Charlotte Bronte and Her Circle Part 24

TO MISS ELLEN NUSSEY

'_November_ 14_th_, 1844.

'DEAR ELLEN,--Your letter came very apropos, as, indeed, your letters always do; but this morning I had something of a headache, and was consequently rather out of spirits, and the epistle (scarcely legible though it be--excuse a rub) cheered me. In order to evince my grat.i.tude, as well as to please my own inclination, I sit down to answer it immediately. I am glad, in the first place, to hear that your brother is going to be married, and still more so to learn that his wife-elect has a handsome fortune--not that I advocate marrying for money in general, but I think in many cases (and this is one) money is a very desirable contingent of matrimony.

'I wonder when Mary Taylor is expected in England. I trust you will be at home while she is at Hunsworth, and that you, she, and I, may meet again somewhere under the canopy of heaven. I cannot, dear Ellen, make any promise about myself and Anne going to Brookroyd at Christmas; her vacations are so short she would grudge spending any part of them from home.

'The catastrophe, which you related so calmly, about your book-muslin dress, lace bertha, etc., convulsed me with cold shudderings of horror. You have reason to curse the day when so fatal a present was offered you as that infamous little "varmint." The perfect serenity with which you endured the disaster proves most fully to me that you would make the best wife, mother, and mistress in the world. You and Anne are a pair for marvellous philosophical powers of endurance; no spoilt dinners, scorched linen, dirtied carpets, torn sofa-covers, squealing brats, cross husbands, would ever discompose either of you.

You ought never to marry a good-tempered man, it would be mingling honey with sugar, like sticking white roses upon a black-thorn cudgel. With this very picturesque metaphor I close my letter.

Good-bye, and write very soon.

'C. BRONTE.'

Much has been said concerning Charlotte Bronte's visit to Hathersage in Derbyshire, and it is interesting because of the fact that Miss Bronte obtained the name of 'Eyre' from a family in that neighbourhood, and Morton in _Jane Eyre_ may obviously be identified with Hathersage. {221} Miss Ellen Nussey's brother Henry became Vicar of Hathersage, and he married shortly afterwards. While he was on his honeymoon his sister went to Hathersage to keep house for him, and she invited her friend Charlotte Bronte to stay with her. The visit lasted three weeks. This was the only occasion that Charlotte visited Hathersage. Here are two or three short notes referring to that visit.

TO MISS ELLEN NUSSEY

'_June_ 10_th_, 1845.

'DEAR ELLEN,--It is very vexatious for you to have had to go to Sheffield in vain. I am glad to hear that there is an omnibus on Thursday, and I have told Emily and Anne I will try to come on that day. The opening of the railroad is now postponed till July 7th. I should not like to put you off again, and for that and some other reasons they have decided to give up the idea of going to Scarbro', and instead, to make a little excursion next Monday and Tuesday, to Ilkley or elsewhere. I hope no other obstacle will arise to prevent my going to Hathersage. I do long to be with you, and I feel nervously afraid of being prevented, or put off in some way.

Branwell only stayed a week with us, but he is to come home again when the family go to Scarboro'. I will write to Brookroyd directly.

Yesterday I had a little note from Henry inviting me to go to see you. This is one of your contrivances, for which you deserve smothering. You have written to Henry to tell him to write to me.

Do you think I stood on ceremony about the matter?

'The French papers have ceased to come. Good-bye for the present.

'C. B.'

TO MRS. NUSSEY

'_July_ 23_rd_, 1845.

'MY DEAR MRS. NUSSEY,--I lose no time after my return home in writing to you and offering you my sincere thanks for the kindness with which you have repeatedly invited me to go and stay a few days at Brookroyd. It would have given me great pleasure to have gone, had it been only for a day, just to have seen you and Miss Mercy (Miss Nussey I suppose is not at home) and to have been introduced to Mrs.

Henry, but I have stayed so long with Ellen at Hathersage that I could not possibly now go to Brookroyd. I was expected at home; and after all _home_ should always have the first claim on our attention.

When I reached home (at ten o'clock on Sat.u.r.day night) I found papa, I am thankful to say, pretty well, but he thought I had been a long time away.

'I left Ellen well, and she had generally good health while I stayed with her, but she is very anxious about matters of business, and apprehensive lest things should not be comfortable against the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Henry--she is so desirous that the day of their arrival at Hathersage should be a happy one to both.

'I hope, my dear Mrs. Nussey, you are well; and I should be very happy to receive a little note either from you or from Miss Mercy to a.s.sure me of this.--Believe me, yours affectionately and sincerely,

'C. BRONTE.'

TO MISS ELLEN NUSSEY

'_July_ 24_th_, 1845.

'DEAR ELLEN,--A series of toothaches, prolonged and severe, bothering me both day and night, have kept me very stupid of late, and prevented me from writing to you. More than once I have sat down and opened my desk, but have not been able to get up to par. To-day, after a night of fierce pain, I am better--much better, and I take advantage of the interval of ease to discharge my debt. I wish I had 50 pounds to spare at present, and that you, Emily, Anne, and I were all at liberty to leave home without our absence being detrimental to any body. How pleasant to set off _en ma.s.se_ to the seaside, and stay there a few weeks, taking in a stock of health and strength.--We could all do with recreation. Adversity agrees with you, Ellen.

Your good qualities are never so obvious as when under the pressure of affliction. Continued prosperity might develope too much a certain germ of ambition latent in your character. I saw this little germ putting out green shoots when I was staying with you at Hathersage. It was not then obtrusive, and perhaps might never become so. Your good sense, firm principle, and kind feeling might keep it down. Holding down my head does not suit my toothache. Give my love to your mother and sisters. Write again as soon as may be.--Yours faithfully,

'C. B.'

TO MISS ELLEN NUSSEY

'_August_ 18_th_, 1845.

'DEAR ELLEN,--I am writing to you, not because I have anything to tell you, but because I want you to write to me. I am glad to see that you were pleased with your new sister. When I was at Hathersage you were talking of writing to Mary Taylor. I have lately written to her a brief, shabby epistle of which I am ashamed, but I found when I began to write I had really very little to say. I sent the letter to Hunsworth, and I suppose it will go sometime. You must write to me soon, a long letter. Remember me respectfully to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Nussey. Give my love to Miss R.--Yours,

'C. B.'

TO MISS ELLEN NUSSEY

'_December_ 14_th_, 1845.

'DEAR ELLEN,--I was glad to get your last note, though it was so short and crusty. Three weeks had elapsed without my having heard a word from you, and I began to fear some new misfortune had occurred.

I was relieved to find such was not the case. Anne is obliged by the kind regret you express at not being able to ask her to Brookroyd.

She wishes you could come to Haworth. Do you scold me out of habit, or are you really angry? In either case it is all nonsense. You know as well as I do that to go to Brookroyd is always a pleasure to me, and that to one who has so little change, and so few friends as I have, it must be a _great pleasure_, but I am not at all times in the mood or circ.u.mstances to take my pleasure. I wish so much to see you, that I shall certainly sometime after New Year's Day, if all be well, be going over to Birstall. Now I could _not go_ if I _would_.

If you think I stand upon ceremony in this matter, you miscalculate sadly. I have known you, and your mother and sisters, too long to be ceremonious with any of you. Invite me no more now, till I invite myself--be too proud to trouble yourself; and if, when at last I mention coming (for I shall give you warning), it does not happen to suit you, tell me so, with quiet hauteur. I should like a long letter next time. No more lovers' quarrels.

'Good-bye. Best love to your mother and sisters.

'C. B.'

TO MISS ELLEN NUSSEY

'_January_ 28_th_, 1847.

'DEAR ELLEN,--Long may you look young and handsome enough to dress in white, dear, and long may you have a right to feel the consciousness that you look agreeable. I know you have too much judgment to let an overdose of vanity spoil the blessing and turn it into a misfortune.

After all though, age will come on, and it is well you have something better than a nice face for friends to turn to when that is changed.

I hope this excessively cold weather has not harmed you or yours much. It has nipped me severely, taken away my appet.i.te for a while and given me toothache; in short, put me in the ailing condition, in which I have more than once had the honour of making myself such a nuisance both at Brookroyd and Hunsworth. The consequence is that at this present speaking I look almost old enough to be your mother--grey, sunk, and withered. To-day, however, it is milder, and I hope soon to feel better; indeed I am not _ill_ now, and my toothache is now subsided, but I experience a loss of strength and a deficiency of spirit which would make me a sorry companion to you or any one else. I would not be on a visit now for a large sum of money.

'Write soon. Give my best love to your mother and sisters.--Good-bye, dear Nell,

'C. BRONTE.'

TO MISS ELLEN NUSSEY

'_April_ 21_st_, 1847.

'DEAR NELL,--I am very much obliged to you for your gift, which you must not undervalue, for I like the articles; they look extremely pretty and light. They are for wrist frills, are they not? Will you condescend to accept a yard of lace made up into nothing? I thought I would not offer to spoil it by st.i.tching it into any shape. Your creative fingers will turn it to better account than my destructive ones. I hope, such as it is, they will not peck it out of the envelope at the Bradford Post-office, where they generally take the liberty of opening letters when they feel soft as if they contained articles. I had forgotten all about your birthday and mine, till your letter arrived to remind me of it. I wish you many happy returns of yours. Of course your visit to Haworth must be regulated by Miss Ringrose's movements. I was rather amused at your fearing I should be jealous. I never thought of it. She and I could not be rivals in your affections. You allot her, I know, a different set of feelings to what you allot me. She is amiable and estimable, I am not amiable, but still we shall stick to the last I don't doubt. In short, I should as soon think of being jealous of Emily and Anne in these days as of you. If Miss Ringrose does not come to Brookroyd about Whitsuntide, I should like you to come. I shall feel a good deal disappointed if the visit is put off--I would rather Miss Ringrose fixed her time in summer, and then I would come to see you (D.V.) in the autumn. I don't think it will be at all a good plan to go back with you. We see each other so seldom, that I would far rather divide the visits. Remember me to all.--Yours faithfully,

'C. BRONTE.'

TO MISS ELLEN NUSSEY

'_May_ 25_th_, 1847.

'DEAR NELL,--I have a small present for Mercy. You must fetch it, for I repeat you shall _come to Haworth before I go to Brookroyd._

'I do not say this from pique or anger--I am not angry now--but because my leaving home at present would from solid reasons be difficult to manage. If all be well I will visit you in the autumn, at present I _cannot_ come. Be a.s.sured that if I could come I should, after your last letter, put scruples and pride away and "go over into Macedonia" at once. I never could manage to help you yet.