So Dawn wrote about building community today, and I have a few quotes from Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford which I think are lovely examples of a caring community. Cranford was my audiobook last week while down with the flu, and I found it quite delightful. And thanks to the fact that Audible audio clips get saved in the synced Kindle copy, I can share them with you. 🙂
I had often occasion to notice the use that was made of fragments and small opportunities in Cranford; the rose-leaves that were gathered ere they fell to make into a potpourri for someone who had no garden; the little bundles of lavender flowers sent to strew the drawers of some town-dweller, or to burn in the chamber of some invalid. Things that many would despise, and actions which it seemed scarcely worth while to perform, were all attended to in Cranford.
…when the whole income does not nearly amount to a hundred pounds, to give up a twentieth of it will necessitate many careful economies, and many pieces of self-denial, small and insignificant in the world’s account, but bearing a different value in another account-book that I have heard of. She did so wish she was rich, she said, and this wish she kept repeating, with no thought of herself in it, only with a longing, yearning desire to be able to heap up Miss Matty’s measure of comforts.
It was really very pleasant to see how her unselfishness and simple sense of justice called out the same good qualities in others. She never seemed to think any one would impose upon her, because she should be so grieved to do it to them.
Also read/listened to this week:
- Hubby: The Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin Jr. – last I heard he was a bit traumatized by it. 😉
- Me: The Screwtape Letters also got a re-listen while I was sick – it’s at least my third time through.
- Miss A: The poor girl has to read Frankenstein AND Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde this term – she might be traumatized! 😛
- Mr. D: I can tell from his narrations that he’s really connecting with David Copperfield, and that makes me happy. 🙂
- Mr. E: He’s deep into a Dickens’ novel, too – Oliver Twist.
- Mr. L: I added the lovely The Apple and the Arrow (about William Tell) into the schedule this term.
- Little R: We took a trip to the local bookstore for Valentine’s books today, and he and L each picked one of the Curious Critters books – we even got signed copies!
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