Far from the Madding Crowd

he building were clearly enough shown by its outline upon the sky. From the walls an overhanging thatched roof sloped up to a point in the centre, upon which ro

ed with a single pane, through which red, comfortable rays now stret

an Elymas-the-Sorcerer pattern, till he found a leathern strap, wh

the shadows of all facial irregularities in those assembled around. The stone-flag floor was worn into a path from the doorway to the kiln, and into undulations everywher

ing his gnarled figure like the grey moss and lichen upon a leafless apple-tree. He wore

the fire) immediately ceased, and every one ocularly criticised him to the degree expressed by contracting the flesh of their foreheads and looking at

new shepherd

weren't sure 'twere not a dead leaf blowed across," said another. "C

that's my name

midst turned at this-his turning b

ver!" he said, as a formula expressive of surprise, wh

re old men of the name of Gabrie

ed him on the rick!-thought I did! And w

of biding here

he maltster, the words coming forth of their own accord a

nd di

yer gran

her

Why, my boy Jacob there and your father were swor

upper jaw, which made much of itself by standing prominent, like a milestone in a bank. "But 'twas Joe had most to d

ts, who manifested the peculiarity of possessing a cheerful soul in a gloo

k, "as being a man in the pl

out this very family, and 'twas only last Purification Day in this very world, when the use-money is gied away to the second-best

unt," said the maltster, removing from the fire his eyes, which were vermilion-red and bleared b

may not have seen daylight for several years by reason of this encrustation thereon-formed of ashes accidentally wetted with cider and baked hard; but to the mind of any sensible drinker the cup was no worse for that, being incontestably clean on the inside an

of thermometer, and having pronounced it nearly of the proper degree, raised the cup and very civilly attempted

shepherd," said the m

ank an inch or more from the depth of its contents, and duly passed it to the next man. "I wouldn't think of giving such trouble to neighbours in washing up when there's

nsible man,

, a genial and pleasant gentleman, whom to meet anywhere in your travels was to k

Don't ye chaw quite close, shepherd, for I let the bacon fall in the road outside as I was bringing it along, and may be 'tis ra

at all," said

won't feel the sandiness at all. Ah! 'tis

d exactly,

!-his grandfer were just such a nice

int-Simonian notions of share and share alike where liquor was concerned, as t

through his listeners at the world alluded to, as it presented itself to his imagination. He always signed his name "Henery"-strenuously insisting upon that spelling, and if any passing schoolmaster ventured to remark that the second "e" was superf

se name had appeared on the marriage register of Weatherbury and neighbouring parishes as best man and chief witness in countless u

. Ther's plenty more i

y years younger than Jan Coggan, revolved in the same orbit. He secr

said Mr. Coggan to a self-conscious man in t

"Why, ye've hardly had strength of eye enough to l

eph Poorgrass wit

body smaller whilst talking, apparently from a meek sense of undue

er," said

ature for a man,"

ng him with a mild complacency now that it was regarded as an interesting study. "'Twe

grass, for we all know ye

ul," said the maltster. "And how long ha

other was concerned to her heart a

e world to try and stop

it didn't cure me a morsel. And then I was put errand-man at the Women's Skittle Alley at the back of the Tailor's Arms in Casterbridge. 'Twas a horrible sinful situation, and a very curious place for a good man. I had t

look at, that ye might have been worse; but even as you be, 'tis a very bad affliction for 'ee, Joseph. For y

covering from a meditation. "

ng late at Yalbury Bottom, and had had a drap of drink, and lost his way as

xpostulated the modest man, for

n. "And as he was coming along in the middle of the night, much afeared, and not able to find his way out of the trees nohow, 'a cried out, 'Man-a-lost! man-a-lost!' A owl in

y, sir.' No, no; what's right is right, and I never said sir to the bird, knowing very well that no man of a gentleman's rank would be hollering there at that time o' night. 'Joseph

being tacitly waived by the co

, Joseph? Ay, another time ye were lost

e some conditions too serious even for mode

gate would not open, try how he would, and knowing

he Lord's Prayer, and then the Belief right through, and then the Ten Commandments, in earnest prayer. But no, the gate wouldn't open; and then I went on with Dearly Beloved Brethren, and, thinks I, this makes four, and 'ti

d his vision into the ashpit, which glowed like a desert in the tropics under a vertical sun, shaping

ort of a mis'ess is she to work under?" Gabriel's bosom thrilled gently as he t

er uncle was took bad, and the doctor was called with his world-wide skill;

y good family. I'd as soon be under 'em as under one here and there. Her u

at

ood-hearted man were Farmer Everdene, and I being a respectable young fellow was allowed to call and

Coggan; we kn

ss as much as I could, and not to be so ill-mannered as to drink only

n, 'twould so," cor

me-basket-so thorough dry that that ale would slip down-ah, 'twould slip down sweet! Happy times! Heavenly ti

, too, that we had at Buck's Head on

one like those in Farmer Everdene's kitchen. Not a single damn allowed; no, not a bare poor one, even at the most cheerful moment

earing at the regular times, or she's not herself

em of taking in vain… Ay, poor Charlotte, I wonder if she had the good fortune to get into Heaven wh

other?" inquired the shepherd, who found some difficu

townsfolk, and didn't live here. They've been dead for years.

to look at; but she was a lovely woman. H

long-hundreds o' times, so

told," said the maltster. "Ay," said Coggan. "He admired her so much

e universe!" murmured Joseph Poorgrass, who habitua

e sure," sa

sure. 'Man,' saith I in my hurry, but he were of a higher circle of life than that-'a was a gentlema

was quite a common

ed for heaps of money; hu

absently scrutinising a coal which had fallen among the ash

o me in real tribulation about it once. 'Coggan,' he said, 'I could never wish for a handsomer woman than I've got, but feeling she's ticketed as my lawful wife, I can't help my wicked heart wandering, do what I will.' But at last I believe he cured it by making her take off her wedding-ring and calling her by her ma

erfulness that a happy Providence kept it from being any worse. You see, he might have gone th

e man's will was to do right, sure e

, and he liked to copy comforting verses from the tombstones. He used, too, to hold the money-plate at Let Your Light so Shine, and stand godfather to poor little come-by-chance children; and he kept a missionary box upon

irdly met him and said, 'Good-Morning, Mister Everdene; 'tis a fine day!' 'Amen' said Everdene, qui

time," said Henery Fray. "Never should have thought

her temper is as

the business and ourselves. Ah!" Henery gazed into t

l's head in a cowl, [1] as the sa

tain point. "Between we two, man and man, I believe that man

you do talk!"

laughter that comes from a keener appreciation of the miseries of life than ordinary men are cap

You must be a very aged man, malter, to have

rowed terrible crooked too, lately," Jacob continued, surveying his father's figure, which

while," said the maltster, grim

the pedigree of yer life, f

tiness of a man who had longed to hear it for

pper Longpuddle across there" (nodding to the north) "till I were eleven. I bode seven at Kingsbere" (nodding to the east) "where I took to malting. I went therefrom to Norcombe, and malted there two-and-twenty years, and-two-and-twenty years I was there turnip-hoeing and harvesting. Ah, I knowed that old place, Norcombe, years afore you were thought of, Master Oak" (Oak smiled sincere belief in the fact).

eman, given to mental arithmetic and little convers

my age," said the ma

the summer and your malting in the winter of the same

didn't I? That's my question. I suppose ye

t," said Gabri

soothingly. "We all know that, and ye must have a wonderful talent

alter, wonderful," said

parage in a slight degree the virtue of having lived a great many years, by m

visible over his smock-frock pocket, and Henery Fray exclaimed, "Surely,

been in great trouble, neighbours, and was driv

it careless-like, shepherd, and your time will come. Bu

ard since Christmas," said Jan Cogg

ute and putting it together. "A poor tool, neighbou

imes through, accenting the notes in the third round in a most artistic and livel

aving no individuality worth mentioning was known as "Susan Tall's husband." H

o' thanksgiving that he's not a player of ba'dy songs instead of these merry tunes; for 'twould have been just as easy for God to have made the sh

not feeling it to be of any consequence to his opinion that he had

e so in these times that ye may be as much deceived in the cleanest shaved and whi

on his second tune. "Yes-now I see 'ee blowing into the flute I know 'ee to be the same man I see play at Caste

. Mark Clark, with additional criticism of Gabriel's countenance, the latter person jerki

d Bet', and Do

thy Drag'-

an's bad manners in naming your fea

ll," said

me man, shepherd," continued Josep

e, shepard," s

er, that he would never let Bathsheba see him playing the flute; in this resolve showing a

maltster, not pleased at finding himself left out of the subject, "we w

of a remarkably evident truism. It came from the old man in the background, whose offensiveness a

o," said

ce before. "I must be moving and when there's tunes going on I seem as if hung in wires. If I thoug

" inquired Coggan. "You used t

ried to a woman, and she's my vocation now,

s the saying is, I sup

ended to imply his habitual reception of jokes without minding th

later, when the remaining ones were on their legs and about to depart, Fray came back again in a hurry. Flourishing his finger omin

t's the matter, Henery?"

Henrey?" asked Ja

ly Pennyways-I said

out stealin

she usually do, and coming in found Baily Pennyways creeping down the granary steps with half a a bushel

you do,

off five sack altogether, upon her promising not to persecute him. Well, he'

om the large cup till the bottom was distinctly visible inside. Before he had replaced

he news that's a

aily Pen

esides

ing into the very midst of Laban Tall as if

ands spasmodically. "I've had the news-bell ringing in my left ear

me in. And they don't know what to do about going to bed for fear of locking her out. They wouldn't be so concerned if she hadn't been n

urned!" came from Jose

drowned!"

" suggested Billy Smallbury,

before we go to bed. What with this trouble about the

, fire, rain, nor thunder could draw from his hole. There, as the others' footsteps died away

hsheba's head and shoulders, robed in mystic

en among you?" s

eral," said Susa

round if they have seen such a person as Fanny Robin. Do it quietly; there is

young man courting her in the par

now," said

any such thing, ma'am

a respectable lad. The most mysterious matter connected with her absence-indeed, the only thing which gives me seriou

y go to see her young man without dressing up," said Jacob, turning his

voice from another window, which seemed that of Maryann. "But she had no yo

his name?" Ba

she was very

out if I went to Casterbridge b

feel more responsible than I should if she had had any friends or relations alive. I do hope she has come to no har

d not think it worth while to dwell upon any particular one. "Do a

we will," they repl

ime at which he saw Bathsheba most vividly, and through the slow hours of shadow he tenderly regarded her image now. It is rarely that the pleasures of the imagination will compensate for the

on, Paradise Lost, The Pilgrim's Progress, Robinson Crusoe, Ash's Dictionary, and Walkingame's Arithmetic, constituted his library; and though a limited serie