the life of charlotte bronte-1-第57节

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〃Only　because　I　see　they　have　inserted　one　of　my　poems；〃　was　the　quiet　reply；　and　not　a　word　more　was　said　on　the　subject。

To　this　friend　Charlotte　addressed　the　following　letters：…

〃March　3rd；　1846。

〃I　reached　home　a　little　after　two　o'clock；　all　safe　and　right　yesterday；　I　found　papa　very　well；　his　sight　much　the　same。　　Emily　and　Anne　were　going　to　Keighley　to　meet　me；　unfortunately；　I　had　returned　by　the　old　road；　while　they　were　gone　by　the　new；　and　we　missed　each　other。　　They　did　not　get　home　till　half…past　four；　and　were　caught　in　the　heavy　shower　of　rain　which　fell　in　the　afternoon。　　I　am　sorry　to　say　Anne　has　taken　a　little　cold　in　consequence；　but　I　hope　she　will　soon　be　well。　　Papa　was　much　cheered　by　my　report　of　Mr。　C。's　opinion；　and　of　old　Mrs。　E。's　experience；　but　I　could　perceive　he　caught　gladly　at　the　idea　of　deferring　the　operation　a　few　months　longer。　　I　went　into　the　room　where　Branwell　was；　to　speak　to　him；　about　an　hour　after　I　got　home：　　it　was　very　forced　work　to　address　him。　　I　might　have　spared　myself　the　trouble；　as　he　took　no　notice；　and　made　no　reply；　he　was　stupified。　　My　fears　were　not　in　vain。　　I　hear　that　he　got　a　sovereign　while　I　have　been　away；　under　pretence　of　paying　a　pressing　debt；　he　went　immediately　and　changed　it　at　a　public…house；　and　has　employed　it　as　was　to　be　expected。　　concluded　her　account　by　saying　he　was　a　'hopeless　being；'　it　is　too　true。　　In　his　present　state　it　is　scarcely　possible　to　stay　in　the　room　where　he　is。　　What　the　future　has　in　store　I　do　not　know。〃

〃March　31st；　1846。

〃Our　poor　old　servant　Tabby　had　a　sort　of　fit；　a　fortnight　since；　but　is　nearly　recovered　now。　　Martha〃　（the　girl　they　had　to　assist　poor　old　Tabby；　and　who　remains　still　the　faithful　servant　at　the　parsonage；）　〃is　ill　with　a　swelling　in　her　knee；　and　obliged　to　go　home。　　I　fear　it　will　be　long　before　she　is　in　working　condition　again。　　I　received　the　number　of　the　'Record'　you　sent　。　。　。　I　read　D'Aubigne's　letter。　　It　is　clever；　and　in　what　he　says　about　Catholicism　very　good。　　The　Evangelical　Alliance　part　is　not　very　practicable；　yet　certainly　it　is　more　in　accordance　with　the　spirit　of　the　Gospel　to　preach　unity　among　Christians　than　to　inculcate　mutual　intolerance　and　hatred。　　I　am　very　glad　I　went　towhen　I　did；　for　the　changed　weather　has　somewhat　changed　my　health　and　strength　since。　　How　do　you　get　on？　　I　long　for　mild　south　and　west　winds。　　I　am　thankful　papa　continues　pretty　well；　though　often　made　very　miserable　by　Branwell's　wretched　conduct。　THEREthere　is　no　change　but　for　the　worse。〃


Meanwhile　the　printing　of　the　volume　of　poems　was　quietly　proceeding。　　After　some　consultation　and　deliberation；　the　sisters　had　determined　to　correct　the　proofs　themselves；　Up　to　March　28th　the　publishers　had　addressed　their　correspondent　as　C。　Bronte；　Esq。；　but　at　this　time　some　〃little　mistake　occurred；〃　and　she　desired　Messrs。　Aylott　and　Co。　in　future　to　direct　to　her　real　address；　〃MISS　Bronte；〃　&c。　　She　had；　however；　evidently　left　it　to　be　implied　that　she　was　not　acting　on　her　own　behalf；　but　as　agent　for　the　real　authors；　since　in　a　note　dated　April　6th；　she　makes　a　proposal　on　behalf　of　〃C。；　E。；　and　A。　Bell；〃　which　is　to　the　following　effect；　that　they　are　preparing　for　the　press　a　work　of　fiction；　consisting　of　three　distinct　and　unconnected　tales；　which　may　be　published　either　together；　as　a　work　of　three　volumes；　of　the　ordinary　novel　size；　or　separately；　as　single　volumes；　as　may　be　deemed　most　advisable。　　She　states；　in　addition；　that　it　is　not　their　intention　to　publish　these　tales　on　their　own　account；　but　that　the　authors　direct　her　to　ask　Messrs。　Aylott　and　Co。　whether　they　would　be　disposed　to　undertake　the　work；　after　having；　of　course；　by　due　inspection　of　the　MS。；　ascertained　that　its　contents　are　such　as　to　warrant　an　expectation　of　success。　　To　this　letter　of　inquiry　the　publishers　replied　speedily；　and　the　tenor　of　their　answer　may　be　gathered　from　Charlotte's；　dated　April　11th。


〃I　beg　to　thank　you；　in　the　name　of　C。；　E。；　and　A。　Bell；　for　your　obliging　offer　of　advice。　　I　will　avail　myself　of　it；　to　request　information　on　two　or　three　points。　　It　is　evident　that　unknown　authors　have　great　difficulties　to　contend　with；　before　they　can　succeed　in　bringing　their　works　before　the　public。　　Can　you　give　me　any　hint　as　to　the　way　in　which　these　difficulties　are　best　met？　　For　instance；　in　the　present　case；　where　a　work　of　fiction　is　in　question；　in　what　form　would　a　publisher　be　most　likely　to　accept　the　MS。？　　Whether　offered　as　a　work　of　three　vols。；　or　as　tales　which　might　be　published　in　numbers；　or　as　contributions　to　a　periodical？

〃What　publishers　would　be　most　likely　to　receive　favourably　a　proposal　of　this　nature？

〃Would　it　suffice　to　WRITE　to　a　publisher　on　the　subject；　or　would　it　be　necessary　to　have　recourse　to　a　personal　interview？

〃Your　opinion　and　advice　on　these　three　points；　or　on　any　other　which　your　experience　may　suggest　as　important；　would　be　esteemed　by　us　as　a　favour。〃


It　is　evident　from　the　whole　tenor　of　this　correspondence；　that　the　truthfulness　and　probity　of　the　firm　of　publishers　with　whom　she　had　to　deal　in　this　her　first　literary　venture；　were　strongly　impressed　upon　her　mind；　and　was　followed　by　the　inevitable　consequence　of　reliance　on　their　suggestions。　　And　the　progress　of　the　poems　was　not　unreasonably　lengthy　or　long　drawn　out。　　On　April　20th　she　writes　to　desire　that　three　copies　may　be　sent　to　her；　and　that　Messrs。　Aylott　will　advise　her　as　to　the　reviewers　to　whom　copies　ought　to　be　sent。

I　give　the　next　letter　as　illustrating　the　ideas　of　these　girls　as　to　what　periodical　reviews　or　notices　led　public　opinion。

〃The　poems　to　be　neatly　done　up　in　cloth。　　Have　the　goodness　to　send　copies　and　advertisements；　AS　EARLY　AS　POSSIBLE；　to　each　of　the　undermentioned　periodicals。

〃'Colburn's　New　Monthly　Magazine。'

〃'Bentley's　Magazine。'

〃'Hood's　Magazine。'

〃'Jerrold's　Shilling　Magazine。'

〃'Blackwood's　Magazine。'

〃'The　Edinburgh　Review。'

〃'Tait's　Edinburgh　Magazine。'

〃'The　Dublin　University　Magazine。'

〃Also　to　the　'Daily　News'　and　to　the　'Britannia'　papers。

〃If　there　are　any　other　periodicals　to　which　you　have　been　in　the　habit　of　sending　copies　of　works；　let　them　be　supplied　also　with　copies。　　I　think　those　I　have　mentioned　will　suffice　for　advertising。〃

In　compliance　with　this　latter　request；　Messrs。　Aylott　suggest　that　copies　and　advertisements　of　the　work　should　be　sent　to　the　〃Athenaeum；〃　〃Literary　Gazette；〃　〃Critic；〃　and　〃Times；〃　but　in　her　reply　Miss　Bronte　says；　that　she　thinks　the　periodicals　she　first　mentioned　will　be　sufficient　for　advertising　in　at　present；　as　the　authors　do　not　wish　to　lay　out　a　larger　sum　than　two　pounds　in　advertising；　esteeming　the　success　of　a　work　dependent　more　on　the　notice　it　receives　from　periodicals　than　on　the　quantity　of　advertisements。　　In　case　of　any　notice　of　the　poems　appearing；　whether　favourable　or　otherwise；　Messrs。　Aylott　and　Co。　are　requested　to　send　her　the　name　and　number　of　those　periodicals　in　which　such　notices　appear；　as　otherwise；　since　she　has　not　the　opportunity　of　seeing　periodicals　regularly；　she　may　miss　reading　the　critique。　　〃Should　the　poems　be　remarked　upon　favourably；　it　is　my　intention　to　appropriate　a　further　sum　for　advertisements。　If；　on　the　other　hand；　they　should　pass　unnoticed　or　be　condemned；　I　consider　it　would　be　quite　useless　to　advertise；　as　there　is　nothing；　either　in　the　title　of　the　work；　or　the　names　of　the　authors；　to　attract　attention　from　a　single　individual。〃

I　suppose　the　little　volume　of　poems　was　published　some　time　about　the　end　of　May；　1846。　　It　stole　into　life；　some　weeks　passed　over；　without　the　mighty　murmuring　public　discovering　that　three　more　voices　were　uttering　their　speech。　　And；　meanwhile；　the　course　of　existence　moved　drearily　along　from　day　to　day　with　the　anxious　sisters；　who　must　have　forgotten　their　sense　of　authorship　in　the　vital　care　gnawing　at　their　hearts。　　On　June　17th；　Charlotte　writes：…

〃Branwell　declares　that　he　neither　can　nor　will　do　anything　for　himself；　good　situations　have　been　offered　him；　for　which；　by　a　fortnight's　work；　he　might　have　qualified　himself；　but　he　will　do　nothing　except　drink　and　make　us　all　wretched。〃

In　the　〃Athenaeum〃　of　July　4th；　under　the　head　of　poetry　for　the　million；　came　a　short　review　of　the　poems　of　C。；　E。；　and　A。　Bell。　The　reviewer　assigns　to　Ellis　the　highest　rank　of　the　three　〃brothers；〃　as　he　supposes　them　to　be；　he　calls　Ellis　〃a　fine；　quaint　spirit；〃　and　speaks　of　〃an　evident　power　of　wing　that　may　reach　heights　not　here　attempted。〃　　Again；　with　some　degree　of　penetration；　the　reviewer　says；　that　the　poems　of　Ellis　〃convey　an　impression　of　originality　beyond　what　his　contributions　to　these　volumes　embody。〃　　Currer　is　placed　midway　between　Ellis　and　Acton。　But　there　is　little　in　the　review　to　strain　out；　at　this　distance　of　time；　as　worth　preserving。　　Still；　we　can　fancy　with　what　interest　it　was　read　at　Haworth　Parsonage；　and　how　the　sisters　would　endeavour　to　find　out　reasons　for　opinions；　or　hints　for　the　future　guidance　of　their　talents。

I　call　particular　attention　to　the　following　letter　of　Charlotte's；　dated　July　10th；　1846。