A Vocation
- Last chapter, we had something vaguely like love at first sight. This chapter, we've got a Methodism versus Church of England smackdown. In the one corner, Dinah "The Lady Preacher" Morris. In the other, Reverend "The Reverend" Adolphus Irwine. Wait, hold on, what's this? They're talking politely? Oh.
- When things start off, Dinah is impressed with Irwine's "well-favoured countenance," and Irwine bows to her with "benignant deference" (8.1).
- Mr. Irwine starts off by asking Dinah about her hometown, Snowfield. Dinah responds with some pleasantries about her Aunt and the Snowfield Methodists. And now things heat up a bit. Irwine brings up "women's preaching," always a touchy subject (8.12). Touchy, sure, but Dinah believes that her preaching is about purity and inspiration—not about being a rabble-rouser.
- Mr. Irwine wants to hear more. So Dinah tells him how she first came to preach. Once "brother Marlowe, who as an aged man," was taken with a fit of dizziness right before a sermon (8.19). Instead of sending everyone home, Dinah gave a sermon of her own. How's that for an understudy?
- Since then, there's been no going back. Dinah isn't daunted by her gender or her youth, and even an unresponsive crowd (like those people in Hayslope) doesn't get to her. Irwine won't be swaying Dinah from her preaching. Heck, it doesn't seem like he wanted to anyway. Instead, he tells her about "the trouble that has just happened" to the Bedes (8.27). He's talking about Thias drowning in the brook.
- A few kind words to Mrs. Poyser, and Mr. Irwine and Arthur decide to hit the road. Once they're gone, Mrs. Poyser wants all the juicy details of Dinah's meeting. Some line about how Mr. Irwine's "countenance is as pleasant as the morning sun" is all Dinah has for her (8.38).
- That's that, apparently. Still, not everyone knows the news of Thias Bede's death. Mrs. Poyser never had much affection for the old tippler, but she feels compelled to tell Hetty of Thias's demise.
- This elicits an "Oh, how dreadful!" from the pretty dairymaid (8.49). Otherwise, Hetty could not care less about Thias Bede. Must run in the family.