the life of charlotte bronte-1-第58节

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I　call　particular　attention　to　the　following　letter　of　Charlotte's；　dated　July　10th；　1846。　　To　whom　it　was　written；　matters　not；　but　the　wholesome　sense　of　duty　in　itthe　sense　of　the　supremacy　of　that　duty　which　God；　in　placing　us　in　families；　has　laid　out　for　us；　seems　to　deserve　especial　regard　in　these　days。


〃I　see　you　are　in　a　dilemma；　and　one　of　a　peculiar　and　difficult　nature。　　Two　paths　lie　before　you；　you　conscientiously　wish　to　choose　the　right　one；　even　though　it　be　the　most　steep；　strait；　and　rugged；　but　you　do　not　know　which　is　the　right　one；　you　cannot　decide　whether　duty　and　religion　command　you　to　go　out　into　the　cold　and　friendless　world；　and　there　to　earn　your　living　by　governess　drudgery；　or　whether　they　enjoin　your　continued　stay　with　your　aged　mother；　neglecting；　FOR　THE　PRESENT；　every　prospect　of　independency　for　yourself；　and　putting　up　with　daily　inconvenience；　sometimes　even　with　privations。　　I　can　well　imagine；　that　it　is　next　to　impossible　for　you　to　decide　for　yourself　in　this　matter；　so　I　will　decide　it　for　you。　　At　least；　I　will　tell　you　what　is　my　earnest　conviction　on　the　subject；　I　will　show　you　candidly　how　the　question　strikes　me。　　The　right　path　is　that　which　necessitates　the　greatest　sacrifice　of　self…interest　which　implies　the　greatest　good　to　others；　and　this　path；　steadily　followed；　will　lead；　I　believe；　in　time；　to　prosperity　and　to　happiness；　though　it　may　seem；　at　the　outset；　to　tend　quite　in　a　contrary　direction。　　Your　mother　is　both　old　and　infirm；　old　and　infirm　people　have　but　few　sources　of　happinessfewer　almost　than　the　comparatively　young　and　healthy　can　conceive；　to　deprive　them　of　one　of　these　is　cruel。　　If　your　mother　is　more　composed　when　you　are　with　her；　stay　with　her。　　If　she　would　be　unhappy　in　case　you　left　her；　stay　with　her。　　It　will　not　apparently；　as　far　as　short…sighted　humanity　can　see；　be　for　your　advantage　to　remain　at　…；　nor　will　you　be　praised　and　admired　for　remaining　at　home　to　comfort　your　mother；　yet；　probably；　your　own　conscience　will　approve；　and　if　it　does；　stay　with　her。　　I　recommend　you　to　do　what　I　am　trying　to　do　myself。〃


The　remainder　of　this　letter　is　only　interesting　to　the　reader　as　it　conveys　a　peremptory　disclaimer　of　the　report　that　the　writer　was　engaged　to　be　married　to　her　father's　curatethe　very　same　gentleman　to　whom；　eight　years　afterwards；　she　was　united；　and　who；　probably；　even　now；　although　she　was　unconscious　of　the　fact；　had　begun　his　service　to　her；　in　the　same　tender　and　faithful　spirit　as　that　in　which　Jacob　served　for　Rachel。　　Others　may　have　noticed　this；　though　she　did　not。

A　few　more　notes　remain　of　her　correspondence　〃on　behalf　of　the　Messrs。　Bell〃　with　Mr。　Aylott。　　On　July　15th　she　says；　〃I　suppose；　as　you　have　not　written；　no　other　notices　have　yet　appeared；　nor　has　the　demand　for　the　work　increased。　　Will　you　favour　me　with　a　line　stating　whether　ANY；　or　how　many　copies　have　yet　been　sold？〃

But　few；　I　fear；　for；　three　days　later；　she　wrote　the　following：…

〃The　Messrs。　Bell　desire　me　to　thank　you　for　your　suggestion　respecting　the　advertisements。　　They　agree　with　you　that；　since　the　season　is　unfavourable；　advertising　had　better　be　deferred。　They　are　obliged　to　you　for　the　information　respecting　the　number　of　copies　sold。〃

On　July　23rd　she　writes　to　the　Messrs。　Aylott：…

〃The　Messrs。　Bell　would　be　obliged　to　you　to　post　the　enclosed　note　in　London。　　It　is　an　answer　to　the　letter　you　forwarded；　which　contained　an　application　for　their　autographs　from　a　person　who　professed　to　have　read　and　admired　their　poems。　　I　think　I　before　intimated；　that　the　Messrs。　Bell　are　desirous　for　the　present　of　remaining　unknown；　for　which　reason　they　prefer　having　the　note　posted　in　London　to　sending　it　direct；　in　order　to　avoid　giving　any　clue　to　residence；　or　identity　by　post…mark；　&c。〃

Once　more；　in　September；　she　writes；　〃As　the　work　has　received　no　further　notice　from　any　periodical；　I　presume　the　demand　for　it　has　not　greatly　increased。〃

In　the　biographical　notice　of　her　sisters；　she　thus　speaks　of　the　failure　of　the　modest　hopes　vested　in　this　publication。　　〃The　book　was　printed；　it　is　scarcely　known；　and　all　of　it　that　merits　to　be　known　are　the　poems　of　Ellis　Bell。

〃The　fixed　conviction　I　held；　and　hold；　of　the　worth　of　these　poems；　has　not；　indeed；　received　the　confirmation　of　much　favourable　criticism；　but　I　must　retain　it　notwithstanding。〃



Footnotes：

｛1｝　　A　reviewer　pointed　out　the　discrepancy　between　the　age　（twenty…seven　years）　assigned；　on　the　mural　tablet；　to　Anne　Bronte　at　the　time　of　her　death　in　1849；　and　the　alleged　fact　that　she　was　born　at　Thornton；　from　which　place　Mr。　Bronte　removed　on　February　25th；　1820。　　I　was　aware　of　the　discrepancy；　but　I　did　not　think　it　of　sufficient　consequence　to　be　rectified　by　an　examination　of　the　register　of　births。　　Mr。　Bronte's　own　words；　on　which　I　grounded　my　statement　as　to　the　time　of　Anne　Bronte's　birth；　are　as　follows：…

〃In　Thornton；　Charlotte；　Patrick　Branwell；　Emily　Jane；　and　Anne　were　born。〃　　And　such　of　the　inhabitants　of　Haworth　as　have　spoken　on　the　subject　say　that　all　the　children　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Bronte　were　born　before　they　removed　to　Haworth。　　There　is　probably　some　mistake　in　the　inscription　on　the　tablet。

｛2｝　　In　the　month　of　April　1858；　a　neat　mural　tablet　was　erected　within　the　Communion　railing　of　the　Church　at　Haworth；　to　the　memory　of　the　deceased　members　of　the　Bronte　family。　　The　tablet　is　of　white　Carrara　marble　on　a　ground　of　dove…coloured　marble；　with　a　cornice　surmounted　by　an　ornamental　pediment　of　chaste　design。　　Between　the　brackets　which　support　the　tablet；　is　inscribed　the　sacred　monogram　I。H。S。；　in　old　English　letters。

｛3｝　　With　regard　to　my　own　opinion　of　the　present　school；　I　can　only　give　it　as　formed　after　what　was　merely　a　cursory　and　superficial　inspection；　as　I　do　not　believe　that　I　was　in　the　house　above　half　an　hour；　but　it　was　and　is　this；that　the　house　at　Casterton　seemed　thoroughly　healthy　and　well　kept；　and　is　situated　in　a　lovely　spot；　that　the　pupils　looked　bright；　happy；　and　well；　and　that　the　lady　superintendent　was　a　most　prepossessing　looking　person；　who；　on　my　making　some　inquiry　as　to　the　accomplishments　taught　to　the　pupils；　said　that　the　scheme　of　education　was　materially　changed　since　the　school　had　been　opened。　I　would　have　inserted　this　testimony　in　the　first　edition；　had　I　believed　that　any　weight　could　be　attached　to　an　opinion　formed　on　such　slight　and　superficial　grounds。

｛4｝　　〃Jane　Eyre；〃　vol。　I。；　page　20。

｛5｝　　Scott　describes　the　sport；　〃Shooting　at　the　Popinjay；〃　〃as　an　ancient　game　formerly　practised　with　archery；　but　at　this　period　（1679）　with　firearms。　　This　was　the　figure　of　a　bird　decked　with　parti…coloured　feathers；　so　as　to　resemble　a　popinjay　or　parrot。　It　was　suspended　to　a　pole；　and　served　for　a　mark　at　which　the　competitors　discharged　their　fusees　and　carbines　in　rotation；　at　the　distance　of　seventy　paces。　　He　whose　ball　brought　down　the　mark　held　the　proud　title　of　Captain　of　the　Popinjay　for　the　remainder　of　the　day；　and　was　usually　escorted　in　triumph　to　the　most　respectable　change…house　in　the　neighbourhood；　where　the　evening　was　closed　with　conviviality；　conducted　under　his　auspices；　and　if　he　was　able　to　maintain　it；　at　his　expense。〃Old　Mortality。

｛6｝　　In　this　Gutenberg　eText　M。　Heger's　comments　are　given　in　｛｝　at　approximately　the　place　where　they　occurDP。







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