She would rather her and her children spend eternity with each other than be in the hands of evil people
This passage has a melancholic mood. You can tell this due to some specific key words: "dull", "dark", "soundless." They all have a negative connotation. The imagery of a lone rider in a dreary and dull country under the oppressive sky may clue you in that the overall passage has a sad tone to it. Even later in the passage the author states that the scene is melancholic.
Answer:
A. Workhouse authorities were extremely careless in their duties
This is because the passage doesn't say anything about children being weak due to poor nourishment nor parishioners wrongly criticizing their own officials, and if the legal system carefully monitored parish affairs then children wouldn't be getting scalded to death or overlooked.
They pick through their belongings and decide what they can take and what they must leave behind or what they must sell.
