The-Three-Strangers---Thomas-Hardy

TheThreeStrangersHardy,ThomasPublished:1883Type(s):ShortFiction,HorrorSource:(2June1840–11January1928)wasanEnglishnovelist,shortstorywriter,andpoetofthenaturalistmovement.Thebulkofhiswork,setmainlyinthesemi-imaginarycountyofWessex,de-lineatescharactersstrugglingagainsttheirpassionsandcircumstances.Hardy'spoetry,firstpublishedinhisfifties,hascometobeaswellre-gardedashisnovels,especiallyafterthe1960sMovement.Source:Wikipedia2AMONGthefewfeaturesofagriculturalEnglandwhichretainanap-pearancebutlittlemodifiedbythelapseofcenturies,maybereckonedthehigh,grassyandfurzydowns,coombs,orewe-leases,astheyarein-differentlycalled,thatfillalargeareaofcertaincountiesinthesouthandsouth-west.Ifanymarkofhumanoccupationismetwithhereon,itusu-allytakestheformofthesolitarycottageofsomeshepherd.Fiftyyearsagosuchalonelycottagestoodonsuchadown,andmaypossiblybestandingtherenow.Inspiteofitsloneliness,however,thespot,byactualmeasurement,wasnotmorethanfivemilesfromacounty-town.Yetthataffecteditlittle.Fivemilesofirregularupland,duringthelonginimicalseasons,withtheirsleets,snows,rains,andmists,affordwithdrawingspaceenoughtoisolateaTimonoraNebuchadnezzar;muchless,infairweather,topleasethatlessrepellenttribe,thepoets,philosophers,artists,andotherswho'conceiveandmed-itateofpleasantthings.'Someoldearthencamporbarrow,someclumpoftrees,atleastsomestarvedfragmentofancienthedgeisusuallytakenadvantageofintheerectionoftheseforlorndwellings.But,inthepresentcase,suchakindofshelterhadbeendisregarded.HigherCrowstairs,asthehousewascalled,stoodquitedetachedandundefended.Theonlyreasonforitspre-cisesituationseemedtobethecrossingoftwofootpathsatrightangleshardby,whichmayhavecrossedthereandthusforagoodfivehundredyears.Hencethehousewasexposedtotheelementsonallsides.But,thoughthewinduphereblewunmistakablywhenitdidblow,andtherainhithardwheneveritfell,thevariousweathersofthewinterseasonwerenotquitesoformidableonthecoombastheywereimaginedtobebydwellersonlowground.Therawrimeswerenotsoperniciousasinthehollows,andthefrostswerescarcelysosevere.Whentheshepherdandhisfamilywhotenantedthehousewerepitiedfortheirsufferingsfromtheexposure,theysaidthatuponthewholetheywerelessincon-veniencedby'wuzzesandflames'(hoarsesandphlegms)thanwhentheyhadlivedbythestreamofasnugneighbouringvalley.ThenightofMarch28,182-,waspreciselyoneofthenightsthatwerewonttocallforththeseexpressionsofcommiseration.Thelevelrain-stormsmotewalls,slopes,andhedgesliketheclothyardshaftsofSenlacandCrecy.Suchsheepandoutdooranimalsashadnoshelterstoodwiththeirbuttockstothewinds;whilethetailsoflittlebirdstryingtoroostonsomescraggythornwereblowninside-outlikeumbrellas.Thegable-endofthecottagewasstainedwithwet,andtheeavesdroppingsflappedagainstthewall.Yetneverwascommiserationfortheshepherdmore3misplaced.Forthatcheerfulrusticwasentertainingalargepartyinglori-ficationofthechristeningofhissecondgirl.Theguestshadarrivedbeforetherainbegantofall,andtheywereallnowassembledinthechieforlivingroomofthedwelling.Aglanceintotheapartmentateighto'clockonthiseventfuleveningwouldhaveresul-tedintheopinionthatitwasascosyandcomfortableanookascouldbewishedforinboisterousweather.Thecallingofitsinhabitantwaspro-claimedbyanumberofhighly-polishedsheep-crookswithoutstemsthatwerehungornamentallyoverthefireplace,thecurlofeachshiningcrookvaryingfromtheantiquatedtypeengravedinthepatriarchalpic-turesofoldfamilyBiblestothemostapprovedfashionofthelastlocalsheep-fair.Theroomwaslightedbyhalf-a-dozencandles,havingwicksonlyatriflesmallerthanthegreasewhichenvelopedthem,incandle-sticksthatwereneverusedbutathigh-days,holy-days,andfamilyfeasts.Thelightswerescatteredabouttheroom,twoofthemstandingonthechimney-piece.Thispositionofcandleswasinitselfsignificant.Candlesonthechimney-piecealwaysmeantaparty.Onthehearth,infrontofaback-brandtogivesubstance,blazedafireofthorns,thatcrackled'likethelaughterofthefool.'Nineteenpersonsweregatheredhere.Ofthese,fivewomen,wearinggownsofvariousbrighthues,satinchairsalongthewall;girlsshyandnotshyfilledthewindow-bench;fourmen,includingCharleyJakethehedge-carpenter,ElijahNewtheparish-clerk,andJohnPitcher,aneigh-bouringdairyman,theshepherd'sfather-in-law,lolledinthesettle;ayoungmanandmaid,whowereblushingovertentativepourparlersonalife-companionship,satbeneaththecorner-cupboard;andanelderlyengagedmanoffiftyorupwardmovedrestlesslyaboutfromspotswherehisbetrothedwasnottothespotwhereshewas.Enjoymentwasprettygeneral,andsomuchthemoreprevailedinbeingunhamperedbyconventionalrestrictions.Absoluteconfidenceineachother'sgoodopin-ionbegatperfectease,whilethefinishingstrokeofmanner,amountingtoatrulyprincelyserenity,waslenttothemajoritybytheabsenceofanyexpressionortraitdenotingthattheywishedtogetonintheworld,en-largetheirminds,ordoanyeclipsingthingwhatever—whichnowadayssogenerallynipsthebloomandbonhomieofallexceptthetwoextremesofthesocialscale.ShepherdFennelhadmarriedwell,hiswifebeingadairyman'sdaughterfromavaleatadistance,whobroughtfiftyguineasinherpocket—andkeptthemthere,tilltheyshouldberequiredform