Gaskell, “The Old Nurse’s Story”
Category: Uncategorized, Posted on July 23rd, 2010 by adminNo Comments
I’m in the thick of my summer course:it’s hard to believe that we’ve already covered Pride and Prejudice, “The Two Drovers,” and Jane Eyre. I have a great group of students–they seemvery engaged and a significant proportion of them are contributing with gustoto class discussion. But the assignments are starting to come in, so it may bea bit quiet around here for a bit. In the meantime, let me recommend ElizabethGaskell’s “The Old Nurse’s Story,” one of our texts for tomorrow, for yourreading pleasure. Here’s a teaser:
And thegreat frost never ceased all this time; and whenever it was a more stormy nightthan usual, between the gusts, and through the wind, we heard the old lordplaying on the great organ. But, old lord, or not, wherever Miss Rosamond went,there I followed; for my love for her, pretty helpless orphan, was strongerthan my fear for the grand and terrible sound. Besides, it rested with me tokeep her cheerful and merry, as beseemed her age. So we played together, andwandered together, here and there, and everywhere; for I never dared to losesight of her again in that large and rambling house. And so it happened, thatone afternoon, not long before Christmas Day, we were playing together on thebilliard-table in the great hall (not that we knew the way of playing, but sheliked to roll the smooth ivory balls with her pretty hands, and I liked to dowhatever she did); and, by-and-by, without our noticing it, it grew duskindoors, though it was still light in the open air, and I was thinking oftaking her back into the nursery, when, all of a sudden, she cried out:
‘Look,Hester! look! there is my poor little girl out in the snow!’
I turnedtowards the long narrow windows, and there, sure enough, I saw a little girl,less than my Miss Rosamond dressed all unfit to be out-of-doors such a bitternight, crying, and beating against the window-panes, as if she wanted to be letin. She seemed to sob and wail, till Miss Rosamond could bear it no longer, andwas flying to the door to open it, when, all of a sudden, and close up upon us,the great organ pealed out so loud and thundering, it fairly made me tremble;and all the more, when I remembered me that, even in the stillness of thatdead-cold weather, I had heard no sound of little battering hands upon thewindow-glass, although the Phantom Child had seemed to put forth all its force;and, although I had seen it wail and cry, no faintest touch of sound had fallenupon my ears. Whether I remembered all this at the very moment, I do not know;the great organ sound had so stunned me into terror. . .
The full text can be found here or here.
Posted in Elizabeth Gaskell, This week in my classes