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1、CranfordCranford1CranfordCHAPTERI-OURSOCIETYINthefirstplace,CranfordisinpossessionoftheAmazons;alltheholdersofhousesaboveacertainrentarewomen.Ifamarriedcouplecometosettleinthetown,somehowthegentlemandisappears;heiseitherfairlyfrightenedtodeathbybeingtheonlymanintheCranfordeveningpart
2、ies,orheisaccountedforbybeingwithhisregiment,hisship,orcloselyengagedinbusinessalltheweekinthegreatneighbouringcommercialtownofDrumble,distantonlytwentymilesonarailroad.Inshort,whateverdoesbecomeofthegentlemen,theyarenotatCranford.Whatcouldtheydoiftheywerethere?Thesurgeonhashisroundo
3、fthirtymiles,andsleepsatCranford;buteverymancannotbeasurgeon.Forkeepingthetrimgardensfullofchoiceflowerswithoutaweedtospeckthem;forfrighteningawaylittleboyswholookwistfullyatthesaidflowersthroughtherailings;forrushingoutatthegeesethatoccasionallyventureintothegardensifthegatesareleft
4、open;fordecidingallquestionsofliteratureandpoliticswithouttroublingthemselveswithunnecessaryreasonsorarguments;forobtainingclearandcorrectknowledgeofeverybody'saffairsintheparish;forkeepingtheirneatmaid-servantsinadmirableorder;forkindness(somewhatdictatorial)tothepoor,andrealtenderg
5、oodofficestoeachotherwhenevertheyareindistress,theladiesofCranfordarequitesufficient."Aman,"asoneofthemobservedtomeonce,"isSOinthewayinthehouse!"AlthoughtheladiesofCranfordknowalleachother'sproceedings,theyareexceedinglyindifferenttoeachother'sopinions.Indeed,aseachhasherownindividua
6、lity,nottosayeccentricity,prettystronglydeveloped,nothingissoeasyasverbalretaliation;but,somehow,good-willreignsamongthemtoaconsiderabledegree.TheCranfordladieshaveonlyanoccasionallittlequarrel,spiritedoutinafewpepperywordsandangryjerksofthehead;justenoughtopreventtheeventenoroftheir
7、livesfrombecomingtooflat.Theirdressisveryindependentoffashion;astheyobserve,"Whatdoesit2CranfordsignifyhowwedresshereatCranford,whereeverybodyknowsus?"Andiftheygofromhome,theirreasonisequallycogent,"Whatdoesitsignifyhowwedresshere,wherenobodyknowsus?"Thematerialsoftheirclothesare,ing
8、eneral,gooda