He loved the guineas best, but he would not change the silver -
the crowns and half-crowns that where his own earnings, begotten
by his labour; he loved them all. He spread out in heaps and bathed his hands in them; then he counted them and set them up in regular piles, and felt their rounded outline between his fingers and thumb.
(p.34)
When his gold was stolen he totally believed that it was no ordinary theft but thought that some mysterious power had taken everything away from him. He felt that he has lost his best friend or even his mother because his gold had become his only companion.
However, all of this was to change one very snowy night when Eppie came into his life. Feeling very cold outside, she saw a cottage from which some light was coming and attracted by the glowing warmth she walked herself by the fire and fell asleep in front of it. When he saw the golden hair of the child Silas was greatly affected by it and it had a healing affect on him. He was also attracted by her because he thought that this was his long-dead sister. Because of Eppie Silas drew closer to the village community around him: 'That little child had come to link him once more with the whole world´. Eppie became Silas´s 'new treasure´ which was to become far more valuable to him than his lost gold.
Eppie´s pleasure took him outside the house and out of himself. Long lost memories started to return and Eppie gave him a new life with Silas taking a lot of care of Eppie. He decided to bring up Eppie with love. Eppie also started going with Silas when he delivered his weaving. And when children started meeting with Eppie they were no longer afraid of weaver. Silas no longer hoarded his money but spent it on a proper purpose.
The death of Eppie´s mother had a great effect on people´s lives. Silas insistence on keeping the child influenced the villager´s feelings in favour of him who saw it as some recompense for his stolen savings. Dolly started to help Silas a lot in bringing up the child. Dolly asked Silas to have the child christened and to bring her to church. Silas agreed although he did not know what that meant. He could not connect his past non-conformist beliefs with the established church of Dolly´s religion. But for the sake of Eppie agrees to set foot in a church for the first time in his life. Silas now has more contact with the villagers because of his church attendance, as well as with looking after Eppie´s needs. Silas started discussing with Dolly how to punish Eppie when she become naughty but he could not bear to do it. Once Silas was forced to give punishment when Eppie cut herself free from the loom with the scissors and disappeared. Silas became very upset. After a frantic search he found Eppie playing in the puddle on the edge of the pond. His relief was enormous. Afterwards, to show her his displeasure, Silas shut Eppie in the coal-cupboard for a few moments before taking her out. But after a while she herself went there thinking it was a game. From that day Silas was committed to bring Eppie up with love but not with punishment. Everyone´s experience of bringing up children gave them links with Silas. People liked the way of how she was growing and she became a popular child. She has given a new future to Silas and he was now a respected number of Raveloe society.
The story moves forward sixteen years and Silas is seen leaving church on Sunday with Eppie. His rehabilitation and acceptance by the Raveloe community seems complete. During this time not only Silas but also the villagers had changed and Squire Cass was dead. Silas had been able to discuss with Dolly the false accusation against him in Lantern Yard. They agreed that it was a test of Christian faith which he had passed through taking such good care of Eppie. However, Silas´s life was once again being threatened when Godfrey Cass claimed his daughter back. But Eppie didn´t want to go back to Godfrey because she just recognised one father that was Silas. When Godfrey and Nancy return home they realise that Eppie will never be their daughter who preferred Silas´s good treatment to her real father´s wealth.
Silas wanted to attend to what he now saw as the unfinished business at Lantern yard. He wanted to sort out things with the man who was minister at that time. When Silas went with Eppie back to the industrial town he was confused to see the changes there. They both didn´t like the cramped living conditions. Silas went on making enquiries but became resigned to never knowing whether his name was cleared. Dolly was a firm believer in the will of heaven. Through Dolly´s help and the gift of Eppie, Silas, too came to trust again:
Since the time the child was sent to me and I´ve come to love
her as myself, I´ve had light enough to trusten by; and know
she says she´ll never leave me, I think I shall trusten till I die.
(p.233)
The traditional time of year for weddings in Raveloe was Laburnum and Lilac time. Eppie´s wedding was in that season. She had often thought, though with certainty that she could never have a perfect wedding dress but Nancy provided for her. On the wedding day Godfrey was not in Raveloe for 'special reasons.´ The village had accepted his kindness to Silas and Eppie an attempt to make up for the wrong his brother had done to the weaver in stealing his gold. Mr Macey explained how right he always had been about Silas, and the return of his money. The villagers while waiting for the feast consider the blessings that Silas had brought on himself by taking Eppie in. His patience had been rewarded; his gold restored, his daughter preferring him to her blood father and now Silas had son to help care for him in his retirement. The once outcast weaver was now a respected and well-loved family man:
The garden was fenced with stones on two sides, but in
front there was an open fence, through which the flowers
shone with answering gladness, as the four united people
came within sight of them. ' O father´, said Eppie, 'what
a pretty home ours is! I think nobody could be happier
than we are´. (p.237)
