the life of charlotte bronte-1-第13节

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han　a　hundred　pounds　in　hand；　and　with　pupils；　the　number　of　whom　varies　according　to　different　accounts；　Mr。　W。　W。　Carus　Wilson；　the　son　of　the　founder；　giving　it　as　seventy；　while　Mr。　Shepheard；　the　son…in…law；　states　it　to　have　been　only　sixteen。

Mr。　Wilson　felt；　most　probably；　that　the　responsibility　of　the　whole　plan　rested　upon　him。　　The　payment　made　by　the　parents　was　barely　enough　for　food　and　lodging；　the　subscriptions　did　not　flow　very　freely　into　an　untried　scheme；　and　great　economy　was　necessary　in　all　the　domestic　arrangements。　　He　determined　to　enforce　this　by　frequent　personal　inspection；　carried　perhaps　to　an　unnecessary　extent；　and　leading　occasionally　to　a　meddling　with　little　matters；　which　had　sometimes　the　effect　of　producing　irritation　of　feeling。　　Yet；　although　there　was　economy　in　providing　for　the　household；　there　does　not　appear　to　have　been　any　parsimony。　　The　meat；　flour；　milk；　&c。；　were　contracted　for；　but　were　of　very　fair　quality；　and　the　dietary；　which　has　been　shown　to　me　in　manuscript；　was　neither　bad　nor　unwholesome；　nor；　on　the　whole；　was　it　wanting　in　variety。　　Oatmeal　porridge　for　breakfast；　a　piece　of　oat…cake　for　those　who　required　luncheon；　baked　and　boiled　beef；　and　mutton；　potato…pie；　and　plain　homely　puddings　of　different　kinds　for　dinner。　　At　five　o'clock；　bread　and　milk　for　the　younger　ones；　and　one　piece　of　bread　（this　was　the　only　time　at　which　the　food　was　limited）　for　the　elder　pupils；　who　sat　up　till　a　later　meal　of　the　same　description。

Mr。　Wilson　himself　ordered　in　the　food；　and　was　anxious　that　it　should　be　of　good　quality。　　But　the　cook；　who　had　much　of　his　confidence；　and　against　whom　for　a　long　time　no　one　durst　utter　a　complaint；　was　careless；　dirty；　and　wasteful。　　To　some　children　oatmeal　porridge　is　distasteful；　and　consequently　unwholesome；　even　when　properly　made；　at　Cowan　Bridge　School　it　was　too　often　sent　up；　not　merely　burnt；　but　with　offensive　fragments　of　other　substances　discoverable　in　it。　　The　beef；　that　should　have　been　carefully　salted　before　it　was　dressed；　had　often　become　tainted　from　neglect；　and　girls；　who　were　schoolfellows　with　the　Brontes；　during　the　reign　of　the　cook　of　whom　I　am　speaking；　tell　me　that　the　house　seemed　to　be　pervaded；　morning；　noon；　and　night；　by　the　odour　of　rancid　fat　that　steamed　out　of　the　oven　in　which　much　of　their　food　was　prepared。　　There　was　the　same　carelessness　in　making　the　puddings；　one　of　those　ordered　was　rice　boiled　in　water；　and　eaten　with　a　sauce　of　treacle　and　sugar；　but　it　was　often　uneatable；　because　the　water　had　been　taken　out　of　the　rain　tub；　and　was　strongly　impregnated　with　the　dust　lodging　on　the　roof；　whence　it　had　trickled　down　into　the　old　wooden　cask；　which　also　added　its　own　flavour　to　that　of　the　original　rain　water。　The　milk；　too；　was　often　〃bingy；〃　to　use　a　country　expression　for　a　kind　of　taint　that　is　far　worse　than　sourness；　and　suggests　the　idea　that　it　is　caused　by　want　of　cleanliness　about　the　milk　pans；　rather　than　by　the　heat　of　the　weather。　　On　Saturdays；　a　kind　of　pie；　or　mixture　of　potatoes　and　meat；　was　served　up；　which　was　made　of　all　the　fragments　accumulated　during　the　week。　　Scraps　of　meat　from　a　dirty　and　disorderly　larder；　could　never　be　very　appetizing；　and；　I　believe；　that　this　dinner　was　more　loathed　than　any　in　the　early　days　of　Cowan　Bridge　School。　　One　may　fancy　how　repulsive　such　fare　would　be　to　children　whose　appetites　were　small；　and　who　had　been　accustomed　to　food；　far　simpler　perhaps；　but　prepared　with　a　delicate　cleanliness　that　made　it　both　tempting　and　wholesome。　　At　many　a　meal　the　little　Brontes　went　without　food；　although　craving　with　hunger。　　They　were　not　strong　when　they　came；　having　only　just　recovered　from　a　complication　of　measles　and　hooping…cough：　　indeed；　I　suspect　they　had　scarcely　recovered；　for　there　was　some　consultation　on　the　part　of　the　school　authorities　whether　Maria　and　Elizabeth　should　be　received　or　not；　in　July　1824。　　Mr。　Bronte　came　again；　in　the　September　of　that　year；　bringing　with　him　Charlotte　and　Emily　to　be　admitted　as　pupils。

It　appears　strange　that　Mr。　Wilson　should　not　have　been　informed　by　the　teachers　of　the　way　in　which　the　food　was　served　up；　but　we　must　remember　that　the　cook　had　been　known　for　some　time　to　the　Wilson　family；　while　the　teachers　were　brought　together　for　an　entirely　different　workthat　of　education。　　They　were　expressly　given　to　understand　that　such　was　their　department；　the　buying　in　and　management　of　the　provisions　rested　with　Mr。　Wilson　and　the　cook。　　The　teachers　would；　of　course；　be　unwilling　to　lay　any　complaints　on　the　subject　before　him。

There　was　another　trial　of　health　common　to　all　the　girls。　　The　path　from　Cowan　Bridge　to　Tunstall　Church；　where　Mr。　Wilson　preached；　and　where　they　all　attended　on　the　Sunday；　is　more　than　two　miles　in　length；　and　goes　sweeping　along　the　rise　and　fall　of　the　unsheltered　country；　in　a　way　to　make　it　a　fresh　and　exhilarating　walk　in　summer；　but　a　bitter　cold　one　in　winter；　especially　to　children　like　the　delicate　little　Brontes；　whose　thin　blood　flowed　languidly　in　consequence　of　their　feeble　appetites　rejecting　the　food　prepared　for　them；　and　thus　inducing　a　half…starved　condition。　　The　church　was　not　warmed；　there　being　no　means　for　this　purpose。　　It　stands　in　the　midst　of　fields；　and　the　damp　mist　must　have　gathered　round　the　walls；　and　crept　in　at　the　windows。　　The　girls　took　their　cold　dinner　with　them；　and　ate　it　between　the　services；　in　a　chamber　over　the　entrance；　opening　out　of　the　former　galleries。　　The　arrangements　for　this　day　were　peculiarly　trying　to　delicate　children；　particularly　to　those　who　were　spiritless　and　longing　for　home；　as　poor　Maria　Bronte　must　have　been；　for　her　ill　health　was　increasing；　and　the　old　cough；　the　remains　of　the　hooping…cough；　lingered　about　her。

She　was　far　superior　in　mind　to　any　of　her　play…fellows　and　companions；　and　was　lonely　amongst　them　from　that　very　cause；　and　yet　she　had　faults　so　annoying　that　she　was　in　constant　disgrace　with　her　teachers；　and　an　object　of　merciless　dislike　to　one　of　them；　who　is　depicted　as　〃Miss　Scatcherd〃　in　〃Jane　Eyre；〃　and　whose　real　name　I　will　be　merciful　enough　not　to　disclose。　　I　need　hardly　say；　that　Helen　Burns　is　as　exact　a　transcript　of　Maria　Bronte　as　Charlotte's　wonderful　power　of　reproducing　character　could　give。　　Her　heart；　to　the　latest　day　on　which　we　met；　still　beat　with　unavailing　indignation　at　the　worrying　and　the　cruelty　to　which　her　gentle；　patient；　dying　sister　had　been　subjected　by　this　woman。　　Not　a　word　of　that　part　of　〃Jane　Eyre〃　but　is　a　literal　repetition　of　scenes　between　the　pupil　and　the　teacher。　Those　who　had　been　pupils　at　the　same　time　knew　who　must　have　written　the　book　from　the　force　with　which　Helen　Burns'　sufferings　are　described。　　They　had；　before　that；　recognised　the　description　of　the　sweet　dignity　and　benevolence　of　Miss　Temple　as　only　a　just　tribute　to　the　merits　of　one　whom　all　that　knew　her　appear　to　hold　in　honour；　but　when　Miss　Scatcherd　was　held　up　to　opprobrium　they　also　recognised　in　the　writer　of　〃Jane　Eyre〃　an　unconsciously　avenging　sister　of　the　sufferer。

One　of　their　fellow…pupils；　among　other　statements　even　worse；　gives　me　the　following：…　The　dormitory　in　which　Maria　slept　was　a　long　room；　holding　a　row　of　narrow　little　beds　on　each　side；　occupied　by　the　pupils；　and　at　the　end　of　this　dormitory　there　was　a　small　bed…chamber　opening　out　of　it；　appropriated　to　the　use　of　Miss　Scatcherd。　　Maria's　bed　stood　nearest　to　the　door　of　this　room。　　One　morning；　after　she　had　become　so　seriously　unwell　as　to　have　had　a　blister　applied　to　her　side　（the　sore　from　which　was　not　perfectly　healed）；　when　the　getting…up　bell　was　heard；　poor　Maria　moaned　out　that　she　was　so　ill；　so　very　ill；　she　wished　she　might　stop　in　bed；　and　some　of　the　girls　urged　her　to　do　so；　and　said　they　would　explain　it　all　to　Miss　Temple；　the　superintendent。　But　Miss　Scatcherd　was　close　at　hand；　and　her　anger　would　have　to　be　faced　before　Miss　Temple's　kind　thoughtfulness　could　interfere；　so　the　sick　child　began　to　dress；　shivering　with　cold；　as；　without　leaving　her　bed；　she　slowly　put　on　her　black　worsted　stockings　over　her　thin　white　legs　（my　informant　spoke　as　if　she　saw　it　yet；　and　her　whole　face　flushed　out　undying　indignation）。　　Just　then　Miss　Scatcherd　issued　from　her　room；　and；　without　asking　for　a　word　of　explanation　from　the　sick　and　frightened　girl；　she　took　her　by　the　arm；　on　the　side　to　which　the　blister　had　been　applied；　and　by　one　vigorous　movement　whirled　her　out　into　the　middle　of　the　floor；　abusing　her　all　the　time　for　dirty　and　untidy　habits。　There　she　left　her。　　My　informant　says；　Maria　hardly　spoke；　except　to　beg　some　of　the　more　indignant　girls　to　be　calm；　but；　in　slow；　trembling　movements；　with　many　a　pause；　she　went　down…stairs　at　last；and　was　punished　for　being　late。

Any　one　may　fancy　how　such　an　event　as　this　would　rankle　in　Charlotte's　mind。　　I　only　wonder　that　she　did　not　remonstrate　against　her　father's　decision　to　send　her　and　Emily　back　to　Cowan　Bridge；　after　Maria's　and　Elizabeth's　deaths。　　But　frequently　children　are　unconscious　of　the　effect　which　some　of　their　simple　revelations　would　have　in　altering　the　opinions　entertained　by　their　fri