The Essential Reads

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 30 "Home At Last" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:The following day Mrs. Thornton comes to see Mrs. Hale. The latter is much worse and seems very close to death. Mrs. Thornton, who has not seen her for weeks, is instantly softened. Mrs. Hale, a mother like herself, and a much younger woman than herself, laying in a bed from which she may never rise again. Mrs. Hale rouses herself enough to speak, and asks the other mother, to take care of Margaret as if she was her own child. Mrs. Thornton agrees and says that she will refrain from telling her if she is doing well but will put her on the right path if she strays. Mrs. Hale then falls asleep again. During this time, Dixon and Margaret are discussing how the house is supposed to be ran while Fredrick is there, and question when they will receive a letter from him.That evening, while her Margaret and Mr. Hale are sitting in the living room, lamenting over the advancement of Mrs. Hale’s sickness, the doorbell rings. Mr. Hale hardly even notices it, and Margaret goes to answer it. She opens the door and a tall dark figure is standing there. When he turns around, Frederick’s face greets Margaret full of joy to see her and worry for their mother. Margaret is overcome with emotion and ushers him into her father’s study, while she runs off to tell her father. Back in the study, Margaret leaves her brother and father to talk quietly while she prepares tea for them all. She takes it in, and Frederick immediately goes to help her, making Margaret feel like there is finally someone she can share her burden with. They soon tell Dixon that Frederick is there and she is suddenly filled with an energy that she hasn’t felt in a very long time.When Mrs. Hale finally awakens, mother and son are finally united, and they do not leave each other again. Frederick’s hand lays in his mother’s, and finally, after a few hours, Mrs. Hale breaths her last breath. After this, Frederick’s emotions give way and he wails like a child all through the night. Dixon and Margaret have to go and tell him in the night to be quiet, for fear that a neighbour should hear him. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 29 "A Ray of Sunshine" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret receives a letter from her cousin Edith. Edith writes all about her new baby and reminds Margaret of Edith’s scatterbrain style of speech and writing. She tries to urge Margaret to visit her in Corfu with Mrs. Hale, believing that the smoky air in Milton is the true cause of Mrs. Hale’s illness. She even says that if Mr. Hale wishes to come then she can even hide her husband’s military uniform and tell the band to only play church music. This letter fills Margaret with joy, and Margaret is laughing at it when Dixon helps Mrs. Hale into the room. Mrs. Hale asks about the letter, and her daughter reads it to her. Her mother agrees with Edith that it is the Milton air that had made her ill, but before the topic can be dived further into, Mr Hale enters the room, and Margaret shuts the conversation down. Mr. Thornton comes too, with another fruit basket, and to see Margaret. He bows to her and then never lays an eye on her again before leaving to talk with Mr. Hale. After the men leave, Mrs. Hale tells Margaret that she is really starting to like Mr. Thornton, which causes Margaret a small shock. Mrs. Hale then wonders aloud why Mrs. Thornton never visits, asks Margaret if she would be able to ask Mrs. Thornton to visit her. Margaret readily ascents but says that it must be before Frederick arrives. Mrs. Hale wonders too when they will hear from Frederick. They talk more about the housework, and Margaret suggests that Mary Higgins could help with the housework. In her statement, she uses some factory slang to which her mother reprimands her. Soon after, Mr. Hale and Mr. Thornton enter the room again and Margaret asks Mr. Thornton, with some effort, if he knows of any other way to explain some factory terms without using the local slang. He doesn’t really seem to understand what she is asking and instead goes to Mrs. Hale, reminding Margaret of her mother’s request. Mr. Thornton promises to Margaret that his mother will come the following day. . SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 28 "Comfort in Sorrow" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret goes to the Higgins’ house to see Bessy’s body. She is glad that she came. Bessy, whose face was so often tormented by pain, is finally at peace. Margaret is calm but deeply affected by the scene. Downstairs, they come down and see Mr. Higgins, where he looks wild, and like he is struggling to process the news he has heard. He asks Margaret if she was with her when she died. Then asks if she really has died, or has just fainted, like at previous times. Margaret thinks that he has been drinking a little. He breaks down into tears and hurls himself onto the table, which shakes under his wails. Mary goes to him, but she is shoved away by her father. After he calms a little, he makes his way to the door. Mary goes to stop him, proclaiming that Bessy’s last words were to keep their father from drink. Margaret steps in front of the door, not moving a muscle, and standing her ground. At last, Higgins gives in. Margaret asks him to come upstairs and see his daughter, and though uncertain, he goes. Following this, Margaret asks him to come and have tea with her father. They go to the Hale residence. Mr. Higgins suggests that he should have washed himself and while Margaret agrees, she doesn’t want to leave him alone, where he could sneak off to a Gin House. Margaret runs in first to warn her father, and though he is very concerned after all Margaret had said about the man, he consents to sit with him. Margaret goes to her mother. Mrs. Hale is very worried about the letter that Margaret sent to Frederick. She is worried that he will be captured if he comes to England. Margaret, and especially Dixon, manage to calm her down though, Dixon stating that she was thinking of writing to him anyway. Once properly calmed, Margaret goes to sit with her father and Mr. Higgins. Her father and Mr. Higgins are engaged in a deep conversation, which only breaks for Mr. Hale to give his daughter a chair. They talk deeply about religion and politics, and Mr. Hale tells Higgins that he has no goal to convince him today, or tomorrow, but believes that the truth will come out over time. The conversation gets a little heated, but Margaret very gently calms him with soothing words. Eventually, the conversation moves onto the strike, which Higgins says has failed. The riot caused the strike to fail, which made Higgins incredibly angry at Boucher and his like. Margaret asks him questions about the Union, and states that she feels that the Union can be just as worse as the Masters, but she understands the need to for one. Before Higgins goes home, Home as Margaret verified, Mr. Hale asks Higgins to pray with them. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 27 "Fruit-Piece", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:The following day, Mr Thornton goes about all of his business deals with great skill and vivacity. Many of the other magistrates and mill owners make statements about “not being able to do it without him.” His mother is very proud to hear how highly these men praise him. He saw with the police and arranged the next steps. In the street he bumps into Dr. Donaldson while absorbed in his own thoughts. They exchange a little about business, which brings the Doctor to thank him for bringing him the Hale family’s business. He goes on to say that Mrs. Hale only has a few weeks left to live. This, in spite of what happened the previous day, causes him to ask the Doctor what he can do for Mrs. Hale. The Doctor says that there isn’t much to do for her, but he heard her say that she wants fruit. They say goodbye to each other and Mr. Thornton goes straight to the nearest fruit shop in Milton and gets a full basket of fruit. He carries the basket himself instead getting it delivered, which causes many people to stare after him, the Milton manufacturer, working as a porter. He goes to the Hale residence and carries the full basket to where Mrs. Hale is laying. He tries to only look at the sick woman and her husband, but he feels Margaret’s presence every second. The family are incredibly grateful for his actions, but before they can get some plates to share the fruit with him too, he excuses himself and leaves the family. The fruit is delicious and Mrs. Hale scolds her daughter for her attitude towards Mr. Thornton, unable to understand how she can dislike someone as kind as he. Mr. Hale likens the fruit to the ones they ate at Helston and Margaret feels nostalgic for her old life. Margaret goes up to her room perplexed and full of strange emotions where she finds Dixon rummaging through her drawers. Dixon doesn’t respond to Margaret asking her what she is doing and just continues to search through the drawers. When she finally finds what she is looking for and hides it from her mistress, Margaret gets fed up. Dixon gives in and tells her that she was only trying to protect her, but that Bessy Higgins died that morning. Apparently, her sister is downstairs and asking if it would be possible, per Bessy’s last request, to have something of Margaret’s to be buried in. The girl is asking too if Margaret would like to see Bessy before the funeral, which Dixon refused. They go to the kitchen to see Mary, where the sister breaks down in tears, slowly revealing what happened that morning. After her conversation with Mary, Margaret agrees to go and see Bessy after dinner time. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 26 "Mother and Son", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mr. Thornton leaves the house dizzy, almost as if Margaret had punched him. He has a headache and bodily pain. In spite of what Margaret said to him, he resolves himself to go on and continue loving her. A bus passes by and stops, believing that he hailed it, and he decides to get on it and is taken away into countryside and to a small town. He wanders around into the fields and thinks through every detail of the proposal. He believes that he was bewitched by her when she put her arms around him. He doesn’t understand Margaret. It was late in the afternoon when he got back to Milton, and he had so much work to do following the riots, and encounter his mother…Mrs. Thornton has been in the dining room all day, constantly expecting her son to run in and declare that Margaret accepted his proposal, but each time the door opened, it was always a maid, or a worker. She tries to distract herself by going through the linins so that she can give them to the betrothed for their new house and picks out some delicate pieces. She is jealous of Margaret and doesn’t know how to feel, and she feels a pang of pain at the loss of her son. Mrs. Thornton thinks that if Margaret came from Milton, without her southern prejudice, then she would probably like her. She tries to distract herself further with a book and soon hears her son foot on the step. He comes in and stands near his mother while she finished her paragraph. He tries to steel himself against her “Well, John?” but when he leans in to kiss her and say that “no one loves me” his emotions take control of him. She tells him that a mother’s love is forever, but a girls love changes with every wind. Mr. Thornton tells her that he is not fit for Margaret, and that he knew it. His mother curses the girl, but feels lighter, knowing that her son is hers again. He replies that he doesn’t want to hear a word against Margaret and he really loves her. Mrs. Thornton say that she hates the girl. Mr. Thornton rallies himself a little and distracts himself and his mother by talking of the work to come following the riot of the previous day. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.