Sheer Off

In the village of Colme, one-armed schoolmaster Ned Franks stands as a quiet force of Christian usefulness, guiding children, neighbors, and the poor with practical kindness and steady faith. At his child's joyful christening, he teaches his pupils to think of life as a sea voyage, warning them to avoid temptation, pride, and self-deception, and to "sheer off" from danger by keeping faith as their compass. Yet his goodness is shadowed by Nancy Sands's bitter envy, as she resents his success, his popularity, and the happiness of his wife Persis. The novel then turns to the struggling almshouses at Wild Rose Hollow, where Ned and Persis sacrifice to help the needy while a shy young curate, Mr. Claudius Leyton, seeks Ned's stronger voice in appealing to miserly miller Bat Bell. Alongside comic village talk and concern for a difficult parish, the story probes the difference between outward respectability and true grace, especially in the case of Ben Stone, whose calm goodness may conceal spiritual complacency. Meanwhile, Norah's painful confession to Mrs. Curtis becomes a moving test of repentance, honesty, and redemption. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.