the life of charlotte bronte-1-第12章

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！


usbands；　and　the　daughters　grew　up　out　of　childhood　into　girlhood　bereft；　in　a　singular　manner；　of　all　such　society　as　would　have　been　natural　to　their　age；　sex；　and　station。

But　the　children　did　not　want　society。　　To　small　infantine　gaieties　they　were　unaccustomed。　　They　were　all　in　all　to　each　other。　　I　do　not　suppose　that　there　ever　was　a　family　more　tenderly　bound　to　each　other。　　Maria　read　the　newspapers；　and　reported　intelligence　to　her　younger　sisters　which　it　is　wonderful　they　could　take　an　interest　in。　　But　I　suspect　that　they　had　no　〃children's　books；〃　and　that　their　eager　minds　〃browzed　undisturbed　among　the　wholesome　pasturage　of　English　literature；〃　as　Charles　Lamb　expresses　it。　　The　servants　of　the　household　appear　to　have　been　much　impressed　with　the　little　Brontes'　extraordinary　cleverness。　　In　a　letter　which　I　had　from　him　on　this　subject；　their　father　writes：…　〃The　servants　often　said　that　they　had　never　seen　such　a　clever　little　child〃　（as　Charlotte）；　〃and　that　they　were　obliged　to　be　on　their　guard　as　to　what　they　said　and　did　before　her。　　Yet　she　and　the　servants　always　lived　on　good　terms　with　each　other。〃

These　servants　are　yet　alive；　elderly　women　residing　in　Bradford。　They　retain　a　faithful　and　fond　recollection　of　Charlotte；　and　speak　of　her　unvarying　kindness　from　the　〃time　when　she　was　ever　such　a　little　child！〃　when　she　would　not　rest　till　she　had　got　the　old　disused　cradle　sent　from　the　parsonage　to　the　house　where　the　parents　of　one　of　them　lived；　to　serve　for　a　little　infant　sister。　They　tell　of　one　long　series　of　kind　and　thoughtful　actions　from　this　early　period　to　the　last　weeks　of　Charlotte　Bronte's　life；　and；　though　she　had　left　her　place　many　years　ago；　one　of　these　former　servants　went　over　from　Bradford　to　Haworth　on　purpose　to　see　Mr。　Bronte；　and　offer　him　her　true　sympathy；　when　his　last　child　died。　　I　may　add　a　little　anecdote　as　a　testimony　to　the　admirable　character　of　the　likeness　of　Miss　Bronte　prefixed　to　this　volume。　　A　gentleman　who　had　kindly　interested　himself　in　the　preparation　of　this　memoir　took　the　first　volume；　shortly　after　the　publication；　to　the　house　of　this　old　servant；　in　order　to　show　her　the　portrait。　　The　moment　she　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　frontispiece；　〃There　she　is；〃　in　a　minute　she　exclaimed。　　〃Come；　John；　look！〃　（to　her　husband）；　and　her　daughter　was　equally　struck　by　the　resemblance。　　There　might　not　be　many　to　regard　the　Brontes　with　affection；　but　those　who　once　loved　them；　loved　them　long　and　well。

I　return　to　the　father's　letter。　　He　says：…

〃When　mere　children；　as　soon　as　they　could　read　and　write；　Charlotte　and　her　brothers　and　sisters　used　to　invent　and　act　little　plays　of　their　own；　in　which　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　my　daughter　Charlotte's　hero；　was　sure　to　come　off　conqueror；　when　a　dispute　would　not　unfrequently　arise　amongst　them　regarding　the　comparative　merits　of　him；　Buonaparte；　Hannibal；　and　Caesar。　　When　the　argument　got　warm；　and　rose　to　its　height；　as　their　mother　was　then　dead；　I　had　sometimes　to　come　in　as　arbitrator；　and　settle　the　dispute　according　to　the　best　of　my　judgment。　　Generally；　in　the　management　of　these　concerns；　I　frequently　thought　that　I　discovered　signs　of　rising　talent；　which　I　had　seldom　or　never　before　seen　in　any　of　their　age　。　。　。　A　circumstance　now　occurs　to　my　mind　which　I　may　as　well　mention。　　When　my　children　were　very　young；　when；　as　far　as　I　can　remember；　the　oldest　was　about　ten　years　of　age；　and　the　youngest　about　four；　thinking　that　they　knew　more　than　I　had　yet　discovered；　in　order　to　make　them　speak　with　less　timidity；　I　deemed　that　if　they　were　put　under　a　sort　of　cover　I　might　gain　my　end；　and　happening　to　have　a　mask　in　the　house；　I　told　them　all　to　stand　and　speak　boldly　from　under　cover　of　the　mask。

〃I　began　with　the　youngest　（Anne；　afterwards　Acton　Bell）；　and　asked　what　a　child　like　her　most　wanted；　she　answered；　'Age　and　experience。'　　I　asked　the　next　（Emily；　afterwards　Ellis　Bell）；　what　I　had　best　do　with　her　brother　Branwell；　who　was　sometimes　a　naughty　boy；　she　answered；　'Reason　with　him；　and　when　he　won't　listen　to　reason；　whip　him。'　　I　asked　Branwell　what　was　the　best　way　of　knowing　the　difference　between　the　intellects　of　man　and　woman；　he　answered；　'By　considering　the　difference　between　them　as　to　their　bodies。'　　I　then　asked　Charlotte　what　was　the　best　book　in　the　world；　she　answered；　'The　Bible。'　　And　what　was　the　next　best；　she　answered；　'The　Book　of　Nature。'　　I　then　asked　the　next　what　was　the　best　mode　of　education　for　a　woman；　she　answered；　'That　which　would　make　her　rule　her　house　well。'　　Lastly；　I　asked　the　oldest　what　was　the　best　mode　of　spending　time；　she　answered；　'By　laying　it　out　in　preparation　for　a　happy　eternity。'　　I　may　not　have　given　precisely　their　words；　but　I　have　nearly　done　so；　as　they　made　a　deep　and　lasting　impression　on　my　memory。　　The　substance；　however；　was　exactly　what　I　have　stated。〃

The　strange　and　quaint　simplicity　of　the　mode　taken　by　the　father　to　ascertain　the　hidden　characters　of　his　children；　and　the　tone　and　character　of　these　questions　and　answers；　show　the　curious　education　which　was　made　by　the　circumstances　surrounding　the　Brontes。　　They　knew　no　other　children。　　They　knew　no　other　modes　of　thought　than　what　were　suggested　to　them　by　the　fragments　of　clerical　conversation　which　they　overheard　in　the　parlour；　or　the　subjects　of　village　and　local　interest　which　they　heard　discussed　in　the　kitchen。　　Each　had　their　own　strong　characteristic　flavour。

They　took　a　vivid　interest　in　the　public　characters；　and　the　local　and　the　foreign　as　well　as　home　politics　discussed　in　the　newspapers。　　Long　before　Maria　Bronte　died；　at　the　age　of　eleven；　her　father　used　to　say　he　could　converse　with　her　on　any　of　the　leading　topics　of　the　day　with　as　much　freedom　and　pleasure　as　with　any　grown…up　person。



CHAPTER　IV



About　a　year　after　Mrs。　Bronte's　death；　an　elder　sister；　as　I　have　before　mentioned；　came　from　Penzance　to　superintend　her　brother…　in…law's　household；　and　look　after　his　children。　　Miss　Branwell　was；　I　believe；　a　kindly　and　conscientious　woman；　with　a　good　deal　of　character；　but　with　the　somewhat　narrow　ideas　natural　to　one　who　had　spent　nearly　all　her　life　in　the　same　place。　　She　had　strong　prejudices；　and　soon　took　a　distaste　to　Yorkshire。　　From　Penzance；　where　plants　which　we　in　the　north　call　greenhouse　flowers　grow　in　great　profusion；　and　without　any　shelter　even　in　the　winter；　and　where　the　soft　warm　climate　allows　the　inhabitants；　if　so　disposed；　to　live　pretty　constantly　in　the　open　air；　it　was　a　great　change　for　a　lady　considerably　past　forty　to　come　and　take　up　her　abode　in　a　place　where　neither　flowers　nor　vegetables　would　flourish；　and　where　a　tree　of　even　moderate　dimensions　might　be　hunted　for　far　and　wide；　where　the　snow　lay　long　and　late　on　the　moors；　stretching　bleakly　and　barely　far　up　from　the　dwelling　which　was　henceforward　to　be　her　home；　and　where　often；　on　autumnal　or　winter　nights；　the　four　winds　of　heaven　seemed　to　meet　and　rage　together；　tearing　round　the　house　as　if　they　were　wild　beasts　striving　to　find　an　entrance。　　She　missed　the　small　round　of　cheerful；　social　visiting　perpetually　going　on　in　a　country　town；　she　missed　the　friends　she　had　known　from　her　childhood；　some　of　whom　had　been　her　parents'　friends　before　they　were　hers；　she　disliked　many　of　the　customs　of　the　place；　and　particularly　dreaded　the　cold　damp　arising　from　the　flag　floors　in　the　passages　and　parlours　of　Haworth　Parsonage。　　The　stairs；　too；　I　believe；　are　made　of　stone；　and　no　wonder；　when　stone　quarries　are　near；　and　trees　are　far　to　seek。　　I　have　heard　that　Miss　Branwell　always　went　about　the　house　in　pattens；　clicking　up　and　down　the　stairs；　from　her　dread　of　catching　cold。　　For　the　same　reason；　in　the　latter　years　of　her　life；　she　passed　nearly　all　her　time；　and　took　most　of　her　meals；　in　her　bedroom。　　The　children　respected　her；　and　had　that　sort　of　affection　for　her　which　is　generated　by　esteem；　but　I　do　not　think　they　ever　freely　loved　her。　　It　was　a　severe　trial　for　any　one　at　her　time　of　life　to　change　neighbourhood　and　habitation　so　entirely　as　she　did；　and　the　greater　her　merit。

I　do　not　know　whether　Miss　Branwell　taught　h