the life of charlotte bronte-1-第11章

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They　were　grave　and　silent　beyond　their　years；　subdued；　probably；　by　the　presence　of　serious　illness　in　the　house；　for；　at　the　time　which　my　informant　speaks　of；　Mrs。　Bronte　was　confined　to　the　bedroom　from　which　she　never　came　forth　alive。　　〃You　would　not　have　known　there　was　a　child　in　the　house；　they　were　such　still；　noiseless；　good　little　creatures。　　Maria　would　shut　herself　up〃　（Maria；　but　seven！）　〃in　the　children's　study　with　a　newspaper；　and　be　able　to　tell　one　everything　when　she　came　out；　debates　in　Parliament；　and　I　don't　know　what　all。　　She　was　as　good　as　a　mother　to　her　sisters　and　brother。　　But　there　never　were　such　good　children。　　I　used　to　think　them　spiritless；　they　were　so　different　to　any　children　I　had　ever　seen。　　They　were　good　little　creatures。　Emily　was　the　prettiest。〃

Mrs。　Bronte　was　the　same　patient；　cheerful　person　as　we　have　seen　her　formerly；　very　ill；　suffering　great　pain；　but　seldom　if　ever　complaining；　at　her　better　times　begging　her　nurse　to　raise　her　in　bed　to　let　her　see　her　clean　the　grate；　〃because　she　did　it　as　it　was　done　in　Cornwall；〃　devotedly　fond　of　her　husband；　who　warmly　repaid　her　affection；　and　suffered　no　one　else　to　take　the　night…　nursing；　but；　according　to　my　informant；　the　mother　was　not　very　anxious　to　see　much　of　her　children；　probably　because　the　sight　of　them；　knowing　how　soon　they　were　to　be　left　motherless；　would　have　agitated　her　too　much。　　So　the　little　things　clung　quietly　together；　for　their　father　was　busy　in　his　study　and　in　his　parish；　or　with　their　mother；　and　they　took　their　meals　alone；　sat　reading；　or　whispering　low；　in　the　〃children's　study；〃　or　wandered　out　on　the　hill…side；　hand　in　hand。

The　ideas　of　Rousseau　and　Mr。　Day　on　education　had　filtered　down　through　many　classes；　and　spread　themselves　widely　out。　　I　imagine；　Mr。　Bronte　must　have　formed　some　of　his　opinions　on　the　management　of　children　from　these　two　theorists。　　His　practice　was　not　half　so　wild　or　extraordinary　as　that　to　which　an　aunt　of　mine　was　subjected　by　a　disciple　of　Mr。　Day's。　　She　had　been　taken　by　this　gentleman　and　his　wife；　to　live　with　them　as　their　adopted　child；　perhaps　about　five…and…twenty　years　before　the　time　of　which　I　am　writing。　　They　were　wealthy　people　and　kind　hearted；　but　her　food　and　clothing　were　of　the　very　simplest　and　rudest　description；　on　Spartan　principles。　　A　healthy；　merry　child；　she　did　not　much　care　for　dress　or　eating；　but　the　treatment　which　she　felt　as　a　real　cruelty　was　this。　　They　had　a　carriage；　in　which　she　and　the　favourite　dog　were　taken　an　airing　on　alternate　days；　the　creature　whose　turn　it　was　to　be　left　at　home　being　tossed　in　a　blanketan　operation　which　my　aunt　especially　dreaded。　　Her　affright　at　the　tossing　was　probably　the　reason　why　it　was　persevered　in。　　Dressed…up　ghosts　had　become　common；　and　she　did　not　care　for　them；　so　the　blanket　exercise　was　to　be　the　next　mode　of　hardening　her　nerves。　　It　is　well　known　that　Mr。　Day　broke　off　his　intention　of　marrying　Sabrina；　the　girl　whom　he　had　educated　for　this　purpose；　because；　within　a　few　weeks　of　the　time　fixed　for　the　wedding；　she　was　guilty　of　the　frivolity；　while　on　a　visit　from　home；　of　wearing　thin　sleeves。　　Yet　Mr。　Day　and　my　aunt's　relations　were　benevolent　people；　only　strongly　imbued　with　the　crotchet　that　by　a　system　of　training　might　be　educed　the　hardihood　and　simplicity　of　the　ideal　savage；　forgetting　the　terrible　isolation　of　feelings　and　habits　which　their　pupils　would　experience　in　the　future　life　which　they　must　pass　among　the　corruptions　and　refinements　of　civilization。

Mr。　Bronte　wished　to　make　his　children　hardy；　and　indifferent　to　the　pleasures　of　eating　and　dress。　　In　the　latter　he　succeeded；　as　far　as　regarded　his　daughters。

His　strong；　passionate；　Irish　nature　was；　in　general；　compressed　down　with　resolute　stoicism；　but　it　was　there　notwithstanding　all　his　philosophic　calm　and　dignity　of　demeanour；　though　he　did　not　speak　when　he　was　annoyed　or　displeased。　　Mrs。　Bronte；　whose　sweet　nature　thought　invariably　of　the　bright　side；　would　say；　〃Ought　I　not　to　be　thankful　that　he　never　gave　me　an　angry　word？〃

Mr。　Bronte　was　an　active　walker；　stretching　away　over　the　moors　for　many　miles；　noting　in　his　mind　all　natural　signs　of　wind　and　weather；　and　keenly　observing　all　the　wild　creatures　that　came　and　went　in　the　loneliest　sweeps　of　the　hills。　　He　has　seen　eagles　stooping　low　in　search　of　food　for　their　young；　no　eagle　is　ever　seen　on　those　mountain　slopes　now。

He　fearlessly　took　whatever　side　in　local　or　national　politics　appeared　to　him　right。　　In　the　days　of　the　Luddites；　he　had　been　for　the　peremptory　interference　of　the　law；　at　a　time　when　no　magistrate　could　be　found　to　act；　and　all　the　property　of　the　West　Riding　was　in　terrible　danger。　　He　became　unpopular　then　among　the　millworkers；　and　he　esteemed　his　life　unsafe　if　he　took　his　long　and　lonely　walks　unarmed；　so　he　began　the　habit；　which　has　continued　to　this　day；　of　invariably　carrying　a　loaded　pistol　about　with　him。　　It　lay　on　his　dressing…table　with　his　watch；　with　his　watch　it　was　put　on　in　the　morning；　with　his　watch　it　was　taken　off　at　night。

Many　years　later；　during　his　residence　at　Haworth；　there　was　a　strike；　the　hands　in　the　neighbourhood　felt　themselves　aggrieved　by　the　masters；　and　refused　to　work：　　Mr。　Bronte　thought　that　they　had　been　unjustly　and　unfairly　treated；　and　he　assisted　them　by　all　the　means　in　his　power　to　〃keep　the　wolf　from　their　doors；〃　and　avoid　the　incubus　of　debt。　　Several　of　the　more　influential　inhabitants　of　Haworth　and　the　neighbourhood　were　mill…owners；　they　remonstrated　pretty　sharply　with　him；　but　he　believed　that　his　conduct　was　right　and　persevered　in　it。

His　opinions　might　be　often　both　wild　and　erroneous；　his　principles　of　action　eccentric　and　strange；　his　views　of　life　partial；　and　almost　misanthropical；　but　not　one　opinion　that　he　held　could　be　stirred　or　modified　by　any　worldly　motive：　　he　acted　up　to　his　principles　of　action；　and；　if　any　touch　of　misanthropy　mingled　with　his　view　of　mankind　in　general；　his　conduct　to　the　individuals　who　came　in　personal　contact　with　him　did　not　agree　with　such　view。　　It　is　true　that　he　had　strong　and　vehement　prejudices；　and　was　obstinate　in　maintaining　them；　and　that　he　was　not　dramatic　enough　in　his　perceptions　to　see　how　miserable　others　might　be　in　a　life　that　to　him　was　all…sufficient。　　But　I　do　not　pretend　to　be　able　to　harmonize　points　of　character；　and　account　for　them；　and　bring　them　all　into　one　consistent　and　intelligible　whole。　　The　family　with　whom　I　have　now　to　do　shot　their　roots　down　deeper　than　I　can　penetrate。　　I　cannot　measure　them；　much　less　is　it　for　me　to　judge　them。　　I　have　named　these　instances　of　eccentricity　in　the　father　because　I　hold　the　knowledge　of　them　to　be　necessary　for　a　right　understanding　of　the　life　of　his　daughter。

Mrs。　Bronte　died　in　September；　1821；　and　the　lives　of　those　quiet　children　must　have　become　quieter　and　lonelier　still。　　Charlotte　tried　hard；　in　after　years；　to　recall　the　remembrance　of　her　mother；　and　could　bring　back　two　or　three　pictures　of　her。　　One　was　when；　sometime　in　the　evening　light；　she　had　been　playing　with　her　little　boy；　Patrick　Branwell；　in　the　parlour　of　Haworth　Parsonage。　　But　the　recollections　of　four　or　five　years　old　are　of　a　very　fragmentary　character。

Owing　to　some　illness　of　the　digestive　organs；　Mr。　Bronte　was　obliged　to　be　very　careful　about　his　diet；　and；　in　order　to　avoid　temptation；　and　possibly　to　have　the　quiet　necessary　for　digestion；　he　had　begun；　before　his　wife's　death；　to　take　his　dinner　alonea　habit　which　he　always　retained。　　He　did　not　require　companionship；　therefore　he　did　not　seek　it；　either　in　his　walks；　or　in　his　daily　life。　　The　quiet　regularity　of　his　domestic　hours　was　only　broken　in　upon　by　church…wardens；　and　visitors　on　parochial　business；　and　sometimes　by　a　neighbouring　clergyman；　who　came　down　the　hills；　across　the　moors；　to　mount　up　again　to　Haworth　Parsonage；　and　spend　an　evening　there。　　But；　owing　to　Mrs。　Bronte's　death　so　soon　after　her　husband　had　removed　into　the　district；　and　also　to　the　distances；　and　the　bleak　country　to　be　traversed；　the　wives　of　these　clerical　friends　did　not　accompany　their　husbands；　an