太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > the life of charlotte bronte-1 >

第26节

the life of charlotte bronte-1-第26节

小说: the life of charlotte bronte-1 字数: 每页4000字

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!



ger members of this recluse family。  To Branwell it was more than a vivid imagination; it was an impressed reality。  By dint of studying maps; he was as well acquainted with it; even down to its by…ways; as if he had lived there。  Poor misguided fellow! this craving to see and know London; and that stronger craving after fame; were never to be satisfied。  He was to die at the end of a short and blighted life。  But in this year of 1835; all his home kindred were thinking how they could best forward his views; and how help him up to the pinnacle where he desired to be。  What their plans were; let Charlotte explain。  These are not the first sisters who have laid their lives as a sacrifice before their brother's idolized wish。  Would to God they might be the last who met with such a miserable return!


〃Haworth; July 6th; 1835。

〃I had hoped to have had the extreme pleasure of seeing you at Haworth this summer; but human affairs are mutable; and human resolutions must bend to the course of events。  We are all about to divide; break up; separate。  Emily is going to school; Branwell is going to London; and I am going to be a governess。  This last determination I formed myself; knowing that I should have to take the step sometime; 'and better sune as syne;' to use the Scotch proverb; and knowing well that papa would have enough to do with his limited income; should Branwell be placed at the Royal Academy; and Emily at Roe Head。  Where am I going to reside? you will ask。  Within four miles of you; at a place neither of us is unacquainted with; being no other than the identical Roe Head mentioned above。  Yes!  I am going to teach in the very school where I was myself taught。  Miss W… made me the offer; and I preferred it to one or two proposals of private governess…ship; which I had before received。  I am sadvery sadat the thoughts of leaving home; but dutynecessitythese are stern mistresses; who will not be disobeyed。  Did I not once say you ought to be thankful for your independence?  I felt what I said at the time; and I repeat it now with double earnestness; if anything would cheer me; it is the idea of being so near you。  Surely; you and Polly will come and see me; it would be wrong in me to doubt it; you were never unkind yet。  Emily and I leave home on the 27th of this month; the idea of being together consoles us both somewhat; and; truth; since I must enter a situation; 'My lines have fallen in pleasant places。'  I both love and respect Miss W…。〃



CHAPTER VIII



On the 29th of July; 1835; Charlotte; now a little more than nineteen years old; went as teacher to Miss W…'s。 Emily accompanied her as a pupil; but she became literally ill from home…sickness; and could not settle to anything; and after passing only three months at Roe Head; returned to the parsonage and the beloved moors。

Miss Bronte gives the following reasons as those which prevented Emily's remaining at school; and caused the substitution of her younger sister in her place at Miss W…'s:…

〃My sister Emily loved the moors。  Flowers brighter than the rose bloomed in the blackest of the heath for her;out of a sullen hollow in a livid hill…side; her mind could make an Eden。  She found in the bleak solitude many and dear delights; and not the least and best…loved wasliberty。  Liberty was the breath of Emily's nostrils; without it she perished。  The change from her own home to a school; and from her own very noiseless; very secluded; but unrestricted and unartificial mode of life; to one of disciplined routine (though under the kindest auspices); was what she failed in enduring。  Her nature proved here too strong for her fortitude。  Every morning; when she woke; the vision of home and the moors rushed on her; and darkened and saddened the day that lay before her。  Nobody knew what ailed her but me。  I knew only too well。  In this struggle her health was quickly broken:  her white face; attenuated form; and failing strength; threatened rapid decline。  I felt in my heart she would die; if she did not go home; and with this conviction obtained her recall。 She had only been three months at school; and it was some years before the experiment of sending her from home was again ventured on。〃

This physical suffering on Emily's part when absent from Haworth; after recurring several times under similar circumstances; became at length so much an acknowledged fact; that whichever was obliged to leave home; the sisters decided that Emily must remain there; where alone she could enjoy anything like good health。  She left it twice again in her life; once going as teacher to a school in Halifax for six months; and afterwards accompanying Charlotte to Brussels for ten。  When at home; she took the principal part of the cooking upon herself; and did all the household ironing; and after Tabby grew old and infirm; it was Emily who made all the bread for the family; and any one passing by the kitchen…door; might have seen her studying German out of an open book; propped up before her; as she kneaded the dough; but no study; however interesting; interfered with the goodness of the bread; which was always light and excellent。  Books were; indeed; a very common sight in that kitchen; the girls were taught by their father theoretically; and by their aunt; practically; that to take an active part in all household work was; in their position; woman's simple duty; but in their careful employment of time; they found many an odd five minutes for reading while watching the cakes; and managed the union of two kinds of employment better than King Alfred。

Charlotte's life at Miss W…'s was a very happy one; until her health failed。  She sincerely loved and respected the former schoolmistress; to whom she was now become both companion and friend。  The girls were hardly strangers to her; some of them being younger sisters of those who had been her own playmates。 Though the duties of the day might be tedious and monotonous; there were always two or three happy hours to look forward to in the evening; when she and Miss W… sat togethersometimes late into the nightand had quiet pleasant conversations; or pauses of silence as agreeable; because each felt that as soon as a thought or remark occurred which they wished to express; there was an intelligent companion ready to sympathise; and yet they were not compelled to 〃make talk。〃

Miss W… was always anxious to afford Miss Bronte every opportunity of recreation in her power; but the difficulty often was to persuade her to avail herself of the invitations which came; urging her to spend Saturday and Sunday with 〃E。〃 and 〃Mary;〃 in their respective homes; that lay within the distance of a walk。 She was too apt to consider; that allowing herself a holiday was a dereliction of duty; and to refuse herself the necessary change; from something of an over…ascetic spirit; betokening a loss of healthy balance in either body or mind。  Indeed; it is clear that such was the case; from a passage; referring to this time; in the letter of 〃Mary〃 from which I have before given extracts。

〃Three years after〃 (the period when they were at school together)〃I heard that she had gone as teacher to Miss W…'s。  I went to see her; and asked how she could give so much for so little money; when she could live without it。  She owned that; after clothing herself and Anne; there was nothing left; though she had hoped to be able to save something。  She confessed it was not brilliant; but what could she do?  I had nothing to answer。 She seemed to have no interest or pleasure beyond the feeling of duty; and; when she could get; used to sit alone; and 'make out。' She told me afterwards; that one evening she had sat in the dressing…room until it was quite dark; and then observing it all at once; had taken sudden fright。〃  No doubt she remembered this well when she described a similar terror getting hold upon Jane Eyre。  She says in the story; 〃I sat looking at the white bed and overshadowed wallsoccasionally turning a fascinated eye towards the gleaming mirrorI began to recall what I had heard of dead men troubled in their graves 。 。 。 I endeavoured to be firm; shaking my hair from my eyes; I lifted my head and tried to look boldly through the dark room; at this moment; a ray from the moon penetrated some aperture in the blind。  No! moon light was still; and this stirred 。 。 。 prepared as my mind was for horror; shaken as my nerves were by agitation; I thought the swift…darting beam was a herald of some coming vision from another world。  My heart beat thick; my head grew hot; a sound filled my ears which I deemed the rustling of wings; something seemed near me。〃 {4}

〃From that time;〃 Mary adds; 〃her imaginations became gloomy or frightful; she could not help it; nor help thinking。  She could not forget the gloom; could not sleep at night; nor attend in the day。

〃She told me that one night; sitting alone; about this time; she heard a voice repeat these lines:


〃'Come thou high and holy feeling; Shine o'er mountain; flit o'er wave; Gleam like light o'er dome and shielding。'


〃There were eight or ten more lines which I forget。  She insisted that she had not made them; that she had heard a voice repeat them。  It is possible that she had read them; and unconsciously rec

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的