Charlotte Bronte and Her Circle Part 54

'The Cornhill books are still our welcome and congenial resource when Anne is well enough to enjoy reading. Carlyle's _Miscellanies_ interest me greatly. We have read _The Emigrant Family_. The characters in the work are good, full of quiet truth and nature, and the local colouring is excellent; yet I can hardly call it a good novel. Reflective, truth-loving, and even elevated as is Alexander Harris's mind, I should say he scarcely possesses the creative faculty in sufficient vigour to excel as a writer of fiction. He _creates_ nothing--he only copies. His characters are portraits--servilely accurate; whatever is at all ideal is not original. _The Testimony to the Truth_ is a better book than any tale he can write will ever be. Am I too dogmatical in saying this?

'Anne thanks you sincerely for the kind interest you take in her welfare, and both she and I beg to express our sense of Mrs.

Williams's good wishes, which you mentioned in a former letter. We are grateful, too, to Mr. Smith and to all who offer us the sympathy of friendship.

'Whenever you can write with pleasure to yourself, remember Currer Bell is glad to hear from you, and he will make his letters as little dreary as he can in reply.--Yours sincerely,

'C. BRONTE.'

It was always a great trouble to Miss Wheelwright, whose friendship, it will be remembered, she had made in Brussels, that Charlotte was monopolised by the Smiths on her rare visits to London, but she frequently came to call at Lower Phillimore Place.

TO MISS LAEt.i.tIA WHEELWRIGHT

'HAWORTH, KEIGHLEY, _December_ 17_th_, 1849.

'MY DEAR LAEt.i.tIA,--I have just time to save the post by writing a brief note. I reached home safely on Sat.u.r.day afternoon, and, I am thankful to say, found papa quite well.

'The evening after I left you pa.s.sed better than I expected. Thanks to my substantial lunch and cheering cup of coffee, I was able to wait the eight o'clock dinner with complete resignation, and to endure its length quite courageously, nor was I too much exhausted to converse; and of this I was glad, for otherwise I know my kind host and hostess would have been much disappointed. There were only seven gentlemen at dinner besides Mr. Smith, but of these, five were critics--a formidable band, including the literary Rhadamanthi of the _Times_, the _Athenaeum_, the _Examiner_, the _Spectator_, and the _Atlas_: men more dreaded in the world of letters than you can conceive. I did not know how much their presence and conversation had excited me till they were gone, and then reaction commenced.

When I had retired for the night I wished to sleep; the effort to do so was vain--I could not close my eyes. Night pa.s.sed, morning came, and I rose without having known a moment's slumber. So utterly worn out was I when I got to Derby, that I was obliged to stay there all night.

'The post is going. Give my affectionate love to your mamma, Emily, f.a.n.n.y, and Sarah Anne. Remember me respectfully to your papa, and--Believe me, dear Laet.i.tia, yours faithfully,

'C. BRONTE.'

Miss Wheelwright's other sisters well remember certain episodes in connection with these London visits. They recall Charlotte's anxiety and trepidation at the prospect of meeting Thackeray. They recollect her simple, dainty dress, her shy demeanour, her absolutely unspoiled character. They tell me it was in the _Ill.u.s.trated London News_, about the time of the publication of _Shirley_, that they first learnt that Currer Bell and Charlotte Bronte were one. They would, however, have known that _Shirley_ was by a Brussels pupil, they declared, from the absolute resemblance of Hortense Moore to one of their governesses--Mlle.

Hausse.

At the end of 1849 Miss Bronte and Miss Martineau became acquainted.

Charlotte's admiration for her more strong-minded sister writer was at first profound.

TO JAMES TAYLOR

'_January_ 1_st_, 1850.

'MY DEAR SIR,--I am sorry there should have occurred an irregularity in the transmission of the papers; it has been owing to my absence from home. I trust the interruption has occasioned no inconvenience.

Your last letter evinced such a sincere and discriminating admiration for Dr. Arnold, that perhaps you will not be wholly uninterested in hearing that during my late visit to Miss Martineau I saw much more of Fox How and its inmates, and daily admired, in the widow and children of one of the greatest and best men of his time, the possession of qualities the most estimable and endearing. Of my kind hostess herself I cannot speak in terms too high. Without being able to share all her opinions, philosophical, political, or religious, without adopting her theories, I yet find a worth and greatness in herself, and a consistency, benevolence, perseverance in her practice such as wins the sincerest esteem and affection. She is not a person to be judged by her writings alone, but rather by her own deeds and life--than which nothing can be more exemplary or n.o.bler. She seems to me the benefactress of Ambleside, yet takes no sort of credit to herself for her active and indefatigable philanthropy. The government of her household is admirably administered; all she does is well done, from the writing of a history down to the quietest female occupation. No sort of carelessness or neglect is allowed under her rule, and yet she is not over strict nor too rigidly exacting; her servants and her poor neighbours love as well as respect her.

'I must not, however, fall into the error of talking too much about her, merely because my own mind is just now deeply impressed with what I have seen of her intellectual power and moral worth. Faults she has, but to me they appear very trivial weighed in the balance against her excellencies.

'With every good wish of the season,--I am, my dear sir, yours very sincerely,

'C. BRONTE.'

Meanwhile the excitement which _Shirley_ was exciting in Currer Bell's home circle was not confined to the curates. Here is a letter which Canon Heald (Cyril Hall) wrote at this time:--

TO MISS ELLEN NUSSEY

'BIRSTALL, near LEEDS, '8_th_ _January_ 1850.

'DEAR ELLEN,--Fame says you are on a visit with the renowned Currer Bell, the "great unknown" of the present day. The celebrated _Shirley_ has just found its way hither. And as one always reads a book with more interest when one has a correct insight into the writer's designs, I write to ask a favour, which I ought not to be regarded presumptuous in saying that I think I have a species of claim to ask, on the ground of a sort of "poetical justice." The interpretation of this enigma is, that the story goes that either I or my father, I do not exactly know which, are part of "Currer Bell's" stock-in-trade, under the t.i.tle of Mr. Hall, in that Mr. Hall is represented as black, bilious, and of dismal aspect, stooping a trifle, and indulging a little now and then in the indigenous dialect. This seems to sit very well on your humble servant--other traits do better for my good father than myself. However, though I had no idea that I should be made a means to amuse the public, Currer Bell is perfectly welcome to what she can make of so unpromising a subject. But I think _I have a fair claim in return to be let into the secret of the company I have got into_. Some of them are good enough to tell, and need no OEdipus to solve the riddle. I can tabulate, for instance, the Yorke family for the Taylors, Mr.

Moore--Mr. Cartwright, and Mr. Helstone is clearly meant for Mr.

Robertson, though the auth.o.r.ess has evidently got her idea of his character through an unfavourable medium, and does not understand the full value of one of the most admirable characters I ever knew or expect to know. May thinks she descries Cecilia Crowther and Miss Johnston (afterwards Mrs. Westerman) in two old maids.

'Now pray get us a full light on all other names and localities that are adumbrated in this said _Shirley_. When some of the prominent characters will be recognised by every one who knows our quarters, there can be no harm in letting one know who may be intended by the rest. And, if necessary, I will bear Currer Bell harmless, and not let the world know that I have my intelligence from head-quarters.

As I said before, I repeat now, that as I or mine are part of the stock-in-trade, I think I have an equitable claim to this intelligence, by way of my dividend. Mary and Harriet wish also to get at this information; and the latter at all events seems to have her own peculiar claim, as fame says she is "in the book" too. One had need "walk . . . warily in these dangerous days," when, as Burns (is it not he?) says--

'A chield's among you taking notes, And faith he'll prent it.'--

'Yours sincerely,

'W. M. HEALD.

'Mary and Harriet unite with me in the best wishes of the season to you and C--- B---. Pray give my best respects to Mr. Bronte also, who may have some slight remembrance of me as a child. I just remember him when at Hartshead.' {444}

TO W. S. WILLIAMS

'_February_ 2_nd_, 1850.

'MY DEAR SIR,--I have despatched to-day a parcel containing _The Caxtons_, Macaulay's _Essays_, _Humboldt's Letters_, and such other of the books as I have read, packed with a picturesque irregularity well calculated to excite the envy and admiration of your skilful functionary in Cornhill. By-the-bye, he ought to be careful of the few pins stuck in here and there, as he might find them useful at a future day, in case of having more bonnets to pack for the East Indies. Whenever you send me a new supply of books, may I request that you will have the goodness to include one or two of Miss Austen's. I am often asked whether I have read them, and I excite amazement by replying in the negative. I have read none except _Pride and Prejudice_. Miss Martineau mentioned _Persuasion_ as the best.

'Thank you for your account of the _First Performance_. It was cheering and pleasant to read it, for in your animated description I seemed to realise the scene; your criticism also enables me to form some idea of the play. Lewes is a strange being. I always regret that I did not see him when in London. He seems to me clever, sharp, and coa.r.s.e; I used to think him sagacious, but I believe now he is no more than shrewd, for I have observed once or twice that he brings forward as grand discoveries of his own, information he has casually received from others--true sagacity disdains little tricks of this sort. But though Lewes has many smart and some deserving points about him, he has nothing truly great; and nothing truly great, I should think, will he ever produce. Yet he merits just such successes as the one you describe--triumphs public, brief, and noisy.

Notoriety suits Lewes. Fame--were it possible that he could achieve her--would be a thing uncongenial to him: he could not wait for the solemn blast of her trumpet, sounding long, and slowly waxing louder.

'I always like your way of mentioning Mr. Smith, because my own opinion of him concurs with yours; and it is as pleasant to have a favourable impression of character confirmed, as it is painful to see it dispelled. I am sure he possesses a fine nature, and I trust the selfishness of the world and the hard habits of business, though they may and must modify him disposition, will never quite spoil it.

'Can you give me any information respecting Sheridan Knowles? A few lines received from him lately, and a present of his _George Lovel_, induce me to ask the question. Of course I am aware that he is a dramatic writer of eminence, but do you know anything about him as a man?

'I believe both _Shirley_ and _Jane Eyre_ are being a good deal read in the North just now; but I only hear fitful rumours from time to time. I ask nothing, and my life of anchorite seclusion shuts out all bearers of tidings. One or two curiosity-hunter have made their way to Haworth Parsonage, but our rude hill and rugged neighbourhood will, I doubt not, form a sufficient barrier to the frequent repet.i.tion of such visits.--Believe me, yours sincerely,

'C. BRONTE.'

The most permanent friend among the curiosity-hunters, was Sir James Kay-Shuttleworth, {446} who came a month later to Haworth.

TO MISS ELLEN NUSSEY

'_March_ 1_st_, 1850.

'DEAR ELLEN,--I scribble you a line in haste to tell you of my proceedings. Various folks are beginning to come boring to Haworth, on the wise errand of seeing the scenery described in _Jane Eyre_ and _Shirley_; amongst others, Sir J. K. Shuttleworth and Lady S. have persisted in coming; they were here on Friday. The baronet looks in vigorous health; he scarcely appears more than thirty-five, but he says he is forty-four. Lady Shuttleworth is rather handsome, and still young. They were both quite unpretending. When here they again urged me to visit them. Papa took their side at once--would not hear of my refusing. I must go--this left me without plea or defence. I consented to go for three days. They wanted me to return with them in the carriage, but I pleaded off till to-morrow. I wish it was well over.

'If all be well I shall be able to write more about them when I come back. Sir J. is very courtly--fine-looking; I wish he may be as sincere as he is polished.--In haste, yours faithfully,

'C. B.'

TO W. S. WILLIAMS

'_March_ 16_th_, 1850.

'MY DEAR SIR,--I found your letter with several others awaiting me on my return home from a brief stay in Lancashire. The mourning border alarmed me much. I feared that dread visitant, before whose coming every household trembles, had invaded your hearth and taken from you perhaps a child, perhaps something dearer still. The loss you have actually sustained is painful, but so much _less_ painful than what I had antic.i.p.ated, that to read your letter was to be greatly relieved.

Still, I know what Mrs. Williams will feel. We can have but one father, but one mother, and when either is gone, we have lost what can never be replaced. Offer her, under this affliction, my sincere sympathy. I can well imagine the cloud these sad tidings would cast over your young cheerful family. Poor little d.i.c.k's exclamation and burst of grief are most naive and natural; he felt the sorrow of a child--a keen, but, happily, a transient pang. Time will, I trust, ere long restore your own and your wife's serenity and your children's cheerfulness.