the life of charlotte bronte-1-第9节

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　there　are　also　allusions　to　the　books　she　has　read；　or　is　reading；　showing　a　well…cultivated　mind。　　Without　having　anything　of　her　daughter's　rare　talents；　Mrs。　Bronte　must　have　been；　I　imagine；　that　unusual　character；　a　well…balanced　and　consistent　woman。　　The　style　of　the　letters　is　easy　and　good；　as　is　also　that　of　a　paper　from　the　same　hand；　entitled　〃The　Advantages　of　Poverty　in　Religious　Concerns；〃　which　was　written　rather　later；　with　a　view　to　publication　in　some　periodical。

She　was　married　from　her　uncle's　house　in　Yorkshire；　on　the　29th　of　December；　1812；　the　same　day　was　also　the　wedding…day　of　her　younger　sister；　Charlotte　Branwell；　in　distant　Penzance。　　I　do　not　think　that　Mrs。　Bronte　ever　revisited　Cornwall；　but　she　has　left　a　very　pleasant　impression　on　the　minds　of　those　relations　who　yet　survive；　they　speak　of　her　as　〃their　favourite　aunt；　and　one　to　whom　they；　as　well　as　all　the　family；　looked　up；　as　a　person　of　talent　and　great　amiability　of　disposition；〃　and；　again；　as　〃meek　and　retiring；　while　possessing　more　than　ordinary　talents；　which　she　inherited　from　her　father；　and　her　piety　was　genuine　and　unobtrusive。〃

Mr。　Bronte　remained　for　five　years　at　Hartshead；　in　the　parish　of　Dewsbury。　　There　he　was　married；　and　his　two　children；　Maria　and　Elizabeth；　were　born。　　At　the　expiration　of　that　period；　he　had　the　living　of　Thornton；　in　Bradford　Parish。　　Some　of　those　great　West　Riding　parishes　are　almost　like　bishoprics　for　their　amount　of　population　and　number　of　churches。　　Thornton　church　is　a　little　episcopal　chapel　of　ease；　rich　in　Nonconformist　monuments；　as　of　Accepted　Lister　and　his　friend　Dr。　Hall。　　The　neighbourhood　is　desolate　and　wild；　great　tracts　of　bleak　land；　enclosed　by　stone　dykes；　sweeping　up　Clayton　heights。　　The　church　itself　looks　ancient　and　solitary；　and　as　if　left　behind　by　the　great　stone　mills　of　a　flourishing　Independent　firm；　and　the　solid　square　chapel　built　by　the　members　of　that　denomination。　　Altogether　not　so　pleasant　a　place　as　Hartshead；　with　its　ample　outlook　over　cloud…shadowed；　sun…flecked　plain；　and　hill　rising　beyond　hill　to　form　the　distant　horizon。

Here；　at　Thornton；　Charlotte　Bronte　was　born；　on　the　21st　of　April；　1816。　　Fast　on　her　heels　followed　Patrick　Branwell；　Emily　Jane；　and　Anne。　　After　the　birth　of　this　last　daughter；　Mrs。　Bronte's　health　began　to　decline。　　It　is　hard　work　to　provide　for　the　little　tender　wants　of　many　young　children　where　the　means　are　but　limited。　　The　necessaries　of　food　and　clothing　are　much　more　easily　supplied　than　the　almost　equal　necessaries　of　attendance；　care；　soothing；　amusement；　and　sympathy。　　Maria　Bronte；　the　eldest　of　six；　could　only　have　been　a　few　months　more　than　six　years　old；　when　Mr。　Bronte　removed　to　Haworth；　on　February　the　25th；　1820。　Those　who　knew　her　then；　describe　her　as　grave；　thoughtful；　and　quiet；　to　a　degree　far　beyond　her　years。　　Her　childhood　was　no　childhood；　the　cases　are　rare　in　which　the　possessors　of　great　gifts　have　known　the　blessings　of　that　careless　happy　time；　THEIR　unusual　powers　stir　within　them；　and；　instead　of　the　natural　life　of　perceptionthe　objective；　as　the　Germans　call　itthey　begin　the　deeper　life　of　reflectionthe　subjective。

Little　Maria　Bronte　was　delicate　and　small　in　appearance；　which　seemed　to　give　greater　effect　to　her　wonderful　precocity　of　intellect。　　She　must　have　been　her　mother's　companion　and　helpmate　in　many　a　household　and　nursery　experience；　for　Mr。　Bronte　was；　of　course；　much　engaged　in　his　study；　and　besides；　he　was　not　naturally　fond　of　children；　and　felt　their　frequent　appearance　on　the　scene　as　a　drag　both　on　his　wife's　strength；　and　as　an　interruption　to　the　comfort　of　the　household。

Haworth　Parsonage　isas　I　mentioned　in　the　first　chapteran　oblong　stone　house；　facing　down　the　hill　on　which　the　village　stands；　and　with　the　front　door　right　opposite　to　the　western　door　of　the　church；　distant　about　a　hundred　yards。　　Of　this　space　twenty　yards　or　so　in　depth　are　occupied　by　the　grassy　garden；　which　is　scarcely　wider　than　the　house。　　The　graveyard　lies　on　two　sides　of　the　house　and　garden。　　The　house　consists　of　four　rooms　on　each　floor；　and　is　two　stories　high。　　When　the　Brontes　took　possession；　they　made　the　larger　parlour；　to　the　left　of　the　entrance；　the　family　sitting…room；　while　that　on　the　right　was　appropriated　to　Mr。　Bronte　as　a　study。　　Behind　this　was　the　kitchen；　behind　the　former；　a　sort　of　flagged　store…room。　　Up…　stairs　were　four　bed…chambers　of　similar　size；　with　the　addition　of　a　small　apartment　over　the　passage；　or　〃lobby〃　as　we　call　it　in　the　north。　　This　was　to　the　front；　the　staircase　going　up　right　opposite　to　the　entrance。　　There　is　the　pleasant　old　fashion　of　window　seats　all　through　the　house；　and　one　can　see　that　the　parsonage　was　built　in　the　days　when　wood　was　plentiful；　as　the　massive　stair…banisters；　and　the　wainscots；　and　the　heavy　window…　frames　testify。

This　little　extra　up…stairs　room　was　appropriated　to　the　children。　Small　as　it　was；　it　was　not　called　a　nursery；　indeed；　it　had　not　the　comfort　of　a　fire…place　in　it；　the　servantstwo　affectionate；　warm…hearted　sisters；　who　cannot　now　speak　of　the　family　without　tearscalled　the　room　the　〃children's　study。〃　　The　age　of　the　eldest　student　was　perhaps　by　this　time　seven。

The　people　in　Haworth　were　none　of　them　very　poor。　　Many　of　them　were　employed　in　the　neighbouring　worsted　mills；　a　few　were　mill…　owners　and　manufacturers　in　a　small　way；　there　were　also　some　shopkeepers　for　the　humbler　and　every…day　wants；　but　for　medical　advice；　for　stationery；　books；　law；　dress；　or　dainties；　the　inhabitants　had　to　go　to　Keighley。　　There　were　several　Sunday…　schools；　the　Baptists　had　taken　the　lead　in　instituting　them；　the　Wesleyans　had　followed；　the　Church　of　England　had　brought　up　the　rear。　　Good　Mr。　Grimshaw；　Wesley's　friend；　had　built　a　humble　Methodist　chapel；　but　it　stood　close　to　the　road　leading　on　to　the　moor；　the　Baptists　then　raised　a　place　of　worship；　with　the　distinction　of　being　a　few　yards　back　from　the　highway；　and　the　Methodists　have　since　thought　it　well　to　erect　another　and　a　larger　chapel；　still　more　retired　from　the　road。　　Mr。　Bronte　was　ever　on　kind　and　friendly　terms　with　each　denomination　as　a　body；　but　from　individuals　in　the　village　the　family　stood　aloof；　unless　some　direct　service　was　required；　from　the　first。　　〃They　kept　themselves　very　close；〃　is　the　account　given　by　those　who　remember　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Bronte's　coming　amongst　them。　　I　believe　many　of　the　Yorkshiremen　would　object　to　the　system　of　parochial　visiting；　their　surly　independence　would　revolt　from　the　idea　of　any　one　having　a　right；　from　his　office；　to　inquire　into　their　condition；　to　counsel；　or　to　admonish　them。　　The　old　hill…spirit　lingers　in　them；　which　coined　the　rhyme；　inscribed　on　the　under　part　of　one　of　the　seats　in　the　Sedilia　of　Whalley　Abbey；　not　many　miles　from　Haworth；


〃Who　mells　wi'　what　another　does　Had　best　go　home　and　shoe　his　goose。〃


I　asked　an　inhabitant　of　a　district　close　to　Haworth　what　sort　of　a　clergyman　they　had　at　the　church　which　he　attended。

〃A　rare　good　one；〃　said　he：　　〃he　minds　his　own　business；　and　ne'er　troubles　himself　with　ours。〃

Mr。　Bronte　was　faithful　in　visiting　the　sick　and　all　those　who　sent　for　him；　and　diligent　in　attendance　at　the　schools；　and　so　was　his　daughter　Charlotte　too；　but；　cherishing　and　valuing　privacy　themselves；　they　were　perhaps　over…delicate　in　not　intruding　upon　the　privacy　of　others。

From　their　first　going　to　Haworth；　their　walks　were　directed　rather　out　towards　the　heathery　moors；　sloping　upwards　behind　the　parsonage；　than　towards　the　long　descending　village　street。　　A　good　old　woman；　who　came　to　nurse　Mrs。　Bronte　in　the　illnessan　internal　cancerwhich　grew　and　gathered　upon　her；　not　many　months　after　her　arrival　at　Haworth；　tells　me　that　at　that　time　the　six　little　creatures　used　to　walk　out；　hand　in　hand；　towards　the　glorious　wild　moors；　which　in　after　days　they　loved　so　passionately；　the　elder　ones　taking　thoughtful　care　for　the　toddling　wee　things。

They　were　grave　and　silent　beyond　their　years；　subdued；　probably；　by　the　presence　of　serious　illness　in　the　house；　for；　at　the　time　which　my　informant　speaks　of；　Mrs。　Bronte　was　confined　to　the　bedroom　from　which　she　never　came　forth　alive。　　〃You　would　not　have　known　there　was　a　child　in　the　house；　they　were　such　still；　noiseless；　good　little　creatures。　　Maria　would　shut　herself　up〃　（Maria；　but　seven！）　〃in　the　children's　study　with　a　newspaper；　and　be　able　to　tell　one　everything　when　she　came　out；　debates　in　Parliament；　and　I　don't　know　what　all。　　She　was　as　good　as　a　mother　to　her　sisters　and　brother。　　But　there　never　were　such　good　children。　　I　used　to　think　them　spiritless；　they　were　so　different　to　any　children　I　had　ever　seen。　　They　were　good　little　creatures。　Emily　was　the　prettiest。〃

Mrs。　Bronte　was　the　same　patient；　cheerful　person　as　we　have　seen　her　formerly；　very　ill；　suffering　great　pain；　but　seldom　if　ever　complaining；　at　her　better　times　begging　her　nurse　to　raise　her　in　bed　to　let　her　see　her　clean　the　grate；　〃because　she　did　it　as　it　was　done　in　Cornwall；〃　devotedly　fond　of　her　husband；　who　warmly　repaid　her　affection；　and　suffered　no　one　else　to　take　the　night…　nursing；　bu