Elizabeth Gaskell Quotes.

I've discovered a new novelist...

" In a few minutes tea was brought. Very delicate was the china, very old the plate, very thin the bread-and-butter, and very small the lumps of sugar. Sugar was evidently Mrs Jamieson's favourite economy. "
Cranford

" All sorts of thoughts cross one's mind - it depends on whether one gives them harbour and encouragement. "
'Wives and Daughters'... Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell ( 1810-1865 )

" But I was right. I think that must be an hereditary quality, for my father says he's scarcely ever wrong. "
'Cranford'...Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell ( 1810-1865 )

" In the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons; all the holders of houses, above a certain rent, are women. If a married couple come to settle in the town, somehow the gentleman disappears; he is either fairly frightened to death by being the only man in the Cranford evening parties, or he is accounted for by being with his regiment, his ship, or closely engaged in business all the week in the great neighbouring commercial town of Drumble, distant only twenty miles on a railroad. In short, whatever does become of the gentlemen, they are not at Cranford. "
'Cranford'...Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell ( 1810-1865 )

" My next visit to Cranford was in the summer. There had been neither birth, deaths, nor marriages since I was there last. Everybody lived in the same house, and wore pretty nearly the same well-preserved old-fashioned clothes. The greatest event was, that the Miss Jenkynses had purchased a new carpet for the drawing-room. Oh, the busy work Miss Matty and I had in chasing the sunbeams, as they fell in an afternoon right down on this carpet through the blindless window! We spread newspapers over the places, and sat down to our book or our work; and lo! in a quarter of an hour the sun had moved, and was blazing aaway on a fresh spot; and down again we went on our knees to alter the position of the newspapers. We were very busy, too, one whole morning, before Miss Jenkyns gave her party, in following her directions, and in cutting out and stitching together pieces of newspapers so as to form little paths to every chair set for the expected visitors, lest their shoes might dirty or defile the purity of the carpet. Do you make paper paths for every guest to walk upon in London? "
'Cranford'...Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell ( 1810-1865 )

Biggi