`Soit’s`Eatmydearbirdies，’isit，youngman？`Eat，dearbirdies，’
indeed！I’lltickleyourbreeches，andseeifyousay，`Eat，dearbirdies，’
againinahurry！Andyou’vebeenidlingattheschoolmaster’stoo，insteadofcominghere，ha’n’tye，hey？That’showyouearnyoursixpenceadayforkeepingtherooksoffmycorn！’
WhilstsalutingJude’searswiththisimpassionedrhetoric，Trouthamhadseizedhislefthandwithhisownleft，andswinginghisslimframeroundhimatarm’s-length，againstruckJudeonthehindpartswiththeflatsideofJude’sownrattle，tillthefieldechoedwiththeblows，whichweredeliveredonceortwiceateachrevolution。
`Don’t’ee，sir-pleasedon’t’ee！’criedthewhirlingchild，ashelplessunderthecentrifugaltendencyofhispersonasahookedfishswingingtoland，andbeholdingthehill，therick，theplantation，thepath，andtherooksgoingroundandroundhiminanamazingcircularrace。
`I-I-sir-onlymeantthat-therewasagoodcropintheground-
Isaw’emsowit-andtherookscouldhavealittlebitfordinner-andyouwouldn’tmissit，sir-andMr。PhillotsonsaidIwastobekindto’em-oh，oh，oh！’
ThistruthfulexplanationseemedtoexasperatethefarmerevenmorethanifJudehadstoutlydeniedsayinganythingatall，andhestillsmackedthewhirlingurchin，theclacksoftheinstrumentcontinuingtoresoundallacrossthefieldandasfarastheearsofdistantworkers-whogatheredthereuponthatJudewaspursuinghisbusinessofclackingwithgreatassiduity-andechoingfromthebrand-newchurchtowerjustbehindthemist，towardsthebuildingofwhichstructurethefarmerhadlargelysubscribed，totestifyhisloveforGodandman。
PresentlyTrouthamgrewtiredofhispunitivetask，anddepositingthequiveringboyonhislegs，tookasixpencefromhispocketandgaveithiminpaymentforhisday’swork，tellinghimtogohomeandneverlethimseehiminoneofthosefieldsagain。
Judeleapedoutofarm’sreach，andwalkedalongthetrackwayweeping-notfromthepain，thoughthatwaskeenenough；notfromtheperceptionoftheflawintheterrestrialscheme，bywhichwhatwasgoodforGod’sbirdswasbadforGod’sgardener；butwiththeawfulsensethathehadwhollydisgracedhimselfbeforehehadbeenayearintheparish，andhencemightbeaburdentohisgreat-auntforlife。
Withthisshadowonhismindhedidnotcaretoshowhimselfinthevillage，andwenthomewardbyaroundabouttrackbehindahighhedgeandacrossapasture。Herehebeheldscoresofcoupledearthwormslyinghalftheirlengthonthesurfaceofthedampground，astheyalwaysdidinsuchweatheratthattimeoftheyear。Itwasimpossibletoadvanceinregularstepswithoutcrushingsomeofthemateachtread。
ThoughFarmerTrouthamhadjusthurthim，hewasaboywhocouldnothimselfbeartohurtanything。Hehadneverbroughthomeanestofyoungbirdswithoutlyingawakeinmiseryhalfthenightafter，andoftenre-instatingthemandthenestintheiroriginalplacethenextmorning。
Hecouldscarcelybeartoseetreescutdownorlopped，fromafancythatithurtthem；andlatepruning，whenthesapwasupandthetreebledprofusely，hadbeenapositivegrieftohiminhisinfancy。Thisweaknessofcharacter，asitmaybecalled，suggestedthathewasthesortofmanwhowasborntoacheagooddealbeforethefallofthecurtainuponhisunnecessarylifeshouldsignifythatallwaswellwithhimagain。Hecarefullypickedhiswayontiptoeamongtheearthworms，withoutkillingasingleone。
Onenteringthecottagehefoundhisauntsellingapennyloaftoalittlegirl，andwhenthecustomerwasgoneshesaid，`Well，howdoyoucometobebackhereinthemiddleofthemorninglikethis？’
`I’mturnedaway。’
`What？’
`Mr。TrouthamhaveturnedmeawaybecauseIlettherookshaveafewpeckingsofcorn。Andthere’smywages-thelastIshalleverhae！’
Hethrewthesixpencetragicallyonthetable。
`Ah！’saidhisaunt，suspendingherbreath。Andsheopeneduponhimalectureonhowshewouldnowhavehimallthespringuponherhandsdoingnothing。`Ifyoucan’tskeerbirds，whatcanyedo？There！don’tyelooksodeedy！FarmerTrouthamisnotsomuchbetterthanmyself，cometothat。But’tisasJobsaid，`NowtheythatareyoungerthanIhavemeinderision，whosefathersIwouldhavedisdainedtohavesetwiththedogsofmyflock。’Hisfatherwasmyfather’sjourneyman，anyhow，andI
musthavebeenafooltolet’eegotoworkfor’n，whichIshouldn’tha’
donebuttokeep’eeoutofmischty。’
MoreangrywithJudefordemeaningherbycomingtherethanforderelictionofduty，sheratedhimprimarilyfromthatpointofview，andonlysecondarilyfromamoralone。
`NotthatyoushouldhaveletthebirdseatwhatFarmerTrouthamplanted。Ofcourseyouwaswronginthat。Jude，Jude，whydidstn’tgooffwiththatschoolmasterofthinetoChristminsterorsomewhere？But，ohno-pooror’narychild-thereneverwasanysprawlonthysideofthefamily，andneverwillbe！’
`Whereisthisbeautifulcity，Aunt-thisplacewhereMr。Phillotsonisgoneto？’askedtheboy，aftermeditatinginsilence。
`Lord！yououghttoknowwherethecityofChristminsteris。Nearascoreofmilesfromhere。Itisaplacemuchtoogoodforyouevertohavemuchtodowith，poorboy，I’ma-thinking。’
`AndwillMr。Phillotsonalwaysbethere？’
`HowcanItell？’
`CouldIgotoseehim？’
`Lord，no！Youdidn’tgrowuphereabout，oryouwouldn’tasksuchasthat。We’veneverhadanythingtodowithfolkinChristminster，norfolkinChristminsterwithwe。’
Judewentout，and，feelingmorethaneverhisexistencetobeanundemandedone，helaydownuponhisbackonaheapoflitternearthepig-sty。Thefoghadbythistimebecomemoretranslucent，andthepositionofthesuncouldbeseenthroughit。Hepulledhisstrawhatoverhisface，andpeeredthroughtheintersticesoftheplaitingatthewhitebrightness，vaguelyreflecting。Growingupbroughtresponsibilities，hefound。Eventsdidnotrhymequiteashehadthought。Nature’slogicwastoohorridforhimtocarefor。Thatmercytowardsonesetofcreatureswascrueltytowardsanothersickenedhissenseofharmony。Asyougotolder，andfeltyourselftobeatthecentreofyourtime，andnotatapointinitscircumference，asyouhadfeltwhenyouwerelittle，youwereseizedwithasortofshuddering，heperceived。Allaroundyouthereseemedtobesomethingglaring，garish，rattling，andthenoisesandglareshituponthelittlecellcalledyourlife，andshookit，andwarpedit。
Ifhecouldonlypreventhimselfgrowingup！Hedidnotwanttobeaman。
Then，likethenaturalboy，heforgothisdespondency，andsprangup。Duringtheremainderofthemorninghehelpedhisaunt，andintheafternoon，whentherewasnothingmoretobedone，hewentintothevillage。
HereheaskedamanwhereaboutsChristminsterlay。
`Christminster？Oh，well，outbythereyonder；thoughI’veneverbinthere-notI。I’veneverhadanybusinessatsuchaplace。’
Themanpointednorth-eastward，intheverydirectionwherelaythatfieldinwhichJudehadsodisgracedhimself。Therewassomethingunpleasantaboutthecoincidenceforthemoment，butthefearsomenessofthisfactratherincreasedhiscuriosityaboutthecity。Thefarmerhadsaidhewasnevertobeseeninthatfieldagain；yetChristminsterlayacrossit，andthepathwasapublicone。So，stealingoutofthehamlet，hedescendedintothesamehollowwhichhadwitnessedhispunishmentinthemorning，neverswervinganinchfromthepath，andclimbingupthelongandtediousascentontheothersidetillthetrackjoinedthehighwaybyalittleclumpoftrees。Heretheploughedlandended，andallbeforehimwasbleakopendown。
JudetheObscureChapter03I-iiiNotasoulwasvisibleonthehedgelesshighway，oroneithersideofit，andthewhiteroadseemedtoascendanddiminishtillitjoinedthesky。
Attheverytopitwascrossedatrightanglesbyagreen`ridgeway’-
theIckneildStreetandoriginalRomanroadthroughthedistrict。Thisancienttrackraneastandwestformanymiles，anddownalmosttowithinlivingmemoryhadbeenusedfordrivingflocksandherdstofairsandmarkets。
Butitwasnowneglectedandovergrown。
Theboyhadneverbeforestrayedsofarnorthasthisfromthenestlinghamletinwhichhehadbeendepositedbythecarrierfromarailwaystationsouthward，onedarkeveningsomefewmonthsearlier，andtillnowhehadhadnosuspicionthatsuchawide，flat，low-lyingcountrylaysonearathand，undertheveryvergeofhisuplandworld。Thewholenorthernsemicirclebetweeneastandwest，toadistanceoffortyorfiftymiles，spreaditselfbeforehim；abluer，moisteratmosphere，evidently，thanthathebreatheduphere。
Notfarfromtheroadstoodaweather-beatenoldbarnofreddish-greybrickandtile。ItwasknownastheBrownHousebythepeopleofthelocality。
Hewasabouttopassitwhenheperceivedaladderagainsttheeaves；andthereflectionthatthehigherhegot，thefurtherhecouldsee，ledJudetostandandregardit。Ontheslopeoftherooftwomenwererepairingthetiling。Heturnedintotheridgewayanddrewtowardsthebarn。
Whenhehadwistfullywatchedtheworkmenforsometimehetookcourage，andascendedtheladdertillhestoodbesidethem。
`Well，mylad，andwhatmayyouwantuphere？~’
`IwantedtoknowwherethecityofChristminsteris，ifyouplease。’
`Christminsterisoutacrossthere，bythatclump。Youcanseeit-atleastyoucanonaclearday。Ah，no，youcan’tnow。’
Theothertiler，gladofanykindofdiversionfromthemonotonyofhislabour，hadalsoturnedtolooktowardsthequarterdesignated。
`Youcan’toftenseeitinweatherlikethis，’hesaid。`ThetimeI’venoticeditiswhenthesunisgoingdowninablazeofflame，anditlookslike-Idon’tknowwhat。’
`TheheavenlyJerusalem，’suggestedtheseriousurchin。
`Ay-thoughIshouldneverha’thoughtofitmyself……ButI
can’tseenoChristminsterto-day。’
Theboystrainedhiseyesalso；yetneithercouldheseethefar-offcity。Hedescendedfromthebarn，andabandoningChristminsterwiththeversatilityofhisagehewalkedalongtheridge-track，lookingforanynaturalobjectsofinterestthatmightlieinthebanksthereabout。WhenherepassedthebarntogobacktoMarygreenheobservedthattheladderwasstillinitsplace，butthatthemenhadfinishedtheirday’sworkandgoneaway。
Itwaswaningtowardsevening；therewasstillafaintmist，butithadclearedalittleexceptinthedampertractsofsubjacentcountryandalongtheriver-courses。HethoughtagainofChristminster，andwished，sincehehadcometwoorthreemilesfromhisaunt’shouseonpurpose，thathecouldhaveseenforoncethisattractivecityofwhichhehadbeentold。Butevenifhewaitedhereitwashardlylikelythattheairwouldclearbeforenight。Yethewaslothtoleavethespot，forthenorthernexpansebecamelosttoviewonretreatingtowardsthevillageonlyafewhundredyards。
Heascendedtheladdertohaveonemorelookatthepointthemenhaddesignated，andperchedhimselfonthehighestrung，overlyingthetiles。Hemightnotbeabletocomesofarasthisformanydays。Perhapsifheprayed，thewishtoseeChristminstermightbeforwarded。Peoplesaidthat，ifyouprayed，thingssometimescametoyou，eventhoughtheysometimesdidnot。Hehadreadinatractthatamanwhohadbeguntobuildachurch，andhadnomoneytofinishit，kneltdownandprayed，andthemoneycameinbythenextpost。Anothermantriedthesameexperiment，andthemoneydidnotcome；buthefoundafterwardsthatthebreecheshekneltinweremadebyawickedJew。Thiswasnotdiscouraging，andturningontheladderJudekneltonthethirdrung，where，restingagainstthoseaboveit，heprayedthatthemistmightrise。
Hethenseatedhimselfagain，andwaited。Inthecourseoftenorfifteenminutesthethinningmistdissolvedaltogetherfromthenorthernhorizon，asithadalreadydoneelsewhere，andaboutaquarterofanhourbeforethetimeofsunsetthewestwardcloudsparted，thesun’spositionbeingpartiallyuncovered，andthebeamsstreamingoutinvisiblelinesbetweentwobarsofslatycloud。Theboyimmediatelylookedbackintheolddirection。
Somewaywithinthelimitsofthestretchoflandscape，pointsoflightlikethetopazgleamed。Theairincreasedintransparencywiththelapseofminutes，tillthetopazpointsshowedthemselvestobethevanes，windows，wetroofslates，andothershiningspotsuponthespires，domes，freestone-work，andvariedoutlinesthatwerefaintlyrevealed。
ItwasChristminster，unquestionably；eitherdirectlyseen，ormiragedinthepeculiaratmosphere。