Under the Greenwood Tree Part 1 Chapter 1: Mellstock-Lane

In which the wintry woods around Mellstock whisper their varied and solemn voices, setting a scene of rustic quietude and communal warmth as a young man named Dick Dewy makes his way home on Christmas Eve. Along the lane, he encounters fellow villagers, the parish choir, whose varied figures and cheerful greetings reveal the simple pleasures and close bonds of their rural fellowship.