the life of charlotte bronte-1-第9章

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　or　Commerce。　　The　lower　class　was　then　extremely　ignorant；　and　all　classes　were　very　superstitious；　even　the　belief　in　witches　maintained　its　ground；　and　there　was　an　almost　unbounded　credulity　respecting　the　supernatural　and　monstrous。　　There　was　scarcely　a　parish　in　the　Mount's　Bay　that　was　without　a　haunted　house；　or　a　spot　to　which　some　story　of　supernatural　horror　was　not　attached。　　Even　when　I　was　a　boy；　I　remember　a　house　in　the　best　street　of　Penzance　which　was　uninhabited　because　it　was　believed　to　be　haunted；　and　which　young　people　walked　by　at　night　at　a　quickened　pace；　and　with　a　beating　heart。　　Amongst　the　middle　and　higher　classes　there　was　little　taste　for　literature；　and　still　less　for　science；　and　their　pursuits　were　rarely　of　a　dignified　or　intellectual　kind。　Hunting；　shooting；　wrestling；　cock…fighting；　generally　ending　in　drunkenness；　were　what　they　most　delighted　in。　　Smuggling　was　carried　on　to　a　great　extent；　and　drunkenness；　and　a　low　state　of　morals；　were　naturally　associated　with　it。　　Whilst　smuggling　was　the　means　of　acquiring　wealth　to　bold　and　reckless　adventurers；　drunkenness　and　dissipation　occasioned　the　ruin　of　many　respectable　families。〃

I　have　given　this　extract　because　I　conceive　it　bears　some　reference　to　the　life　of　Miss　Bronte；　whose　strong　mind　and　vivid　imagination　must　have　received　their　first　impressions　either　from　the　servants　（in　that　simple　household；　almost　friendly　companions　during　the　greater　part　of　the　day；）　retailing　the　traditions　or　the　news　of　Haworth　village；　or　from　Mr。　Bronte；　whose　intercourse　with　his　children　appears　to　have　been　considerably　restrained；　and　whose　life；　both　in　Ireland　and　at　Cambridge；　had　been　spent　under　peculiar　circumstances；　or　from　her　aunt；　Miss　Branwell；　who　came　to　the　parsonage；　when　Charlotte　was　only　six　or　seven　years　old；　to　take　charge　of　her　dead　sister's　family。　　This　aunt　was　older　than　Mrs。　Bronte；　and　had　lived　longer　among　the　Penzance　society；　which　Dr。　Davy　describes。　　But　in　the　Branwell　family　itself；　the　violence　and　irregularity　of　nature　did　not　exist。　They　were　Methodists；　and；　as　far　as　I　can　gather；　a　gentle　and　sincere　piety　gave　refinement　and　purity　of　character。　　Mr。　Branwell；　the　father；　according　to　his　descendants'　account；　was　a　man　of　musical　talent。　　He　and　his　wife　lived　to　see　all　their　children　grown　up；　and　died　within　a　year　of　each　otherhe　in　1808；　she　in　1809；　when　their　daughter　Maria　was　twenty…five　or　twenty…six　years　of　age。　　I　have　been　permitted　to　look　over　a　series　of　nine　letters；　which　were　addressed　by　her　to　Mr。　Bronte；　during　the　brief　term　of　their　engagement　in　1812。　　They　are　full　of　tender　grace　of　expression　and　feminine　modesty；　pervaded　by　the　deep　piety　to　which　I　have　alluded　as　a　family　characteristic。　I　shall　make　one　or　two　extracts　from　them；　to　show　what　sort　of　a　person　was　the　mother　of　Charlotte　Bronte：　　but　first；　I　must　state　the　circumstances　under　which　this　Cornish　lady　met　the　scholar　from　Ahaderg；　near　Loughbrickland。　　In　the　early　summer　of　1812；　when　she　would　be　twenty…nine；　she　came　to　visit　her　uncle；　the　Reverend　John　Fennel；　who　was　at　that　time　a　clergyman　of　the　Church　of　England；　living　near　Leeds；　but　who　had　previously　been　a　Methodist　minister。　　Mr。　Bronte　was　the　incumbent　of　Hartshead；　and　had　the　reputation　in　the　neighbourhood　of　being　a　very　handsome　fellow；　full　of　Irish　enthusiasm；　and　with　something　of　an　Irishman's　capability　of　falling　easily　in　love。　　Miss　Branwell　was　extremely　small　in　person；　not　pretty；　but　very　elegant；　and　always　dressed　with　a　quiet　simplicity　of　taste；　which　accorded　well　with　her　general　character；　and　of　which　some　of　the　details　call　to　mind　the　style　of　dress　preferred　by　her　daughter　for　her　favourite　heroines。　　Mr。　Bronte　was　soon　captivated　by　the　little；　gentle　creature；　and　this　time　declared　that　it　was　for　life。　　In　her　first　letter　to　him；　dated　August　26th；　she　seems　almost　surprised　to　find　herself　engaged；　and　alludes　to　the　short　time　which　she　has　known　him。　　In　the　rest　there　are　touches　reminding　one　of　Juliet's　…


〃But　trust　me；　gentleman；　I'll　prove　more　true；　Than　those　that　have　more　cunning　to　be　strange。〃


There　are　plans　for　happy　pic…nic　parties　to　Kirkstall　Abbey；　in　the　glowing　September　days；　when　〃Uncle；　Aunt；　and　Cousin　Jane；〃　the　last　engaged　to　a　Mr。　Morgan；　another　clergymanwere　of　the　party；　all　since　dead；　except　Mr。　Bronte。　　There　was　no　opposition　on　the　part　of　any　of　her　friends　to　her　engagement。　　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Fennel　sanctioned　it；　and　her　brother　and　sisters　in　far…away　Penzance　appear　fully　to　have　approved　of　it。　　In　a　letter　dated　September　18th；　she　says：…

〃For　some　years　I　have　been　perfectly　my　own　mistress；　subject　to　no　control　whatever；　so　far　from　it；　that　my　sisters；　who　are　many　years　older　than　myself；　and　even　my　dear　mother；　used　to　consult　me　on　every　occasion　of　importance；　and　scarcely　ever　doubted　the　propriety　of　my　opinions　and　actions：　　perhaps　you　will　be　ready　to　accuse　me　of　vanity　in　mentioning　this；　but　you　must　consider　that　I　do　not　boast　of　it。　　I　have　many　times　felt　it　a　disadvantage；　and　although；　I　thank　God；　it　has　never　led　me　into　error；　yet；　in　circumstances　of　uncertainty　and　doubt；　I　have　deeply　felt　the　want　of　a　guide　and　instructor。〃　　In　the　same　letter　she　tells　Mr。　Bronte；　that　she　has　informed　her　sisters　of　her　engagement；　and　that　she　should　not　see　them　again　so　soon　as　she　had　intended。　　Mr。　Fennel；　her　uncle；　also　writes　to　them　by　the　same　post　in　praise　of　Mr。　Bronte。

The　journey　from　Penzance　to　Leeds　in　those　days　was　both　very　long　and　very　expensive；　the　lovers　had　not　much　money　to　spend　in　unnecessary　travelling；　and；　as　Miss　Branwell　had　neither　father　nor　mother　living；　it　appeared　both　a　discreet　and　seemly　arrangement　that　the　marriage　should　take　place　from　her　uncle's　house。　　There　was　no　reason　either　why　the　engagement　should　be　prolonged。　　They　were　past　their　first　youth；　they　had　means　sufficient　for　their　unambitious　wants；　the　living　of　Hartshead　is　rated　in　the　Clergy　List　at　202L。　per　annum；　and　she　was　in　the　receipt　of　a　small　annuity　（50L。　I　have　been　told）　by　the　will　of　her　father。　　So；　at　the　end　of　September；　the　lovers　began　to　talk　about　taking　a　house；　for　I　suppose　that　Mr。　Bronte　up　to　that　time　had　been　in　lodgings；　and　all　went　smoothly　and　successfully　with　a　view　to　their　marriage　in　the　ensuing　winter；　until　November；　when　a　misfortune　happened；　which　she　thus　patiently　and　prettily　describes：…

〃I　suppose　you　never　expected　to　be　much　the　richer　for　me；　but　I　am　sorry　to　inform　you　that　I　am　still　poorer　than　I　thought　myself。　　I　mentioned　having　sent　for　my　books；　clothes；　&c。　　On　Saturday　evening；　about　the　time　when　you　were　writing　the　description　of　your　imaginary　shipwreck；　I　was　reading　and　feeling　the　effects　of　a　real　one；　having　then　received　a　letter　from　my　sister　giving　me　an　account　of　the　vessel　in　which　she　had　sent　my　box　being　stranded　on　the　coast　of　Devonshire；　in　consequence　of　which　the　box　was　dashed　to　pieces　with　the　violence　of　the　sea；　and　all　my　little　property；　with　the　exception　of　a　very　few　articles；　being　swallowed　up　in　the　mighty　deep。　　If　this　should　not　prove　the　prelude　to　something　worse　I　shall　think　little　of　it；　as　it　is　the　first　disastrous　circumstance　which　has　occurred　since　I　left　my　home。〃

The　last　of　these　letters　is　dated　December　the　5th。　　Miss　Branwell　and　her　cousin　intended　to　set　about　making　the　wedding…　cake　in　the　following　week；　so　the　marriage　could　not　be　far　off。　She　had　been　learning　by　heart　a　〃pretty　little　hymn〃　of　Mr。　Bronte's　composing；　and　reading　Lord　Lyttelton's　〃Advice　to　a　Lady；〃　on　which　she　makes　some　pertinent　and　just　remarks；　showing　that　she　thought　as　well　as　read。　　And　so　Maria　Branwell　fades　out　of　sight；　we　have　no　more　direct　intercourse　with　her；　we　hear　of　her　as　Mrs。　Bronte；　but　it　is　as　an　invalid；　not　far　from　death；　still　patient；　cheerful；　and　pious。　　The　writing　of　these　letters　is　elegant　and　neat；　while　there　are　allusions　to　household　occupationssuch　as　making　the　wedding…cake；　there　are　also　allusions　to　the　books　she　has　read；　or　is　reading；　showing　a　well…cultivated　mind。