coming wrong; it 'ud
mayhap take the parson to tell that, and he could only tell us i' big
words. But what come to me as clear as the daylight, it was when I was
troubling over poor Bessy Fawkes, and it allays comes into my head when
I'm sorry for folks, and feel as I can't do a power to help 'em, not if
I was to get up i' the middle o' the night--it comes into my head as
Them above has got a deal tenderer heart nor what I've got--for I can't
be anyways better nor Them as made me; and if anything looks hard to
me, it's because there's things I don't know on; and for the matter o'
that, there may be plenty o' things I don't know on, for it's little as
I know--that it is. And so, while I was thinking o' that, you come into
my mind, Master Marner, and it all come pouring in:--if _I_ felt i' my
inside what was the right and just thing by you, and them as prayed and
drawed the lots, all but that wicked un, if _they_'d ha' done the right
thing by you if they could, isn't there Them as was at the making on
us, and knows better and has a better will? And that's all as ever I
can be sure on, and everything else is a big puzzle to me when I think
on it. For there was the fever come and took off them as were
full-growed, and left the helpless children; and there's the breaking
o' limbs; and them as 'ud do right and be sober have to suffer by them
as are contrairy--eh, there's trouble i' this world, and there's things
as we can niver make out the rights on. And all as we've got to do is
to trusten, Master Marner--to do the right thing as fur as we know, and
to trusten. For if us as knows so little can see a bit o' good and
rights, we may be sure as there's a good and a rights bigger nor what
we can know--I feel it i' my own inside as it must be so. And if you
could but ha' gone on trustening, Master Marner, you wouldn't ha' run
away from your fellow-creaturs and been so lone."

"Ah, but that 'ud ha' been hard," said Silas, in an under-tone; "it 'ud
ha' been hard to trusten then."

"And so it would," said Dolly, almost with compunction; "them things
are easier said nor done; and I'm partly ashamed o' talking."

"Nay, nay," said Silas, "you're i' the right, Mrs. Winthrop--you're i'
the right. There's good i' this world--I've a feeling o' that now; and
it makes a man feel as there's a good more nor he can see, i' spite o'
the trouble and the wickedness. That drawing o' the lots is dark; but
the child was sent to me: there's d