{"product_id":"2940012363176","title":"JUDE THE OBSCURE","description":"CONTENTS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   PART FIRST\u003cbr\u003e   At Marygreen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   PART SECOND\u003cbr\u003e   At Christminster\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   PART THIRD\u003cbr\u003e   At Melchester\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   PART FOURTH\u003cbr\u003e   At Shaston\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   PART FIFTH\u003cbr\u003e   At Aldbrickham and Elsewhere\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   PART SIXTH\u003cbr\u003e   At Christminster Again\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePart First\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAT MARYGREEN\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \"Yea, many there be that have run out of their wits for\u003cbr\u003e    women, and become servants for their sakes.  Many also\u003cbr\u003e    have perished, have erred, and sinned, for women.... O\u003cbr\u003e    ye men, how can it be but women should be strong, seeing\u003cbr\u003e    they do thus?\"--ESDRAS.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe schoolmaster was leaving the village, and everybody seemed sorry.\u003cbr\u003eThe miller at Cresscombe lent him the small white tilted cart and\u003cbr\u003ehorse to carry his goods to the city of his destination, about twenty\u003cbr\u003emiles off, such a vehicle proving of quite sufficient size for the\u003cbr\u003edeparting teacher's effects.  For the schoolhouse had been partly\u003cbr\u003efurnished by the managers, and the only cumbersome article possessed\u003cbr\u003eby the master, in addition to the packing-case of books, was a\u003cbr\u003ecottage piano that he had bought at an auction during the year in\u003cbr\u003ewhich he thought of learning instrumental music.  But the enthusiasm\u003cbr\u003ehaving waned he had never acquired any skill in playing, and the\u003cbr\u003epurchased article had been a perpetual trouble to him ever since in\u003cbr\u003emoving house.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe rector had gone away for the day, being a man who disliked the\u003cbr\u003esight of changes.  He did not mean to return till the evening, when\u003cbr\u003ethe new school-teacher would have arrived and settled in, and\u003cbr\u003eeverything would be smooth again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe blacksmith, the farm bailiff, and the schoolmaster himself were\u003cbr\u003estanding in perplexed attitudes in the parlour before the instrument.\u003cbr\u003eThe master had remarked that even if he got it into the cart he\u003cbr\u003eshould not know what to do with it on his arrival at Christminster,\u003cbr\u003ethe city he was bound for, since he was only going into temporary\u003cbr\u003elodgings just at first.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA little boy of eleven, who had been thoughtfully assisting in the\u003cbr\u003epacking, joined the group of men, and as they rubbed their chins he\u003cbr\u003espoke up, blushing at the sound of his own voice: \"Aunt have got a\u003cbr\u003egreat fuel-house, and it could be put there, perhaps, till you've\u003cbr\u003efound a place to settle in, sir.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A proper good notion,\" said the blacksmith.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was decided that a deputation should wait on the boy's aunt--an\u003cbr\u003eold maiden resident--and ask her if she would house the piano till\u003cbr\u003eMr. Phillotson should send for it.  The smith and the bailiff started\u003cbr\u003eto see about the practicability of the suggested shelter, and the boy\u003cbr\u003eand the schoolmaster were left standing alone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Sorry I am going, Jude?\" asked the latter kindly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTears rose into the boy's eyes, for he was not among the regular day\u003cbr\u003escholars, who came unromantically close to the schoolmaster's life,\u003cbr\u003ebut one who had attended the night school only during the present\u003cbr\u003eteacher's term of office.  The regular scholars, if the truth must\u003cbr\u003ebe told, stood at the present moment afar off, like certain historic\u003cbr\u003edisciples, indisposed to any enthusiastic volunteering of aid.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe boy awkwardly opened the book he held in his hand, which Mr.\u003cbr\u003ePhillotson had bestowed on him as a parting gift, and admitted that\u003cbr\u003ehe was sorry.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"So am I,\" said Mr. Phillotson.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Why do you go, sir?\" asked the boy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Ah--that would be a long story.  You wouldn't understand my reasons,\u003cbr\u003eJude.  You will, perhaps, when you are older.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I think I should now, sir.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Well--don't speak of this everywhere.  You know what a university\u003cbr\u003eis, and a university degree?  It is the necessary hallmark of a man\u003cbr\u003ewho wants to do anything in teaching.  My scheme, or dream, is to be\u003cbr\u003ea university graduate, and then to be ordained.  By going to live at\u003cbr\u003eChristminster, or near it, I shall be at headquarters, so to speak,\u003cbr\u003eand if my scheme is practicable at all, I consider that being on the\u003cbr\u003espot will afford me a better chance of carrying it out than I should\u003cbr\u003ehave elsewhere.\"","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47165028925680,"sku":"2940012363176","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940012363176_p0.jpg?v=1763567979","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012363176","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}