Tess of the d'Urbervilles Phase II: Maiden No More Chapter 14

In which the golden August sun heralds the commencement of the harvest, and Tess Durbeyfield, having resolved to toil anew amidst the fields of Marlott, takes up the rhythmic labour of binding sheaves, her figure blending with the natural scene as one among the harvesters. Amidst the bustle of rural industry and quiet village chatter, Tess faces the tender pain of ailing infancy and, in a moment of lone devotion, performs a makeshift baptism, seeking solace and dignity where the strict conventions of society offer none.