Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
1
257
Cranford
·
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
3
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.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
