Under the Greenwood Tree or the Mellstock Quire

""Under The Greenwood Tree Or The Mellstock Quire"" is a novel written by Thomas Hardy, published in 1872. The story is set in the fictional village of Mellstock in the English countryside during the mid-19th century. The novel revolves around the Mellstock Quire, a group of village musicians who perform at church services and other events. The main character, Dick Dewy, is a young man who falls in love with Fancy Day, a new schoolteacher in the village. Dick is a member of the Mellstock Quire and his father is the leader of the group. As the story progresses, Dick and Fancy's relationship develops, but they face challenges from a rival suitor and social conventions of the time. The novel explores themes of love, class, and tradition, and is known for its pastoral descriptions of the English countryside. ""Under The Greenwood Tree Or The Mellstock Quire"" is considered one of Hardy's more lighthearted works, and is often compared to his later, darker novels.William Dewy--otherwise grandfather William--was now about seventy; yet an ardent vitality still preserved a warm and roughened bloom upon his face, which reminded gardeners of the sunny side of a ripe ribstone-pippin; though a narrow strip of forehead, that was protected from the weather by lying above the line of his hat-brim, seemed to belong to some town man, so gentlemanly was its whiteness.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.