the life of charlotte bronte-1-第13章

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n　so　entirely　as　she　did；　and　the　greater　her　merit。

I　do　not　know　whether　Miss　Branwell　taught　her　nieces　anything　besides　sewing；　and　the　household　arts　in　which　Charlotte　afterwards　was　such　an　adept。　　Their　regular　lessons　were　said　to　their　father；　and　they　were　always　in　the　habit　of　picking　up　an　immense　amount　of　miscellaneous　information　for　themselves。　　But　a　year　or　so　before　this　time；　a　school　had　been　begun　in　the　North　of　England　for　the　daughters　of　clergymen。　　The　place　was　Cowan　Bridge；　a　small　hamlet　on　the　coach…road　between　Leeds　and　Kendal；　and　thus　easy　of　access　from　Haworth；　as　the　coach　ran　daily；　and　one　of　its　stages　was　at　Keighley。　　The　yearly　expense　for　each　pupil　（according　to　the　entrance…rules　given　in　the　Report　for　1842；　and　I　believe　they　had　not　been　increased　since　the　establishment　of　the　schools　in　1823）　was　as　follows：

〃Rule　11。　　The　terms　for　clothing；　lodging；　boarding；　and　educating；　are　14L。　a　year；　half　to　be　paid　in　advance；　when　the　pupils　are　sent；　and　also　1L。　entrance…money；　for　the　use　of　books；　&c。　　The　system　of　education　comprehends　history；　geography；　the　use　of　the　globes；　grammar；　writing　and　arithmetic；　all　kinds　of　needlework；　and　the　nicer　kinds　of　household　work　such　as　getting　up　fine　linen；　ironing；　&c。　　If　accomplishments　are　required；　an　additional　charge　of　3L。　a　year　is　made　for　music　or　drawing；　each。〃

Rule　3rd　requests　that　the　friends　will　state　the　line　of　education　desired　in　the　case　of　every　pupil；　having　a　regard　to　her　future　prospects。

Rule　4th　states　the　clothing　and　toilette　articles　which　a　girl　is　expected　to　bring　with　her；　and　thus　concludes：　　〃The　pupils　all　appear　in　the　same　dress。　　They　wear　plain　straw　cottage　bonnets；　in　summer　white　frocks　on　Sundays；　and　nankeen　on　other　days；　in　winter；　purple　stuff　frocks；　and　purple　cloth　cloaks。　　For　the　sake　of　uniformity；　therefore；　they　are　required　to　bring　3L。　in　lieu　of　frocks；　pelisse；　bonnet；　tippet；　and　frills；　making　the　whole　sum　which　each　pupil　brings　with　her　to　the　school　…

7L。　half…year　in　advance。　1L。　entrance　for　books。　1L。　entrance　for　clothes。


The　8th　rule　is；〃All　letters　and　parcels　are　inspected　by　the　superintendent；〃　but　this　is　a　very　prevalent　regulation　in　all　young　ladies'　schools；　where　I　think　it　is　generally　understood　that　the　schoolmistress　may　exercise　this　privilege；　although　it　is　certainly　unwise　in　her　to　insist　too　frequently　upon　it。

There　is　nothing　at　all　remarkable　in　any　of　the　other　regulations；　a　copy　of　which　was　doubtless　in　Mr。　Bronte's　hands　when　he　formed　the　determination　to　send　his　daughters　to　Cowan　Bridge　School；　and　he　accordingly　took　Maria　and　Elizabeth　thither　in　July；　1824。

I　now　come　to　a　part　of　my　subject　which　I　find　great　difficulty　in　treating；　because　the　evidence　relating　to　it　on　each　side　is　so　conflicting　that　it　seems　almost　impossible　to　arrive　at　the　truth。　　Miss　Bronte　more　than　once　said　to　me；　that　she　should　not　have　written　what　she　did　of　Lowood　in　〃Jane　Eyre；〃　if　she　had　thought　the　place　would　have　been　so　immediately　identified　with　Cowan　Bridge；　although　there　was　not　a　word　in　her　account　of　the　institution　but　what　was　true　at　the　time　when　she　knew　it；　she　also　said　that　she　had　not　considered　it　necessary；　in　a　work　of　fiction；　to　state　every　particular　with　the　impartiality　that　might　be　required　in　a　court　of　justice；　nor　to　seek　out　motives；　and　make　allowances　for　human　failings；　as　she　might　have　done；　if　dispassionately　analysing　the　conduct　of　those　who　had　the　superintendence　of　the　institution。　　I　believe　she　herself　would　have　been　glad　of　an　opportunity　to　correct　the　over…strong　impression　which　was　made　upon　the　public　mind　by　her　vivid　picture；　though　even　she；　suffering　her　whole　life　long；　both　in　heart　and　body；　from　the　consequences　of　what　happened　there；　might　have　been　apt；　to　the　last；　to　take　her　deep　belief　in　facts　for　the　facts　themselvesher　conception　of　truth　for　the　absolute　truth。

In　some　of　the　notices　of　the　previous　editions　of　this　work；　it　is　assumed　that　I　derived　the　greater　part　of　my　information　with　regard　to　her　sojourn　at　Cowan　Bridge　from　Charlotte　Bronte　herself。　　I　never　heard　her　speak　of　the　place　but　once；　and　that　was　on　the　second　day　of　my　acquaintance　with　her。　　A　little　child　on　that　occasion　expressed　some　reluctance　to　finish　eating　his　piece　of　bread　at　dinner；　and　she；　stooping　down；　and　addressing　him　in　a　low　voice；　told　him　how　thankful　she　should　have　been　at　his　age　for　a　piece　of　bread；　and　when　wethough　I　am　not　sure　if　I　myself　spokeasked　her　some　question　as　to　the　occasion　she　alluded　to；　she　replied　with　reserve　and　hesitation；　evidently　shying　away　from　what　she　imagined　might　lead　to　too　much　conversation　on　one　of　her　books。　　She　spoke　of　the　oat…cake　at　Cowan　Bridge　（the　clap…bread　of　Westmorland）　as　being　different　to　the　leaven…raised　oat…cake　of　Yorkshire；　and　of　her　childish　distaste　for　it。　　Some　one　present　made　an　allusion　to　a　similar　childish　dislike　in　the　true　tale　of　〃The　terrible　knitters　o'　Dent〃　given　in　Southey's　〃Common…place　Book：〃　and　she　smiled　faintly；　but　said　that　the　mere　difference　in　food　was　not　all：　that　the　food　itself　was　spoilt　by　the　dirty　carelessness　of　the　cook；　so　that　she　and　her　sisters　disliked　their　meals　exceedingly；　and　she　named　her　relief　and　gladness　when　the　doctor　condemned　the　meat；　and　spoke　of　having　seen　him　spit　it　out。　These　are　all　the　details　I　ever　heard　from　her。　　She　so　avoided　particularizing；　that　I　think　Mr。　Carus　Wilson's　name　never　passed　between　us。

I　do　not　doubt　the　general　accuracy　of　my　informants；of　those　who　have　given；　and　solemnly　repeated；　the　details　that　follow；　but　it　is　only　just　to　Miss　Bronte　to　say　that　I　have　stated　above　pretty　nearly　all　that　I　ever　heard　on　the　subject　from　her。

A　clergyman；　living　near　Kirby　Lonsdale；　the　Reverend　William　Carus　Wilson；　was　the　prime　mover　in　the　establishment　of　this　school。　　He　was　an　energetic　man；　sparing　no　labour　for　the　accomplishment　of　his　ends。　　He　saw　that　it　was　an　extremely　difficult　task　for　clergymen　with　limited　incomes　to　provide　for　the　education　of　their　children；　and　he　devised　a　scheme；　by　which　a　certain　sum　was　raised　annually　by　subscription；　to　complete　the　amount　required　to　furnish　a　solid　and　sufficient　English　education；　for　which　the　parent's　payment　of　14L。　a　year　would　not　have　been　sufficient。　　Indeed；　that　made　by　the　parents　was　considered　to　be　exclusively　appropriated　to　the　expenses　of　lodging　and　boarding；　and　the　education　provided　for　by　the　subscriptions。　　Twelve　trustees　were　appointed；　Mr。　Wilson　being　not　only　a　trustee；　but　the　treasurer　and　secretary；　in　fact；　taking　most　of　the　business　arrangements　upon　himself；　a　responsibility　which　appropriately　fell　to　him；　as　he　lived　nearer　the　school　than　any　one　else　who　was　interested　in　it。　　So　his　character　for　prudence　and　judgment　was　to　a　certain　degree　implicated　in　the　success　or　failure　of　Cowan　Bridge　School；　and　the　working　of　it　was　for　many　years　the　great　object　and　interest　of　his　life。　　But　he　was　apparently　unacquainted　with　the　prime　element　in　good　administrationseeking　out　thoroughly　competent　persons　to　fill　each　department；　and　then　making　them　responsible　for；　and　judging　them　by；　the　result；　without　perpetual　interference　with　the　details。

So　great　was　the　amount　of　good　which　Mr。　Wilson　did；　by　his　constant；　unwearied　superintendence；　that　I　cannot　help　feeling　sorry　that；　in　his　old　age　and　declining　health；　the　errors　which　he　was　believed　to　have　committed；　should　have　been　brought　up　against　him　in　a　form　which　received　such　wonderful　force　from　the　touch　of　Miss　Bronte's　great　genius。　　No　doubt　whatever　can　be　entertained　of　the　deep　interest　which　he　felt　in　the　success　of　the　school。　　As　I　write；　I　have　before　me　his　last　words　on　giving　up　the　secretaryship　in　1850：　　he　speaks　of　the　〃withdrawal；　from　declining　health；　of　an　eye；　which；　at　all　events；　has　loved　to　watch　over　the　schools　with　an　honest　and　anxious　interest；〃and　again　he　adds；　〃that　he　resigns；　therefore；　with　a　desire　to　be　thankful　for　all　that　God　has　been　pleased　to　accomplish　through　his　instrumentality