North and South Page #38

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

								


“Does it make the town very rough?” asked Margaret.

“Of course it does. But surely you are not a coward, are you? Milton is
not the place for cowards. I have known the time when I have had to
thread my way through a crowd of white, angry men, all swearing they
would have Makinson’s blood as soon as he ventured to show his nose out
of his factory; and he, knowing nothing of it, some one had to go and
tell him, or he was a dead man; and it needed to be a woman,--so I went.
And when I got in, I could not get out. It was as much as my life was
worth. So I went up to the roof, where there were stones piled ready to
drop on the heads of the crowd, if they tried to force the factory
doors. And I would have lifted those heavy stones, and dropped them with
as good an aim as the best man there, but that I fainted with the heat I
had gone through. If you live in Milton, you must learn to have a brave
heart, Miss Hale.”

“I would do my best,” said Margaret rather pale. “I do not know whether
I am brave or not till I am tried; but I am afraid I should be a
coward.”

“South country people are often frightened by what our Darkshire men and
women only call living and struggling. But when you’ve been ten years
among a people who are always owing their betters a grudge, and only
waiting for an opportunity to pay it off, you’ll know whether you are a
coward or not, take my word for it.”

Mr. Thornton came that evening to Mr. Hale’s. He was shown up into the
drawing-room, where Mr. Hale was reading aloud to his wife and daughter.

“I am come partly to bring you a note from my mother, and partly to
apologise for not keeping to my time yesterday. The note contains the
address you asked for; Dr. Donaldson.”

“Thank you!” said Margaret, hastily, holding out her hand to take the
note, for she did not wish her mother to hear that they had been making
any inquiry about a doctor. She was pleased that Mr. Thornton seemed
immediately to understand her feeling; he gave her the note without
another word of explanation.

Mr. Hale began to talk about the strike. Mr. Thornton’s face assumed a
likeness to his mother’s worst expression, which immediately repelled
the watching Margaret.

“Yes; the fools will have a strike. Let them. It suits us well enough.
But we gave them a chance. They think trade is flourishing as it was
last year. We see the storm on the horizon and draw in our sails. But
because we don’t explain our reasons, they won’t believe we’re acting
reasonably. We must give them line and letter for the way we choose to
spend or save our money. Henderson tried a dodge with his men, out at
Ashley, and failed. He rather wanted a strike; it would have suited his
book well enough. So when the men came to ask for the five per cent.
they are claiming, he told ’em he’d think about it, and give them his
answer on the pay day; knowing all the while what his answer would be,
of course, but thinking he’d strengthen their conceit of their own way.
However, they were too deep for him, and heard something about the bad
prospects of trade. So in they came on the Friday, and drew back their
claim, and now he’s obliged to go on working. But we Milton masters have
to-day sent in our decision. We won’t advance a penny. We tell them we
may have to lower wages; but can’t afford to raise. So here we stand,
waiting for their next attack.”

“And what will that be?” asked Mr. Hale.

“I conjecture a simultaneous strike. You will see Milton without smoke
in a few days, I imagine, Miss Hale.”

“But why,” asked she, “could you not explain what good reason you had
for expecting a bad trade? I don’t know whether I use the right words,
but you will understand what I mean.”

“Do you give your servants reasons for your expenditure, or your economy
in the use of your own money? We, the owners of capital, have a right to
choose what we will do with it.”

“A human right,” said Margaret, very low.

“I beg your pardon, I did not hear what you said.”

“I would rather not repeat it,” said she; “it related to a feeling which
I do not think you would share.”

“Won’t you try me?” pleaded he; his thoughts suddenly bent upon learning
what she had said. She was displeased with his pertinacity, but did not
choose to affix too much importance to her words.

“I said you had a human right. I meant that there seemed no reason but
religious ones, why you should not do what you like with your own.”

“I know we differ in our religious opinions; but don’t you give me
credit for having some, though not the same as yours?”

He was speaking in a subdued voice, as if to her alone. She did not wish
to be so exclusively addressed. She replied out in her usual tone:

“I do not think that I have any occasion to consider your special
religious opinions in the affair. All I meant to say is, that there is
no human law to prevent the employers from utterly wasting or throwing
away all their money, if they choose; but that there are passages in the
Bible which would rather imply--to me at least--that they neglected
their duties as stewards if they did so. However, I know so little about
strikes and rate of wages, and capital, and labour, that I had better
not talk to a political economist like you.”

“Nay, the more reason,” said he eagerly. “I shall only be too glad to
explain to you all that may seem anomalous or mysterious to a stranger;
especially at a time like this, when our doings are sure to be canvassed
by every scribbler who can hold a pen.”

“Thank you,” she answered, coldly. “Of course, I shall apply to my
father in the first instance for any information he can give me, if I
get puzzled with living here amongst this strange society.”

“You think it strange. Why?”

“I don’t know--I suppose because, on the very face of it, I see two
classes dependent on each other in every possible way, yet each
evidently regarding the interests of the other as opposed to their own:
I never lived in a place before where there were two sets of people
always running each other down.”

“Who have you heard running the masters down? I don’t ask who you have
heard abusing the men; for I see you persist in misunderstanding what I
said the other day. But who have you heard abusing the masters?”

Margaret reddened; then smiled as she said,

“I am not fond of being catechised. I refuse to answer your question.
Besides, it has nothing to do with the fact. You must take my word for
it, that I have heard some people, or, it may be, only some one of the
workpeople speak as though it were the interest of the employers to keep
them from acquiring money--that it would make them too independent if
they had a sum in the savings’ bank.”

“I dare say it was that man Higgins who told you all this,” said Mrs.
Hale. Mr. Thornton did not appear to hear what Margaret evidently did
not wish him to know. But he caught it nevertheless.

“I heard, moreover, that it was considered to the advantage of the
masters to have ignorant workmen--not hedge-lawyers, as Captain Lennox
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