Podcasts about Elizabeth Gaskell

Our story for "Marriage Week" is a retelling by Eleanor of a giant legend, Alderman and Alphin.Set in Saddleworth, which was once a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire but is found in Lancashire today, not far from Oldham and Manchester, it's the tale attached to two particular landscape features, Alderman's Hill and Alphin Pike, two hills overlooking the entrance to the Upper Tame Valley. Eleanor's telling of the tale and its frame narrative, set in the early 19th century before the advent of the power loom, certainly takes inspiration from Thomas Hardy and Elizabeth Gaskell. Details in the story were inspired by Ammon Wrigley's 1909 book "Saddleworth Superstitions and Folk Customs."About Three Ravens

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 38 "Promises Fulfilled" narrated by Isaac BirchallSupport me as an independent creator⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:In the Thornton household, Mr. Thornton is thinking about the look that Margaret shared with the man on the train platform at that late time. At first, he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and say that all this is innocent, but he cannot keep that thought in his head for long for the lie she told. He passionately loves her in spite of her faults, but he deems her attached to another man. The very falsehood that stains her is the proof of her love for another. He can focus only on that. He would have done anything for her to look at him like she looked at that other man. He paces up and down the room while thinking about all this. After a long while, his mother asks him to stop. She says that with the death of Leonards, his lover, and their servant, wishes to leave their employment. She goes on to say that Betsy, the servant, told her that Miss Hale was seen on the platform the night when Leonards died. Mr. Thornton says that the scuffle had nothing to do with Miss Hale's presence on the platform after his conversation with the doctors. Mrs. Thornton goes on to say that she made a promise to Mrs. Hale that she would put Margaret on the right path if she ever strayed and will thus go and talk to her. She then asks her son if he believes that the man Margaret was seen with is her lover, which he confirms before being afflicted with a physical pain. He says to his mother that Margaret needs help, and that she should go to her. She goes to the Hale residence.She practically lets herself into the house and finds Margaret right away, looking to scald her for her assumed actions, but on seeing Margarets countenance, she is slightly subdued. Margaret is glad that the woman has come, but once Mrs. Thornton starts to talk, the whole attitude changes. Margaret call is reprimanded for galivanting around with a strange man late at night so soon after refusing her son's proposal. Margaret is furious with this characterisation but cannot defend herself and admit who the man is. After a little back and forth, Margaret leaves the room like an offended princess. Mrs. Thornton reflects that if she and her son had gotten together, they he would have to keep an eye on her lest she would lead the household. Mr. Thornton is passing an even worse morning than his mother. He has many orders to complete and has spent a lot of money on new machines, and the new imported Irish hands need to be trained, something he doesn't have enough time to do. He goes out of the factory and is stopped quickly by Higgins, saying he wishes to talk. Thornton doesn't have the time, so Higgins decides to wait until the man comes back. On his return, Thornton is surprised to see Higgins still there and invites him in to talk. As he goes in, the overlooker lets his Master know who Higgins is, changing Thornton's attitude towards Higgins, greatly. Inside, Thornton asks Higgins what he wants, and when Higgins replies that he is there for work, Thornton treats it as a joke. Thornton says that he has lost many workers because of Higgins' union antics and tells him to look for work elsewhere. Higgins turns around to go, but when he remembers Boucher's family, he turns round again to state his case. It is no use however, and Thornton sends him on his way. When he leaves his office, Thornton asks the overlooker how long Higgins waited for, it was 5 hours that he had been standing outside the factory gateSEO stuff... Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 37 "Looking South" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Higgins is not at home when they go by his home the next day, they find out however that he did go and see Mrs. Boucher before he left. Mrs. Boucher is very put out by her husband's death. The children seem to be baring up alright, but she is very shocked to find out that Mrs. Boucher took them to see his body. She tries to get the children to help clean the house for their mother, and to distract their minds. Mrs. Boucher turns her anger at her husband's passing towards the Masters, especially Mr. Thornton. When they leave Mr. Hale is very upset at their visit. Margaret tries to comfort her father, but it doesn't help too much. They reflect on the differences and similarities between Southern and Northern workers. She then goes to reflect on Mr. Thornton's feelings towards herself and determines that she could probably have been able to put up with the abasement from everyone else in her life, but that of Mr. Thornton, though she does not understand why. She longs to see him, and neither she nor her father know why he has not come to visit them again. That evening there is a knock at the door, and Margaret believes it must be Thornton. Dixon comes to tell them however that Higgins has come to visit them. He is very dirty and has been out of doors all day. After taking off his shoes at the bottom of the stairs, Higgins is lead to the room. Mr. Hale has a feeling that Mr. Higgins is uncomfortable with both Margaret and himself in the room, so he asks his daughter to go and get some tea. While Margaret is gone, Higgins starts to talk. He has been out all day looking for work, not for himself, as he is very stuck in views of the Masters, but he has been looking for work in order to be able to help the Boucher family. Mr. Hale is overjoyed with the “Christian” actions of Mr. Higgins. He has been unable to find work though, as he refused to sign any contract that would prevent the union from running properly, and was turned away from every factory. He has come to ask Mr. Hale if he would maybe be ablet to help Higgins find work down south. Margaret interrupts at this statement to tell him the truth of life down south; Higgins would be working in a field all day and in all weathers, and the people down south and unlike the people up north and will not talk during or after the workday. The life is dull down there and would eat him. Following this speech, they ask Higgins if he had been to see Mr. Thornton. He says that he went to the factory but was refused entry by the overlooker. Mr. Hale asks if he could write a letter of introduction for him, but Higgins refuses this help. For Margaret's sake, he says that he will go there first thing in the morning and will refuse to leave until he has spoken with Mr. Thornton.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 36 "Union Not Always Strength" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret and her father go to the Higgins residence. Nicholas is sitting by himself by the fireplace. Higgins is unshaven and wearing a hole ridden jacket. Mr. Hale says that each family is going through many sorrows at that time. Higgins agrees and says that they can always find him at home, as he is out of work. Mr Hale says that they owe his daughter money for helping them around the house, which Higgins refuses, saying that if Mr. Hale pays Mary, then he would have to pay Margaret for her help with Bessy. Higgins has apparently not asked for work. Apparently, the Masters are refusing to hire workers who are associated with the Union, forcing them to sign contracts that force them not to give tithes to the union. Higgins feels so strongly for the Union that he refuses to work for anywhere that would force him to sign such a contract. Margaret dares to ask, in her non-confrontational way, if he remembers Boucher saying that the Union is a tyrant. Higgins says that he understands that the Union can be cruel, but that it is needed for the betterment of the whole. Higgins then goes to say that the Strike was over, the moment the Boucher started a riot. Margaret asks if it would not have been better to not have people like Boucher in the Union. Mr. Hale tries to stop her daughter from pressing him further, but Higgins tells him that it is okay, he likes Margaret. Apparently after the Riot, Boucher went into hiding and didn't show himself for a few days, then he tried to ask for work at one of the factories, but he was refused everywhere he went. Outside, the sound of marching feet can be heard moving towards the house, they are carrying a heavy burden. When they arrive at Higgins' house, it is revealed to be Boucher, drowned in the river. They have come to Higgins to announce the death to Mrs. Boucher. Higgins says that he cannot go, he didn't like the man and doesn't know his wife well enough. Margaret suggests her father go but then decides to go herself. Mrs. Boucher is sitting in a chair, and the house looks very dirty. Margaret asks the woman how she is, and the women replies that she is upset with her husband for having left her alone with the children. He has been gone for four days and has sent no word to her. Margaret goes to the woman and announces Bouchers death without any words. Mrs. Boucher asks if Margaret is certain, going to the extent of claiming that people have been brought round after having drowned. Margaret holds the woman, and slowly the children start to understand too. A sound at the door is heard and Margaret asks one of the children to open it. It is her father and a woman. The woman takes over for Margaret in caring for Mrs. Boucher, and Margaret sets to getting rid of the bystanders. The children are taken away by some of the voyeurs and are properly fed. Then, once alone, they try to tell Mrs. Boucher that her husband didn't die by accident. She understands. Following this, Mr. Hale and Margaret leave, and go to check on Higgins, he doesn't let them in, only saying that he wishes to be alone on a day like this.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 35 "Expiation" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mr. Thornton stays longer and longer with Mr. Hale, and wonders why Margaret has not returned, but stays interested in his conversation with her father. It is interesting how Mr. Hale is able to open up to Thornton; he can completely unburden his mind with his friend, and when Mr. Hale struggled to finish a sentence, Thornton is able to complete it for him. This conversation knits them together forever, even though they never speak of it again. In the study, Margaret is finally giving up carrying the weight she has carried all these months. She slowly wakes up with a little quivering lip, and then more slowly the rest of her body follows. She hardly remembers the conversation with the inspector, but know that she lied, and lied to protect her brother. If the Inspector comes before they hear from the Inspector, then she will lie again, but is uncertain of how this would come out. Dixon enters the room after letting out Mr. Thornton, who outside is stopped by the police inspector. The man was helped into the force by Mr. Thornton and seeing him leave the Hale residence, sparked his interest. It is revealed that Mr. Thornton was the magistrate who took down the last words of Leonards. The inspector tells him that a man told him that Miss Hale was seen with the man who pushed Leonards to his death, but Miss Hale denies her presence. This conversation troubles Thornton, and when he hears that there is likely to be an inquest, which would force Margaret to take the stand, he asks the inspector to hold off on interrogating Margaret again just yet, and to meet with him at his factor in an hour. Thornton then goes off to his home and locks himself in his office and tries to think about every detail of the night he saw Margaret and this strange man at the train station. After his self-interrogation, he determines, that he will protect Margaret, and writes a note to the Investigator saying that no inquest will be held, as the doctors said that Leonards had a preexisting medical condition that was exacerbated by his fall, and it was this that caused his death, and the drinking, and not the fall. At the Hale residence, inspector comes again after receiving a note from Thornton to tell Margaret that there will be no inquest. While waiting for the inspector to come, Margaret is forced by her father and Dixon to go to bed, as she is too tired and sick looking, but as she tells her father that he should not delay himself either, she hears a knock on the door, and flies down to open it for the inspector. In the office, the inspector tells Margaret that they is not going to be an inquest and that Mr. Thornton was the magistrate. This makes Margaret panic, and she is very confused as to why Thornton would protect her but is even more concerned about Mr. Thornton knowing her to be a liar. Once the Investigator leaves, Margaret goes to her room. She is thankful that all of this business relating to Frederick is over but tries to go over everything that the Inspector told her. Mr. Thornton had seen her on the platform, and he had been told that she denied her presence there. She has been degraded in his eyes. In the morning, she awakes late, and Dixon comes in to give her a letter from Fredrick which was sent 2 days ago saying he is safely out of England and that Mr Henry Lennox would try and protect him.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 34 "False and True" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret is having a very hard time dealing with her mother's passing. It weighs constantly on her mind and Frederick too, weighs heavy on her. Her father paces up and down the house constantly while waiting for word from Frederick saying he has safely left England. Mr Thornton comes to visit them a few days after the funeral. He rings Mr. Hales hand tenderly, and when he looks to Margaret, he sees a deep suffering on her face and sees that she isn't actually holding up well. Margaret leaves the two men to talk while she goes on with her needlework. Mr. Thornton is able to keep Mr. hale engaged in conversation, and Margaret is very thankful for this. Dixon then comes into the room looking worried and asking for Margaret. In Margaret's room, once the door is closed, Dixon tells her that a police inspector has come to see her and has been let into the her father's study. The inspector hasn't said anything and only wishes to talk to Margaret. In the study, the inspector greets Margaret, but is shocked by her haughtiness. The inspector tells her that the man Leonards passed away following a fall that he had at the Outward Station a few days before. The man was involved in a scuffle, following which Leonards fell. He tells her that someone claimed to have seen her at the station with that man that pushed Leonards. Margaret refutes this with a few curt words, not giving the inspector any emotion. Apparently a grocers assistant claimed that the woman with the man was miss Hale, but is not fully certain. After Leonards got up from his fall, he murmured something about making a telephone call and then wandered off. He fell down in the road and was then taken to the hospital unconscious; he never regained consciousness enough to be able to give a deposition to a magistrate. The inspector then asks Margaret again if she denies these claims, which she does, and though it sounds mechanical response which Margaret gave, but not knowing her enough, he does not question it further. Margaret, though not moving a muscle, is deeply hurt by her own lie. Gathering up his things, the Inspector says that if anything more comes from his questioning the other witnesses, then she may have to come to court, but again Margaret is unflinching. She leads the man to the door, and takes him out of the house, after shutting the door behind her, and going back into the study, locking this door too, she collapses on the floor. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 33 "Peace" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Drinks were prepared for Margaret on her return from the train station, and the house seems strangely quiet to Margaret after all the chaos of Frederick's departure. Margaret determines that she is not going to tell her father about everything that happened, not wishing to increase his anxiety. Frederick will, hopefully be soon out of England. Margaret tries to engage her father in conversation about Mr. Bell's arrival, and asks what should happen if he cannot come. He says that he should ask Mr. Thornton, to which Margaret objects, asking to be able to go instead, against the traditions of Southern women. Mr. Bell cannot come… Margaret spends the next day trying to convince her father not to invite Mr. Thornton to her mother's funeral, to which he finally relents, after receiving a letter from Mrs. Thornton saying that they will send their carriage to the procession, heavily vexing Margaret; are the Hale's not good enough to be graced with their actual presence. They receive a letter from Frederick in London, saying that Mr. Lennox is not in town, and that and that his clerk told him that he should be back in a few days, causing Frederick to have to stay a few more days in the city. Margaret determines not to tell her father the contents of this note, worrying about it being a suggestion of hers to see the lawyer. Thankfully, in her father's grief, he forgot that they were supposed to receive a letter from his son. The undertaker comes to take the body of Mrs. Hale.At the Funeral, Mr. Hale is more or less numb, and Margaret must keep her composure for her father's sake. Dixon points out to Margaret that Nicholas Higgins and his daughter to her. When all is ended, Mr. Hale has Margaret lead him away like a man blind. Dixon, in tears, didn't realise that the crowd was leaving until she was stopped by Mr. Thornton, who asks after Mr. and Miss Hale. She says that Mr. Hale is terribly beaten down, but that Margaret is holding out pretty well, which causes him to feel very uneasy about Margaret, especially after what he saw at the Outward Station. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 32 "Mischances" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:All the following day, the family stays together. Frederick, now leaving, steels his emotions for the final time, which causes Margaret to finally feel her emotions. Mr. Hale starts at every sound and only feels comfortable when Frederick is out of site. That evening, Mr. Hale asks Margaret to go to the quieter station with Frederick so that he has a better chance of getting away unseen. When they arrive at the outward station, they have a 20-minute wait before the train arrives. Frederick says that he is going to ask for his exculpation purely for her sake than anyone else's, unable to imagine what his sister would do if their father were to go too. Margaret is very touched by this and tries to reassure him. They are holding each other in their arms while waiting, and Margaret goes to talk again when she is arrested by the sight of Mr. Thornton riding past on his horse. Frederick asks quietly who the man is, and when Margaret answers, he makes a quick statement about his scowl. Frederick goes to say that he wishes that they hadn't sent the cab back as it is getting too dark. At the station again, Margaret goes to buy her brother's ticket. They go to walk together on the platform together. While waiting, Margaret starts to think that it is a bad idea for Fred to go to London. Suddenly, Frederick is accosted by a man in a worker's uniform, asking him if his name is Hale, and in a quick bustle the man falls onto the platform, causing Margaret to tell her brother to run to the oncoming train. Margaret runs to the ladies' room after this and tries to calm herself down before going to buy her own ticket home. In the ticket office she hears news about Leonards, and it seems that it was indeed him who confronted her brother…SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 31 "Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:The cold October morning has arrived in Milton, and the dusky streets are only visible when the sun can push through the smog. Margaret is doing her best to hold herself together while her father and brother grieve; even the funeral proceedings have fallen unto her. Dixon tries to rally her, by telling her that she is the only one in the house who can make decisions, which doesn't help Margaret, but it is good to be needed. Mr. Hale is very despondent, while Frederick tries to force himself to be happy but can only burst into tears. Mr. Hale cannot help Margaret in organising the Funeral, and just agrees to everything Margaret says, until he finally mutters that Mr. Bell should be invited. Margaret writes to him, happy that her father had something to add. Dixon says that Frederick is speaking to his deceased mother, and suggests that he needs to be roused, so she suggested that it isn't safe for him to be in town. She goes on to explain to Margaret that she ran into someone they knew, a man called Leonards in town. Dixon is very worried about this encounter and explains that he enquired after Frederick. Margaret agrees with Dixon that Frederick must go immediately so that he can avoid being caught. Her brother comes into the room, and Margaret talks quietly about what Dixon said. Frederick goes on to explain a bit more about the man Leonards' character. Mr. Hale had been listening to their conversation and comes to speak to his children. He says that Frederick, despite how much both he and Margaret would like for him to stay, must go. Frederick says that if he could get evidence to support his case, he would love to be able to stay. Margaret then suggests that if he could get a night train to London, he could maybe talk with Mr. Henry Lennox, who would be supportive to the Hale family. The family agrees that Frederick will leave for London and then go home to Spain while he waits for his trial. Frederick then tells his family about the girl he is hoping to marry, bringing a ray of sunshine to their grey conversation.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 30 "Home At Last" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:The following day Mrs. Thornton comes to see Mrs. Hale. The latter is much worse and seems very close to death. Mrs. Thornton, who has not seen her for weeks, is instantly softened. Mrs. Hale, a mother like herself, and a much younger woman than herself, laying in a bed from which she may never rise again. Mrs. Hale rouses herself enough to speak, and asks the other mother, to take care of Margaret as if she was her own child. Mrs. Thornton agrees and says that she will refrain from telling her if she is doing well but will put her on the right path if she strays. Mrs. Hale then falls asleep again. During this time, Dixon and Margaret are discussing how the house is supposed to be ran while Fredrick is there, and question when they will receive a letter from him.That evening, while her Margaret and Mr. Hale are sitting in the living room, lamenting over the advancement of Mrs. Hale's sickness, the doorbell rings. Mr. Hale hardly even notices it, and Margaret goes to answer it. She opens the door and a tall dark figure is standing there. When he turns around, Frederick's face greets Margaret full of joy to see her and worry for their mother. Margaret is overcome with emotion and ushers him into her father's study, while she runs off to tell her father. Back in the study, Margaret leaves her brother and father to talk quietly while she prepares tea for them all. She takes it in, and Frederick immediately goes to help her, making Margaret feel like there is finally someone she can share her burden with. They soon tell Dixon that Frederick is there and she is suddenly filled with an energy that she hasn't felt in a very long time.When Mrs. Hale finally awakens, mother and son are finally united, and they do not leave each other again. Frederick's hand lays in his mother's, and finally, after a few hours, Mrs. Hale breaths her last breath. After this, Frederick's emotions give way and he wails like a child all through the night. Dixon and Margaret have to go and tell him in the night to be quiet, for fear that a neighbour should hear him. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 29 "A Ray of Sunshine" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret receives a letter from her cousin Edith. Edith writes all about her new baby and reminds Margaret of Edith's scatterbrain style of speech and writing. She tries to urge Margaret to visit her in Corfu with Mrs. Hale, believing that the smoky air in Milton is the true cause of Mrs. Hale's illness. She even says that if Mr. Hale wishes to come then she can even hide her husband's military uniform and tell the band to only play church music. This letter fills Margaret with joy, and Margaret is laughing at it when Dixon helps Mrs. Hale into the room. Mrs. Hale asks about the letter, and her daughter reads it to her. Her mother agrees with Edith that it is the Milton air that had made her ill, but before the topic can be dived further into, Mr Hale enters the room, and Margaret shuts the conversation down. Mr. Thornton comes too, with another fruit basket, and to see Margaret. He bows to her and then never lays an eye on her again before leaving to talk with Mr. Hale. After the men leave, Mrs. Hale tells Margaret that she is really starting to like Mr. Thornton, which causes Margaret a small shock. Mrs. Hale then wonders aloud why Mrs. Thornton never visits, asks Margaret if she would be able to ask Mrs. Thornton to visit her. Margaret readily ascents but says that it must be before Frederick arrives. Mrs. Hale wonders too when they will hear from Frederick. They talk more about the housework, and Margaret suggests that Mary Higgins could help with the housework. In her statement, she uses some factory slang to which her mother reprimands her. Soon after, Mr. Hale and Mr. Thornton enter the room again and Margaret asks Mr. Thornton, with some effort, if he knows of any other way to explain some factory terms without using the local slang. He doesn't really seem to understand what she is asking and instead goes to Mrs. Hale, reminding Margaret of her mother's request. Mr. Thornton promises to Margaret that his mother will come the following day. . SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 28 "Comfort in Sorrow" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret goes to the Higgins' house to see Bessy's body. She is glad that she came. Bessy, whose face was so often tormented by pain, is finally at peace. Margaret is calm but deeply affected by the scene. Downstairs, they come down and see Mr. Higgins, where he looks wild, and like he is struggling to process the news he has heard. He asks Margaret if she was with her when she died. Then asks if she really has died, or has just fainted, like at previous times. Margaret thinks that he has been drinking a little. He breaks down into tears and hurls himself onto the table, which shakes under his wails. Mary goes to him, but she is shoved away by her father. After he calms a little, he makes his way to the door. Mary goes to stop him, proclaiming that Bessy's last words were to keep their father from drink. Margaret steps in front of the door, not moving a muscle, and standing her ground. At last, Higgins gives in. Margaret asks him to come upstairs and see his daughter, and though uncertain, he goes. Following this, Margaret asks him to come and have tea with her father. They go to the Hale residence. Mr. Higgins suggests that he should have washed himself and while Margaret agrees, she doesn't want to leave him alone, where he could sneak off to a Gin House. Margaret runs in first to warn her father, and though he is very concerned after all Margaret had said about the man, he consents to sit with him. Margaret goes to her mother. Mrs. Hale is very worried about the letter that Margaret sent to Frederick. She is worried that he will be captured if he comes to England. Margaret, and especially Dixon, manage to calm her down though, Dixon stating that she was thinking of writing to him anyway. Once properly calmed, Margaret goes to sit with her father and Mr. Higgins. Her father and Mr. Higgins are engaged in a deep conversation, which only breaks for Mr. Hale to give his daughter a chair. They talk deeply about religion and politics, and Mr. Hale tells Higgins that he has no goal to convince him today, or tomorrow, but believes that the truth will come out over time. The conversation gets a little heated, but Margaret very gently calms him with soothing words. Eventually, the conversation moves onto the strike, which Higgins says has failed. The riot caused the strike to fail, which made Higgins incredibly angry at Boucher and his like. Margaret asks him questions about the Union, and states that she feels that the Union can be just as worse as the Masters, but she understands the need to for one. Before Higgins goes home, Home as Margaret verified, Mr. Hale asks Higgins to pray with them. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 27 "Fruit-Piece", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:The following day, Mr Thornton goes about all of his business deals with great skill and vivacity. Many of the other magistrates and mill owners make statements about “not being able to do it without him.” His mother is very proud to hear how highly these men praise him. He saw with the police and arranged the next steps. In the street he bumps into Dr. Donaldson while absorbed in his own thoughts. They exchange a little about business, which brings the Doctor to thank him for bringing him the Hale family's business. He goes on to say that Mrs. Hale only has a few weeks left to live. This, in spite of what happened the previous day, causes him to ask the Doctor what he can do for Mrs. Hale. The Doctor says that there isn't much to do for her, but he heard her say that she wants fruit. They say goodbye to each other and Mr. Thornton goes straight to the nearest fruit shop in Milton and gets a full basket of fruit. He carries the basket himself instead getting it delivered, which causes many people to stare after him, the Milton manufacturer, working as a porter. He goes to the Hale residence and carries the full basket to where Mrs. Hale is laying. He tries to only look at the sick woman and her husband, but he feels Margaret's presence every second. The family are incredibly grateful for his actions, but before they can get some plates to share the fruit with him too, he excuses himself and leaves the family. The fruit is delicious and Mrs. Hale scolds her daughter for her attitude towards Mr. Thornton, unable to understand how she can dislike someone as kind as he. Mr. Hale likens the fruit to the ones they ate at Helston and Margaret feels nostalgic for her old life. Margaret goes up to her room perplexed and full of strange emotions where she finds Dixon rummaging through her drawers. Dixon doesn't respond to Margaret asking her what she is doing and just continues to search through the drawers. When she finally finds what she is looking for and hides it from her mistress, Margaret gets fed up. Dixon gives in and tells her that she was only trying to protect her, but that Bessy Higgins died that morning. Apparently, her sister is downstairs and asking if it would be possible, per Bessy's last request, to have something of Margaret's to be buried in. The girl is asking too if Margaret would like to see Bessy before the funeral, which Dixon refused. They go to the kitchen to see Mary, where the sister breaks down in tears, slowly revealing what happened that morning. After her conversation with Mary, Margaret agrees to go and see Bessy after dinner time. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 26 "Mother and Son", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mr. Thornton leaves the house dizzy, almost as if Margaret had punched him. He has a headache and bodily pain. In spite of what Margaret said to him, he resolves himself to go on and continue loving her. A bus passes by and stops, believing that he hailed it, and he decides to get on it and is taken away into countryside and to a small town. He wanders around into the fields and thinks through every detail of the proposal. He believes that he was bewitched by her when she put her arms around him. He doesn't understand Margaret. It was late in the afternoon when he got back to Milton, and he had so much work to do following the riots, and encounter his mother…Mrs. Thornton has been in the dining room all day, constantly expecting her son to run in and declare that Margaret accepted his proposal, but each time the door opened, it was always a maid, or a worker. She tries to distract herself by going through the linins so that she can give them to the betrothed for their new house and picks out some delicate pieces. She is jealous of Margaret and doesn't know how to feel, and she feels a pang of pain at the loss of her son. Mrs. Thornton thinks that if Margaret came from Milton, without her southern prejudice, then she would probably like her. She tries to distract herself further with a book and soon hears her son foot on the step. He comes in and stands near his mother while she finished her paragraph. He tries to steel himself against her “Well, John?” but when he leans in to kiss her and say that “no one loves me” his emotions take control of him. She tells him that a mother's love is forever, but a girls love changes with every wind. Mr. Thornton tells her that he is not fit for Margaret, and that he knew it. His mother curses the girl, but feels lighter, knowing that her son is hers again. He replies that he doesn't want to hear a word against Margaret and he really loves her. Mrs. Thornton say that she hates the girl. Mr. Thornton rallies himself a little and distracts himself and his mother by talking of the work to come following the riot of the previous day. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 25 "Frederick", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret reflects on her relationship with Mr. Henry Lennox and is at least relieved that he seemed only to have a lapse of judgement. With Mr. Thornton, they never had a stage of friendship. She truly cannot understand his feelings and feels even stranger about his statement of continuing his love for her in spite of her refusal. She tries to hide from the idea, but she cannot get it out of her mind. She stays in the room where he left her for a while. All is quiet in the house. Margaret refuses to be alone and decides that she should go to see Bessy Higgins. Bessy is lying by the fireplace, and Margaret sits the girl up so she can be more at ease. She is much worse, and Margaret excuses herself for not coming the previous day, almost letting slip that she was at the Thornton residence. Margaret goes to read her a chapter of the bible, but Bessy is restless and the bursts out with some talk about the riots. It seems that her father wasn't at the riots, and that the union told everyone that no matter what happens, they should not resort to violence, it would make everyone's problems much worse and works against the strikers. Mr. Higgins went to Boucher's the night before, as he was an instigator of the violence, and told him that he would be turned over to the police and the mill owners for his actions. Margaret corrects Bessy and tells her that Boucher was not the first person to react, letting slip that she was at the Mill. Boucher apparently punched her father and ran away, causing Bessy to throw herself at her father's feet and beg him not to go. After Bessy gets this information off of her chest, she is a lot calmer and receptive to hearing a chapter of the bible. At home, Margaret finds her mother awake and full of praise for the waterbed. She says that it is the best bed she has slept on since she was staying at the Beresford residence. She wonders how it is that people have forgotten how to make comfortable beds. She asks Margaret if she remembers them, to which her daughter replies that she never was at the Beresford residence. He mother remembers that it must have been Frederick and she goes on to talk about her exiled son, causing Mr. Hale to leave the room. Margaret then asks her mother more about her brother, and Mrs. Hale starts to cry and begs Margaret to write to him, feeling deep down, that if she were to see her son, then she would be healed of her malady. Margaret writes to him that day, and takes the letter to the post office herself. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 24 "Mistakes Cleared Up", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:The following morning Margaret wakes up. She is by no means rested, but at least her mother only woke up once in the night. A light breeze is starting to blow, and Margaret is calmed and brightened by the thought of what a forest would look like in these conditions. She goes to sit with her mother while she is still sleeping and plans to go and see Bessy Higgins after dinner. Dixon comes in and tells her quietly that Mr. Thornton has come to visit and has asked for her. Reluctantly, Margaret goes downstairs.Mr. Thornton is anxiously waiting downstairs for Margaret. He thinks of her arms around his neck and is impatient for her to see him. He has no self-control left and needs to see her and hopes that she would fall into his arms. He does not know how she will receive his declaration. He fears a rejection and refuses to think of it. Margaret arrives and he takes in her complexion. She looks very tired, but that is normal after the blow she has received. Thornton steps forward and shuts the door behind her. Eventually he starts to talk, he excuses his ungratefulness the previous day, and Margaret shuts him down, saying that he has nothing to excuse himself for and says that she should excuse herself for forcing him to go down to the crowd. Margaret says that she will accept his thanks if he really believes it necessary. Thornton replies that he feels no obligation to but that he wants to thank her and finally declares his love for her.She responds icily to his declaration, saying that she is shocked by his words and does not understand it. She is offended by him and clarifies that her actions yesterday were not a declaration of love, and that a gentleman would understand that. He retorts that he is not a gentleman but a man and claims a right to express himself. With tears in her eyes she goes to say that of the whole crowd, Thornton was the person that she cared for the least and only went to him because he was alone, while they were many. He goes to say that she is unfair and just because he is a Master he doesn't have a right to suffer. While he could have defended himself further, he know that he could have thrown himself at her feet to ask for forgiveness. He collects his things and says one last thing before he goes, that he has never loved anyone before, and that he will continue to love her. Margaret thanks him for his kindness to her father and leaves him to go.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 23 "Mistakes", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mr Thornton comes home after talking with his Irish workers. He instantly asks where Margaret has gone and is very shocked when his mother tells him that she is better, and has gone home. He asks more questions about Margaret, but his mother wishes to change the topic. He defends his Margaret from his mother and says that he doesn't know where he would be if she didn't come out to help him. Mrs. Thornton retorts that girls in love will do anything and is very shocked when she sees how her son reacts to her remark. She tries to go on with her business, but when she does start to talk again, her voice is a little feeble. He says that he will go out again, and tells his mother not to wait up for him. She says that she has to wait for him considering the events of the day. They go back and forth a little while he tries to explain that he wishes to go and check on Margaret and doesn't know what time he will be back. Mrs. Thornton begs him however no to go, and as she never begs her son for anything, he relinquishes and agrees to come back home as long as they send someone to go and ask about Margaret. They have tea, and just before he goes to leave, she talks quietly with him. She says that she knows what he has to do at the Hale residence, and that causes her son to finally snap and confess, in his own way, his feelings for Margaret, saying that he has little hope.At the Hale residence, Margaret comes home and sees her mother and father. They received a letter from Bessy Higgins, but they all agree that Margaret looks too tired for her to go. Mr. and Mrs. Hale go to bed, and Margaret finally allows herself to think about the events of the day. She asks herself why she went down to help him; the army was only a few minutes away. She did some good but cannot understand why she did it. Dixon comes in and tells her that a man has arrived with the waterbed and says too that he was instructed to ask how she was, but believes that the man must have been confused with her mother. Her father then comes in and tells her to go to bed.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 22 "A Blow and Its Consequences", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret waits for a long time before anyone of the Thornton family comes to see her. Fanny eventually walks in apologising for the wait and tells her that her brother is with his new Irish workmen and women in the factory, trying to reassure them before the strikes get worse. Mrs. Thornton then comes in and looks incredibly stern. Mrs. Thornton doesn't seem to fully listen to Margaret when she asks for the waterbed, when she does respond, it is in response to the crashing sound of many bodies against the gates. John soon comes in and the crowd reacts with bloodlust as they hear Mr. Thornton's voice in his house. Margaret fears that she is a coward but forgets herself and only feels a deep sympathy. He tells his mother and the maid to get upstairs to safety. Margaret is watching at the window and then turns to Mr. Thornton to ask where his imported workers are. He responds that they are in the factory, but that it is not the workers that the crowd wants, but himself. His mother asks how long until the soldiers should arrive, he responds that it should still be 20 minutes. They shut the windows and then a sudden stillness arises. They stop and listen, the crowd is pushing with all of their might against the gate, and it eventually gives in, followed by the crowd. Mrs. Thornton and Fanny get upstairs and Margaret refuses to go with them.The faces of angry men are everywhere in the yard, and Margaret recognises the face of Mr. Boucher. As the crowd sees Mr. Thornton, they erupt into a beastly roar, startling even Mr. Thornton's cool reserve. He tells Margaret that they need only to wait 5 minutes more and the soldiers will be there. Margaret calls him out for his attitude, tells him to go and face these men like a man with kindness. A dark cloud comes across his face and he goes, only asking Margaret to bar the door behind him. The men in the yard look like savage beasts; they have children at home, like Boucher, and can't stand the thought of foreigners taking away their bread. Margaret feels like the crowd will reach its breaking point in a moment and she rushes outside, after she sees men reaching for projectiles. The men still their arms as they see this girl run out and place herself between them and their enemy. She tries to tell the men to calm themselves, but her voice dies away. Thornton moves from behind her. A man calls out asking if the Irish will be sent home and when Thornton replies that he will not send them back, the crowd explodes. Margaret tries to shield Thornton from the men's incoming projectiles, but he shakes her off. The first misses, the second flings a stone towards their mark hitting instead, Margaret causing Thornton to react. The men are silent while he speaks, watching the blood trickle down Margaret's head. It seems to knock sense into the men, and they start to back away. Mr. Thornton walks into the crowd, calling on the men to attack him if they are not cowards, but they leave, defeated. Thornton rushes to Margaret and carries her into the house. He calls for his mother to take care of her and he goes to check on his Irish workers. Mrs. Thornton goes to get a doctor...SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 21 "The Dark Night", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret and her father walk home from the Thornton residence, feeling very happy. They talk together a little about the strike and Mr. Hale suggests that Thornton is anxious about the situation. When they get home, all joy they were feeling is ripped away from them by a look of horror on Dixon's face. They enter and find Dr. Donaldson taking care of Mrs. Hale. She has had a fit and is very, very unwell, and has been administered a sedative. Mr. Hale is finally informed of the state of his wife's health and is distraught by the terrifying news. He initially upset with Margaret for keeping it from him, but the Doctor tells him that it is he that is to blame, and not Margaret. The doctor tells Mr Hale to go to bed and leave the family alone. Everyone refuses to go to bed, so Dixon, Margaret, and her father watch over Mrs. Hale. Dixon eventually nods off, but Margaret watches carefully over her mother and responds to her father's questions. After her father goes to sleep too, Margaret reflects on Harley Street and Helstone, two places that she wishes she could go back to, to get away from the tragedies of the North. In the morning, it seems like the previous night was all but a dream. Mrs. Hale doesn't know how ill she was and is shocked to see Dr. Donaldson so early. After a few days, she gets permission to return to the drawing room, but that night, she becomes feverish again. Dr. Donaldson says that it is a reaction to the medicine that he has used and recommends that they try to find a waterbed for Mrs. Hale, stating that Mrs. Thornton has one she could maybe lend and asks Margaret if she could make the trip to Marlborough street to ask for it. In the afternoon, Margaret starts walking to the Thornton's, her head full of thoughts about her mother's health. She doesn't notice anything different about the streets, but around her, many people are heaving, and talking, and listening, while she moves through the streets. When she gets to Marlborough street however, she starts to feel the oppressive atmosphere, and as she gets to the Thornton's, the crowd starts to make its way towards the Factory. She is cautiously let in by the porter and is rushed into the house.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 20 "Men and Gentlemen", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret goes home heavy hearted and wondering how she can keep a positive mindset to help her mother's morale. Her mother asks her about how Bessy is doing and reflects on how bad it must be to be sick while living in one of those back streets. Margaret breaks down and tells her mother about what she heard at the Higgins'. They then work together preparing a basket to send to them and the Bouchers. When Mr. Hale comes home, they talk about the Bouchers a little more and he promises to go and see the man and his family. The following day, Margaret prepares to go to the Thornton dinner, and reflects on her time in London, preparing for dinners with her cousin. Margaret doesn't really wish to go to the dinner but goes nonetheless to appease her mother. Margaret and her father are the first guests to arrive at the Thornton residence, where they are greeted by Mrs. Thornton and Fanny. Mr. Thornton is a little late with business, and his mother supplies conversation while they wait for their host and the other guests. Mrs. Thornton talks about how proud she is to be able to live next to her son's factory, where she can reflect on his greatness. When Thornton arrives, he asks them how Mrs. Hale is and tries to keep his cool while struck by Margaret's beauty. When the guests arrive, Fanny and Mrs. Thornton get distracted welcoming the guests, and Mr. Thornton notices that Margaret is being left alone, and though he doesn't go to talk to her himself, he watches he discretely the whole time before dinner. At dinner, the men talk amongst themselves, and the women remain mostly quiet. This gives Margaret an opportunity to listen to the conversation, and she finally sees Mr. Thornton in his element, where is his respected and where he has none of the awkwardness that she had seen before when they had interacted at her home. Margaret enjoys the dinner and listens to the conversations, eagerly learning many new things about Milton. After dinner, Margaret is bored until the men come back into the room. Mr. Thornton comes to talk with her, and they discuss the conversation at dinner and then what it means to be a gentleman. Thornton says that he doesn't really understand the term and prefers the term “a true man” or “a man.” Thornton sees the term “Gentleman” as something that only applies to a man in his relationship to others, whereas “man” applies to the man as a whole. Before Margaret has time to respond, he is called away to talk with the other men. They are far enough away where Margaret can only get the gist of the conversation, but it seems to be about the strikes. The guest of honour, Mr. Horsfall, asks him about Margaret, the quiet, stately, beauty. Mrs. Slickson asks Fanny the same question.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 19 "Angel Visits", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mrs. Hale is very excited about her husband and Margaret going to a dinner at Mr. Thornton's residence. She wants to know about all of the little details of the event and wants to help Margaret get ready. Margaret finds her mother's fretting funny and lets her mother help pick out her dress for her. Later, Margaret goes to see Bessy Higgins. Bessy is shocked by Margaret being invited to dine at the Thornton's and can't hide her feelings that Margaret is not wealthy enough to mingle with the upper society of Milton, which Margaret notices and responds to by saying that they are educated and know how to interact in society. Bessy is still shocked by it, saying that the Mayor dines there. Margaret talks a little about her dresses, saying that she never thought that she would have an opportunity to wear some of them, and Bessy begs to see her dressed up, and goes on a delirious recounting of having seen Margaret in a dream like an angel. Margaret tells her that it was only a dream, and she should not put too much meaning on it. Margaret then asks if her father has gone on strike yet, to which Bessy replies positively. He and many others have gone on strike. They are forgoing food to be on strike. Margaret asks if they really think that the strike is going to help, and Bessy explains what her father feels about the strike and as she finishes, her father walks through the door and confirms what he heard his daughter say. Mr. Hale is depressed by the tales of the working men and talks to Thornton about it. Mr. Thornton explains his case to Mr. Hale explaining that, in Margaret's understanding, commerce is everything and even makes her feel ungrateful for the medicine that he brings to help her mother. Margaret very much dislikes him.Margaret goes to visit Bessy Higgins the day before the dinner party and find a man called Boucher, lamenting to Mr Higgins about the dire state his family is it. He cannot afford to be on strike any longer. He says that the union promised that only 2 weeks would be required for the master's to give in to their 5%, but two weeks have nearly passed and not a single master has changed his mind. Boucher's story is fully of emotion, and both Bessy and Margaret are incredibly moved by it. Margaret tells Bessy that she will give what money she can to help these people. Bessy says that she would like to see these men refuse Boucher if they were to speak to him. Bessy is getting sicker and sicker, and the girl claims that death is not far off. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 18 "Likes and Dislikes", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:When Margaret returns home, she finds two letters on the table and starts to read one of them, from her aunt, when her father walks in and asks about the doctor's visit. Margaret is avoidant, causing her father to worry a little and press her for more information. Margaret sees that her father is worried for his wife, and during that evening, he constantly brings the conversation around to his wife's health. After supper, he paces back and forth worrying for his wife and then goes to see her. When she wakes up, he goes to read the letters to her, the other one is from Mrs. Thornton, asking them to a dinner. Though Mrs. Hale is too ill to attend, she insists on her husband and daughter going. The following day, Mr. Hale and Margaret discuss this dinner a little more together before going about their days.At the Thornton residence, Mr. Thornton asks his mother which guests are going to be attending the dinner. Mr. Thornton tells his mother that he is very worried for Mrs. Thornton after what Dr. Donaldson told him. Fanny tries to jest with her brother about the Hale family but only ends up vexing him. Mrs. Thornton gives her opinion on the family which vexes John too, but he doesn't react to his mother's comments. Fanny then says that Margaret is not accomplished, “she does not play.” After all this, John tells his mother that he wishes she would like Margaret… His mother asks if he is thinking about marrying her, “a girl without a penny,” to which he replies that she would never have him even if he did want her. Mrs. Thornton then says that she has too high an opinion of herself to accept her son. He closes the conversation by saying that he believes that Margaret could soon be in need of motherly care. The conversation then turns to the strikes. Mr. Thornton's men have not yet struck and will work out their week; if they were to leave their posts beforehand, he would take them all to court for breech of contract. Mrs. Thornton suggests that he gets replacement workers from Ireland to spite his disrespectful workers. He says that the Americans are getting cheaper fabric into the market and thus need to pay everyone less to be able to compete, but the workers don't know this. Mrs. Thornton apologises for choosing to host a dinner while all of this is going on, which her son agrees with, but it had to be done. After everyone else goes to bed, Mr. Thornton stays awake thinking and pacing.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 17 "What is a Strike?", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret is really not feeling like going out but eventually livens up a little in the hustle and bustle of the Milton streets. She decides to go and see Bessy Higgins. Nicholas is there when she goes in and offers her a chair, while she asks Betty how she is. Bessy doesn't like the strike, and this is the 3rd one she has seen. Nicholas is adamant that this one will be the final one, the good one. Margaret asks them what a strike is. Margaret tells them that if people down south struck, then no seed would be sown, and no hay would be reaped. Nicholas doesn't seem to be bothered by this but eventually says that he doesn't know enough about the south but has heard that the men down south are all too soft to strike, compared to the Northen men. Bessy says that she wishes she lived down south, causing Margaret to tell her that there are problems down there too. Nicholas gets a little riled up about people not willing to fight for what they deserve. Nicholas eventually says that there are several masters in town that have told them that they are going to offer lower wages than they had over the last 2 years, so then workers are going to strike; why should they do the same works for less. He goes on to say that he is striking not only for himself, but for everyone else. He is taking up the cause for everyone who cannot work. Margaret asks him to ask the masters why they are offering less, believing that they will freely tell. Nicholas laughs this off, and says that the masters would never reveal why, as they believe that they have no need to tell the hands what is going on. He then mentions Mr Thornton's name. Margaret ask to know what Thornton is like as a master. Nicholas describes the man as a bulldog; the moment he gets a hold of a notion he will not let go of it. Bessy wishes that there would be talk of other, happier things in her happier days, and she mentions that tobacco smoke chokes her. Nicholas puts his pipe out and then leaves the girls to talk alone. Bessy asks Margaret if she is a fool for letting her father go out like that, she knows that he is going to go and drink. There are days here where people just go through the motions, hoping for change, and people will do something different, like drink, or eat, just hoping for something different in their mouth or their minds. Bessy doesn't blame people for doing these things but wishes that things weren't like they were. There are many reasons for people to get mad during a strike and they will turn to worse actions. Bessy says that Margaret does not know anything about strikes, and this is just the beginning. Margaret tells Bessy to be careful; she has issues too. Margaret says that she has to go home to her sick mother and pretends to her father that everything is fine. Bessy then goes on a religious tangent about revelations, and Margaret begs her to focus on the clearer passages and not the prophecies. Margaret leaves to go home, thanking Bessy for talking to her about her grievances. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 16 "The Shadow of Death", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:A doctor has finally come to see Mrs. Hale, but in spite of how close Margaret and her mother have become, Margaret is not permitted to be in the room with the doctor and her mother. Margaret goes into her mother's room to wait for the doctor to finish. She hears all sorts of concerning sounds from her mother and then the sound of scraping chairs. The doctor closes the room behind Mrs. Hale and Margaret goes to ask him questions. He is very hesitant to respond at first, Mrs. Hale asked him not to tell her about state of her health, but Margaret is very persistent. He eventually submits, and tells Margaret calmly, but sadly, that Mrs. Hale is very ill and does not have terribly long left. Margaret is distraught and tries to calm herself enough to ask more questions in spite of her tears. He says that he will come back to check on her mother and lets Margaret know that she must look at him as a friend and not just a doctor, it is the only way to go forwards. Following the doctor's departure, Margaret goes into her mother's room and takes her mother's hand, letting her know that the doctor told her the truth of her illness. Mrs. Hale is very upset with her but does not let go of Margaret's hand. Margaret begs her mother to let her act as a nurse, saying that she will learn whatever she can from Dixon, but Mrs. Hale is very caution of this. They then talk of Helstone, and while Mrs. Hale admits that she never really liked the place, the thought of never seeing it again greatly upsets her, but the idea of never being able to see her son, Frederick, again force the tears out. Margaret calls to Dixon for help. After Mrs. Hale has been calmed, Dixon and Margaret talk about her mother's sickness, and Dixon tells Margaret that she must not tell her father the real extent of Mrs. Hale's sickness; Margaret never intended to do so, not right away, but this conversation managed to mend the relationship between Margaret and Dixon. Dixon tells Margaret to go on a walk to recover herself before Mr. Hale comes home.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 15 "Masters and Men", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mr Hale and Margaret go to repay a visit to Mrs. Thornton. Mr Hale finally starts to talk about his wife's health which Margaret likes, having been worried about his nonchalance. He is worried about her and feels scared that their coming to Milton will be the death of her. Margaret tries to calm him a little, but they are nonetheless both worried. When they arrive in the Marlborough Street, they are shocked to not find a large stately house, considering the wealth of Mr. Thornton. Asking a passer by, they find out that Mr. Thornton resides in the house that connects to his factory. The walls are darkened by the smoke of the factory, but inside the house, everything is perfectly clean and white, spotless. The two talked quietly together before being joined by Mrs. Thornton. Margaret tried to explain to the woman that her mother was not well enough to come, but because she tried to explain it in a way that wouldn't make her father more worried either, she give the impression to Mrs. Thornton that Mrs. Hale could have made the effort if she could be bothered to. They talk about Mr. Thornton, and his mother declares that she doesn't see the point in her son taking up his studies again; he should focus on his business. A man should focus on maintaining his place amongst the ranks of the merchants, and her son is known all over Europe amongst the merchant class. Mr. Hale and Margaret had never heard of him before Mr. Bell told them of him. Mrs. Thornton picked up on this and asked them flat out if they knew about him. They end up saying that Mr. Bell told them of her son. Mrs. Thornton then brings up the topic of a strike that is going to be taking place in the city of Milton. Her son is going to be incredibly busy dealing with it. Later, Mr. Thornton goes to join the Hales at their place of residence to give them a doctor's name and address. Margaret thanks him deeply. Mr. Hale brings up the strike. Mr. Thornton explains what is happening and goes on to explain that the workers do not know what is going on behind the scenes, the only thing that they care about is that their wages are not being increased, they have no idea that the business are struggling more than in previous years. He says also have no right to know what a businessman does with his money, and that they shouldn't care about it either. Margaret test him on this but also claims that she knows so little about economics that she cannot properly push him on the subject. They go back and forth a little bit and then Margaret brings up someone abusing the masters and Mr. Thornton presser her asking who she heard saying such things. Margaret goes back and says that if workers are kept ignorant, then it is better for the Masters. Mr. Hale tries to get his daughter to be quiet, as he hears Mr. Thornton getting offended. Mr. Thornton then tries to explain his position further and goes to say that he wishes to work to benefit both his workers and himself, but he feels no need to explain his actions to them. Mr. Thornton then leaves saying goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Hale, and then to Margaret after privately apologising to her for his tone of voice.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 14 "The Meeting", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret and her mother are growing closer in her illness, and Margaret is finally feeling like she has the place she always wanted. One evening when Mr. Hale is out, her mother starts to talk of Margaret's brother Fredrick. There was a terrible storm the previous night, and every time there is a storm, Mrs. Hale claims that she can only think of Fredrick on a ship somewhere in the sea. She says that she is very glad that he is now on shore again. Margaret asks where he is based now, and her mother responds that he is somewhere in Spain, but that he has taken the name of Dickenson, so that he cannot be recognised. Margaret asks properly, for the first time, what truly happened. Mrs. Hale sends Margaret to her cabinet to get some letters from Fredrick. Margaret starts to read the letters, but her mother takes over and tells her what happened. Fredrick was put onto a ship called the Orian where he worked under a man called Mr Ried, whom he did not like. Later he was put on another ship called the Russell, where said Mr. Ried was in command. Fredrick promised that he would try to get along with the captain, but it seems that Mr Ried is a very strict captain. One letter tells how Mr. Ried threatened to flog the last sailor to climb down from the rigging, and the men, terrified of the beating that would await them raced down as fast as they could. The highest man decided it would be quicker for him to jump and try to catch a rope on his way down, but he missed and hit the deck instead. Mrs. Hale says that they only received this news after the mutiny. That captain Ried was sent off to drift in a boat with a few men while the rest set off to be pirates. Mrs. Hale was certain that her Fredrick would be with Mr Ried and that his surname had just been misspelled in the newspaper. When Mr. Hale came back from collecting the paper that day he was so stunned that he could hardly speak, and when Mrs. Hale read that paper, the was so disgusted by what was written about her son that she ripped it up, even with her teeth. She is certain that he son was innocent in the affair, and even if he wasn't, she is prouder of him for defending the innocents than letting people be bullied. Margaret then asks if it would be possible for her brother to come home one day to which Mrs. Hale tearfully responds that he would be hanged if he were to ever come back to England. On announcing this, Mrs. Hale turns away from her daughter, too hurt by the thought of her son's punishment.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 13 "Soft Breeze In A Sultry Place", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret goes to the Higgins' house to spend as much time and she can with Bessy. Mary, her sister, has tried to tidy the house but she hasn't done a very good job of it. Bessy it not doing well and is laying on a short sofa in the living room. Bessy asks Margaret about her clothes and is stunned when Margaret says that she got them from London. Margaret then tells Bessy about Helstone, the first time she has talked about it since they came to Milton. She describes the birds, the farmers, and the trees and Bessy listens attentively. Bessy says that she used to believe that if she just had one day to relax in a place like Helstone, then she would have gotten better. She is afraid that she would even need time to rest before going to heaven. Bessy has an attack of Hysteria from her illness and nearly attacks Margaret but is soon out of breath and Margaret calms her down. Margaret says that she is not afraid of Bessy after what happened. Bessy says that she was well before her mother passed away, but after that, she was forced to work, and in a carding mill, her lungs got full of the fluff from cutting the cards. Bessy says that many people get sick from it, and that she isn't the only one sick. She says too that there are sorts of fans that millers can buy to help get rid of the dust, but because it doesn't bring a profit, they don't get bought. She had to work to help send her sister to school, and her father had a habit of going to costly lectures and now she is sick… Bessy then asks if Margaret could become friends with her sister too. Margaret says that she can, but it would be difficult to get Mary a job in her own home to stop her from going to the Mills. At home and as time goes on, Mrs. Hale is getting sicker. Mr. Hale wishes to dismiss his wife's illness, but he knows that she is sick. Margaret wishes to send for a doctor, but he doesn't want to, believing that his wife would tell him if she needed one. He knows however that his wife is indeed ill and just doesn't want to think about it potentially being his fault for bringing his family to Milton. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 12 "Morning Calls", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreadshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mr. Thornton has some difficulties in convincing his mother to visit the Hale's. Though he bought her a carriage to make her life easier, she refused to let him keep horses. She didn't think that she would make enough visits to warrant the price. He rents horses for her for the day. Mrs. Thornton's relationship with her children is strange, though she uses terms like “dear” and “love” with her daughter and only calls her son “John,” and talks to him as if he were just a normal person, not her son, she cares far more for her son than her sickly daughter. The following day, Mrs. Thornton tells her daughter, Fanny, that she is going to have horses for the day and asks if she would like to see the nurse. Fanny says that she has a headache and would prefer if the nurse could come to visit her at home. When John enters, he tells his sister that she will, regardless of headache, be visiting the Hales with her mother. He leaves before she can try to protest. Mrs. Thornton is curious as to why her son wishes them to meet these Hales so much.At the Hale's, Mrs. Thornton notices that place is full of knickknacks, and notes to herself that it must be a lot of time-consuming work to dust everything, and that for people with little income, time spent is money wasted. Mrs. Thornton sits with Mrs. Hale, and Fanny with Margaret. Fanny asks lots of questions to Margaret about music and seems to be testing Margaret's patience as she gives rather cold answers. Fanny asks her then if she has ever been to London, and when Margaret says that she lived there for several years, Fanny is full of glee, saying that she would love to be able to go there. Margaret is confused as to why she has never been there, but Fanny says that her mother won't let her go there, she is too attached to Milton. On this, Mrs. Thornton asks why the girls are speaking about her. Fanny gives a response that vexes Margaret. Mrs. Thornton then presses Margaret to know what she knows of Milton, whether she has been to nay of the factories. Margaret says that she does not really care for factories. Mrs. Thornton is very proud of Milton and says that if Margaret will consider lowering herself to visit one, then a visit could indeed be arranged. Later on, in the cab Mrs. Thornton says that they shall maintain a civil relationship with the family but warns her daughter against becoming close with Margaret. Fanny says that she does not need to worry about that. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 11 "First Impressions", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mr. Hale talks to his family about Mr Thornton, and he says to his daughter that he half expected her to run away when he mentioned that he was a shop-boy. Margaret disagrees with her father and says that this was actually the only point of his story that he liked and respected. Mr. Hale then tells his family more about Mr. Thornton's childhood, what he heard from Mr Bell. It was a very hard childhood, but he did his best to make up for his father's debts and in the end paid all of his father's debts off. Margaret then goes on to say that she does not like Mr. Thornton, in spite of his relationship with her father. He retorts that it does not matter as he like Mr. Thornton and then goes to say that he is concerned about Mrs. Hale's health. It is true that Mrs. Hale's health has not been good since the move to Milton, and Dixon is often seen crying by Margaret. And her mother is often seen praying alone is her room. Margaret determines that she will try and take some of the burden off of her mother and find a house maid. A few days later, still finding now luck in finding a housemaid, Margaret runs into Bessy Higgins in the street and strikes up a conversation with her. She asks how she has been and the sick girl replies that while she is coughing less, she is still not better. Margaret then asks her if she wishes to die, after a long pause, the girl replies that if she has to continue living the way that she currently lives, then she would be glad if the doctor's words of her not seeing another winter would be true. They talk for a little more and Bessy says that she and her father were upset by her not following up on her promise to visit. On this, Margaret asks if she can come directly home with her. At her home, they go into the living room, and Margaret is shocked by how much of a tole the short walk took on the girl's health. She gasps for air and Margaret tries to help her to water, after which the girl closes her eyes. Margaret tries to tell her to remember that god gave her the life that she has but is shut down by Nicholas Higgins who entered the home after they did. He says that he only believes what he sees and scolds Margaret again for breaking her promise to visit. Bessy awakens again but then falls truly ill in spasms. Margaret tries to help her and everyone gives the girl some space. When she awakens, her father takes her upstairs only after Margaret promises to visit them again on the next day. When Margaret goes home however, she is told by her father that Mrs. Thornton is going to visit the next day, causing Margaret to worry about keeping her engagement at the Higgins'. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 10 "Wrought Iron and Gold", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mr Thornton comes over for tea rather late and is very anxious. At half past 7 the door is opened for him by Dixon. Mr. Hale greets him kindly and introduces his guest to his family. Mr. Thornton gets the idea that all of the cakes and biscuits that are laid out are very habitual to the family, especially Margaret, whom he observes setting the table and fiddling with a bracelet on her arm. He wishes that he could have watched Margaret longer, but it is time for tea. Margeret's beautiful eyes look up to her father's and Mr. Thornton is struck by her. Mr. Thornton and Mr. Hale talk none-stop, leaving no room for anyone, giving Margaret the opportunity to take in her guest's figure. Her father, who is tall, seems small compared to Mr. Thornton. Mr Thornton's face is also very strong, with a heavy brow and almost perfect teeth, which shine like the sun when the man smiles. Margaret is called back to the conversation by hearing her father quote Chevy Chase after Mr. Thornton talked about the fantastic minds of the early manufactures. Margaret is roused to defending her darling South, when she feels that Mr. Thornton has talked badly about it in comparison to his North. She says that he does not know anything about the south, and that there is far less suffering down there as opposed to in Milton, where the men are worked down to the bone. Thornton replies that she does not know the North either, but with a tone of voice of kindness, knowing that he hurt her. Mrs. Hale then pipes up to say that he in spite of the things their guest loves about Milton, he does have to admit that it is dirty and says that she needs to have the curtains washed once a week as opposed to once a month, if that, in the South. Thornton cannot defend Milton on that front but takes it as an opportunity to say how the Parliament has forced that upon them. The south forces laws onto the Northerners without knowing what life is like in the North (same as today…) Mr. Thornton says that he paid to have his chimney changed to burn the smoke too before this law was passed, but that if he had waited longer, until after the law was passed, he would have resisted against the parliament, feeling like they shouldn't be able to force him to run a business in a certain way. Mr. Thornton goes to give a recap of the early days of the industrial revolution and talks about how these “early masters” became new kings in the area, dictating what hours people could do business with them and having a complete control over the trade. Mr. Thornton believes that if someone wishes to do business with him at midnight, he should be at the buyer's beck and call. He says that the “early cotton lords” were tyrants over workers. He goes on to say that what he loves about the North is that a man, regardless of position, can rise through the ranks, causing Margaret to say that he must believe that all poor people exist because they have not worked as hard as he has then. He can only reply by talking about himself. He tells them that his father died when he was young and was thus forced to work from the age of 15 or so. He earned very little to support a family of 3 on, but his mother made sure to put away some of the money he made too, which then allowed him to become the man he is today. This history has caused him to believe that through suffering, instead of self-indulgence, you can become anything and believes that anyone that can read and write could become like him. He soon afterwards leaves, shaking hands with Mr. and Mrs. Hale, and receiving a curtsy from Margaret, causing him to think that the girl is far too proud…

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 9 "Dressing for Tea", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:The next day Mr Hale is hesitating to tell his family something. Eventually, much to Mrs. Hale's dislike, he says that he has invited Mr. Thornton to tea. Mrs. Hale is very confused, firstly she does not know what to serve him and supply him with for entertainment, but secondly, she has no second maid to help prepare everything. Margaret says that she will help and tries to reassure her mother that Mr. Thornton's entertainment will be talking to her father. She is looking forward to properly meeting Mr. Thornton, though she wishes that she could have had more time to prepare for the evening instead of it being thrust upon herself. She is extremely fatigued after helping Dixon prepare everything and Mrs. Hale is stunned that her life has come to this…her daughter doing housework. She scorns Mr Thornton's name. Margaret tries to correct her mother's behaviour, but Mrs. Hale remains still unconvinced. At the other side of town, in Mr Thornton's house, a perfectly dressed older woman is repairing a tablecloth. Hearing a footstep in the corridor she calls out “John” surprised to hear her son's footstep. Seeing him, she asks what he is doing, and was he not supposed to be having tea. He replies positively to this and says that he has come only to change his clothes. This perplexes his mother, as in her day, people went for tea after work, they didn't come and change before meeting people, and in any case, what does he want in having tea with “an old parson.” He corrects his mother that Mr. is a gentleman and his wife and daughter are ladies. Mrs Thornton asks why he never mentioned his wife and daughter before, and her son replies that he has never met the mother and has only met the daughter once and thus felt it wasn't relevant. His mother makes a remark about staying safe from the claws of a southern girl who would only want his money. He says to his mother that he is not easily caught. Again Mrs. Thornton says something about southern girls wanting rich husbands, causing her son to tell her about how he was treated by Margaret when they first met. Leaving, he defends again Mr. Hale, and says that if she is awake, he will tell her about Mrs. Hale after tea.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

"Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life" was Mrs Gaskell's first full-length novel. It was published anonymously in that tumultuous year of political change, 1848. Elizabeth Gaskell's own personal contact with the plight of the poor cotton workers of Lancashire compelled her to a compassionate examination of their lives; but as a middle-class woman, married to a Unitarian minister, her approach to her subject took on a emotionally complex significance; influenced by religious faith but also by more personal considerations.In the brief preface to the novel, Mrs Gaskell hints at her initial impulse. The loss of a beloved child in infancy led her to seek a therapeutic outlet, but one which left her uncertain of her capacity to contextualize her public, writerly response to the tragedies occurring in the surrounding society of Manchester's poorest classes: "I know nothing of Political Economy, or the theories of trade..." She was, however, determined to portray, in novelistic form, the intimate connection between the private experience of her characters and the social forces of her time. The success of the novel led her to proclaim her authorship and move on to further works of fiction, which have secured her in our times a mounting reputation as one of the leading novelists of the mid-Victorian period.Our reader Tony Foster is a resident of Manchester and a near-neighbour of Mrs Gaskell (allowing for their separation in time). His superb narration renders the native speech of her characters with an authenticity which ideally conveys the spirit of this book. A truly moving experience awaits everyone who gives ear to this 'Tale of Manchester Life'. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life" was Mrs Gaskell's first full-length novel. It was published anonymously in that tumultuous year of political change, 1848. Elizabeth Gaskell's own personal contact with the plight of the poor cotton workers of Lancashire compelled her to a compassionate examination of their lives; but as a middle-class woman, married to a Unitarian minister, her approach to her subject took on a emotionally complex significance; influenced by religious faith but also by more personal considerations.In the brief preface to the novel, Mrs Gaskell hints at her initial impulse. The loss of a beloved child in infancy led her to seek a therapeutic outlet, but one which left her uncertain of her capacity to contextualize her public, writerly response to the tragedies occurring in the surrounding society of Manchester's poorest classes: "I know nothing of Political Economy, or the theories of trade..." She was, however, determined to portray, in novelistic form, the intimate connection between the private experience of her characters and the social forces of her time. The success of the novel led her to proclaim her authorship and move on to further works of fiction, which have secured her in our times a mounting reputation as one of the leading novelists of the mid-Victorian period.Our reader Tony Foster is a resident of Manchester and a near-neighbour of Mrs Gaskell (allowing for their separation in time). His superb narration renders the native speech of her characters with an authenticity which ideally conveys the spirit of this book. A truly moving experience awaits everyone who gives ear to this 'Tale of Manchester Life'. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life" was Mrs Gaskell's first full-length novel. It was published anonymously in that tumultuous year of political change, 1848. Elizabeth Gaskell's own personal contact with the plight of the poor cotton workers of Lancashire compelled her to a compassionate examination of their lives; but as a middle-class woman, married to a Unitarian minister, her approach to her subject took on a emotionally complex significance; influenced by religious faith but also by more personal considerations.In the brief preface to the novel, Mrs Gaskell hints at her initial impulse. The loss of a beloved child in infancy led her to seek a therapeutic outlet, but one which left her uncertain of her capacity to contextualize her public, writerly response to the tragedies occurring in the surrounding society of Manchester's poorest classes: "I know nothing of Political Economy, or the theories of trade..." She was, however, determined to portray, in novelistic form, the intimate connection between the private experience of her characters and the social forces of her time. The success of the novel led her to proclaim her authorship and move on to further works of fiction, which have secured her in our times a mounting reputation as one of the leading novelists of the mid-Victorian period.Our reader Tony Foster is a resident of Manchester and a near-neighbour of Mrs Gaskell (allowing for their separation in time). His superb narration renders the native speech of her characters with an authenticity which ideally conveys the spirit of this book. A truly moving experience awaits everyone who gives ear to this 'Tale of Manchester Life'. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life" was Mrs Gaskell's first full-length novel. It was published anonymously in that tumultuous year of political change, 1848. Elizabeth Gaskell's own personal contact with the plight of the poor cotton workers of Lancashire compelled her to a compassionate examination of their lives; but as a middle-class woman, married to a Unitarian minister, her approach to her subject took on a emotionally complex significance; influenced by religious faith but also by more personal considerations.In the brief preface to the novel, Mrs Gaskell hints at her initial impulse. The loss of a beloved child in infancy led her to seek a therapeutic outlet, but one which left her uncertain of her capacity to contextualize her public, writerly response to the tragedies occurring in the surrounding society of Manchester's poorest classes: "I know nothing of Political Economy, or the theories of trade..." She was, however, determined to portray, in novelistic form, the intimate connection between the private experience of her characters and the social forces of her time. The success of the novel led her to proclaim her authorship and move on to further works of fiction, which have secured her in our times a mounting reputation as one of the leading novelists of the mid-Victorian period.Our reader Tony Foster is a resident of Manchester and a near-neighbour of Mrs Gaskell (allowing for their separation in time). His superb narration renders the native speech of her characters with an authenticity which ideally conveys the spirit of this book. A truly moving experience awaits everyone who gives ear to this 'Tale of Manchester Life'. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life" was Mrs Gaskell's first full-length novel. It was published anonymously in that tumultuous year of political change, 1848. Elizabeth Gaskell's own personal contact with the plight of the poor cotton workers of Lancashire compelled her to a compassionate examination of their lives; but as a middle-class woman, married to a Unitarian minister, her approach to her subject took on a emotionally complex significance; influenced by religious faith but also by more personal considerations.In the brief preface to the novel, Mrs Gaskell hints at her initial impulse. The loss of a beloved child in infancy led her to seek a therapeutic outlet, but one which left her uncertain of her capacity to contextualize her public, writerly response to the tragedies occurring in the surrounding society of Manchester's poorest classes: "I know nothing of Political Economy, or the theories of trade..." She was, however, determined to portray, in novelistic form, the intimate connection between the private experience of her characters and the social forces of her time. The success of the novel led her to proclaim her authorship and move on to further works of fiction, which have secured her in our times a mounting reputation as one of the leading novelists of the mid-Victorian period.Our reader Tony Foster is a resident of Manchester and a near-neighbour of Mrs Gaskell (allowing for their separation in time). His superb narration renders the native speech of her characters with an authenticity which ideally conveys the spirit of this book. A truly moving experience awaits everyone who gives ear to this 'Tale of Manchester Life'. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life" was Mrs Gaskell's first full-length novel. It was published anonymously in that tumultuous year of political change, 1848. Elizabeth Gaskell's own personal contact with the plight of the poor cotton workers of Lancashire compelled her to a compassionate examination of their lives; but as a middle-class woman, married to a Unitarian minister, her approach to her subject took on a emotionally complex significance; influenced by religious faith but also by more personal considerations.In the brief preface to the novel, Mrs Gaskell hints at her initial impulse. The loss of a beloved child in infancy led her to seek a therapeutic outlet, but one which left her uncertain of her capacity to contextualize her public, writerly response to the tragedies occurring in the surrounding society of Manchester's poorest classes: "I know nothing of Political Economy, or the theories of trade..." She was, however, determined to portray, in novelistic form, the intimate connection between the private experience of her characters and the social forces of her time. The success of the novel led her to proclaim her authorship and move on to further works of fiction, which have secured her in our times a mounting reputation as one of the leading novelists of the mid-Victorian period.Our reader Tony Foster is a resident of Manchester and a near-neighbour of Mrs Gaskell (allowing for their separation in time). His superb narration renders the native speech of her characters with an authenticity which ideally conveys the spirit of this book. A truly moving experience awaits everyone who gives ear to this 'Tale of Manchester Life'. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life" was Mrs Gaskell's first full-length novel. It was published anonymously in that tumultuous year of political change, 1848. Elizabeth Gaskell's own personal contact with the plight of the poor cotton workers of Lancashire compelled her to a compassionate examination of their lives; but as a middle-class woman, married to a Unitarian minister, her approach to her subject took on a emotionally complex significance; influenced by religious faith but also by more personal considerations.In the brief preface to the novel, Mrs Gaskell hints at her initial impulse. The loss of a beloved child in infancy led her to seek a therapeutic outlet, but one which left her uncertain of her capacity to contextualize her public, writerly response to the tragedies occurring in the surrounding society of Manchester's poorest classes: "I know nothing of Political Economy, or the theories of trade..." She was, however, determined to portray, in novelistic form, the intimate connection between the private experience of her characters and the social forces of her time. The success of the novel led her to proclaim her authorship and move on to further works of fiction, which have secured her in our times a mounting reputation as one of the leading novelists of the mid-Victorian period.Our reader Tony Foster is a resident of Manchester and a near-neighbour of Mrs Gaskell (allowing for their separation in time). His superb narration renders the native speech of her characters with an authenticity which ideally conveys the spirit of this book. A truly moving experience awaits everyone who gives ear to this 'Tale of Manchester Life'. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life" was Mrs Gaskell's first full-length novel. It was published anonymously in that tumultuous year of political change, 1848. Elizabeth Gaskell's own personal contact with the plight of the poor cotton workers of Lancashire compelled her to a compassionate examination of their lives; but as a middle-class woman, married to a Unitarian minister, her approach to her subject took on a emotionally complex significance; influenced by religious faith but also by more personal considerations.In the brief preface to the novel, Mrs Gaskell hints at her initial impulse. The loss of a beloved child in infancy led her to seek a therapeutic outlet, but one which left her uncertain of her capacity to contextualize her public, writerly response to the tragedies occurring in the surrounding society of Manchester's poorest classes: "I know nothing of Political Economy, or the theories of trade..." She was, however, determined to portray, in novelistic form, the intimate connection between the private experience of her characters and the social forces of her time. The success of the novel led her to proclaim her authorship and move on to further works of fiction, which have secured her in our times a mounting reputation as one of the leading novelists of the mid-Victorian period.Our reader Tony Foster is a resident of Manchester and a near-neighbour of Mrs Gaskell (allowing for their separation in time). His superb narration renders the native speech of her characters with an authenticity which ideally conveys the spirit of this book. A truly moving experience awaits everyone who gives ear to this 'Tale of Manchester Life'. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 8 "Home Sickness", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:The change is wallpaper is not enough to convince the family that Milton is their new home. It would need much more for that. Dixon and Margaret are unpacking boxes as fast as possible to get Mrs. Hale settled as fast as possible. There is a deep fog that settles in the morning, and Mrs. Hale is not convinced that she will be able to make a home of this place. Mr Hale is not convinced either and he laments that he should have tried to live in some country place in Wales. Margaret, when alone, is in a state of despair whenever she thinks about having to stay in Milton for the foreseeable future. Margaret thinks about Helston when she sits down on a packing box and tries to distract herself by reading a letter she received from Edith. She and captain Lennox have settled in Corfu, where they are to be stationed for at least a year. Edith describes the place well and tells all about their easy life there. She reminds Margaret too about the night when she met captain Lennox, a date she remembers well. Margaret thinks then about if anyone from the London set will remember her…The family needs to find another maid to help them, but each girl that comes for an interview is rejected by Dixon. Mr. Hale spends much time with his new pupils and it is noted that many people in the area are undereducated because their parents send them to work in factories at a very young age. Mr. Thornton is the eldest of Mr. Hale's students, but the majority of them are older. Mrs. Hale does not care much for her husband spending so much time in contact with his students. Margaret spends much time out in the town trying to look for a girl to help them at home too and comes across many of the people of Milton while they go to and come from the factories. In the street she is accosted by the women because she is nicely dressed and they want to know where she got her clothes from, and she is accosted by the men because she is pretty, and they call out to her in the street… In the Spring, Margaret goes to a field with her father to collect flowers and one of these such men came too with his daughter. Margaret gives a flower to the sickly girl, and her father is grateful for it. Margaret converses with the man while they walk back into town and tries to befriend him and his family. It is eventually agreed that Margaret will visit them. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 7 "New Scenes and Faces", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary: The family has gone to Heston where they plan to settle themselves while they find a house in Milton. It is a very purpose-built town, and Margaret notes that people don't seem to hang around their shopfronts when business is calm, they make work for themselves. They find themselves a hotel to stay in, the first clean one they find. Margaret does not want to think about the future while listening to the lapping waves on the shore, but she must think about it. A few days later Margaret and her father set out to Milton to look at some homes and to provide Mr. Hale to meet Mr. Thornton for the first time. As they approach Milton, they see the blue hazy smoke rise from the city, and they taste the change in the air. The city is made of many brick houses, and the town is heaving with people and trucks making deliveries to the factories. The people are well dressed, but their clothes are baggy. They check themselves into a hotel, and after deciding to see the houses first and then get lunch, Margaret and her father set off. They see several houses and are not fully satisfied with any of them, but with a budget of 30 pounds a year, they cannot ask for much. Margaret manages to come up with a plan for one of the homes however and convinces her father to take it. He drops Margaret off at the hotel to order lunch and heads back to the house to take it, and to try and convince the landlord to change the wallpaper. At the Hotel, Margaret is greeted by a footman who tells her that Mr. Thornton has come to visit her father. She enters the room and greets him with civility. Mr. Thornton is taken aback, not only was he expecting to see Mr. Hale, but he also believed that his daughter must have been a much younger girl. Mr Thornton is frustrated that he has to wait for Mr. Hale to come on a market day, but he is suddenly made calm by Margaret's presence, which he doesn't understand. The two converse briefly while the man is stunned by Margaret's beauty, and he gives short curt answers to her. When Mr. Hale comes home, the two gentleman converse with each other and Margaret goes to the window. When the men have finished talking, Mr. Hale informs Margaret that he couldn't convince the landlord to change the wallpaper for her. When the family eventually moves into the home however, they find that the landlord has changed the wallpaper. It seems that what he was unwilling to do for an unknown Mr. Hale, he was more than ready to do for Mr. Thornton.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 6 "Farewell", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:The Hale family are preparing for their final departure from Helstone. Mrs. Hale and Dixon are slow in their preparations as they keep finding old relics from Margaret and her brother's childhood. Mr. Hale is in his study, and Margaret is directing the removers where to put each box as they are carried to the train station. Margaret, though keeping a brave face, is full of sorrow. She goes for one last time into the garden and there is a dull mist floating in the air. She walks for the first time in the area where Henry Lennox made his proposal and feels very strange, so much had changed since then. She suddenly feels very alone and afraid, and runs back to the house, banging on the door to be let back inside. Charlotte opens the door for her, and Margaret tells her to write once they are settled in Milton. When Mr. Hale comes back inside he is very depressed. He has seen the last of his parishioners, and when Margaret finds out that one of the younger children was waiting for her to come to visit too, she finally bursts into tears. The following day, a chaise comes to collect the Hale family and take them to the train station. As they leave Margaret goes to take one last look at the house, but decides to let her father take it instead, feeling that he deserves it more. They make it to London in the evening, where they are to stay in a hotel for the night before heading North. They are blown away at London life; the town is bustling well after sundown. Mrs. Hale believes that they passed Mr. Lennox, and Margaret goes to look out of the carriage and wishes to have seen him, but not he, them. In the evening, Mr Hale leaves his family to go and see his bookseller, and he leaves his wife and daughter at the hotel where they can only think about going to see their friends. They know however that they cannot go, and they would not be permitted to be sad with them. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 5 "Decisions", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret listens to her mother's plans during the rest of the evening and her thoughts linger on the townspeople who would always be expecting her to come and visit to help them. She tells her mother that they must indeed help the people of Helstone with great enthusiasm, which concerns her mother slightly, so she sends her daughter to bed early. The following day, Mr. Hale comes downstairs and announces that he is going to be out for the day, until around 7pm, letting Margaret know that she has until then to let her mother know the terrible news. Margaret wishes to get the thing over with and asks her mother to join her in the garden. They walk slowly and soon Margaret spews forth the news. Mrs. Hale is at first confused and then shocked and saddened. She goes on to ask why her husband felt like he could not tell her this news himself and is jealous that he told his daughter first. Her sorrows only calm a little when Margaret talks of how much Mr. Hale must have suffered under this tremendous weight. Margaret spend the rest of the day trying to comfort her mother. At around 7, Mr. Hales comes home, Margaret does not go to meet him at the door. When he comes in, he is grey and pale and looks afraid. His wife goes to him and throws herself on his breast where the two cry together. Margaret goes to her room to cry alone. In her room a servant enters and tries to arrange the room, but she is concerned for Margaret and goes to fetch Dixon. Dixon comes and tries to comfort her mistress but end up talking about how awful a man Mr Hale must be to have organised all this without telling any of them. Margaret defends her father and puts their servant back in her place for taking too much liberty. She send Dixon away and bolts the door behind her. Two weeks to organise a removal is almost far too short a time to get it all done, let alone enough time to find a house in Milton. Margaret sets to trying to find a place for her mother to go while she and her father find a house. She finds a place 30 miles away from the industrial town and proposes this to her father, where the agree on it. After suggesting it to her mother, Mrs. Hale's only regret is that her husband cannot join her there too.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 4 "Doubts and Difficulties", narrated by Isaac Birchall Subscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mr Lennox is gone and the house is being closed for the evening. While waiting for her parents to come down, Margaret reflects over the affair in the garden. Dinner is quiet and Margaret finds it odd that no one asks about Mr. Lennox. After supper, her father goes over the mantlepiece in thought, and her mother goes to check on the servants. Mr. Hale then calls his daughter over to him, asking her to come into his study with him. In the study he takes a while to start talking, but suddenly, in a burst, he confesses to Margaret that he is leaving Helstone. She is stunned but asks for more clarity. Mr Hale has become disenchanted with the church, and while still devoted to god, he can no longer serve as a minister. Margaret tries to stay calm though his speech, but she cannot help but feel deeply upset by this news. He goes on to say that he has already told the bishop that he shall be leaving his post and that the on the following Sunday, he will give his farewell sermon. He then asks Margaret if she will be able to be the one to tell her mother of this terrible news and while she hates to have to do this terrible job, she agrees when she sees how much stress this act will but her father through. Margaret knows her mother will be very shocked by this news and asks her father where they are going to. He says Milton Northern, a manufacturing town in Darkshire, where he believes that he can make money. He has apparently taken a job as a tutor to an up-and-coming man. Margaret is confused as to what a common man could want to do with a tutor but as her father explains more, she understands a little more. Her mother calls for her and with one last, deep hug, Margaret leaves her father in his study and goes to her mother. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 3 "The More Haste The Worse Speed", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mr Henry Lennox has come to visit, and he is greeted happily by Margaret. He lets her know that her cousin and his brother have now started their proper honeymoon and have gone to Plymouth to catch their boat. Margaret goes to fetch her mother and while she is gone, the man looks around himself and is disappointed to find out in what sort of place Margaret lives. It is not at all how he pictured it. Mrs Hale is not happy about the visit from Mr Lennox, as both she and her husband are not feeling too well, and they are only to have a cold lunch so that the servants can get their work done. Margaret tells her that Mr. Hale likes Mr Lennox, and not to worry about the food, and when pressed by her mother as to what he is to do until lunch, her daughter says that she shall take him into the forest to draw. Mr Lennox and Margaret set out into the forest and find some lovely cottages to draw. Margaret goes off and talks to the old man who lives in one of the cottages and Mr. Lennox draws Margaret and the old man into his sketch. After a couple of hours, they are finished and back up their drawing materials and head back home for dinner. The dinner is fine and conversation is easy. The family then goes into the garden to eat fresh pears for dessert. In the Garden, Henry and Margaret go on a small walk around their grounds. During this walk, Mr Lennox professes his love to Margaret. This declaration greatly shocks her, and she lets him know that she has only ever thought of him as a friend. Mr Lennox is both shocked and heavily disappointed by her response. They go back together to join the family again and Margaret is very upset with her visitor. She wishes that he could never had said anything at all, wishes that things were like they were before. Following this, the mood has changed and Mr. Hale is less impressed with Mr. Lennox, though he has no idea why the man have changed in so short a time. They are very glad when he takes his leave of them to catch the 5o'clock train. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 2 "Roses and Thorns", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margret is traveling home with her father after Edith's wedding. Her mother did not join them as she they could not afford the dresses that she would have worn, and though her sister would have supplied her with numerous gowns, she was too proud to accept them. Mr Hale was the perfect model of a parish priest. Margret is very hopeful of the future. Her father is sleeping in the carriage and is described as a very handsome man. She also thinks about her brother, and laments over his choice of joining the navy instead of the clergy. She wants to comfort her mother and father and ready's her face to support him when he awakens. Margret is very happy to be back in the countryside; she hated being forced to take a carriage while in town and wants to be able to be with the country folk. Her mother is unhappy with her family's situation and wishes that the bishop gave more attention, and a bigger parish to her husband. Mr Hale shrinks more and more as Mrs. Hale tells him to ask again and again for a bigger parish. Mrs. Hale doesn't really like living in the country, and as the season changes and becomes colder, Margret finds it harder to put up with her mother's complaints. She regrets that all of their neighbours are regular folk, and that everyone worth interacting with lives on the other side of the parish. Margret fights back at her mother for this thought as these people are only worth being with because they have money from a trade, they don't have any status. Margret says that she would prefer to interact with their immediate neighbours. Margret's mother is not a bookish person, and because of this, Mr Hale has retreated most nights into his study to read. Margret is a reader, and loved to go through her father's library, but spends her nights telling her mother about London life, which Mrs. Hale listens to attentively. Margret wishes to ask about her brother but can never bring it up to her mother or father. His room is always kept in perfect order by the maid, but he is never spoken about. Mr. Hale goes out every day to check the post for news of Frederik, and he shoos away from his parishioners because of the lack of news. On one bright sunny day, the housekeeper announces the arrival on HenrySEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 1 "A Haste to the Wedding", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:North and South opens with Margret and her cousin Edith in one of the back drawing rooms. Mrs. Shaw is talking with her friends about wedding dresses and wedding ceremonies and Edith fell asleep instead of joining in the conversation. Once Edith marries, Margret will return home from her life in London and be back in the countryside again. A large family dinner was organised to say farewell to Edith before her marriage in a few days' time. Mrs. Shaw regrets her marriage because of a very large age difference between her and her late husband and has determined on her daughter marrying for love.Edith is called for, but as she is asleep, Margret goes in her stead. She is asked by her aunt to go and fetch some Indian Shawls from upstairs to show to her friends. She goes upstairs and reminisces about her first time coming to the nursery at the age of 10 when she was moved to her aunt's home. When she comes down, she is asked to model the shawls for Mrs. Shaw's friends, and they all fawn over the fabrics until the gentlemen enter. Mr Henry Lennox, the brother of Edith's fiancé is talked to by Mrs. Shaw. He soon finds a place to sit with Margret and proceeds to ask her how she is feeling about moving back to the country and asks many questions about what it is like there. Margret however refuses to elaborate on anything and leaves Henry Lennox jesting at her for her closedness. It is clear that he is very keen on her. Edith awakens during this time and goes to play some piano while waiting for her betrothed to arrive. The man soon arrives, and in several days, he and Edith are married, and away they go on their honeymoon. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

This is a special episode of Strong Sense of Place in which we announce that we're doing it again — we're taking a group of readers back to Trevor Hall. In October 2025, we took over Trevor Hall — a Georgian manor house in Llangollen, Wales — with forty members of the Strong Sense of Place community. It was the best book club ever. We took walks in the countryside, talked about (so many) books, enjoyed ridiculously delicious meals, and told spooky stories by candlelight. And we made lifelong friends. We're doing it again — and you're invited to join us! Together, we'll make ourselves at home in this historic mansion surrounded by the picturesque North Wales countryside. We'll have a book club, share gourmet meals in the Great Hall, play parlor games, ramble in the hills, and stomp our feet at a Celtic ceilidh. Our weekend begins in Manchester, England — a UNESCO City of Literature. We'll check into our rooms at a design hotel and enjoy our first IRL meetup in a historic library. After a good night's sleep, we're off to Elizabeth Gaskell's House for a private tour of the Victorian villa where she wrote ‘North and South' (and entertained literary friends like Charlotte Brontë and Charles Dickens). After a restorative tea-and-cake break, we'll ride together via private motor coach through the rugged countryside to Llangollen, a charming town on the River Dee in North Wales. Our destination: Trevor Hall. The Hall sits on a wooded hilltop overlooking green slopes dotted with sheep and horses. After a tour of the house and gardens, we'll ease into country living in the Hall's luxurious (and tastefully eclectic) rooms. With bookish activities, entertainment, and surprises planned throughout the weekend, you're sure to be delighted — and have plenty of time to connect with old and new bookish friends. DatesThis is a five-day, four-night trip: Thursday through Monday. It will be held on two consecutive weekends; each weekend is limited to 19 guests. Weekend 1: Thursday, November 5 through Monday, November 9 Weekend 2: Thursday, November 12 through Monday, November 16 Also! Click here for the complete details about the weekend and to enjoy the pretty photos For early access to tickets, join our Patreon. To be notified the minute tickets go on sale, join our free Substack newsletter. If you're curious about last year's trip, listen to our podcast episode That Time We Rented a Manor House in Wales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recorded on January 15, 2026 Book talk starts at 24:45 EVENTS Tracie and Barb will be attending NoCKRs - April 23-26, 2026 in San Juan Bautista.   Our Sweater KAL has ended and prize winners will be announced at the end of this podcast.  Thank you to everyone who participated! Our spring KAL will be the One-Skein KAL!  Find that beauitful skein of yarn you've been saving for someday and knit it up into whatever you want - a hat, a cowl, mitts or socks.  The only rules are that your project must use at least 100 yards of yarn and be all from a single skein of yarn.  We will cast on for this KAL starting February 1 and go through May 15.   KNITTING Barb has finished: Bankhead #37   Barb has Cast On: 1.  Effortless Cardigan by Zabeth, using Knit Picks Wool of the Andes worsted, in the Dove Heather colorway 2.  Stephanie's One-Row Scarf by Stephanie-Pearl McPhee, using a Caron Upside Down Cake in the Peanut Butter colorway   Tracie has finished: 1.  Felix Pullover by Amy Christophers from her combo spin 2.  Vanilla socks with FLK heel in Dreaming of Hue 75% SW Merino/25% Nylon in Unicorn Tails 3.  Melt The Ice Hat  by Paul S. Nearly in Psych Ward Yarns Hecka Fingering and Queensland Collection Sugar Rush Solids held together 4.  Melt the Ice Badge - #3D version by Hasani, in Malabrigo Rios   Tracie has Cast-on 1.  Zephyr Mark II By Celia Cahill in Invictus Yarns Tenacity in Wicked Guitar Riffs 2.  The Simple Thing by Melina Brell in WoolFolk Fär in color 28   Tracie has frogged/ put into Hibernation: Chicory Pullover by Susan Moskwa using Malabrigo Washted in the Pascal colorway     BOOKS   Barb has Finished:   1.  Motherland by Julia Ioffe - 2 stars   2.  The Correspondent - 5 stars   3.   The Writing Retreat - 3 stars     Tracie has finished:   1.   James by Percival  Everett- 3.5 stars   2.  Poisoned Love Carlton Smith - 4 stars   3.  What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall  - 2.5 stars   4.  North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell - 4 stars   5.   Broken Ground (Karen Pirie #5) by Val McDermid - 4 stars