Elizabeth Gaskell
Elizabeth Gaskell
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell,, often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist and short story writer during the Victorian era. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of society, including the very poor, and are of interest to social historians as well as lovers of literature. Her first novel, Mary Barton, was published in 1848. Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Brontë, published in 1857, was the first biography about Brontë. Some of Gaskell's best...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth29 September 1810
. . . it seemed to me that where others had prayed before to their God, in their joy or in their agony, was of itself a sacred place.
I say Gibson, we're old friends, and you're a fool if you take anything I say as an offense. Madam your wife and I didn't hit it off the only time I ever saw her. I won't say she was silly, but I think one of us was silly, and it wasn't me!
He is my first olive: let me make a face while I swallow it.
He came up straight to her father, whose hands he took and wrung without a word - holding them in his for a minute or two, during which time his face, his eyes, his look, told of more sympathy than could be put into words.
A great matter calls her son with terms like deal, and love.
He had not an ounce of superfluous flesh on his bones, and leanness goes a great way towards gentility.
Were all men equal to-night, some would get the start by rising an hour earlier to-morrow.
Trust a girl of sixteen for knowing well if she is pretty; concerning her plainness she may be ignorant.
Really it is very wholesome exercise, this trying to make one's words represent one's thoughts, instead of merely looking to their effect on others.
I take it that 'gentleman' is a term that only describes a person in his relation to others; but when we speak of him as 'a man,' we consider him not merely with regard to his fellow-men, but in relation to himself,--to life--to time--to eternity.
A little credulity helps one on through life very smoothly.
But Mr. Hale resolved that he would not be disturbed by any such nonsensical idea; so he lay awake, determining not to think about it.
In all disappointments sympathy is a great balm.
That kind of patriotism which consists in hating all other nations.