The Return of the Native

Book Excerpt: during winter darkness tempests and mists. Then Egdon was aroused to reciprocity; for the storm was its lover and the wind its friend. Then it became the home of strange phantoms; and it was found to be the hitherto unrecognized original of those wild regions of obscurity which are vaguely felt to be compassing us about in midnight dreams of flight and disaster and are never thought of after the dream till revived by scenes like this.It was at present a place perfectly accordant with mans nature--neither ghastly hateful nor ugly; neither commonplace unmeaning nor tame; but like man slighted and enduring; and withal singularly colossal and mysterious in its swarthy monotony. As with some persons who have long lived apart solitude seemed to look out of its countenance. It had a lonely face suggesting tragical possibilities.This obscure obsolete superseded country figures in Domesday. Its condition is recorded therein as that of heathy furzy briary wilderness--Bruaria. Then folRead More