the life of charlotte bronte-1-第19节

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　till　her　nose　nearly　touched　it；　and　when　she　was　told　to　hold　her　head　up；　up　went　the　book　after　it；　still　close　to　her　nose；　so　that　it　was　not　possible　to　help　laughing。〃


This　was　the　first　impression　she　made　upon　one　of　those　whose　dear　and　valued　friend　she　was　to　become　in　after…life。　　Another　of　the　girls　recalls　her　first　sight　of　Charlotte；　on　the　day　she　came；　standing　by　the　schoolroom　window；　looking　out　on　the　snowy　landscape；　and　crying；　while　all　the　rest　were　at　play。　　〃E。〃　was　younger　than　she；　and　her　tender　heart　was　touched　by　the　apparently　desolate　condition　in　which　she　found　the　oddly…　dressed；　odd…looking　little　girl　that　winter　morning；　as　〃sick　for　home　she　stood　in　tears；〃　in　a　new　strange　place；　among　new　strange　people。　　Any　over…demonstrative　kindness　would　have　scared　the　wild　little　maiden　from　Haworth；　but　〃E。〃　（who　is　shadowed　forth　in　the　Caroline　Helstone　of　〃Shirley〃）　managed　to　win　confidence；　and　was　allowed　to　give　sympathy。

To　quote　again　from　〃Mary's〃　letter：…


〃We　thought　her　very　ignorant；　for　she　had　never　learnt　grammar　at　all；　and　very　little　geography。〃


This　account　of　her　partial　ignorance　is　confirmed　by　her　other　school…fellows。　　But　Miss　W…　was　a　lady　of　remarkable　intelligence　and　of　delicate　tender　sympathy。　　She　gave　a　proof　of　this　in　her　first　treatment　of　Charlotte。　　The　little　girl　was　well…read；　but　not　well…grounded。　　Miss　W…　took　her　aside　and　told　her　she　was　afraid　that　she　must　place　her　in　the　second　class　for　some　time　till　she　could　overtake　the　girls　of　her　own　age　in　the　knowledge　of　grammar；　&c。；　but　poor　Charlotte　received　this　announcement　with　so　sad　a　fit　of　crying；　that　Miss　W…'s　kind　heart　was　softened；　and　she　wisely　perceived　that；　with　such　a　girl；　it　would　be　better　to　place　her　in　the　first　class；　and　allow　her　to　make　up　by　private　study　in　those　branches　where　she　was　deficient。

〃She　would　confound　us　by　knowing　things　that　were　out　of　our　range　altogether。　　She　was　acquainted　with　most　of　the　short　pieces　of　poetry　that　we　had　to　learn　by　heart；　would　tell　us　the　authors；　the　poems　they　were　taken　from；　and　sometimes　repeat　a　page　or　two；　and　tell　us　the　plot。　　She　had　a　habit　of　writing　in　italics　（printing　characters）；　and　said　she　had　learnt　it　by　writing　in　their　magazine。　　They　brought　out　a　'magazine'　once　a　month；　and　wished　it　to　look　as　like　print　as　possible。　　She　told　us　a　tale　out　of　it。　　No　one　wrote　in　it；　and　no　one　read　it；　but　herself；　her　brother；　and　two　sisters。　　She　promised　to　show　me　some　of　these　magazines；　but　retracted　it　afterwards；　and　would　never　be　persuaded　to　do　so。　　In　our　play　hours　she　sate；　or　stood　still；　with　a　book；　if　possible。　　Some　of　us　once　urged　her　to　be　on　our　side　in　a　game　at　ball。　　She　said　she　had　never　played；　and　could　not　play。　　We　made　her　try；　but　soon　found　that　she　could　not　see　the　ball；　so　we　put　her　out。　　She　took　all　our　proceedings　with　pliable　indifference；　and　always　seemed　to　need　a　previous　resolution　to　say　'No'　to　anything。　　She　used　to　go　and　stand　under　the　trees　in　the　play…ground；　and　say　it　was　pleasanter。　She　endeavoured　to　explain　this；　pointing　out　the　shadows；　the　peeps　of　sky；　&c。　　We　understood　but　little　of　it。　　She　said　that　at　Cowan　Bridge　she　used　to　stand　in　the　burn；　on　a　stone；　to　watch　the　water　flow　by。　　I　told　her　she　should　have　gone　fishing；　she　said　she　never　wanted。　　She　always　showed　physical　feebleness　in　everything。　　She　ate　no　animal　food　at　school。　　It　was　about　this　time　I　told　her　she　was　very　ugly。　　Some　years　afterwards；　I　told　her　I　thought　I　had　been　very　impertinent。　　She　replied；　'You　did　me　a　great　deal　of　good；　Polly；　so　don't　repent　of　it。'　　She　used　to　draw　much　better；　and　more　quickly；　than　anything　we　had　seen　before；　and　knew　much　about　celebrated　pictures　and　painters。　Whenever　an　opportunity　offered　of　examining　a　picture　or　cut　of　any　kind；　she　went　over　it　piecemeal；　with　her　eyes　close　to　the　paper；　looking　so　long　that　we　used　to　ask　her　'what　she　saw　in　it。'　　She　could　always　see　plenty；　and　explained　it　very　well。　She　made　poetry　and　drawing　at　least　exceedingly　interesting　to　me；　and　then　I　got　the　habit；　which　I　have　yet；　of　referring　mentally　to　her　opinion　on　all　matters　of　that　kind；　along　with　many　more；　resolving　to　describe　such　and　such　things　to　her；　until　I　start　at　the　recollection　that　I　never　shall。〃

To　feel　the　full　force　of　this　last　sentenceto　show　how　steady　and　vivid　was　the　impression　which　Miss　Bronte　made　on　those　fitted　to　appreciate　herI　must　mention　that　the　writer　of　this　letter；　dated　January　18th；　1856；　in　which　she　thus　speaks　of　constantly　referring　to　Charlotte's　opinion　has　never　seen　her　for　eleven　years；　nearly　all　of　which　have　been　passed　among　strange　scenes；　in　a　new　continent；　at　the　antipodes。

〃We　used　to　be　furious　politicians；　as　one　could　hardly　help　being　in　1832。　　She　knew　the　names　of　the　two　ministries；　the　one　that　resigned；　and　the　one　that　succeeded　and　passed　the　Reform　Bill。　She　worshipped　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　but　said　that　Sir　Robert　Peel　was　not　to　be　trusted；　he　did　not　act　from　principle　like　the　rest；　but　from　expediency。　　I；　being　of　the　furious　radical　party；　told　her　'how　could　any　of　them　trust　one　another；　they　were　all　of　them　rascals！'　　Then　she　would　launch　out　into　praises　of　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　referring　to　his　actions；　which　I　could　not　contradict；　as　I　knew　nothing　about　him。　　She　said　she　had　taken　interest　in　politics　ever　since　she　was　five　years　old。　　She　did　not　get　her　opinions　from　her　fatherthat　is；　not　directlybut　from　the　papers；　&c。；　he　preferred。〃

In　illustration　of　the　truth　of　this；　I　may　give　an　extract　from　a　letter　to　her　brother；　written　from　Roe　Head；　May　17th；　1832：…　〃Lately　I　had　begun　to　think　that　I　had　lost　all　the　interest　which　I　used　formerly　to　take　in　politics；　but　the　extreme　pleasure　I　felt　at　the　news　of　the　Reform　Bill's　being　thrown　out　by　the　House　of　Lords；　and　of　the　expulsion；　or　resignation　of　Earl　Grey；　&c。；　convinced　me　that　I　have　not　as　yet　lost　all　my　penchant　for　politics。　　I　am　extremely　glad　that　aunt　has　consented　to　take　in　'Fraser's　Magazine；'　for；　though　I　know　from　your　description　of　its　general　contents　it　will　be　rather　uninteresting　when　compared　with　'Blackwood；'　still　it　will　be　better　than　remaining　the　whole　year　without　being　able　to　obtain　a　sight　of　any　periodical　whatever；　and　such　would　assuredly　be　our　case；　as；　in　the　little　wild　moorland　village　where　we　reside；　there　would　be　no　possibility　of　borrowing　a　work　of　that　description　from　a　circulating　library。　　I　hope　with　you　that　the　present　delightful　weather　may　contribute　to　the　perfect　restoration　of　our　dear　papa's　health；　and　that　it　may　give　aunt　pleasant　reminiscences　of　the　salubrious　climate　of　her　native　place；〃　&c。

To　return　to　〃Mary's〃　letter。

〃She　used　to　speak　of　her　two　elder　sisters；　Maria　and　Elizabeth；　who　died　at　Cowan　Bridge。　　I　used　to　believe　them　to　have　been　wonders　of　talent　and　kindness。　　She　told　me；　early　one　morning；　that　she　had　just　been　dreaming；　she　had　been　told　that　she　was　wanted　in　the　drawing…room；　and　it　was　Maria　and　Elizabeth。　　I　was　eager　for　her　to　go　on；　and　when　she　said　there　was　no　more；　I　said；　'but　go　on！　　MAKE　IT　OUT！　　I　know　you　can。'　　She　said　she　would　not；　she　wished　she　had　not　dreamed；　for　it　did　not　go　on　nicely；　they　were　changed；　they　had　forgotten　what　they　used　to　care　for。　　They　were　very　fashionably　dressed；　and　began　criticising　the　room；　&c。

〃This　habit　of　'making　out'　interests　for　themselves　that　most　children　get　who　have　none　in　actual　life；　was　very　strong　in　her。　The　whole　family　used　to　'make　out'　histories；　and　invent　characters　and　events。　　I　told　her　sometimes　they　were　like　growing　potatoes　in　a　cellar。　　She　said；　sadly；　'Yes！　　I　know　we　are！'

〃Some　one　at　school　said　she　'was　always　talking　about　clever　people；　Johnson；　Sheridan；　&c。'　　She　said；　'Now　you　don't　know　the　meaning　of　CLEVER；　Sheridan　might　be　clever；　yes；　Sheridan　was　clever；scamps　often　are；　but　Johnson　hadn't　a　spark　of　cleverality　in　him。'　　No　one　appreciated　the　opinion；　they　made　some　trivial　remark　about　'CLEVERALITY；'　and　she　said　no　more。

〃This　is　the　epitome　of　her　life。　　At　our　house　she　had　just　as　little　chance　of　a　patient　hearing；　for　though　not　school…girlish；　we　were　more　intolerant。　　We　had　a　rage　for　practicality；　and　laughed　all　poetry　to　scorn。　　Neither　she　nor　we　had　any　idea　but　that　our　opinions　were　the　opinions　of　all　the　SENSIBLE　people　in　the　world；　and　we　used　to　astonish　each　other　at　every　sentence　。　。　。　Charlotte；　at　school；　had　no　plan　of　life　beyond　what　circumstances　made　for　her。　　She　knew　that　she　must　provide　for　herself；　and　chose　her　trade；　at　least　chose　to　begin　it　once。　Her　idea　of　self…improvement　ruled　her　even　at　school。　　It　was　to　cultivate　her　tastes。　　She　always　said　there　was　enough　of　hard　practicality　and　USEFUL　knowledge　forced　on　us　by　necessity；　and　that　the　thing　most　needed　was　to　soften　and　refine　our　minds。　She　picked　up　every　scrap　of　information　concerning　painting；　sculpture；　poetry；　music；　&c。；　as　if　it　were　gold。〃

What　I　have　heard　of　her　school　days　from　other　sources；　confirms　the　accuracy