Two: Far From The Madding Crowd: Thomas Hardy : The Heroine of Yellow Waggon.

Chapter Two: NIGHT - THE FLOCK - AN INTERIOR - AN EXTERIOR 

St Thomas's Eve. [1] The shortest day in the year. A desolating wind wandered from the north over the hill whereon Oak watched the yellow coloured waggon and its occupant in the sunshine  a few days ago.

Norcombe Hill - not far from lonely Toller Down was one of the spots which suggest to a passerby that he is in the presence of a shape approaching the indestructible as nearly as any to be found on the earth. It was a featureless convexity of chalk and soil. The area is known for chalk mining. The chalk hills are covered on the northern side by decaying plantation of beeches. The dry leaves fallen in the ditch simmered and boiled in the same weather, a tongue of air occasionally ferreting out a few, and sending them spinning across the grass. Two or three leaves, though dead, remained on the twigs, now falling, rattled against the trunks with smart taps.

Between this half wooded and half naked hill and vague horizon, its summit indistinctly commanded a mysterious sheet of fathomless shade, from which came mysterious sounds. Thin grass on the hills were touched by wind and breeze, either by rubbing its blades or by raking them or by brushing them like a soft broom. The trees wailed or chanted to each other as if in a cathedral choir.

The sky was clear. The North Star was directly in the wind's eye. Bear has swung round it outwardly to the east. The sovereign brilliance of Sirius pierced the eye with a steely glitter. Capella was yellow. Aldebaran and Betelgueux shone with a fiery red.[2]

The solitude was suddenly broken by the series of sounds began to be heard in this place up against the sky. They were the notes of farmer Oak's flute. 

The tune was not floating unhindered into the open air. It seemed muffled and curtailed. It came from a shepherd's hut under the plantation hedge. The Hut was like that of a small Noah's Ark of Ararat [3] The hut stood on little wheels, which raised its floor about a foot from the ground. Such shepherd's huts are dragged into the fields when the lambing season comes on, to shelter the shepherd in his nightly attendance. 

People had begun to call Gabriel 'Farmer' Oak. Twelve months back he took on lease a small sheep-farm of which Norcomb Hill was a portion, and stock it with two hundred sheep. Before that he had been a bailiff for a short period. He started as a shepherd, assisting his father in tending the flocks of large proprietors. Now the old man sank to rest.

This venture, unaided and alone, into the paths of farming, as a master, and not as a man, with an advance of sheep not paid for, was a critical juncture in his life. The first step in this venture was, the lambing of the ewes, and he wisely refrained from deputing the task of tending them to a hireling.

The wind continued to beat about the corners of the hut. The flute playing ceased. Farmer Oak with his lantern appeared at the door of the hut. Closing the door behind, he came forward and busied himself about the lambing area for nearly twenty minutes. The lantern in his hand swung, and his shadow fell here and there according to the movement of his hand.

Oak's motions, though energetic were slow. His steady swings and turns in and about the flocks had elements of grace. Yet if the occasion demanded he could do or think at the speed of an urbanite. A portion of wild slope had been appropriated by farmer Oak as his lambing area. Detached hurdles[4] thatched with straw were stuck into the ground at various scattered points amid and under which ewes moved and rustled. The ring of the sheep bell, as he entered the area was mellowed by the surrounding wool. He returned to the hut, with a new-born lamb in his hand. The little speck of life he placed on a wisp of hay before a small stove, where a can of milk was shimmering. He extinguished the lantern by blowing into it, and then pinching the snuff, the cot being 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 his hut. Here he stretched himself along, loosened his woollen cravat, and fell asleep.

The inside of the hut was cosy. In addition to candle, there was the scarlet handful of fire, utensils and tools. In the corner stood the shepherd's crook, and along a shelf at one side ranged bottles and canisters of simple preparations pertaining to ovine surgery and physic; spirits of wine, turpentine, tar, magnesia, ginger, and castor oil. On a triangular shelf across the corner stood bread, bacon, cheese, and a cup of ale. Besides the provisions lay flute. The hut was ventilated by two round holes, with wooden slides. The lamb revived by warmth began to bleat, and the sound entered Gabriel's ears. He woke up from his sleep. He looked at his watch. Its hour hand had fallen off. He put on his hat, took the lamb in his arms and carried it into the darkness. After placing it with its mother, he stood and carefully examined the sky to ascertain the time of night from the altitudes of stars.

The Dog-star and Aldebaran pointing to the restless Pleiades [5] were halfway up the sky, and between them hung Orion [6] which gorgeous constellation never burnt more vividly than now, as it soared forth above the rim of the landscape. Castor and Pollux [7] were almost on the meredian: the barren and gloomy square of Pegasus [8] was creeping round to the northwest far away through the plantation. Vega sparkled like a lamp suspended among leafless trees, and Cassiopeia's hair [10] daintly poised on the uppermost boughs.

"One O'clock," said Gabriel.

There was some charm in his life, but he was not aware of it. To him sky was a useful instrument. There was no one except him in the vicinity.

Farmer Oak went towards the plantation and pushed through its lower boughs to the windy side. A dim mass under the slope reminded him that a shed occupied a place here, the site being a cutting into the slope of the hill, so that at its back part the roof was almost leavel with the ground. In front of it was a board nailed to posts and covered with tar as a preservative. Through the crevices in the roof and side spread streak and dots of light a combination of which attracted him. He stepped up behind, where leaning down upon the roof and putting his eye close to a hole, he could see the interior clearly.

There were two women inside the shed. And two cows too. Steaming bran-mash stood in a bucket by the side of the cows. One of the women was past middle age. Her companion was young and graceful. Her position being almost beneath his eye he saw her in a bird's eye view. Therefore he could form no opinion on her looks. Instead of a bonnet or hat she had enveloped herself in a large cloak, carelessly flung over her head.

"There, now we will go home," said the elder, resting her knuckles on her hips, and surveying their goings-on as a whole. I do hope Daisy will fetch round again now. I have never been more frightened in my life, but I don't mind breaking my rest if she recovers."

The young woman, apparently feeling sleepy, yawned without parting her lips, where upon Gabriel also yawned as a ritual.

"I wish we were rich to pay a man to do these things," she said.

"As we are not, we must do them ourselves," said the elder, "for you must help me if you stay."

"Well, my hat is gone, however," continued the younger. "It went over the hedge, I think. The idea of such slight wind catching it."

The cow standing erect was of the Devon [11]breed and was of Indian red, her long back being mathematically level. The other was spotted grey and white. A little calf about one day old was looking idiotically at the two women.

"I think we had better send for some oatmeal," said the elder woman; "there is no more bran."

"Yes, aunt; I will ride over for it as soon as it is light."

"But there is no side-saddle"

"I can ride on the other; trust me."

Upon hearing these remarks Oak was very curious to see her face; fortunately, the girl now dropped her cloak, and along with it her hair fell on her red jacket. Oak knew her instantly as the heroine of the yellow waggon, and the looking-glass; a woman who owed him twopence.

They placed the calf beside its mother, took up the lantern and went out, the light sinking down the hill till it was no more than a nebula. Gabriel Oak returned to his flock.

End of Chapter Two

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Notes:-

1. Eve of St Thomas's is mentioned as a seasonal market. The day is traditionally celebrated on December 21st. In Victorian rural England it was specifically tied to hiring fairs. On these days workers would gather in towns hoping to be hired for the coming year.

2. Bear: Ursa Major also known as Great Bear is a constellation in the Northern Sky. Contrast it with Ursa Minor.

Sirius: Also known as Dog Star is the brightest star in the sky. It is part of the constellation Canis Major.

Capella: Also known as Alpha Aurigae is the brightest star in the constellation of Auriga. It is the sixth brightest star in the night sky.

Aldebaran: Also known as Alpha Tauri is the bright orange star found in the constellation of Taurus.

Betelgueux: A red super giant star in the constellation of Orion.

3. Noah's Ark of Ararat: A vessel connected to biblical story of deluge. God instructed Noah to build the ark, and place within it, Noah, his family, and pairs of every animal species to save them from the deluge. Ark's resting place was at Moun Ararat, located in modern day Turkey.

Huts on wheels: Gabriel Oak being a shepherd, lived close to his flock and kept watch over them. He had to change fields according to the availability of pasture. Wheeled shepherd's huts were very much real part of English rural life in eighteenth and nineteenth century.

They were used during lambing and grazing seasons. It was a solitary working shelter, not for family. Used locally, not for nomadic life. Pulled or pushed manually or by single horse. To shift from one terrain to other by winch or crowbars were used.

4. Hurdle: Sheep hurdle is a portable fencing panel made of wood or metal used to contain sheep.

5. Pleiades: Also known as Seven Sisters and Messier 45 is an open star cluster located in the constellation Taurus. It is a prominent asterism (pattern of stars) containing over thousand stars, including several that are visible to the naked eye. In Greek mythology Pleiades are often depicted as Seven Sisters daughters of Atlas and Pleione.

6. Orion. A prominent constellation in the sky named after a hunter in Greek mythology 

7. Castor is the second brightest in the Zodiac constellation of Gemini.

Pollux: Red giant star in the Gemini constellation. 

8. Pegasus & Vega: Pegasus is the constellation in northern sky named after the mythical horse. Vega is a bright blue white star located in the constellation Lyra.

9. Meridian: Geography: An imaginary line of longitude that runs from North Pole to South Pole

10. Cassiopea: A constellation in Northern sky.

11. Devon breed of cow: An ancient breed originating from the southwestern English County of Devon. They were highly valued for their beef, milk and their draft capabilities (ability to pull or haul heavy loads)