407 Quotes by Elizabeth Gaskell

Wherever she looked there was evidence of care and labour, but not care and labour to procure ease, to help on habits of tranquil home employment; solely to ornament, and then to preserve ornament from dirt or destruction.

Aye, aye! good-natured, jolly, full of fun; there are a number of other names for the good qualities the devil leaves his children, as bait to catch gudgeons with. D’ye think folk could be led astray by one who was every way bad?

I know you despise me; allow me to say, it is because you don’t understand me.

If she lives, she shall be my wedded wife. If she dies – mother, I can’t speak of what I shall feel if she dies.” His voice was choked in his throat.

He could not – say rather, he would not – deny himself the chance of the pleasure of seeing Margaret. He had no end in this but the present gratification.

She freshens me up above a bit. Who’d ha thought that face – as bright and as strong as the angel I dream of – could have known the sorrow she speaks on? I wonder how she’ll sin. All on us must sing.

I take it that ‘gentleman’ is a term that only describes a person in his relation to others; but when we speak of him as ‘a man,’ we consider him not merely with regard to his fellow-men, but in relation to himself, – to life – to time – to eternity.

If all the world spoke, acted, or kept silence with intent to deceive, – if dearest interests were at stake, and dearest lives in peril, – if no one should ever know of her truth or her falsehood to measure out their honour or contempt for her by, straight alone where she stood, in the presence of God, she prayed that she might have strength to speak and act the truth for evermore.

But the trees were gorgeous in their autumnal leafiness – the warm odours of flowers and herb came sweet upon the sense.