And gradually, Brangwen began to find himself free to attend
to the outside life as well. His intimate life was so violently
active, that it set another man in him free. And this new man
turned with interest to public life, to see what part he could
take in it. This would give him scope for new activity, activity
of a kind for which he was now created and released. He wanted
to be unanimous with the whole of purposive mankind.

At this time Education was in the forefront as a subject of
interest. There was the talk of new Swedish methods, of handwork
instruction, and so on. Brangwen embraced sincerely the idea of
handwork in schools. For the first time, he began to take real
interest in a public affair. He had at length, from his profound
sensual activity, developed a real purposive self.

There was talk of night-schools, and of handicraft classes.
He wanted to start a woodwork class in Cossethay, to teach
carpentry and joinery and wood-carving to the village boys, two
nights a week. This seemed to him a supremely desirable thing to
be doing. His pay would be very little--and when he had it,
he spent it all on extra wood and tools. But he was very happy
and keen in his new public spirit.

He started his night-classes in woodwork when he was thirty
years old. By this time he had five children, the last a boy.
But boy or girl mattered very little to him. He had a natural
blood-affection for his children, and he liked them as they
turned up: boys or girls. Only he was fondest of Ursula.
Somehow, she seemed to be at the back of his new night-school
venture.

The house by the yew trees was in connection with the great
human endeavour at last. It gained a new vigour thereby.

To Ursula, a child of eight, the increase in magic was
considerable. She heard all the talk, she saw the parish room
fitted up as a workshop. The parish room was a high, stone,
barn-like, ecclesiastical building standing away by itself in
the Brangwens' second garden, across the lane. She was always
attracted by its age and its stranded obsoleteness. Now she
watched preparations made, she sat on the flight of stone steps
that came down from the porch to the garden, and heard her
father and the vicar talking and planning and working. Then an
inspector came, a very strange man, and stayed talking with her
father all one evening. Everything was settled, and twelve boys
enrolled their names. It was very exciting.

But to Ursula, everything her fa