Cranford

Cranford

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Cranford, by Elizabeth Cleghorn
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Title: Cranford
Author: Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Release Date: January, 1996 [EBook #394] [This file was first posted
on December 7, 1995] [Most recently updated: August 18, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK,
CRANFORD ***

Transcribed from the 1907 J. M. Dent edition by David Price, email
[email protected]. Extra proofing by Margaret Price.

CRANFORD

CHAPTER I
--OUR SOCIETY

In the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons; all the
holders of houses above a certain rent are women. If a married couple
come to settle in the town, somehow the gentleman disappears; he is
either fairly frightened to death by being the only man in the Cranford
evening parties, or he is accounted for by being with his regiment, his
ship, or closely engaged in business all the week in the great
neighbouring commercial town of Drumble, distant only twenty miles
on a railroad. In short, whatever does become of the gentlemen, they
are not at Cranford. What could they do if they were there? The
surgeon has his round of thirty miles, and sleeps at Cranford; but every
man cannot be a surgeon. For keeping the trim gardens full of choice
flowers without a weed to speck them; for frightening away little boys
who look wistfully at the said flowers through the railings; for rushing
out at the geese that occasionally venture in to the gardens if the gates
are left open; for deciding all questions of literature and politics
without troubling themselves with unnecessary reasons or arguments;
for obtaining clear and correct knowledge of everybody's affairs in the
parish; for keeping their neat maid-servants in admirable order; for
kindness (somewhat dictatorial) to the poor, and real tender good
offices to each other whenever they are in distress, the ladies of
Cranford are quite sufficient. "A man," as one of them observed to me
once, "is SO in the way in the house!" Although the ladies of Cranford

know all each other's proceedings, they are exceedingly indifferent to
each other's opinions. Indeed, as each has her own individuality, not to
say eccentricity, pretty strongly developed, nothing is so easy as verbal
retaliation; but, somehow, good-will reigns among them to a
considerable degree.
The Cranford ladies have only an occasional little quarrel, spirited out
in a few peppery words and angry jerks of the head; just enough to
prevent the even tenor of their lives from becoming too flat. Their dress
is very independent of fashion; as they observe, "What does it signify
how we dress here at Cranford, where everybody knows us?" And if
they go from home, their reason is equally cogent, "What does it
signify how we dress here, where nobody knows us?" The materials of
their clothes are, in general, good and plain, and most of them are
nearly as scrupulous as Miss Tyler, of cleanly memory; but I will
answer for it, the last gigot, the last tight and scanty petticoat in wear in
England, was seen in Cranford--and seen without a smile.
I can testify to a magnificent family red silk umbrella, under which a
gentle little spinster, left alone of many brothers and sisters, used to
patter to church on rainy days. Have you any red silk umbrellas in
London? We had a tradition of the first that had ever been seen in
Cranford; and the little boys mobbed it, and called it "a stick in
petticoats." It might have been the very red silk one I have described,
held by a strong father over a troop of little ones; the poor little
lady--the survivor of all--could scarcely carry it.
Then there were rules and regulations for visiting and calls; and they
were announced to any young people who might be staying in the town,
with all the solemnity with which the old Manx laws