the life of charlotte bronte-1-第20部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


d　with　the　SOI…DISANT　Christians　of　Heckmondwike；　though　the　one　set　might　be　called　members　of　the　Church　of　England　and　the　other　Dissenters。

The　letter　from　which　I　have　taken　the　above　extract　relates　throughout　to　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　the　place　where　Charlotte　Bronte　spent　her　school…days；　and　describes　things　as　they　existed　at　that　very　time。　　The　writer　says；〃Having　been　accustomed　to　the　respectful　manners　of　the　lower　orders　in　the　agricultural　districts；　I　was　at　first；　much　disgusted　and　somewhat　alarmed　at　the　great　freedom　displayed　by　the　working　classes　of　Heckmondwike　and　Gomersall　to　those　in　a　station　above　them。　　The　term　'lass；'　was　as　freely　applied　to　any　young　lady；　as　the　word　'wench'　is　in　Lancashire。　　The　extremely　untidy　appearance　of　the　villagers　shocked　me　not　a　little；　though　I　must　do　the　housewives　the　justice　to　say　that　the　cottages　themselves　were　not　dirty；　and　had　an　air　of　rough　plenty　about　them　（except　when　trade　was　bad）；　that　I　had　not　been　accustomed　to　see　in　the　farming　districts。　　The　heap　of　coals　on　one　side　of　the　house…　door；　and　the　brewing　tubs　on　the　other；　and　the　frequent　perfume　of　malt　and　hops　as　you　walked　along；　proved　that　fire　and　'home…　brewed'　were　to　be　found　at　almost　every　man's　hearth。　　Nor　was　hospitality；　one　of　the　main　virtues　of　Yorkshire；　wanting。　　Oat…　cake；　cheese；　and　beer　were　freely　pressed　upon　the　visitor。

〃There　used　to　be　a　yearly　festival；　half…religious；　half　social；　held　at　Heckmondwike；　called　'The　Lecture。'　　I　fancy　it　had　come　down　from　the　times　of　the　Nonconformists。　　A　sermon　was　preached　by　some　stranger　at　the　Lower　Chapel；　on　a　week…day　evening；　and　the　next　day；　two　sermons　in　succession　were　delivered　at　the　Upper　Chapel。　　Of　course；　the　service　was　a　very　long　one；　and　as　the　time　was　June；　and　the　weather　often　hot；　it　used　to　be　regarded　by　myself　and　my　companions　as　no　pleasurable　way　of　passing　the　morning。　　The　rest　of　the　day　was　spent　in　social　enjoyment；　great　numbers　of　strangers　flocked　to　the　place；　booths　were　erected　for　the　sale　of　toys　and　gingerbread　（a　sort　of　'Holy　Fair'）；　and　the　cottages；　having　had　a　little　extra　paint　and　white…washing；　assumed　quite　a　holiday　look。

〃The　village　of　Gomersall〃　（where　Charlotte　Bronte's　friend　〃Mary〃　lived　with　her　family）；　〃which　was　a　much　prettier　place　than　Heckmondwike；　contained　a　strange…looking　cottage；　built　of　rough　unhewn　stones；　many　of　them　projecting　considerably；　with　uncouth　heads　and　grinning　faces　carved　upon　them；　and　upon　a　stone　above　the　door　was　cut；　in　large　letters；　'SPITE　HALL。'　　It　was　erected　by　a　man　in　the　village；　opposite　to　the　house　of　his　enemy；　who　had　just　finished　for　himself　a　good　house；　commanding　a　beautiful　view　down　the　valley；　which　this　hideous　building　quite　shut　out。〃

Fearlessbecause　this　people　were　quite　familiar　to　all　of　them　amidst　such　a　population；　lived　and　walked　the　gentle　Miss　W…'s　eight　or　nine　pupils。　　She　herself　was　born　and　bred　among　this　rough；　strong；　fierce　set；　and　knew　the　depth　of　goodness　and　loyalty　that　lay　beneath　their　wild　manners　and　insubordinate　ways。　　And　the　girls　talked　of　the　little　world　around　them；　as　if　it　were　the　only　world　that　was；　and　had　their　opinions　and　their　parties；　and　their　fierce　discussions　like　their　elderspossibly；　their　betters。　　And　among　them；　beloved　and　respected　by　all；　laughed　at　occasionally　by　a　few；　but　always　to　her　facelived；　for　a　year　and　a　half；　the　plain；　short…sighted；　oddly…dressed；　studious　little　girl　they　called　Charlotte　Bronte。



CHAPTER　VII



Miss　Bronte　left　Roe　Head　in　1832；　having　won　the　affectionate　regard　both　of　her　teacher　and　her　school…fellows；　and　having　formed　there　the　two　fast　friendships　which　lasted　her　whole　life　long；　the　one　with　〃Mary；〃　who　has　not　kept　her　letters；　the　other　with　〃E。；〃　who　has　kindly　entrusted　me　with　a　large　portion　of　Miss　Bronte's　correspondence　with　her。　　This　she　has　been　induced　to　do　by　her　knowledge　of　the　urgent　desire　on　the　part　of　Mr。　Bronte　that　the　life　of　his　daughter　should　be　written；　and　in　compliance　with　a　request　from　her　husband　that　I　should　be　permitted　to　have　the　use　of　these　letters；　without　which　such　a　task　could　be　but　very　imperfectly　executed。　　In　order　to　shield　this　friend；　however；　from　any　blame　or　misconstruction；　it　is　only　right　to　state　that；　before　granting　me　this　privilege；　she　throughout　most　carefully　and　completely　effaced　the　names　of　the　persons　and　places　which　occurred　in　them；　and　also　that　such　information　as　I　have　obtained　from　her　bears　reference　solely　to　Miss　Bronte　and　her　sisters；　and　not　to　any　other　individuals　whom　I　may　find　it　necessary　to　allude　to　in　connection　with　them。

In　looking　over　the　earlier　portion　of　this　correspondence；　I　am　struck　afresh　by　the　absence　of　hope；　which　formed　such　a　strong　characteristic　in　Charlotte。　　At　an　age　when　girls；　in　general；　look　forward　to　an　eternal　duration　of　such　feelings　as　they　or　their　friends　entertain；　and　can　therefore　see　no　hindrance　to　the　fulfilment　of　any　engagements　dependent　on　the　future　state　of　the　affections；　she　is　surprised　that　〃E。〃　keeps　her　promise　to　write。　In　after…life；　I　was　painfully　impressed　with　the　fact；　that　Miss　Bronte　never　dared　to　allow　herself　to　look　forward　with　hope；　that　she　had　no　confidence　in　the　future；　and　I　thought；　when　I　heard　of　the　sorrowful　years　she　had　passed　through；　that　it　had　been　this　pressure　of　grief　which　had　crushed　all　buoyancy　of　expectation　out　of　her。　　But　it　appears　from　the　letters；　that　it　must　have　been；　so　to　speak；　constitutional；　or；　perhaps；　the　deep　pang　of　losing　her　two　elder　sisters　combined　with　a　permanent　state　of　bodily　weakness　in　producing　her　hopelessness。　　If　her　trust　in　God　had　been　less　strong；　she　would　have　given　way　to　unbounded　anxiety；　at　many　a　period　of　her　life。　　As　it　was；　we　shall　see；　she　made　a　great　and　successful　effort　to　leave　〃her　times　in　His　hands。〃

After　her　return　home；　she　employed　herself　in　teaching　her　sisters；　over　whom　she　had　had　superior　advantages。　　She　writes　thus；　July　21st；　1832；　of　her　course　of　life　at　the　parsonage：…

〃An　account　of　one　day　is　an　account　of　all。　　In　the　morning；　from　nine　o'clock　till　half…past　twelve；　I　instruct　my　sisters；　and　draw；　then　we　walk　till　dinner…time。　　After　dinner　I　sew　till　tea…　time；　and　after　tea　I　either　write；　read；　or　do　a　little　fancy…　work；　or　draw；　as　I　please。　　Thus；　in　one　delightful；　though　somewhat　monotonous　course；　my　life　is　passed。　　I　have　been　only　out　twice　to　tea　since　I　came　home。　　We　are　expecting　company　this　afternoon；　and　on　Tuesday　next　we　shall　have　all　the　female　teachers　of　the　Sunday…school　to　tea。〃

I　may　here　introduce　a　quotation　from　a　letter　which　I　have　received　from　〃Mary〃　since　the　publication　of　the　previous　editions　of　this　memoir。

〃Soon　after　leaving　school　she　admitted　reading　something　of　Cobbett's。　　'She　did　not　like　him；'　she　said；　'but　all　was　fish　that　came　to　her　net。'　　At　this　time　she　wrote　to　me　that　reading　and　drawing　were　the　only　amusements　she　had；　and　that　her　supply　of　books　was　very　small　in　proportion　to　her　wants。　　She　never　spoke　of　her　aunt。　　When　I　saw　Miss　Branwell　she　was　a　very　precise　person；　and　looked　very　odd；　because　her　dress；　&c。；　was　so　utterly　out　of　fashion。　　She　corrected　one　of　us　once　for　using　the　word　'spit'　or　'spitting。'　　She　made　a　great　favourite　of　Branwell。　　She　made　her　nieces　sew；　with　purpose　or　without；　and　as　far　as　possible　discouraged　any　other　culture。　　She　used　to　keep　the　girls　sewing　charity　clothing；　and　maintained　to　me　that　it　was　not　for　the　good　of　the　recipients；　but　of　the　sewers。　　'It　was　proper　for　them　to　do　it；'　she　said。　　Charlotte　never　was　'in　wild　excitement'　that　I　know　of。　　When　in　health　she　used　to　talk　better；　and　indeed　when　in　low　spirits　never　spoke　at　all。　　She　needed　her　best　spirits　to　say　what　was　in　her　heart；　for　at　other　times　she　had　not　courage。　　She　never　gave　decided　opinions　at　such　times　。　。　。

〃Charlotte　said　she　could　get　on　with　any　one　who　had　a　bump　at　the　top　of　their　heads　（meaning　conscientiousness）。　　I　found　that　I　seldom　differed　from　her；　except　that　she　was　far　too　tolerant　of　stupid　people；　if　they　had　a　grain　of　kindness　in　them。〃

It　was　about　this　time　that　Mr。　Bronte　provided　his　children　with　a　teacher　in　drawing；　who　turned　out　to　be　a　man　of　considerable　talent；　but　very　little　principle。　　Although　they　never　attained　to　anything　like　proficiency；　they　took　great　interest　in　acquiring　this　art；　evidently；　from　an　instinctive　desire　to　express　their　powerful　imaginations　in　visible　forms。　　Charlotte　told　me；　that　at　this　period　of　her　life；　drawing；　and　walking　out　with　her　sisters；　formed　the　two　great　pleasures　and　relaxations　of　her　day。

The　three　girls　used　to　walk　upwards　toward　the　〃purple…black〃　moors；　the　sweeping　surface　of　which　was　broken　by　here　and　there　a　stone…quarry；　and　if　they　had　strength　and　time　to　go　far　enough；　they　reached　a　waterfall；　where　the　beck　fell　over　some　rocks　into　the　〃bottom。〃　　They　seldom　went　downwards　through　the　village。　　They　were　shy　of　meeting　even　familiar　faces；　and　were　scrupulous　about　entering　the　house　of　the　very　poorest　uninvited。　They　were　steady　teachers　at　the　Sunday…School；　a　habit　which　Charlotte　kept　up　very　faithfully；　even　after　she　was　left　alone；　but　they　never　faced　their　kind　voluntary；　and　always　preferred　the　solitude　and　freedom　of　the　moors。


In　the　September　of　this　year；　Charlotte　went　to　pay　her　first　visit　to　her　friend　〃E。〃　　It　took　her　into　the　neighbourhood　of　Roe　Head；　and　brought　her　into　pleasant　contact　with　many　of　her　old　school…fellows。　　After　this　visit　she　and　her　friend　seem　to　have　agreed　to　correspond　in　French；　for　the　sake　of　improvement　in　the　language。　　But　this　improvement　could　not　be　great；　when　it　could　only　amount　to　a　greater　familiarity　with　dictionary　words；　and　when　there　was　no　one　to　explain　to　them　that　a　verbal　translation　of　English　idioms　hardly　constituted　French　composition；　but　the　effort　was　laudable；　and　of　itself　shows　how　willing　they　both　were　to　carry　on　the　education　which　they　had　begun　under　Miss　W…。　　　I　will　give　an　extract　which；　whatever　ma