the life of charlotte bronte-1-第20节

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if　it　were　gold。〃

What　I　have　heard　of　her　school　days　from　other　sources；　confirms　the　accuracy　of　the　details　in　this　remarkable　letter。　　She　was　an　indefatigable　student：　　constantly　reading　and　learning；　with　a　strong　conviction　of　the　necessity　and　value　of　education；　very　unusual　in　a　girl　of　fifteen。　　She　never　lost　a　moment　of　time；　and　seemed　almost　to　grudge　the　necessary　leisure　for　relaxation　and　play…hours；　which　might　be　partly　accounted　for　by　the　awkwardness　in　all　games　occasioned　by　her　shortness　of　sight。　Yet；　in　spite　of　these　unsociable　habits；　she　was　a　great　favourite　with　her　schoolfellows。　　She　was　always　ready　to　try　and　do　what　they　wished；　though　not　sorry　when　they　called　her　awkward；　and　left　her　out　of　their　sports。　　Then；　at　night；　she　was　an　invaluable　story…teller；　frightening　them　almost　out　of　their　wits　as　they　lay　in　bed。　　On　one　occasion　the　effect　was　such　that　she　was　led　to　scream　out　aloud；　and　Miss　W…；　coming　up　stairs；　found　that　one　of　the　listeners　had　been　seized　with　violent　palpitations；　in　consequence　of　the　excitement　produced　by　Charlotte's　story。

Her　indefatigable　craving　for　knowledge　tempted　Miss　W…　on　into　setting　her　longer　and　longer　tasks　of　reading　for　examination；　and　towards　the　end　of　the　year　and　a　half　that　she　remained　as　a　pupil　at　Roe　Head；　she　received　her　first　bad　mark　for　an　imperfect　lesson。　　She　had　had　a　great　quantity　of　Blair's　〃Lectures　on　Belles　Lettres〃　to　read；　and　she　could　not　answer　some　of　the　questions　upon　it；　Charlotte　Bronte　had　a　bad　mark。　Miss　W…　was　sorry；　and　regretted　that　she　had　set　Charlotte　so　long　a　task。　　Charlotte　cried　bitterly。　　But　her　school…fellows　were　more　than　sorrythey　were　indignant。　　They　declared　that　the　infliction　of　ever　so　slight　a　punishment　on　Charlotte　Bronte　was　unjustfor　who　had　tried　to　do　her　duty　like　her？and　testified　their　feeling　in　a　variety　of　ways；　until　Miss　W…；　who　was　in　reality　only　too　willing　to　pass　over　her　good　pupil's　first　fault；　withdrew　the　bad　mark；　and　the　girls　all　returned　to　their　allegiance　except　〃Mary；〃　who　took　her　own　way　during　the　week　or　two　that　remained　of　the　half…year；　choosing　to　consider　that　Miss　W…；　in　giving　Charlotte　Bronte　so　long　a　task；　had　forfeited　her　claim　to　obedience　of　the　school　regulations。

The　number　of　pupils　was　so　small　that　the　attendance　to　certain　subjects　at　particular　hours；　common　in　larger　schools；　was　not　rigidly　enforced。　　When　the　girls　were　ready　with　their　lessons；　they　came　to　Miss　W…　to　say　them。　　She　had　a　remarkable　knack　of　making　them　feel　interested　in　whatever　they　had　to　learn。　　They　set　to　their　studies；　not　as　to　tasks　or　duties　to　be　got　through；　but　with　a　healthy　desire　and　thirst　for　knowledge；　of　which　she　had　managed　to　make　them　perceive　the　relishing　savour。　　They　did　not　leave　off　reading　and　learning　as　soon　as　the　compulsory　pressure　of　school　was　taken　away。　　They　had　been　taught　to　think；　to　analyse；　to　reject；　to　appreciate。　　Charlotte　Bronte　was　happy　in　the　choice　made　for　her　of　the　second　school　to　which　she　was　sent。　　There　was　a　robust　freedom　in　the　out…of…doors　life　of　her　companions。　　They　played　at　merry　games　in　the　fields　round　the　house：　　on　Saturday　half…holidays　they　went　long　scrambling　walks　down　mysterious　shady　lanes；　then　climbing　the　uplands；　and　thus　gaining　extensive　views　over　the　country；　about　which　so　much　had　to　be　told；　both　of　its　past　and　present　history。

Miss　W…　must　have　had　in　great　perfection　the　French　art；　〃conter；〃　to　judge　from　her　pupil's　recollections　of　the　tales　she　related　during　these　long　walks；　of　this　old　house；　or　that　new　mill；　and　of　the　states　of　society　consequent　on　the　changes　involved　by　the　suggestive　dates　of　either　building。　　She　remembered　the　times　when　watchers　or　wakeners　in　the　night　heard　the　distant　word　of　command；　and　the　measured　tramp　of　thousands　of　sad　desperate　men　receiving　a　surreptitious　military　training；　in　preparation　for　some　great　day　which　they　saw　in　their　visions；　when　right　should　struggle　with　might　and　come　off　victorious：　when　the　people　of　England；　represented　by　the　workers　of　Yorkshire；　Lancashire；　and　Nottinghamshire；　should　make　their　voice　heard　in　a　terrible　slogan；　since　their　true　and　pitiful　complaints　could　find　no　hearing　in　parliament。　　We　forget；　now…a…　days；　so　rapid　have　been　the　changes　for　the　better；　how　cruel　was　the　condition　of　numbers　of　labourers　at　the　close　of　the　great　Peninsular　war。　　The　half…ludicrous　nature　of　some　of　their　grievances　has　lingered　on　in　tradition；　the　real　intensity　of　their　sufferings　has　become　forgotten。　　They　were　maddened　and　desperate；　and　the　country；　in　the　opinion　of　many；　seemed　to　be　on　the　verge　of　a　precipice；　from　which　it　was　only　saved　by　the　prompt　and　resolute　decision　of　a　few　in　authority。　　Miss　W…　spoke　of　those　times；　of　the　mysterious　nightly　drillings；　of　thousands　on　lonely　moors；　of　the　muttered　threats　of　individuals　too　closely　pressed　upon　by　necessity　to　be　prudent；　of　the　overt　acts；　in　which　the　burning　of　Cartwright's　mill　took　a　prominent　place；　and　these　things　sank　deep　into　the　mind　of　one；　at　least；　among　her　hearers。

Mr。　Cartwright　was　the　owner　of　a　factory　called　Rawfolds；　in　Liversedge；　not　beyond　the　distance　of　a　walk　from　Roe　Head。　　He　had　dared　to　employ　machinery　for　the　dressing　of　woollen　cloth；　which　was　an　unpopular　measure　in　1812；　when　many　other　circumstances　conspired　to　make　the　condition　of　the　mill…hands　unbearable　from　the　pressure　of　starvation　and　misery。　　Mr。　Cartwright　was　a　very　remarkable　man；　having；　as　I　have　been　told；　some　foreign　blood　in　him；　the　traces　of　which　were　very　apparent　in　his　tall　figure；　dark　eyes　and　complexion；　and　singular；　though　gentlemanly　bearing。　　At　any　rate　he　had　been　much　abroad；　and　spoke　French　well；　of　itself　a　suspicious　circumstance　to　the　bigoted　nationality　of　those　days。　　Altogether　he　was　an　unpopular　man；　even　before　he　took　the　last　step　of　employing　shears；　instead　of　hands；　to　dress　his　wool。　　He　was　quite　aware　of　his　unpopularity；　and　of　the　probable　consequences。　　He　had　his　mill　prepared　for　an　assault。　　He　took　up　his　lodgings　in　it；　and　the　doors　were　strongly　barricaded　at　night。　　On　every　step　of　the　stairs　there　was　placed　a　roller；　spiked　with　barbed　points　all　round；　so　as　to　impede　the　ascent　of　the　rioters；　if　they　succeeded　in　forcing　the　doors。

On　the　night　of　Saturday　the　11th　of　April；　1812；　the　assault　was　made。　　Some　hundreds　of　starving　cloth…dressers　assembled　in　the　very　field　near　Kirklees　that　sloped　down　from　the　house　which　Miss　W…　afterwards　inhabited；　and　were　armed　by　their　leaders　with　pistols；　hatchets；　and　bludgeons；　many　of　which　had　been　extorted　by　the　nightly　bands　that　prowled　about　the　country；　from　such　inhabitants　of　lonely　houses　as　had　provided　themselves　with　these　means　of　self…defence。　　The　silent　sullen　multitude　marched　in　the　dead　of　that　spring…night　to　Rawfolds；　and　giving　tongue　with　a　great　shout；　roused　Mr。　Cartwright　up　to　the　knowledge　that　the　long…expected　attack　was　come。　　He　was　within　walls；　it　is　true；　but　against　the　fury　of　hundreds　he　had　only　four　of　his　own　workmen　and　five　soldiers　to　assist　him。　　These　ten　men；　however；　managed　to　keep　up　such　a　vigorous　and　well…directed　fire　of　musketry　that　they　defeated　all　the　desperate　attempts　of　the　multitude　outside　to　break　down　the　doors；　and　force　a　way　into　the　mill；　and；　after　a　conflict　of　twenty　minutes；　during　which　two　of　the　assailants　were　killed　and　several　wounded；　they　withdrew　in　confusion；　leaving　Mr。　Cartwright　master　of　the　field；　but　so　dizzy　and　exhausted；　now　the　peril　was　past；　that　he　forgot　the　nature　of　his　defences；　and　injured　his　leg　rather　seriously　by　one　of　the　spiked　rollers；　in　attempting　to　go　up　his　own　staircase。　　His　dwelling　was　near　the　factory。　　Some　of　the　rioters　vowed　that；　if　he　did　not　give　in；　they　would　leave　this；　and　go　to　his　house；　and　murder　his　wife　and　children。　　This　was　a　terrible　threat；　for　he　had　been　obliged　to　leave　his　family　with　only　one　or　two　soldiers　to　defend　them。　　Mrs。　Cartwright　knew　what　they　had　threatened；　and　on　that　dreadful　night；　hearing；　as　she　thought；　steps　approaching；　she　snatched　up　her　two　infant　children；　and　put　them　in　a　basket　up　the　great　chimney；　common　in　old…fashioned　Yorkshire　houses。　　One　of　the　two　children　who　had　been　thus　stowed　away　used　to　point　out　with　pride；　after　she　had　grown　up　to　woman's　estate；　the　marks　of　musket　shot；　and　the　traces　of　gunpowder　on　the　walls　of　her　father's　mill。　　He　was　the　first　that　had　offered　any　resistance　to　the　progress　of　the　〃Luddites；〃　who　had　become　by　this　time　so　numerous　as　almost　to　assume　the　character　of　an　insurrectionary　army。　　Mr。　Cartwright's　conduct　was　so　much　admired　by　the　neighbouring　mill…owners　that　they　entered　into　a　subscription　for　his　benefit　which　amounted　in　the　end　to　3；000L。

Not　much　more　than　a　fortnight　after　this　attack　on　Rawfolds；　another　manufacturer　who　employed　the　obnoxious　machinery　was　shot　down　in　broad　daylight；　as　he　was　passing　over　Crossland　Moor；　which　was　skirted　by　a　small　plantation　in　which　the　murderers　lay　hidden。　　The　readers　of　〃Shirley〃　will　recognise　these　circum