The Moorland Cottage

"The Moorland Cottage" by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell is a short novella that was first published around 1850 after her first novel "Mary Barton" but before one of her more famous novels "Cranford". This feminist masterpiece is said to be the precursor and the template for George Elliot’s "The Mill on the Floss".

The story centres on Maggie Browne, her brother Edward, and their mother who live at the novella's title Moorland Cottage. Mr. Browne died when the children were very young and Mrs. Browne has spent most of the rest of her time neglecting Maggie and catering to her Edward, allowing him all of life's pleasures and ambitions. Maggie obediently stands by and watches her mother spoil Edward and never complains when she is ordered around or criticised for every little thing she does wrong. Maggie's fortune changes when a friend of her father's Mr. Buxton visits the family and invites them to come and spend the day at his home. Maggie becomes a favourite to his sick wife and only son Frank and spends a day a week in their company. Mrs. Buxton teaches Maggie a lot of self-sacrificing, and as Maggie grows she becomes a beautiful, pious young woman and she must learn to find her voice if she is to overcome some of the obstacles that come into her way.