the life of charlotte bronte-1-第10章

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e　place　would　have　been　so　immediately　identified　with　Cowan　Bridge；　although　there　was　not　a　word　in　her　account　of　the　institution　but　what　was　true　at　the　time　when　she　knew　it；　she　also　said　that　she　had　not　considered　it　necessary；　in　a　work　of　fiction；　to　state　every　particular　with　the　impartiality　that　might　be　required　in　a　court　of　justice；　nor　to　seek　out　motives；　and　make　allowances　for　human　failings；　as　she　might　have　done；　if　dispassionately　analysing　the　conduct　of　those　who　had　the　superintendence　of　the　institution。　　I　believe　she　herself　would　have　been　glad　of　an　opportunity　to　correct　the　over…strong　impression　which　was　made　upon　the　public　mind　by　her　vivid　picture；　though　even　she；　suffering　her　whole　life　long；　both　in　heart　and　body；　from　the　consequences　of　what　happened　there；　might　have　been　apt；　to　the　last；　to　take　her　deep　belief　in　facts　for　the　facts　themselvesher　conception　of　truth　for　the　absolute　truth。

In　some　of　the　notices　of　the　previous　editions　of　this　work；　it　is　assumed　that　I　derived　the　greater　part　of　my　information　with　regard　to　her　sojourn　at　Cowan　Bridge　from　Charlotte　Bronte　herself。　　I　never　heard　her　speak　of　the　place　but　once；　and　that　was　on　the　second　day　of　my　acquaintance　with　her。　　A　little　child　on　that　occasion　expressed　some　reluctance　to　finish　eating　his　piece　of　bread　at　dinner；　and　she；　stooping　down；　and　addressing　him　in　a　low　voice；　told　him　how　thankful　she　should　have　been　at　his　age　for　a　piece　of　bread；　and　when　wethough　I　am　not　sure　if　I　myself　spokeasked　her　some　question　as　to　the　occasion　she　alluded　to；　she　replied　with　reserve　and　hesitation；　evidently　shying　away　from　what　she　imagined　might　lead　to　too　much　conversation　on　one　of　her　books。　　She　spoke　of　the　oat…cake　at　Cowan　Bridge　（the　clap…bread　of　Westmorland）　as　being　different　to　the　leaven…raised　oat…cake　of　Yorkshire；　and　of　her　childish　distaste　for　it。　　Some　one　present　made　an　allusion　to　a　similar　childish　dislike　in　the　true　tale　of　〃The　terrible　knitters　o'　Dent〃　given　in　Southey's　〃Common…place　Book：〃　and　she　smiled　faintly；　but　said　that　the　mere　difference　in　food　was　not　all：　that　the　food　itself　was　spoilt　by　the　dirty　carelessness　of　the　cook；　so　that　she　and　her　sisters　disliked　their　meals　exceedingly；　and　she　named　her　relief　and　gladness　when　the　doctor　condemned　the　meat；　and　spoke　of　having　seen　him　spit　it　out。　These　are　all　the　details　I　ever　heard　from　her。　　She　so　avoided　particularizing；　that　I　think　Mr。　Carus　Wilson's　name　never　passed　between　us。

I　do　not　doubt　the　general　accuracy　of　my　informants；of　those　who　have　given；　and　solemnly　repeated；　the　details　that　follow；　but　it　is　only　just　to　Miss　Bronte　to　say　that　I　have　stated　above　pretty　nearly　all　that　I　ever　heard　on　the　subject　from　her。

A　clergyman；　living　near　Kirby　Lonsdale；　the　Reverend　William　Carus　Wilson；　was　the　prime　mover　in　the　establishment　of　this　school。　　He　was　an　energetic　man；　sparing　no　labour　for　the　accomplishment　of　his　ends。　　He　saw　that　it　was　an　extremely　difficult　task　for　clergymen　with　limited　incomes　to　provide　for　the　education　of　their　children；　and　he　devised　a　scheme；　by　which　a　certain　sum　was　raised　annually　by　subscription；　to　complete　the　amount　required　to　furnish　a　solid　and　sufficient　English　education；　for　which　the　parent's　payment　of　14L。　a　year　would　not　have　been　sufficient。　　Indeed；　that　made　by　the　parents　was　considered　to　be　exclusively　appropriated　to　the　expenses　of　lodging　and　boarding；　and　the　education　provided　for　by　the　subscriptions。　　Twelve　trustees　were　appointed；　Mr。　Wilson　being　not　only　a　trustee；　but　the　treasurer　and　secretary；　in　fact；　taking　most　of　the　business　arrangements　upon　himself；　a　responsibility　which　appropriately　fell　to　him；　as　he　lived　nearer　the　school　than　any　one　else　who　was　interested　in　it。　　So　his　character　for　prudence　and　judgment　was　to　a　certain　degree　implicated　in　the　success　or　failure　of　Cowan　Bridge　School；　and　the　working　of　it　was　for　many　years　the　great　object　and　interest　of　his　life。　　But　he　was　apparently　unacquainted　with　the　prime　element　in　good　administrationseeking　out　thoroughly　competent　persons　to　fill　each　department；　and　then　making　them　responsible　for；　and　judging　them　by；　the　result；　without　perpetual　interference　with　the　details。

So　great　was　the　amount　of　good　which　Mr。　Wilson　did；　by　his　constant；　unwearied　superintendence；　that　I　cannot　help　feeling　sorry　that；　in　his　old　age　and　declining　health；　the　errors　which　he　was　believed　to　have　committed；　should　have　been　brought　up　against　him　in　a　form　which　received　such　wonderful　force　from　the　touch　of　Miss　Bronte's　great　genius。　　No　doubt　whatever　can　be　entertained　of　the　deep　interest　which　he　felt　in　the　success　of　the　school。　　As　I　write；　I　have　before　me　his　last　words　on　giving　up　the　secretaryship　in　1850：　　he　speaks　of　the　〃withdrawal；　from　declining　health；　of　an　eye；　which；　at　all　events；　has　loved　to　watch　over　the　schools　with　an　honest　and　anxious　interest；〃and　again　he　adds；　〃that　he　resigns；　therefore；　with　a　desire　to　be　thankful　for　all　that　God　has　been　pleased　to　accomplish　through　his　instrumentality　（the　infirmities　and　unworthinesses　of　which　he　deeply　feels　and　deplores）。〃

Cowan　Bridge　is　a　cluster　of　some　six　or　seven　cottages；　gathered　together　at　both　ends　of　a　bridge；　over　which　the　high　road　from　Leeds　to　Kendal　crosses　a　little　stream；　called　the　Leck。　　This　high　road　is　nearly　disused　now；　but　formerly；　when　the　buyers　from　the　West　Riding　manufacturing　districts　had　frequent　occasion　to　go　up　into　the　North　to　purchase　the　wool　of　the　Westmorland　and　Cumberland　farmers；　it　was　doubtless　much　travelled；　and　perhaps　the　hamlet　of　Cowan　Bridge　had　a　more　prosperous　look　than　it　bears　at　present。　　It　is　prettily　situated；　just　where　the　Leck…fells　swoop　into　the　plain；　and　by　the　course　of　the　beck　alder…trees　and　willows　and　hazel　bushes　grow。　　The　current　of　the　stream　is　interrupted　by　broken　pieces　of　grey　rock；　and　the　waters　flow　over　a　bed　of　large　round　white　pebbles；　which　a　flood　heaves　up　and　moves　on　either　side　out　of　its　impetuous　way　till　in　some　parts　they　almost　form　a　wall。　　By　the　side　of　the　little；　shallow；　sparkling；　vigorous　Leck；　run　long　pasture　fields；　of　the　fine　short　grass　common　in　high　land；　for　though　Cowan　Bridge　is　situated　on　a　plain；　it　is　a　plain　from　which　there　is　many　a　fall　and　long　descent　before　you　and　the　Leck　reach　the　valley　of　the　Lune。　　I　can　hardly　understand　how　the　school　there　came　to　be　so　unhealthy；　the　air　all　round　about　was　so　sweet　and　thyme…scented；　when　I　visited　it　last　summer。　　But　at　this　day；　every　one　knows　that　the　site　of　a　building　intended　for　numbers　should　be　chosen　with　far　greater　care　than　that　of　a　private　dwelling；　from　the　tendency　to　illness；　both　infectious　and　otherwise；　produced　by　the　congregation　of　people　in　close　proximity。

The　house　is　still　remaining　that　formed　part　of　that　occupied　by　the　school。　　It　is　a　long；　bow…windowed　cottage；　now　divided　into　two　dwellings。　　It　stands　facing　the　Leck；　between　which　and　it　intervenes　a　space；　about　seventy　yards　deep；　that　was　once　the　school　garden。　　This　original　house　was　an　old　dwelling　of　the　Picard　family；　which　they　had　inhabited　for　two　generations。　　They　sold　it　for　school　purposes；　and　an　additional　building　was　erected；　running　at　right　angles　from　the　older　part。　　This　new　part　was　devoted　expressly　to　school…rooms；　dormitories；　&c。；　and　after　the　school　was　removed　to　Casterton；　it　was　used　for　a　bobbin…mill　connected　with　the　stream；　where　wooden　reels　were　made　out　of　the　alders；　which　grow　profusely　in　such　ground　as　that　surrounding　Cowan　Bridge。　　This　mill　is　now　destroyed。　　The　present　cottage　was；　at　the　time　of　which　I　write；　occupied　by　the　teachers'　rooms；　the　dinner…room　and　kitchens；　and　some　smaller　bedrooms。　　On　going　into　this　building；　I　found　one　part；　that　nearest　to　the　high　road；　converted　into　a　poor　kind　of　public…　house；　then　to　let；　and　having　all　the　squalid　appearance　of　a　deserted　place；　which　rendered　it　difficult　to　judge　what　it　would　look　like　when　neatly　kept　up；　the　broken　panes　replaced　in　the　windows；　and　the　rough…cast　（now　cracked　and　discoloured）　made　white　and　whole。　　The　other　end　forms　a　cottage；　with　the　low　ceilings　and　stone　floors　of　a　hundred　years　ago；　the　windows　do　not　open　freely　and　widely；　and　the　passage　up…stairs；　leading　to　the　bedrooms；　is　narrow　and　tortuous：　　altogether；　smells　would　linger　about　the　house；　and　damp　cling　to　it。　　But　sanitary　matters　were　little　understood　thirty　years　ago；　and　it　was　a　great　thing　to　get　a　roomy　building　close　to　the　high　road；　and　not　too　far　from　the　habitation　of　Mr。　Wilson；　the　originator　of　the　educational　scheme。　　There　was　much　need　of　such　an　institution；　numbers　of　ill…paid　clergymen　hailed　the　prospect　with　joy；　and　eagerly　put　down　the　names　of　their　children　as　pupils　when　the　establishment　should　be　ready　to　receive　them。　Mr。　Wilson　was；　no　doubt；　pleased　by　the　impatience　with　which　the　realisation　of　his　idea　was　anticipated；　and　opened　the　school　with　less　than　a　hundred　pounds　in　hand；　and　with　pupils；　the　number　of　whom　varies　according　to　different　accounts；　Mr。　W。　W。　Carus　Wilson；　the　son　of　the　founder；　giving　it　as　seventy；　while　Mr。　Shepheard；　the　son…in…law；　states　it　to　have　been　only　sixteen。

Mr。　Wilson　felt；　most　probably；　that　the　responsibility　of　the　whole　plan　rested　upon　him。　　The　payment　made　by　the　parents　was　barely　enough　for　food　and　lodging；　the　subscriptions　did　not　flow　very　freely　into　an　untried　scheme；　and　great　economy　was　necessary　in　all　the　domestic　arrangements。　　He　determined　to　enforce　this　by　frequent　personal　inspection；　carried　perhaps　to　an　unnecessary　extent；　and　leading　occasionally　to　a　meddling　with　little　matters；　which　had　sometimes　the　effect　of　producing　irritation　of　feeling。　　Yet；　although　there　was　economy　in　providing　for　the　household；　there　does　not　appear　to　have　been　any　parsimony。　　The　meat；　flour；　milk；　&c。；　were　contracted　for；　but　were　of　very　fair　quality；　and　the　dietary；　which　has　been　shown　to　me　in　manuscript；　was　neither　bad　nor　unwholesome；　nor；　on　the　whole；　was　it　wanting　in　variety。　　Oatmeal　porridge　for　breakfast；　a　piece　of　oat…cake　for　those　who　required　luncheon；　baked　and　boiled　beef；　and　mutton；　potato…pie；　and　plain　homely　puddings　of　different　kinds　for　dinner。　　At　five　o'clock；　bread　and　milk　for　the　younger　ones；　and　one　piece　of　bread　（this　was　the　only　time　at　which　the　food　was　limited）　for　the　elder　pupils；　who　sat　up　till　a　later　meal　of　the　same　description。

Mr。　Wilson　himself　ordered　in　the　food；　and　was　anxious　that　it　should　be　of　good　quality。　　But　the　cook；　who　had　much　of　his　confidence；　and　against　whom　for　a　long　time　no　one　durst　utter　a　complaint；　was　careless；　dirty；　and　wasteful。　　To　some　children　oatmeal　porridge　is　distasteful；　and　consequently　unwholesome；　even　when　properly　made；　at　Cowan　Bridge　School　it　was　too　often　sent　up；　not　merely　burnt；　but　with　offensive　fragments　of　other　substances　discoverable　in　it。　　The　beef；　that　should　have　been　carefully　salted　before　it　was　dressed；　had　often　become　tainted　from　neglect；　and　girls；　who　were　schoolfellows　wit