 give showed a disposition not only to
greet Silas and discuss his misfortune at some length when they encountered him
in the village, but also to take the trouble of calling at his cottage and
getting him to repeat all the details on the very spot; and then they would try
to cheer him by saying, »Well, Master Marner, you're no worse off nor other poor
folks, after all; and if you was to be crippled, the parish 'ud give you a
'lowance.«
    I suppose one reason why we are seldom able to comfort our neighbours with
our words is that our goodwill gets adulterated, in spite of ourselves, before
it can pass our lips. We can send black puddings and pettitoes without giving
them a flavour of our own egoism; but language is a stream that is almost sure
to smack of a mingled soil. There was a fair proportion of kindness in Raveloe;
but it was often of a beery and bungling sort, and took the shape least allied
to the complimentary and hypocritical.
    Mr. Macey, for example, coming one evening expressly to let Silas know that
recent events had given him the advantage of standing more favourably in the
opinion of a man whose judgment was not formed lightly, opened the conversation
by saying, as soon as he had seated himself and adjusted his thumbs -
    »Come, Master Marner, why, you've no call to sit a-moaning. You're a deal
better off to ha' lost your money, nor to ha' kep it by foul means. I used to
think, when you first come into these parts, as you were no better nor you
should be; you were younger a deal than what you are now; but you were allays a
staring, white-faced creatur, partly like a bald-faced calf, as I may say. But
there's no knowing: it isn't every queer-looksed thing as Old Harry's had the
making of - I mean, speaking o' toads and such; for they're often harmless, and
useful against varmin. And it's pretty much the same wi' you, as fur as I can
see. Though as to the yarbs and stuff to cure the breathing, if you brought that
sort o' knowledge from distant parts, you might ha' been a bit freer of it. And
if the knowledge wasn't well come by, why, you might ha' made up for it by
coming to church reg'lar; for, as for the children as the Wise Woman
