North and South Page #37

North and South is a social novel published in 1854 by English writer Elizabeth Gaskell. With Wives and Daughters and Cranford, it is one of her best-known novels and was adapted for television three times. The 2004 version renewed interest in the novel and attracted a wider readership.

• Novel

								

every respect to them, Mrs. Thornton drew up slightly offended, and gave
Margaret no sympathy--indeed, hardly any credit for the statement of her
mother’s indisposition.

“How is Mr. Thornton?” asked Mr. Hale. “I was afraid he was not well,
from his hurried note yesterday.”

“My son is rarely ill; and when he is, he never speaks about it, or
makes it an excuse for not doing anything. He told me he could not get
leisure to read with you last night, sir. He regretted it, I am sure; he
values the hours spent with you.”

“I am sure they are equally agreeable to me,” said Mr. Hale. “It makes
me feel young again to see his enjoyment and appreciation of all that is
fine in classical literature.”

“I have no doubt that classics are very desirable for people who have
leisure. But I confess, it was against my judgment that my son renewed
his study of them. The time and place in which he lives, seem to me to
require all his energy and attention. Classics may do very well for men
who loiter away their lives in the country or in colleges; but Milton
men ought to have their thoughts and powers absorbed in the work of
to-day. At least, that is my opinion.” This last clause she gave out
with “the pride that apes humility.”

“But, surely, if the mind is too long directed to one object only, it
will get stiff and rigid, and unable to take in many interests,” said
Margaret.

“I do not quite understand what you mean by a mind getting stiff and
rigid. Nor do I admire those whirligig characters that are full of this
thing to-day, to be utterly forgetful of it in their new interest
to-morrow. Having many interests does not suit the life of a Milton
manufacturer. It is or ought to be enough for him to have one great
desire, and to bring all the purposes of his life to bear on the
fulfilment of that.”

“And that is--?” asked Mr. Hale.

Her sallow cheek flushed, and her eye lightened, as she answered:

“To hold and maintain a high, honourable place among the merchants of
his country--the men of his town. Such a place my son has earned for
himself. Go where you will--I don’t say in England only, but in
Europe--the name of John Thornton of Milton is known and respected
amongst all men of business. Of course, it is unknown in the fashionable
circles,” she continued scornfully. “Idle gentlemen and ladies are not
likely to know much of a Milton manufacturer, unless he gets into
parliament, or marries a lord’s daughter.”

Both Mr. Hale and Margaret had an uneasy, ludicrous consciousness that
they had never heard of this great name, until Mr. Bell had written them
word that Mr. Thornton would be a good friend to have in Milton. The
proud mother’s world was not their world of Harley street gentilities on
the one hand, or country clergymen and Hampshire squires on the other.
Margaret’s face, in spite of all her endeavours to keep it simply
listening in its expression, told the sensitive Mrs. Thornton this
feeling of hers.

“You think you never heard of this wonderful son of mine, Miss Hale. You
think I’m an old woman whose ideas are hounded by Milton, and whose own
crow is the whitest ever seen.”

“No,” said Margaret, with some spirit. “It may be true that I was
thinking I had hardly heard Mr. Thornton’s name before I came to Milton.
But since I have come here, I have heard enough to make me respect and
admire him, and to feel how much justice and truth there is in what you
have said of him.”

“Who spoke to you of him?” asked Mrs. Thornton, a little mollified, yet
jealous lest any one else’s words should not have done him full justice.

Margaret hesitated before she replied. She did not like this
authoritative questioning. Mr. Hale came in, as he thought, to the
rescue.

“It was what Mr. Thornton said himself, that made us know the kind of
man he was. Was it not, Margaret?”

Mrs. Thornton drew herself up, and said--

“My son is not the one to tell of his own doings. May I again ask you,
Miss Hale, from whose account you formed your favourable opinion of him?
A mother is curious and greedy of commendation of her children, you
know.”

Margaret replied, “It was as much from what Mr. Thornton withheld of
that which we had been told of his previous life by Mr. Bell,--it was
more that than what he said, that made us all feel what reason you have
to be proud of him.”

“Mr. Bell! What can he know of John? He, living a lazy life in a drowsy
college. But I’m obliged to you, Miss Hale. Many a missy young lady
would have shrunk from giving an old woman the pleasure of hearing that
her son was well spoken of.”

“Why?” asked Margaret, looking straight at Mrs. Thornton, in
bewilderment.

“Why! because I suppose they might have consciences that told them how
surely they were making the old mother into an advocate for them, in
case they had any plans on the son’s heart.”

She smiled a grim smile, for she had been pleased by Margaret’s
frankness; and perhaps she felt that she had been asking questions too
much as if she had a right to catechise. Margaret laughed outright at
the notion presented to her; laughed so merrily that it grated on Mrs.
Thornton’s ear, as if the words that called forth that laugh, must have
been utterly and entirely ludicrous.

Margaret stopped her merriment as soon as she saw Mrs. Thornton’s
annoyed look.

“I beg your pardon, madam. But I really am very much obliged to you for
exonerating me from making any plans on Mr. Thornton’s heart.”

“Young ladies have, before now,” said Mrs. Thornton, stiffly.

“I hope Miss Thornton is well,” put in Mr. Hale, desirous of changing
the current of the conversation.

“She is as well as she ever is. She is not strong,” replied Mrs.
Thornton, shortly.

“And Mr. Thornton? I suppose I may hope to see him on Thursday?”

“I cannot answer for my son’s engagements. There is some uncomfortable
work going on in the town; a threatening of a strike. If so, his
experience and judgment will make him much consulted by his friends. But
I should think he could come on Thursday. At any rate, I am sure he will
let you know if he cannot.”

“A strike!” asked Margaret. “What for? What are they going to strike
for?”

“For the mastership and ownership of other people’s property,” said Mrs.
Thornton, with a fierce snort. “That is what they always strike for. If
my son’s work-people strike, I will only say they are a pack of
ungrateful hounds. But I have no doubt they will.”

“They are wanting higher wages, I suppose?” asked Mr. Hale.

“That is the face of the thing. But the truth is, they want to be
masters, and make the masters into slaves on their own ground. They are
always trying at it; they always have it in their minds; and every five
or six years, there comes a struggle between masters and men. They’ll
find themselves mistaken this time, I fancy,--a little out of their
reckoning. If they turn out, they mayn’t find it so easy to go in again.
I believe, the masters have a thing or two in their heads which will
teach the men not to strike again in a hurry, if they try it this time.”
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