Charlotte Bronte and Her Circle Part 42

'_August_ 29_th_, 1849.

'DEAR SIR,--The book is now finished (thank G.o.d) and ready for Mr.

Taylor, but I have not yet heard from him. I thought I should be able to tell whether it was equal to _Jane Eyre_ or not, but I find I cannot--it may be better, it may be worse. I shall be curious to hear your opinion, my own is of no value. I send the Preface or "Word to the _Quarterly_" for your perusal.

'Whatever now becomes of the work, the occupation of writing it has been a boon to me. It took me out of dark and desolate reality into an unreal but happier region. The worst of it is, my eyes are grown somewhat weak and my head somewhat weary and p.r.o.ne to ache with close work. You can write nothing of value unless you give yourself wholly to the theme, and when you so give yourself, you lose appet.i.te and sleep--it cannot be helped.

'At what time does Mr. Smith intend to bring the book out? It is his now. I hand it and all the trouble and care and anxiety over to him--a good riddance, only I wish he fairly had it.--Yours sincerely,

'C. BRONTE.'

TO W. S. WILLIAMS

'_August_ 31_st_, 1849.

'MY DEAR SIR,--I cannot change my preface. I can shed no tears before the public, nor utter any groan in the public ear. The deep, real tragedy of our domestic experience is yet terribly fresh in my mind and memory. It is not a time to be talked about to the indifferent; it is not a topic for allusion to in print.

'No righteous indignation can I lavish on the _Quarterly_. I can condescend but to touch it with the lightest satire. Believe me, my dear sir, "C. Bronte" must not here appear; what she feels or has felt is not the question--it is "Currer Bell" who was insulted--he must reply. Let Mr. Smith fearlessly print the preface I have sent--let him depend upon me this once; even if I prove a broken reed, his fall cannot be dangerous: a preface is a short distance, it is not three volumes.

'I have always felt certain that it is a deplorable error in an author to a.s.sume the tragic tone in addressing the public about his own wrongs or griefs. What does the public care about him as an individual? His wrongs are its sport; his griefs would be a bore.

What we deeply feel is our own--we must keep it to ourselves. Ellis and Acton Bell were, for me, Emily and Anne; my sisters--to me intimately near, tenderly dear--to the public they were nothing--worse than nothing--beings speculated upon, misunderstood, misrepresented. If I live, the hour may come when the spirit will move me to speak of them, but it is not come yet.--I am, my dear sir, yours sincerely,

'C. BRONTE.'

TO W. S. WILLIAMS

'_September_ 17, 1849.

'MY DEAR SIR,--Your letter gave me great pleasure. An author who has showed his book to none, held no consultation about plan, subject, characters, or incidents, asked and had no opinion from one living being, but fabricated it darkly in the silent workshop of his own brain--such an author awaits with a singular feeling the report of the first impression produced by his creation in a quarter where he places confidence, and truly glad he is when that report proves favourable.

'Do you think this book will tend to strengthen the idea that Currer Bell is a woman, or will it favour a contrary opinion?

'I return the proof-sheets. Will they print all the French phrases in italics? I hope not, it makes them look somehow obtrusively conspicuous.

'I have no time to add more lest I should be too late for the post.--Yours sincerely,

'C. BRONTE.'

TO W. S. WILLIAMS

'_September_ 10_th_, 1849.

'DEAR SIR,--Your advice is very good, and yet I cannot follow it: I _cannot_ alter now. It sounds absurd, but so it is.

'The circ.u.mstances of Shirley's being nervous on such a matter may appear incongruous because I fear it is not well managed; otherwise it is perfectly natural. In such minds, such odd points, such queer unexpected inconsistent weaknesses _are_ found--perhaps there never was an ardent poetic temperament, however healthy, quite without them; but they never communicate them unless forced, they have a suspicion that the terror is absurd, and keep it hidden. Still the thing is badly managed, and I bend my head and expect in resignation what, _here_, I know I deserve--the lash of criticism. I shall wince when it falls, but not scream.

'You are right about Goth, you are very right--he is clear, deep, but very cold. I acknowledge him great, but cannot feel him genial.

'You mention the literary coteries. To speak the truth, I recoil from them, though I long to see some of the truly great literary characters. However, this is not to be yet--I cannot sacrifice my incognito. And let me be content with seclusion--it has its advantages. In general, indeed, I am tranquil, it is only now and then that a struggle disturbs me--that I wish for a wider world than Haworth. When it is past, Reason tells me how unfit I am for anything very different. Yours sincerely,

'C. BRONTE.'

TO W. S. WILLIAMS

'_September_ 15_th_, 1849.

'MY DEAR SIR,--You observed that the French of _Shirley_ might be cavilled at. There is a long paragraph written in the French language in that chapter ent.i.tled "_Le coeval damped_." I forget the number. I fear it will have a pretentious air. If you deem it advisable, and will return the chapter, I will efface, and subst.i.tute something else in English.--Yours sincerely,

'C. BRONTE.'

TO JAMES TAYLOR, CORNHILL

'_September_ 20_th_, 1849.

'MY DEAR SIR,--It is time I answered the note which I received from you last Thursday; I should have replied to it before had I not been kept more than usually engaged by the presence of a clergyman in the house, and the indisposition of one of our servants.

'As you may conjecture, it cheered and pleased me much to learn that the opinion of my friends in Cornhill was favourable to _Shirley_--that, on the whole, it was considered no falling off from _Jane Eyre_. I am trying, however, not to encourage too sanguine an expectation of a favourable reception by the public: the seeds of prejudice have been sown, and I suppose the produce will have to be reaped--but we shall see.

'I read with pleasure _Friends in Council_, and with very great pleasure _The Thoughts and Opinions of a Statesman_. It is the record of what may with truth be termed a beautiful mind--serene, harmonious, elevated, and pure; it bespeaks, too, a heart full of kindness and sympathy. I like it much.

'Papa has been pretty well during the past week, he begs to join me in kind remembrances to yourself.--Believe me, my dear sir, yours very sincerely,

'C. BRONTE.'

TO W. S. WILLIAMS

'_September_ 29_th_, 1849.

'DEAR SIR,--I have made the alteration; but I have made it to please Cornhill, not the public nor the critics.

'I am sorry to say Newby does know my real name. I wish he did not, but that cannot be helped. Meantime, though I earnestly wish to preserve my incognito, I live under no slavish fear of discovery. I am ashamed of nothing I have written--not a line.

'The envelope containing the first proof and your letter had been received open at the General Post Office and resealed there. Perhaps it was accident, but I think it better to inform you of the circ.u.mstance.--Yours sincerely,

'C. BRONTE.'

TO W. S. WILLIAMS

'_October_ 1_st_, 1849.

'MY DEAR SIR,--I am chagrined about the envelope being opened: I see it is the work of prying curiosity, and now it would be useless to make a stir--what mischief is to be apprehended is already done. It was not done at Haworth. I know the people of the post-office there, and am sure they would not venture on such a step; besides, the Haworth people have long since set me down as bookish and quiet, and trouble themselves no farther about me. But the gossiping inquisitiveness of small towns is rife at Keighley; there they are sadly puzzled to guess why I never visit, encourage no overtures to acquaintance, and always stay at home. Those packets pa.s.sing backwards and forwards by the post have doubtless aggravated their curiosity. Well, I am sorry, but I shall try to wait patiently and not vex myself too much, come what will.

'I am glad you like the English subst.i.tute for the French _devour_.

'The parcel of books came on Sat.u.r.day. I write to Mr. Taylor by this post to acknowledge its receipt. His opinion of _Shirley_ seems in a great measure to coincide with yours, only he expresses it rather differently to you, owing to the difference in your casts of mind.

Are you not different on some points?--Yours sincerely,

'C. BRONTE.'