is the most likely person to find the missing item. The reader is also told that she is the more practical of the couple and took care of much of the practical details of the plans to cope with the floods. She is the one who is most likely to take the initiative to make practical changes, such as arranging for the churchyard to be properly drained.