the life of charlotte bronte-1-第36节

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　of　pupils；　four　or　six；　might　be　accommodated　in　the　parsonage。　　As　teaching　seemed　the　only　profession　open　to　them；　and　as　it　appeared　that　Emily　at　least　could　not　live　away　from　home；　while　the　others　also　suffered　much　from　the　same　cause；　this　plan　of　school…　keeping　presented　itself　as　most　desirable。　　But　it　involved　some　outlay；　and　to　this　their　aunt　was　averse。　　Yet　there　was　no　one　to　whom　they　could　apply　for　a　loan　of　the　requisite　means；　except　Miss　Branwell；　who　had　made　a　small　store　out　of　her　savings；　which　she　intended　for　her　nephew　and　nieces　eventually；　but　which　she　did　not　like　to　risk。　　Still；　this　plan　of　school…keeping　remained　uppermost；　and　in　the　evenings　of　this　winter　of　1839…40；　the　alterations　that　would　be　necessary　in　the　house；　and　the　best　way　of　convincing　their　aunt　of　the　wisdom　of　their　project；　formed　the　principal　subject　of　their　conversation。

This　anxiety　weighed　upon　their　minds　rather　heavily；　during　the　months　of　dark　and　dreary　weather。　　Nor　were　external　events；　among　the　circle　of　their　friends；　of　a　cheerful　character。　　In　January；　1840；　Charlotte　heard　of　the　death　of　a　young　girl　who　had　been　a　pupil　of　hers；　and　a　schoolfellow　of　Anne's；　at　the　time　when　the　sisters　were　together　at　Roe　Head；　and　had　attached　herself　very　strongly　to　the　latter；　who；　in　return；　bestowed　upon　her　much　quiet　affection。　　It　was　a　sad　day　when　the　intelligence　of　this　young　creature's　death　arrived。　　Charlotte　wrote　thus　on　January　12th；　1840：…


〃Your　letter；　which　I　received　this　morning；　was　one　of　painful　interest。　　Anne　C。；　it　seems；　is　DEAD；　when　I　saw　her　last；　she　was　a　young；　beautiful；　and　happy　girl；　and　now　'life's　fitful　fever'　is　over　with　her；　and　she　'sleeps　well。'　　I　shall　never　see　her　again。　　It　is　a　sorrowful　thought；　for　she　was　a　warm…hearted；　affectionate　being；　and　I　cared　for　her。　　Wherever　I　seek　for　her　now　in　this　world；　she　cannot　be　found；　no　more　than　a　flower　or　a　leaf　which　withered　twenty　years　ago。　　A　bereavement　of　this　kind　gives　one　a　glimpse　of　the　feeling　those　must　have　who　have　seen　all　drop　round　them；　friend　after　friend；　and　are　left　to　end　their　pilgrimage　alone。　　But　tears　are　fruitless；　and　I　try　not　to　repine。〃


During　this　winter；　Charlotte　employed　her　leisure　hours　in　writing　a　story。　　Some　fragments　of　the　manuscript　yet　remain；　but　it　is　in　too　small　a　hand　to　be　read　without　great　fatigue　to　the　eyes；　and　one　cares　the　less　to　read　it；　as　she　herself　condemned　it；　in　the　preface　to　the　〃Professor；〃　by　saying　that　in　this　story　she　had　got　over　such　taste　as　she　might　once　have　had　for　the　〃ornamental　and　redundant　in　composition。〃　　The　beginning；　too；　as　she　acknowledges；　was　on　a　scale　commensurate　with　one　of　Richardson's　novels；　of　seven　or　eight　volumes。　　I　gather　some　of　these　particulars　from　a　copy　of　a　letter；　apparently　in　reply　to　one　from　Wordsworth；　to　whom　she　had　sent　the　commencement　of　the　story；　sometime　in　the　summer　of　1840。


〃Authors　are　generally　very　tenacious　of　their　productions；　but　I　am　not　so　much　attached　to　this　but　that　I　can　give　it　up　without　much　distress。　　No　doubt；　if　I　had　gone　on；　I　should　have　made　quite　a　Richardsonian　concern　of　it　。　。　。　I　had　materials　in　my　head　for　half…a…dozen　volumes　。　。　。　Of　course；　it　is　with　considerable　regret　I　relinquish　any　scheme　so　charming　as　the　one　I　have　sketched。　　It　is　very　edifying　and　profitable　to　create　a　world　out　of　your　own　brains；　and　people　it　with　inhabitants；　who　are　so　many　Melchisedecs；　and　have　no　father　nor　mother　but　your　own　imagination　。　。　。　I　am　sorry　I　did　not　exist　fifty　or　sixty　years　ago；　when　the　'Ladies'　Magazine'　was　flourishing　like　a　green　bay…tree。　　In　that　case；　I　make　no　doubt；　my　aspirations　after　literary　fame　would　have　met　with　due　encouragement；　and　I　should　have　had　the　pleasure　of　introducing　Messrs。　Percy　and　West　into　the　very　best　society；　and　recording　all　their　sayings　and　doings　in　double…columned　close…printed　pages　。　。　。　I　recollect；　when　I　was　a　child；　getting　hold　of　some　antiquated　volumes；　and　reading　them　by　stealth　with　the　most　exquisite　pleasure。　　You　give　a　correct　description　of　the　patient　Grisels　of　those　days。　My　aunt　was　one　of　them；　and　to　this　day　she　thinks　the　tales　of　the　'Ladies'　Magazine'　infinitely　superior　to　any　trash　of　modern　literature。　　So　do　I；　for　I　read　them　in　childhood；　and　childhood　has　a　very　strong　faculty　of　admiration；　but　a　very　weak　one　of　criticism　。　。　。　I　am　pleased　that　you　cannot　quite　decide　whether　I　am　an　attorney's　clerk　or　a　novel…reading　dress…maker。　　I　will　not　help　you　at　all　in　the　discovery；　and　as　to　my　handwriting；　or　the　lady…like　touches　in　my　style　and　imagery；　you　must　not　draw　any　conclusion　from　thatI　may　employ　an　amanuensis。　　Seriously；　sir；　I　am　very　much　obliged　to　you　for　your　kind　and　candid　letter。　　I　almost　wonder　you　took　the　trouble　to　read　and　notice　the　novelette　of　an　anonymous　scribe；　who　had　not　even　the　manners　to　tell　you　whether　he　was　a　man　or　a　woman；　or　whether　his　'C。　T。'　meant　Charles　Timms　or　Charlotte　Tomkins。〃


There　are　two　or　three　things　noticeable　in　the　letter　from　which　these　extracts　are　taken。　　The　first　is　the　initials　with　which　she　had　evidently　signed　the　former　one　to　which　she　alludes。　About　this　time；　to　her　more　familiar　correspondents；　she　occasionally　calls　herself　〃Charles　Thunder；〃　making　a　kind　of　pseudonym　for　herself　out　of　her　Christian　name；　and　the　meaning　of　her　Greek　surname。　　In　the　next　place；　there　is　a　touch　of　assumed　smartness；　very　different　from　the　simple；　womanly；　dignified　letter　which　she　had　written　to　Southey；　under　nearly　similar　circumstances；　three　years　before。　　I　imagine　the　cause　of　this　difference　to　be　twofold。　　Southey；　in　his　reply　to　her　first　letter；　had　appealed　to　the　higher　parts　of　her　nature；　in　calling　her　to　consider　whether　literature　was；　or　was　not；　the　best　course　for　a　woman　to　pursue。　　But　the　person　to　whom　she　addressed　this　one　had　evidently　confined　himself　to　purely　literary　criticisms；　besides　which；　her　sense　of　humour　was　tickled　by　the　perplexity　which　her　correspondent　felt　as　to　whether　he　was　addressing　a　man　or　a　woman。　　She　rather　wished　to　encourage　the　former　idea；　and；　in　consequence；　possibly；　assumed　something　of　the　flippancy　which　very　probably　existed　in　her　brother's　style　of　conversation；　from　whom　she　would　derive　her　notions　of　young　manhood；　not　likely；　as　far　as　refinement　was　concerned；　to　be　improved　by　the　other　specimens　she　had　seen；　such　as　the　curates　whom　she　afterwards　represented　in　〃Shirley。〃

These　curates　were　full　of　strong；　High…Church　feeling。　Belligerent　by　nature；　it　was　well　for　their　professional　character　that　they　had；　as　clergymen；　sufficient　scope　for　the　exercise　of　their　warlike　propensities。　　Mr。　Bronte；　with　all　his　warm　regard　for　Church　and　State；　had　a　great　respect　for　mental　freedom；　and；　though　he　was　the　last　man　in　the　world　to　conceal　his　opinions；　he　lived　in　perfect　amity　with　all　the　respectable　part　of　those　who　differed　from　him。　　Not　so　the　curates。　　Dissent　was　schism；　and　schism　was　condemned　in　the　Bible。　　In　default　of　turbaned　Saracens；　they　entered　on　a　crusade　against　Methodists　in　broadcloth；　and　the　consequence　was　that　the　Methodists　and　Baptists　refused　to　pay　the　church…rates。　　Miss　Bronte　thus　describes　the　state　of　things　at　this　time：…


〃Little　Haworth　has　been　all　in　a　bustle　about　church…rates；　since　you　were　here。　　We　had　a　stirring　meeting　in　the　schoolroom。　　Papa　took　the　chair；　and　Mr。　C。　and　Mr。　W。　acted　as　his　supporters；　one　on　each　side。　　There　was　violent　opposition；　which　set　Mr。　C。's　Irish　blood　in　a　ferment；　and　if　papa　had　not　kept　him　quiet；　partly　by　persuasion　and　partly　by　compulsion；　he　would　have　given　the　Dissenters　their　kale　through　the　reeka　Scotch　proverb；　which　I　will　explain　to　you　another　time。　　He　and　Mr。　W。　both　bottled　up　their　wrath　for　that　time；　but　it　was　only　to　explode　with　redoubled　force　at　a　future　period。　　We　had　two　sermons　on　dissent；　and　its　consequences；　preached　last　Sundayone　in　the　afternoon　by　Mr。　W。；　and　one　in　the　evening　by　Mr。　C。　　All　the　Dissenters　were　invited　to　come　and　hear；　and　they　actually　shut　up　their　chapels；　and　came　in　a　body；　of　course　the　church　was　crowded。　　Mr。　W。　delivered　a　noble；　eloquent；　High…Church；　Apostolical…Succession　discourse；　in　which　he　banged　the　Dissenters　most　fearlessly　and　unflinchingly。　　I　thought　they　had　got　enough　for　one　while；　but　it　was　nothing　to　the　dose　that　was　thrust　down　their　throats　in　the　evening。　　A　keener；　cleverer；　bolder；　and　more　heart…stirring　harangue　than　that　which　Mr。　C。　delivered　from　Haworth　pulpit；　last　Sunday　evening；　I　never　heard。　He　did　not　rant；　he　did　not　cant；　he　did　not　whine；　he　did　not　sniggle；　he　just　got　up　and　spoke　with　the　boldness　of　a　man　who　was　impressed　with　the　truth　of　what　he　was　saying；　who　has　no　fear　of　his　enemies；　and　no　dread　of　consequences。　　His　sermon　lasted　an　hour；　yet　I　was　sorry　when　it　was　done。　　I　do　not　say　that　I　agree　either　with　him；　or　with　Mr。　W。；　either　in　all　or　in　half　their　opinions。　　I　consider　them　bigoted；　intolerant；　and　wholly　unjustifiable　on　the　ground　of　common　sense。　　My　conscience　will　not　let