Sometimes Furlong, seeing the girls going through the small things which needed to be done—genuflecting in the chapel or thanking a shopkeeper for the change—felt a deep, private joy that these children were his own.
-- Narrator (chapter 2)

Importance: Early in the novella, Bill Furlong considers the domestic idyll of his life in New Ross, Ireland. He lives in a quaint home with his wife and five daughters; he often feels a “deep, private joy” when watching his children navigate the world. Importantly, this sense of contentment stands in distinct contrast to Furlong’s mindset as the novella progresses. A sense of dissatisfaction begins to loom in Furlong’s life, partly the result of his discovery of abuse at the local convent. Furlong’s early appreciation for the peacefulness of his familial life helps to emphasize the qualities that Furlong might lose by publicly rebuking the convent.

The times were raw but...
-- Narrator (chapter 2)