the life of charlotte bronte-1-第20章

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hange　of　character　for　the　worse　is　the　usual　effect　of　a　visit　to　〃the　great　metropolis；〃　and　is　delighted　to　find　that　〃E。〃　is　〃E。〃　still。　　And；　as　her　faith　in　her　friend's　stability　is　restored；　her　own　imagination　is　deeply　moved　by　the　idea　of　what　great　wonders　are　to　be　seen　in　that　vast　and　famous　city。


〃Haworth；　February　20th；　1834。

〃Your　letter　gave　me　real　and　heartfelt　pleasure；　mingled　with　no　small　share　of　astonishment。　　Mary　had　previously　informed　me　of　your　departure　for　London；　and　I　had　not　ventured　to　calculate　on　any　communication　from　you　while　surrounded　by　the　splendours　and　novelties　of　that　great　city；　which　has　been　called　the　mercantile　metropolis　of　Europe。　　Judging　from　human　nature；　I　thought　that　a　little　country　girl；　for　the　first　time　in　a　situation　so　well　calculated　to　excite　curiosity；　and　to　distract　attention；　would　lose　all　remembrance；　for　a　time　at　least；　of　distant　and　familiar　objects；　and　give　herself　up　entirely　to　the　fascination　of　those　scenes　which　were　then　presented　to　her　view。　　Your　kind；　interesting；　and　most　welcome　epistle　showed　me；　however；　that　I　had　been　both　mistaken　and　uncharitable　in　these　suppositions。　　I　was　greatly　amused　at　the　tone　of　nonchalance　which　you　assumed；　while　treating　of　London　and　its　wonders。　　Did　you　not　feel　awed　while　gazing　at　St。　Paul's　and　Westminster　Abbey？　　Had　you　no　feeling　of　intense　and　ardent　interest；　when　in　St。　James's　you　saw　the　palace　where　so　many　of　England's　kings　have　held　their　courts；　and　beheld　the　representations　of　their　persons　on　the　walls？　　You　should　not　be　too　much　afraid　of　appearing　COUNTRY…　BRED；　the　magnificence　of　London　has　drawn　exclamations　of　astonishment　from　travelled　men；　experienced　in　the　world；　its　wonders　and　beauties。　　Have　you　yet　seen　anything　of　the　great　personages　whom　the　sitting　of　Parliament　now　detains　in　London　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　Sir　Robert　Peel；　Earl　Grey；　Mr。　Stanley；　Mr。　O'Connell？　　If　I　were　you；　I　would　not　be　too　anxious　to　spend　my　time　in　reading　whilst　in　town。　　Make　use　of　your　own　eyes　for　the　purposes　of　observation　now；　and；　for　a　time　at　least；　lay　aside　the　spectacles　with　which　authors　would　furnish　us。〃

In　a　postscript　she　adds：…

〃Will　you　be　kind　enough　to　inform　me　of　the　number　of　performers　in　the　King's　military　band？〃

And　in　something　of　the　same　strain　she　writes　on

〃June　19th。　〃My　own　Dear　E。；

〃I　may　rightfully　and　truly　call　you　so　now。　　You　HAVE　returned　or　ARE　returning　from　Londonfrom　the　great　city　which　is　to　me　as　apocryphal　as　Babylon；　or　Nineveh；　or　ancient　Rome。　　You　are　withdrawing　from　the　world　（as　it　is　called）；　and　bringing　with　youif　your　letters　enable　me　to　form　a　correct　judgmenta　heart　as　unsophisticated；　as　natural；　as　true；　as　that　you　carried　there。　　I　am　slow；　VERY　slow；　to　believe　the　protestations　of　another；　I　know　my　own　sentiments；　I　can　read　my　own　mind；　but　the　minds　of　the　rest　of　man　and　woman　kind　are　to　me　sealed　volumes；　hieroglyphical　scrolls；　which　I　cannot　easily　either　unseal　or　decipher。　　Yet　time；　careful　study；　long　acquaintance；　overcome　most　difficulties；　and；　in　your　case；　I　think　they　have　succeeded　well　in　bringing　to　light　and　construing　that　hidden　language；　whose　turnings；　windings；　inconsistencies；　and　obscurities；　so　frequently　baffle　the　researches　of　the　honest　observer　of　human　nature　。　。　。　I　am　truly　grateful　for　your　mindfulness　of　so　obscure　a　person　as　myself；　and　I　hope　the　pleasure　is　not　altogether　selfish；　I　trust　it　is　partly　derived　from　the　consciousness　that　my　friend's　character　is　of　a　higher；　a　more　steadfast　order　than　I　was　once　perfectly　aware　of。　　Few　girls　would　have　done　as　you　have　donewould　have　beheld　the　glare；　and　glitter；　and　dazzling　display　of　London　with　dispositions　so　unchanged；　heart　so　uncontaminated。　　I　see　no　affectation　in　your　letters；　no　trifling；　no　frivolous　contempt　of　plain；　and　weak　admiration　of　showy　persons　and　things。〃


In　these　days　of　cheap　railway　trips；　we　may　smile　at　the　idea　of　a　short　visit　to　London　having　any　great　effect　upon　the　character；　whatever　it　may　have　upon　the　intellect。　　But　her　Londonher　great　apocryphal　citywas　the　〃town〃　of　a　century　before；　to　which　giddy　daughters　dragged　unwilling　papas；　or　went　with　injudicious　friends；　to　the　detriment　of　all　their　better　qualities；　and　sometimes　to　the　ruin　of　their　fortunes；　it　was　the　Vanity　Fair　of　the　〃Pilgrim's　Progress〃　to　her。

But　see　the　just　and　admirable　sense　with　which　she　can　treat　a　subject　of　which　she　is　able　to　overlook　all　the　bearings。


〃Haworth；　July　4th；　1834。

〃In　your　last；　you　request　me　to　tell　you　of　your　faults。　　Now；　really；　how　can　you　be　so　foolish！　　I　WON'T　tell　you　of　your　faults；　because　I　don't　know　them。　　What　a　creature　would　that　be；　who；　after　receiving　an　affectionate　and　kind　letter　from　a　beloved　friend；　should　sit　down　and　write　a　catalogue　of　defects　by　way　of　answer！　　Imagine　me　doing　so；　and　then　consider　what　epithets　you　would　bestow　on　me。　　Conceited；　dogmatical；　hypocritical；　little　humbug；　I　should　think；　would　be　the　mildest。　Why；　child！　　I've　neither　time　nor　inclination　to　reflect　on　your　FAULTS　when　you　are　so　far　from　me；　and　when；　besides；　kind　letters　and　presents；　and　so　forth；　are　continually　bringing　forth　your　goodness　in　the　most　prominent　light。　　Then；　too；　there　are　judicious　relations　always　round　you；　who　can　much　better　discharge　that　unpleasant　office。　　I　have　no　doubt　their　advice　is　completely　at　your　service；　why　then　should　I　intrude　mine？　　If　you　will　not　hear　them；　it　will　be　vain　though　one　should　rise　from　the　dead　to　instruct　you。　　Let　us　have　no　more　nonsense；　if　you　love　me。　　Mr。is　going　to　be　married；　is　he？　　Well；　his　wife　elect　appeared　to　me　to　be　a　clever　and　amiable　lady；　as　far　as　I　could　judge　from　the　little　I　saw　of　her；　and　from　your　account。　Now　to　that　flattering　sentence　must　I　tack　on　a　list　of　her　faults？　　You　say　it　is　in　contemplation　for　you　to　leave　…。　　I　am　sorry　for　it。　is　a　pleasant　spot；　one　of　the　old　family　halls　of　England；　surrounded　by　lawn　and　woodland；　speaking　of　past　times；　and　suggesting　（to　me　at　least）　happy　feelings。　　M。　thought　you　grown　less；　did　she？　　I　am　not　grown　a　bit；　but　as　short　and　dumpy　as　ever。　　You　ask　me　to　recommend　you　some　books　for　your　perusal。　I　will　do　so　in　as　few　words　as　I　can。　　If　you　like　poetry；　let　it　be　first…rate；　Milton；　Shakspeare；　Thomson；　Goldsmith；　Pope　（if　you　will；　though　I　don't　admire　him）；　Scott；　Byron；　Campbell；　Wordsworth；　and　Southey。　　Now　don't　be　startled　at　the　names　of　Shakspeare　and　Byron。　　Both　these　were　great　men；　and　their　works　are　like　themselves。　　You　will　know　how　to　choose　the　good；　and　to　avoid　the　evil；　the　finest　passages　are　always　the　purest；　the　bad　are　invariably　revolting；　you　will　never　wish　to　read　them　over　twice。　　Omit　the　comedies　of　Shakspeare；　and　the　Don　Juan；　perhaps　the　Cain；　of　Byron；　though　the　latter　is　a　magnificent　poem；　and　read　the　rest　fearlessly；　that　must　indeed　be　a　depraved　mind　which　can　gather　evil　from　Henry　VIII。；　from　Richard　III。；　from　Macbeth；　and　Hamlet；　and　Julius　Caesar。　　Scott's　sweet；　wild；　romantic　poetry　can　do　you　no　harm。　　Nor　can　Wordsworth's；　nor　Campbell's；　nor　Southey'sthe　greatest　part　at　least　of　his；　some　is　certainly　objectionable。　　For　history；　read　Hume；　Rollin；　and　the　Universal　History；　if　you　can；　I　never　did。　　For　fiction；　read　Scott　alone；　all　novels　after　his　are　worthless。　　For　biography；　read　Johnson's　Lives　of　the　Poets；　Boswell's　Life　of　Johnson；　Southey's　Life　of　Nelson；　Lockhart's　Life　of　Burns；　Moore's　Life　of　Sheridan；　Moore's　Life　of　Byron；　Wolfe's　Remains。　　For　natural　history；　read　Bewick　and　Audubon；　and　Goldsmith　and　White's　history　of　Selborne。　　For　divinity；　your　brother　will　advise　you　there。　　I　can　only　say；　adhere　to　standard　authors；　and　avoid　novelty。〃

From　this　list；　we　see　that　she　must　have　had　a　good　range　of　books　from　which　to　choose　her　own　reading。　　It　is　evident；　that　the　womanly　consciences　of　these　two　correspondents　were　anxiously　alive　to　many　questions　discussed　among　the　stricter　religionists。　The　morality　of　Shakspeare　needed　the　confirmation　of　Charlotte's　opinion　to　the　sensitive　〃E。；〃　and　a　little　later；　she　inquired　whether　dancing　was　objectionable；　when　indulged　in　for　an　hour　or　two　in　parties　of　boys　and　girls。　　Charlotte　replies；　〃I　should　hesitate　to　express　a　difference　of　opinion　from　Mr。　…；　or　from　your　excellent　sister；　but　really　the　matter　seems　to　me　to　stand　thus。　　It　is　allowed　on　all　hands；　that　the　sin　of　dancing　consists　not　in　the　mere　action　of　'shaking　the　shanks'　（as　the　Scotch　say）；　but　in　the　consequences　that　usually　attend　it；　namely；　frivolity　and　waste　of　time；　when　it　is　used　only；　as　in　the　case　you　state；　for　the　exercise　and　amusement　of　an　hour　among　young　people　（who　surely　may　without　any　breach　of　God's　commandments　be　allowed　a　little　light…heartedness）；　these　consequences　cannot　follow。　　Ergo　（according　to　my　manner　of　arguing）；　the　amusement　is　at　such　times　perfectly　innocent。〃

Although　the　distance　between　Haworth　and　B…　was　but　seventeen　miles；　it　was　difficult　to　go　straight　from　the　one　to　the　other　without　hiring　a　gig　or　vehicle　of　some　kind　for　the　journey。　Hence　a　visit　from　Charlotte　required　a　good　deal　of　pre…　arrangement。　　THE　Haworth　gig　was　not　always　to　be　had；　and　Mr。　Bronte　was　often　unwilling　to　fall　into　any　arrangement　for　meeting　at　Bradford　or　other　places；　which　would　occasion　trouble　to　others。　　The　whole　family　had　an　ample　share　of　that　sensitive　pride　which　led　them　to　dread　incurring　obligations；　and　to　fear　〃outstaying　their　welcome〃　when　on　any　visit。　　I　am　not　sure　whether　Mr。　Bronte　did　not　consider　distrust　of　others　as　a　part　of　that　knowledge　of　human　nature　on　which　he　piqued　himself。　　His　precepts　to　this　effect；　combined　with　Charlotte's　lack　of　hope；　made　her　always　fearful　of　loving　too　much；　of　wearying　the　objects　of　her　affection；　and　thus　she　was　often　trying　to　restrain　her　warm　feelings；　and　was　ever　chary　of　that　presence　so　invariably　welcome　to　her　true　friends。　　According　to　this　mode　of　acting；　when　she　was　invited　for　a　month；　she　stayed　but　a　fortnight　amidst　〃E。's〃　family；　to　whom　every　visit　only　endeared　her　the　more；　and　by　whom　she　was　received　with　that　kind　of　quiet　gladness　with　which　they　would　have　greeted　a　sister。

She　still　kept　up　her　childish　interest　in　politics。　　In　March；　1835；　she　writes：　　〃What　do　you　think　of　the　course　politics　are　taking？　　I　make　this　enquiry；　because　I　now　think　you　take　a　wholesome　interest　in　the　matter；　formerly　you　did　not　care　greatly　about　it。　　B。；　you　see；　is　triumphant。　　Wretch！　　I　am　a　hearty　hater；　and　if　there　is　any　one　I　thoroughly　abhor；　it　is　that　man。　　But　the　Opposition　is　divided；　Red…hots；　and　Luke…　warms；　and　the　Duke　（par　excellence　THE　Duke）　and　Sir　Robert　Peel　show　no　signs　of　insecurity；　though　they　have　been　twice　beat；　so　'Courage；　mon　amie；'　as　the　old　chevaliers　used　to　say；　before　they　joined　battle。〃

In　the　middle　of　the　summer　of　1835；　a　great　family　plan　was　mooted　at　the　parsonage。　　The　question　was；　to　what　trade　or　profession　should　Branwell　be　brought　up？　　He　was　now　nearly　eighteen；　it　was　time　to　decide。　　He　was　very　clev