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Silas was as unable to interpret the letters as Dolly, but there was no possibility of misunderstanding the desire to give comfort that made itself heard in her quiet tones. He said, with more feeling than before, Thank youthank you kindly. But he laid down the cakes and seated himself absently, drearily unconscious of any distinct benefit towards which the cakes and the letters, or even Dollys kindness, could tend for him. Ah, if theres good anywhere, weve need of it, repeated Dolly, who did not lightly forsake a serviceable phrase. She looked at Silas pityingly as she went on. But you didnt hear the church bells this morning, Master Marner? I doubt you didnt know it was Sunday. Living so lone here you lose your count, I dare say; and then, when your loom makes a noise, you cant hear the bells, more particlar now the frost kills the sound. Yes, I did; I heard em, said Silas, to whom Sunday bells were a mere accident of the day, and not part of its sacredness. There had been no bells in Lantern Yard. Dear heart! said Dolly, pausing before she spoke again. But what a pity it is you should work of a Sunday, and not clean yourselfif you didnt go to church; for if youd a roasting bit, it might be as you couldnt leave it, being a lone man. But theres the bakehus, if you could make up your mind to spend a twopence on the oven now and thennot every week, in course; I shouldnt like to do that myselfyou might carry your bit o dinner there; for its nothing but right to have a bit o summat hot of a Sunday, and not to make it as you cant know your dinner from Saturday. But now, upo Christmas day, this blessed Christmas as is ever coming, if you was to take your dinner to the bakehus, and go to church, and see the holly and the yew, and hear the anthim, and then take the sacramen, youd be a deal the better, and youd know which end you stood on, and you could put your trust i Them as knows better nor we do, seein youd ha done what it lies on us all to do. Dollys exhortation, which was an unusually long effort of speech for her, was uttered in the soothing, persuasive tone with which she would have tried to prevail on a sick man to take his medicine, or a basin of gruel for which he had no appetite. Silas had never before been closely urged on the point of his absence from church, which had only been thought of as a part of his general queerness; and he was too direct and simple to evade Dollys appeal. Nay, nay, he said, I know nothing o church; Ive never been to church. No! said Dolly, in a low tone of wonderment. Then bethinking herself of Silass advent from an unknown country, she said, Could it ha been as theyd no church where you was born? Oh yes, said Silas meditatively, sitting in his usual posture of leaning on his knees and supporting his head. There was churchesa manyit was a big town. But I knew nothing of em; I went to chapel. Dolly was much puzzled at this new word, but she was rather afraid of inquiring further, lest chapel might mean some haunt of wickedness. After a little thought she said, Well, Master Marner, its niver too late to turn over a new leaf; and if youve niver had no church, theres no telling the good itll do you. For I feel so set up and comfortable as niver was when Ive been and heard the prayers, and the singing to the praise and glory o God, as Mr. Macey gives out; and Mr. Crackenthorp saying good words, and more particlar on Sacramen Day. And if a bit o trouble comes, I feel as I can put up wi it, for Ive looked for help i the right quarter, and gev myself up to Them as we must all give ourselves up to at the last; and if we n done our part, it isnt to be believed as Them as are above us ull be worse nor we are, and come short o Theirn. Poor Dollys exposition of her simple Raveloe theology fell rather unmeaningly on Silass ears, for there was no word in it that could rouse a memory of what he had known as religion, and his comprehension was quite baffled by the plural pronoun, which was no heresy of Dollys, but only her way of avoiding a presumptuous familiarity. He remained silent, not feeling inclined to assent to the part of Dollys speech |
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