Far from the Madding Crowd

r. A desolating wind wandered from the north over the hill whereon Oak had wat

ndestructible as nearly as any to be found on earth. It was a featureless convexity of chalk and soil-an ordinary specimen of those smoothly-outlined p

e keenest blasts, which smote the wood and floundered through it with a sound as of grumbling, or gushed over its crowning boughs in a weakened moan. The dry leaves in the ditch simmered and boiled in the same breezes, a tongue of air occasionally ferre

ting the hill, were touched by the wind in breezes of differing powers, and almost of differing natures-one rubbing the blades heavily, another raking them piercingly, another brushing them like a soft broom. The instinctive act of humankind was to stand and listen, and learn how the trees

ce evening the Bear had swung round it outwardly to the east, till he was now at a right angle with the meridian. A difference of colour in the stars-oftener read of than seen in England

by the wind, or by the solitude; but whatever be its origin, the impression of riding along is vivid and abiding. The poetry of motion is a phrase much in use, and to enjoy the epic form of that gratification it is necessary to stand on a hill at a small hour of the night, and, having first expanded with a sense of difference from t

he sky. They had a clearness which was to be found nowhere in the wind, and a sequen

in power to spread high or wide. It came from the direction of a small dark object under the plantation hedge-a shepherd

e means are established in men's imaginations among their firmest, because earliest impressions-to pass as an approximate pattern. The hut stood on little wheels, which raised it

and chronic good spirits to lease the small sheep-farm of which Norcombe Hill was a portion, and stock it with two hundred sheep. Previously he had been a bailiff for

juncture with Gabriel Oak, and he recognised his position clearly. The first movement in his new progress was the lambing of his ewes, and shee

ning the outline of Farmer Oak's figure. He carried a lantern in his hand, and closing the door behind him, came forward and busied himself about this nook of the

denied that his steady swings and turns in and about the flock had elements of grace. Yet, although if occasion demanded he could do or think a thing with as mercurial a d

tered points, amid and under which the whitish forms of his meek ewes moved and rustled. The ring of the sheep-bell, which had been silent during his absence, recommenced, in tones that had more mellowness than clearness, owing to an increasing growth of surrounding wool. This continued till Oak withdr

eing lighted by a candle suspended by a twisted wire. A rather hard couch, formed of a few corn sacks thrown carelessly down, covered half the floor of this little habitation, and here the young ma

ook, and along a shelf at one side were ranged bottles and canisters of the simple preparations pertaining to ovine surgery and physic; spirits of wine, turpentine, tar, magnesia, ginger, and castor-oil being the chief. On a triangular shelf across the corner stood bread, bacon, cheese, an

alert wakefulness with the same ease that had accompanied the reverse operation, he looked at his watch, found that the hour-hand had shifted again, put on his hat, took the lamb in his arms

n now, as it soared forth above the rim of the landscape. Castor and Pollux with their quiet shine were almost on the meridian: the barren and gloomy Square of Pegasus was creeping rou

ock," sai

of art superlatively beautiful. For a moment he seemed impressed with the speaking loneliness of the scene, or rather with the complete abstraction from all its compass of the sights and sounds of man. Human shape

ad previously taken to be a star low down behind the outskirts of the plantatio

g by far to the nerves is to discover some mysterious companionship when intuition, sensation, memory, analogy, testimony, probabi

hill, so that at its back part the roof was almost level with the ground. In front it was formed of board nailed to posts and covered with tar as a preservative. Through crevices in the roof and side spread streaks a

s apparently young and graceful; he could form no decided opinion upon her looks, her position being almost beneath his eye, so that he saw her in a bird's-eye view

nd looking at their goings-on as a whole. "I do hope Daisy will fetch round again now. I hav

mallest provocation of silence, yawned without parting her lips to any inconvenie

ough to pay a man to do

ourselves," said the other; "f

he younger. "It went over the hedge, I think

ically level. The other was spotted, grey and white. Beside her Oak now noticed a little calf about a day old, looking idiotically at the two women, which showed that it had not long been accustomed to the phenomenon of eyesight,

r some oatmeal," said the elde

ride over for it as

e's no si

on the other

al and clear inspections we colour and mould according to the wants within us whatever our eyes bring in. Had Gabriel been able from the first to get a distinct view of her countenance, his estimate of it as very handsome or slightly so would have been as hi

to turn and make her children smile, the girl now dropped the cloak, and forth tumbled ropes of black hair over a red jacket. Oak

ntern, and went out, the light sinking down the hill till it