My Lady Ludlow

“We cannot speak loudly or angrily at such times; we are not apt to be eager about mere worldly things, for our very awe at our quickened sense of the nearness of the invisible world, makes us calm and serene about the petty trifles of today.””

— Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

“Then letters came in but three times a week: indeed, in some places in Scotland where I have stayed when I was a girl, the post came in but once a month;”

— Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

“I have often thought of the postman’s bringing me a letter as one of the pleasures I shall miss in heaven.””

— Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

“He could not bear to see pain, or sorrow, or misery of any kind; and, if it came under his notice, he was never easy till he had relieved it, for the time, at any rate. But he was afraid of being made uncomfortable; so, if he possibly could, he would avoid seeing any one who was ill or unhappy; and he did not thank any one for telling him about them.””

— Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

“I should have hoped to have trained him, my lady, to understand the rules of discretion.”“Trained! Train a barn-door fowl to be a pheasant, Mr. Horner! That would be the easier task. But you did right to speak of discretion rather than honour. Discretion looks to the consequences of actions”

— Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

“O, it ended in my having nothing to say, when I sat down to write. But sometimes, when I get hold of a book, I wonder why I let such a poor reason stop me. It does not others.””

— Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

“I always said a good despotism was the best form of government; and I am twice as much in favour of it now I see what a quorum is!””

— Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

“..bid her beware of French principles, which had led the French to cut off their king’s and queen’s heads.””

— Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

“letters were letters then; and we made great prizes of them, and read them and studied them like books.  Now the post comes rattling in twice a day, bringing short jerky notes, some without beginning or end, but just a little sharp sentence, which well-bred folks would think too abrupt to be spoken.””

— Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell