The Essential Reads

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 42 "Alone! Alone!" 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 falls into a state of prostration that does not give way to tears. She only speaks in whispers, and Mr. Bell is perplexed. He knows that he cannot ask her to move to Oxford. He tries to get Margaret to eat something, but she refuses everything, knowing that she would not be able to swallow. Bell writes to Mrs. Shaw, telling her that she needs to come up to Milton to be with Margaret. Mrs Shaw comes to Milton with the goal of bringing Margaret back to London. She is shocked by the city, finding it dirty and so different from what she is used to in the south, but when she arrives, arms open wide to receive Margaret, the girl can finally cry. Mr Bell leaves the women alone and goes to the library where he hears the sound of Mr. Thornton’s voice. Dixon tries to get the man to go, but Bell invites him to come into the study. Bell doesn’t quite know what he wants to say to Thornton, he wants company more than anything, and when he says that he will need to stay in the pub now that Mrs. Shaw has arrived, Thornton invites Bell to stay with him. At the Thornton residence, Fanny is trying on dresses for her wedding. Mrs. Thornton is very bored of this and is very glad when this is interrupted by the entrance of her son and Mr. Bell. Mrs. Thornton asks after Margaret. Bell if frustrated by Margaret’s relations all claiming her, and wishes that he could claim her for himself, as her Godfather. After Mrs. Thornton leaves, Mr. Bell mentions Frederick, saying that he wishes that Frederick could claim her too. This causes Mr. Thornton to ask a lot of questions about this new name, and Mr. Bell explains the situation. Thornton asks if he could maybe have been in Milton after Mrs. Hale’s death, but Bell denies this, suggesting that the man Thornton could have seen at the station could have been Mr. Lennox. It is decided that Mr. Thornton will attend Mr. Hale’s funeral in Oxford too. Bell then brings up his idea that Thornton had romantic feelings for Miss Hale, he denies this, but then changes the subject to work, hoping to not let anything slip to Mr. Bell. Bell brings up the renovations Mr Thornton is making. Thornton is building a new kitchen and dining room for his men to eat in. He wants the men to have access to hot meals. He spoke the idea over with Higgins, and while he was initially against the idea, he soon came around to it. So, Thornton buys the ingredients “wholesale” and then a cook makes the food for the men. Thornton, after an invitation from Higgins and a few others has even eaten with his men at times and really enjoyed the experience. He now eats regularly 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 41 "The Journey's End" 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:Mr. Thornton comes very seldom to the house, only to visit Mr. Hale, and only for lessons. His business affairs are very hectic after the strike. Margaret tries to fill her time by taking care of her father. In March, Frederick and Delores write to announce their marriage, and it seems that Henry Lennox is finding it very difficult to find people who could help Frederick’s case. Mr. Hale’s health is getting worse, and Margaret suggests, after an invitation from Mr. Bell, that her father goes to visit him, allowing herself to also rest. He goes. That first day, Margaret only cries once, at the thought that her plans for Frederick have all fallen through. She tries to get out of her head and help others. She stops the maid, Martha, and though it took a while, gets the girl to talk about her youth. It turns out that Martha was helped by Mrs. Thornton and her son. After this, she goes to visit Mary Higgins. Mr Higgins is there too and he too seems more pious. When home, Margaret goes through some unread letters, and her mind drifts towards her father. She just wishes that Mr. Thornton would visit her father more often, she didn’t need to see him, just her father. Mr. Hale too is thinking of Margaret that night in Oxford. He has had a quite busy day walking around all of his old haunts and seeing old acquaintances. It seems like they all forgot Mr. Hale’s change in attitudes and ideas and welcome him fondly. Laying in bed, he converses with Mr. Bell. Mr Hale says that he is tired and says that he is 55 years of age and that must account for it. Mr. Bell calls him still a young man, but Hale is adamant that these last few years have been hard on him. He then tells Mr. Bell that he must be there for Margaret if and when he passes away, he also says that he has no regrets about leaving the church. He talks too about the Lennox’s and says that they will probably try to take care of Margaret too. Mr. Bell promises to take care of her but also tells Mr. Hale that he is being daft, and he will live many years longer. That night Mr. Hale put his head down on the pillow for the last time. The following morning the servant finds him. Mr. Bells immediately calls for his night bag to be packed, and he rushes to the train station to go to Milton and tell Margaret. On the train he tries his best not to cry in front of strangers but finds only Mr. Thornton in the carriage. He tells Thornton the news, causing Thornton to immediately think of Margaret. The rest of the journey is quiet and when Bell arrives at the Hale Residence, Margaret, seeing him out of the window, instantly knows what has happened…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 40 "Out Of Time" 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 didn’t expect that Mr. Bell’s visit would make her very happy, but she very quickly feels like he would be a very close friend to her. They jest with each other about their differing views. Mr. Bell, though from the north, has become a southerner, and Margaret, a southerner, has come to sympathise with the northerners. Mr. Hale enjoys his time with Bell too. Mr. Bell isn’t proud of being from Milton. Mr Hale reminds him that Mr. Thornton is coming for tea, and says that Mr. Bell should behave. Mr. Thornton determines not to ask his mother about her conversation with Margaret and he shrinks from hearing her name even mentioned, as he still loves her. He tries to busy himself at work, and determines to arrive later than anticipated at the Hale residence to not seem too eager to be there. At the Hale’s he and Mr. Bell go over their business arrangements and Mr. Thornton finds Mr Bell to be a disagreeable man, and Mr. Bell finds Mr. Thornton to be the same. When they go upstairs, Mr. Hale tries to jest at the two men, saying that they spent so long in the study that they must have tried to convert each other to their own way of thinking. This conversation turns to Mr. Bell continuing to jest with Mr. Thornton, but the manufacturer does not understand the jests and gets increasingly more frustrated with Mr Bell. Margaret tries to change the topic and brings up a letter from Edith, which her father tries to continue on, but Mr. Bell mentions Margaret being a truthful person, and in the anger he felt at Mr. Bell, he snaps out a comment about Margaret not being as truthful as she seems. At this he instantly hates himself and expects Margaret to leave the room, but she stays still and quietly bends over her work and quivers. He gives short sharp answers for the rest of the night and then goes home, resolving to never see her again. When Thornton leaves Margaret starts to pack up her things. When she leaves, Mr. Bells suggests to Mr. Hale that Margaret and he share an affection for each other. Mr. Hale refutes this and says that Bell must be mistakes, or if an affection does exist, then it must only be from Thornton’s side. The following day, Bell goes back to Oxford and invites both Mr. Hale and Margaret to visit him some time in the city. Mr. Bell tells Hale that he should leave Milton and come to Oxford, but Hale says that he cannot leave the city, it is his punishment for leaving Helstone. The Boucher and Higgins families are living under the same roof. Mr. Higgins is making sure that the children are going to be well taken care of. Higgins can’t place a finger on Thornton and seems to believe that the man is split in two, the Maester, and the human. Apparently Mr. Thornton has taken an interest in the children too and wants to ask about their schooling. Margaret wishes to see Mr Thornton, but he is very seldom around. He sends last minute notes to Mr. Hale saying that he cannot come to his lesson that day, which greatly upsets Mr Hale. Mr. Hale finally ventures to ask Margaret about her affections for Mr. Thornton. She ascents that there are feelings between the two, but says that she cannot tell him any more about it, only that she regrets what's happened to his friendship. Mr. Hale’s health is getting worse. He has been seriously affected by his wife’s death. 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 39 "Making Friends" 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 shuts herself up in her room after her meeting with Mrs. Thornton, thinking over everything that was said and waiting for the woman to leave the house. Though disappointed, she determines that she is innocent of her accusations and cannot be hurt by the matron’s words. But she also comes to the conclusion that Mr. Thornton must also take Frederick for a lover, and is shocked, and is curious why she is shocked; why should she care. While thinking about all of this she gets ready to leave the house. She goes on a walk in the countryside and when she returns, she runs into her father at the door and says that she will go and visit Mrs. Boucher. The woman in incredibly ill, and more or less on her deathbed. She goes instead to visit Higgins. He is looking after some of Mrs. Boucher’s children. Margaret asks him if he went to Mr. Thornton. The man’s attitude suddenly changes, and he tells her that he wasn’t given a job and says that Thornton spoke to him in a similar way to the other Masters. Margaret goes to say how disappointed she is in Thornton, only to hear a footstep on the door, to turn around, and to see Thornton standing there. She bows politely and rushes out of the room. Thornton feels very awkward about Margaret having been there. Thornton was shocked by the 5 hours that Higgins spent waiting to talk to him, and while he didn’t have 5 hours to spare, he spent 2 hours going around trying to confirm Higgins’ story and was very pleased to find it to be truthful. He then asks Higgins if the “woman” he spoke about was Margaret. He then asks about the children, asking if they are his. Higgins retaliates a little to this and defends his position from that morning. Thornton then asks if Higgins will take work with him. Higgins looks at the children, and says that Thornton called him names, and he called him names in return, finally asking, if after all they, they could get on together. Thornton laughs a little at this and says that they can’t think worse of each other than they do now. The then talk a little business and Mr Thornton then leaves. Outside he runs again into Margaret, and instead of leaving her, he finally bucks up the courage to speak with her. He tells her that he took Higgins on and apologises for what he said about women meddling. Margaret then goes to say that Higgins didn’t tell him the whole truth, but the word Truth makes her stop. Thornton catches on this and asks her why she lied about being at the station. Margaret refuses, saying that she cannot betray the trust of the man she was with. Thornton leaves her. Walking home, Margaret is very confused about everything that he said to her. When home, she gets a letter from cousin Edith saying that she will be moving back to Harley Street, filling Margaret with joy at the possibility of returning to London life with her friends.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 38 "Promises Fulfilled" narrated by Isaac BirchallSupport me as an independent creator⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:In the Thornton household, Mr. Thornton is thinking about the look that Margaret shared with the man on the train platform at that late time. At first, he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and say that all this is innocent, but he cannot keep that thought in his head for long for the lie she told. He passionately loves her in spite of her faults, but he deems her attached to another man. The very falsehood that stains her is the proof of her love for another. He can focus only on that. He would have done anything for her to look at him like she looked at that other man. He paces up and down the room while thinking about all this. After a long while, his mother asks him to stop. She says that with the death of Leonards, his lover, and their servant, wishes to leave their employment. She goes on to say that Betsy, the servant, told her that Miss Hale was seen on the platform the night when Leonards died. Mr. Thornton says that the scuffle had nothing to do with Miss Hale’s presence on the platform after his conversation with the doctors. Mrs. Thornton goes on to say that she made a promise to Mrs. Hale that she would put Margaret on the right path if she ever strayed and will thus go and talk to her. She then asks her son if he believes that the man Margaret was seen with is her lover, which he confirms before being afflicted with a physical pain. He says to his mother that Margaret needs help, and that she should go to her. She goes to the Hale residence.She practically lets herself into the house and finds Margaret right away, looking to scald her for her assumed actions, but on seeing Margarets countenance, she is slightly subdued. Margaret is glad that the woman has come, but once Mrs. Thornton starts to talk, the whole attitude changes. Margaret call is reprimanded for galivanting around with a strange man late at night so soon after refusing her son’s proposal. Margaret is furious with this characterisation but cannot defend herself and admit who the man is. After a little back and forth, Margaret leaves the room like an offended princess. Mrs. Thornton reflects that if she and her son had gotten together, they he would have to keep an eye on her lest she would lead the household. Mr. Thornton is passing an even worse morning than his mother. He has many orders to complete and has spent a lot of money on new machines, and the new imported Irish hands need to be trained, something he doesn’t have enough time to do. He goes out of the factory and is stopped quickly by Higgins, saying he wishes to talk. Thornton doesn’t have the time, so Higgins decides to wait until the man comes back. On his return, Thornton is surprised to see Higgins still there and invites him in to talk. As he goes in, the overlooker lets his Master know who Higgins is, changing Thornton’s attitude towards Higgins, greatly. Inside, Thornton asks Higgins what he wants, and when Higgins replies that he is there for work, Thornton treats it as a joke. Thornton says that he has lost many workers because of Higgins’ union antics and tells him to look for work elsewhere. Higgins turns around to go, but when he remembers Boucher’s family, he turns round again to state his case. It is no use however, and Thornton sends him on his way. When he leaves his office, Thornton asks the overlooker how long Higgins waited for, it was 5 hours that he had been standing outside the factory gateSEO stuff... 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.