I have passed out of childhood into old age. I have had no youth – no womanhood; the hopes of womanhood have closed for me – for I shall never marry; and I anticipate cares and sorrows just as if I were an old woman, and with the same fearful spirit.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

Elizabeth Gaskell Quotes

It seems strange to think, that what gives us most hope for the future should be called Dolores, said Margaret.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

Margaret found that the indifferent, careless conversations of one who, however kind, was not too warm and anxious a sympathizer, did her good.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

Every mile was redolent of associations, which she would not have missed for the world, but each of which made her cry upon ‘the days that are no more’ with ineffable longing.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

Take care. -If you do not speak- I shall claim you as my own in some presumptuous way. -Send me away at once, if I must go; -Margaret!-.

— Elizabeth Gaskell
Romance

How different men were to women!

— Elizabeth Gaskell

A girl in love will do a good deal.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

Margaret liked this smile; it was the first thing she had admired in this new friend of her father’s; and the opposition of character, shown in all these details of appearance she had just been noticing, seemed to explain the attraction they evidently felt towards each other.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

And so she shuddered away from the threat of his enduring love. What did he mean? Had she not the power to daunt him? She would see. It was more daring than became a man to threaten her.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

Oh dear! A drunken infidel weaver! said Mr. Hale to himself.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

She had a fierce pleasure in the idea of telling Margaret unwelcome truths, in the shape of performance of duty.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

Miss Jenkyns wore a cravat, and a little bonnet like a jockey-cap, and altogether had the appearance of a strong-minded woman; although she would have despised the modern idea of women being equal to men. Equal, indeed! she knew they were superior.

— Elizabeth Gaskell
Strong

Loyalty and obedience to wisdom and justice are fine; but it is still finer to defy arbitrary power, unjustly and cruelly used – not on behalf of ourselves, but on behalf of others more helpless.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

My heart burnt within me with indignation and grief; we could think of nothing else. All night long we had only snatches of sleep, waking up perpetually to the sense of a great shock and grief. Every one is feeling the same. I never knew so universal a feeling.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

It had been a royal time of luxury to him, with all its stings and contumelies, compared to the poverty that crept round and clipped the anticipation of the future down to sordid fact, and life without an atmosphere of either hope or fear.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

Oh, my Margaret – my Margaret! no one can tell what you are to me! Dead – cold as you lie there you are the only woman I ever loved! Oh, Margaret – Margaret!

— Elizabeth Gaskell

He loved her, and would love her; and defy her, and this miserable bodily pain.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

Of all faults the one she most despised in others was the want of bravery; the meanness of heart which leads to untruth.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

Well, He had known what love was-a sharp pang, a fierce experience, in the midst of whose flames he was struggling! but, through that furnace he would fight his way out into the serenity of middle age,-all the richer and more human for having known this great passion.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

If you dare to injure her in the least, I will await you where no policeman can step in between. And God shall judge between us two.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

She stood by the tea-table in a light-coloured muslin gown, which had a good deal of pink about it. She looked as if she was not attending to the conversation, but solely busy with the tea-cups, among which her round ivory hands moved with pretty, noiseless, daintiness.

— Elizabeth Gaskell
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