CHAPTER NINE

A Visit Home

The days and nights continued to be very hot. Angel Clare could not sleep. He took a walk one night to think about what had happened in the field. He had come to the dairy to study farming. He had only planned to stay at the dairy for a short time. He had wanted a quiet place where he could watch and learn about the world. But he was no longer interested in the world. His quiet place was filled with tension.

Clare was a good man. He was thoughtful and honest. He did not want to hurt Tess and throw her away when he was finished using her. He took his love for her very seriously because her life was important, too.

However, he also knew that if they continued to see each other every day, their relationship had to develop. He would not be able to stop himself. He had not decided what kind of relationship they should have. In the end, he decided that they should not see one another as often. But this was a difficult decision, and his heart drew him to her.

He decided to visit his family. In only a few months he would be done studying at the farm. He believed that he would be ready to have his own farm after he had worked at a few other places. If he were to have a wife, shouldn't she also understand farming, too?

He went down the road that went to his parents' house in Emminster. He did not look at the road. Instead, he saw his future. He loved Tess, but would he marry her? What would his family think? What would he think of it two years after the wedding? Would he still love her?

As he rode towards the village, he saw a group of girls standing outside the church. One of them was Mercy Chant. She was the daughter of his father's neighbor. Angel's parents hoped that he would marry Mercy. She was respected in the church and taught children lessons about the Bible. But Angel could only think about the beautiful milkmaid who rarely talked about God.

His family was surprised to see him, but they were very happy. Angel was happy to be at home even though he felt a little distant from his family. His father was very religious, but he was kind and honest. He loved his sons. Even so, he would have been shocked to find out that Angel was in love with a woman like Tess. Angel's mother was also very religious. She helped at the church. Even though his brothers were well-educated, they did not think about things very hard. They often just accepted what people told them. They did not respect people who had not gone to university or who did not go to church.

Angel went for a walk with his brothers. He believed they were lucky to go to college, but that they did not truly understand life. They thought farming was a job for poor men. This made Angel want to be a farmer even more.

That evening, Angel spoke with his father. Mr Clare told Angel that he had saved the money that he was going to use for his university education. Angel decided to ask his father what kind of wife would be best for a farmer.

"You need a Christian woman," said the minister. "Nothing else matters."

"But shouldn't it also be important that she can work on a farm?" asked Angel. "She should be able to milk cows, churn butter, take care of animals and handle the farm workers."

Mr Clare had not thought of these things before.

"Well, I guess that is true," he said. "But you will never find a better Christian woman than Mercy Chant. It would make me and your mother very happy if you married her."

"Yes, Mercy is a good woman. But father, I think I should find a woman who understands farming, as well as being good and pure. That would be better."

Mr Clare and his son spoke for a while. Then Angel told his father that he had found a woman who was suitable to be a farmer's wife. He said that she went to church, was honest, intelligent, pure and extremely beautiful.

His mother had entered the room, but her husband and son had not noticed.

"Is she from a good family like Mercy is?" she asked. She was very surprised.

"She is not a fine lady," said Angel. "She is the daughter of a poor man. But it doesn't matter to me. I need a wife who will work hard and live with very little money."

"But Mercy is educated, and that is important," said Mrs Clare.

"I can help her learn to read. She is intelligent and will learn fast. She is so beautiful that her life is like a poem. She lives what poets can only write. And she is a good Christian."

Angel's parents doubted that his religious beliefs were very strong. They were relieved to hear that his future wife was a Christian. They told him not to act too quickly. They said they wanted to meet this woman. Although Angel had permission to marry whom he liked, he took his parents' advice. He did not want to hurt their feelings.

Angel returned to the dairy to see Tess. His father went with him part of the way. On the way, the minister told his son about the d'Urberville family near Trantridge. They had taken the name d'Urberville, even though it was not their real name. The blind woman lived in a large house with her son. In church one day, Mr Clare had said that the young man was very wicked. Everyone already knew this well. After church, the young d'Urberville had shouted at the minister in public.

Angel was very angry. "Father, you should not have let him do that."

"I don't care. I must say when someone does evil. It is my job. Men have hit me, but it doesn't matter. After, they stop hitting their families. Later, they often thank me and thank God."

"I hope this man changes, too," said Angel. "But it seems like he is too bad to change."

"I will hope anyway," said the minister. "Maybe he will listen to me some day."

Angel did not agree with his father's religious beliefs, but he loved him because he was so brave. His father had also not asked whether Tess had money. His father did not think money was very important, so his sons would probably all be poor. Angel admired his father's belief that money was not important.

(end of section)