the life of charlotte bronte-1-第33章

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nce　of　thought　and　action。　　Though　her　silence　sometimes　left　one　under　the　impression　that　she　agreed　when　she　did　not；　she　never　gave　a　flattering　opinion；　and　thus　her　words　were　golden；　whether　for　praise　or　blame。〃

〃Mary's〃　father　was　a　man　of　remarkable　intelligence；　but　of　strong；　not　to　say　violent　prejudices；　all　running　in　favour　of　Republicanism　and　Dissent。　　No　other　county　but　Yorkshire　could　have　produced　such　a　man。　　His　brother　had　been　a　DETENU　in　France；　and　had　afterwards　voluntarily　taken　up　his　residence　there。　　Mr。　T。　himself　had　been　much　abroad；　both　on　business　and　to　see　the　great　continental　galleries　of　paintings。　　He　spoke　French　perfectly；　I　have　been　told；　when　need　was；　but　delighted　usually　in　talking　the　broadest　Yorkshire。　　He　bought　splendid　engravings　of　the　pictures　which　he　particularly　admired；　and　his　house　was　full　of　works　of　art　and　of　books；　but　he　rather　liked　to　present　his　rough　side　to　any　stranger　or　new…comer；　he　would　speak　his　broadest；　bring　out　his　opinions　on　Church　and　State　in　their　most　startling　forms；　and；　by　and　by；　if　he　found　his　hearer　could　stand　the　shock；　he　would　involuntarily　show　his　warm　kind　heart；　and　his　true　taste；　and　real　refinement。　　His　family　of　four　sons　and　two　daughters　were　brought　up　on　Republican　principles；　independence　of　thought　and　action　was　encouraged；　no　〃shams〃　tolerated。　　They　are　scattered　far　and　wide：　　Martha；　the　younger　daughter；　sleeps　in　the　Protestant　cemetery　at　Brussels；　Mary　is　in　New　Zealand；　Mr。　T。　is　dead。　　And　so　life　and　death　have　dispersed　the　circle　of　〃violent　Radicals　and　Dissenters〃　into　which；　twenty　years　ago；　the　little；　quiet；　resolute　clergyman's　daughter　was　received；　and　by　whom　she　was　truly　loved　and　honoured。

January　and　February　of　1837　had　passed　away；　and　still　there　was　no　reply　from　Southey。　　Probably　she　had　lost　expectation　and　almost　hope　when　at　length；　in　the　beginning　of　March；　she　received　the　letter　inserted　in　Mr。　C。　C。　Southey's　life　of　his　Father；　vol。　iv。　p。　327。

After　accounting　for　his　delay　in　replying　to　hers　by　the　fact　of　a　long　absence　from　home；　during　which　his　letters　had　accumulated；　whence　〃it　has　lain　unanswered　till　the　last　of　a　numerous　file；　not　from　disrespect　or　indifference　to　its　contents；　but　because　in　truth　it　is　not　an　easy　task　to　answer　it；　nor　a　pleasant　one　to　cast　a　damp　over　the　high　spirits　and　the　generous　desires　of　youth；〃　he　goes　on　to　say：　　〃What　you　are　I　can　only　infer　from　your　letter；　which　appears　to　be　written　in　sincerity；　though　I　may　suspect　that　you　have　used　a　fictitious　signature。　　Be　that　as　it　may；　the　letter　and　the　verses　bear　the　same　stamp；　and　I　can　well　understand　the　state　of　mind　they　indicate。

*　*　*

〃It　is　not　my　advice　that　you　have　asked　as　to　the　direction　of　your　talents；　but　my　opinion　of　them；　and　yet　the　opinion　may　be　worth　little；　and　the　advice　much。　　You　evidently　possess；　and　in　no　inconsiderable　degree；　what　Wordsworth　calls　the　'faculty　of　verse。'　　I　am　not　depreciating　it　when　I　say　that　in　these　times　it　is　not　rare。　　Many　volumes　of　poems　are　now　published　every　year　without　attracting　public　attention；　any　one　of　which　if　it　had　appeared　half　a　century　ago；　would　have　obtained　a　high　reputation　for　its　author。　　Whoever；　therefore；　is　ambitious　of　distinction　in　this　way　ought　to　be　prepared　for　disappointment。

〃But　it　is　not　with　a　view　to　distinction　that　you　should　cultivate　this　talent；　if　you　consult　your　own　happiness。　　I；　who　have　made　literature　my　profession；　and　devoted　my　life　to　it；　and　have　never　for　a　moment　repented　of　the　deliberate　choice；　think　myself；　nevertheless；　bound　in　duty　to　caution　every　young　man　who　applies　as　an　aspirant　to　me　for　encouragement　and　advice；　against　taking　so　perilous　a　course。　　You　will　say　that　a　woman　has　no　need　of　such　a　caution；　there　can　be　no　peril　in　it　for　her。　　In　a　certain　sense　this　is　true；　but　there　is　a　danger　of　which　I　would；　with　all　kindness　and　all　earnestness；　warn　you。　　The　day　dreams　in　which　you　habitually　indulge　are　likely　to　induce　a　distempered　state　of　mind；　and　in　proportion　as　all　the　ordinary　uses　of　the　world　seem　to　you　flat　and　unprofitable；　you　will　be　unfitted　for　them　without　becoming　fitted　for　anything　else。　Literature　cannot　be　the　business　of　a　woman's　life；　and　it　ought　not　to　be。　　The　more　she　is　engaged　in　her　proper　duties；　the　less　leisure　will　she　have　for　it；　even　as　an　accomplishment　and　a　recreation。　　To　those　duties　you　have　not　yet　been　called；　and　when　you　are　you　will　be　less　eager　for　celebrity。　　You　will　not　seek　in　imagination　for　excitement；　of　which　the　vicissitudes　of　this　life；　and　the　anxieties　from　which　you　must　not　hope　to　be　exempted；　be　your　state　what　it　may；　will　bring　with　them　but　too　much。

〃But　do　not　suppose　that　I　disparage　the　gift　which　you　possess；　nor　that　I　would　discourage　you　from　exercising　it。　　I　only　exhort　you　so　to　think　of　it；　and　so　to　use　it；　as　to　render　it　conducive　to　your　own　permanent　good。　　Write　poetry　for　its　own　sake；　not　in　a　spirit　of　emulation；　and　not　with　a　view　to　celebrity；　the　less　you　aim　at　that　the　more　likely　you　will　be　to　deserve　and　finally　to　obtain　it。　　So　written；　it　is　wholesome　both　for　the　heart　and　soul；　it　may　be　made　the　surest　means；　next　to　religion；　of　soothing　the　mind　and　elevating　it。　　You　may　embody　in　it　your　best　thoughts　and　your　wisest　feelings；　and　in　so　doing　discipline　and　strengthen　them。

〃Farewell；　madam。　　It　is　not　because　I　have　forgotten　that　I　was　once　young　myself；　that　I　write　to　you　in　this　strain；　but　because　I　remember　it。　　You　will　neither　doubt　my　sincerity　nor　my　good　will；　and　however　ill　what　has　here　been　said　may　accord　with　your　present　views　and　temper；　the　longer　you　live　the　more　reasonable　it　will　appear　to　you。　　Though　I　may　be　but　an　ungracious　adviser；　you　will　allow　me；　therefore；　to　subscribe　myself；　with　the　best　wishes　for　your　happiness　here　and　hereafter；　your　true　friend；　〃ROBERT　SOUTHEY。〃


I　was　with　Miss　Bronte　when　she　received　Mr。　Cuthbert　Southey's　note；　requesting　her　permission　to　insert　the　fore…going　letter　in　his　father's　life。　　She　said　to　me；　〃Mr。　Southey's　letter　was　kind　and　admirable；　a　little　stringent；　but　it　did　me　good。〃

It　is　partly　because　I　think　it　so　admirable；　and　partly　because　it　tends　to　bring　out　her　character；　as　shown　in　the　following　reply；　that　I　have　taken　the　liberty　of　inserting　the　foregoing　extracts　from　it。


〃Sir；　March　16th。

〃I　cannot　rest　till　I　have　answered　your　letter；　even　though　by　addressing　you　a　second　time　I　should　appear　a　little　intrusive；　but　I　must　thank　you　for　the　kind　and　wise　advice　you　have　condescended　to　give　me。　　I　had　not　ventured　to　hope　for　such　a　reply；　so　considerate　in　its　tone；　so　noble　in　its　spirit。　　I　must　suppress　what　I　feel；　or　you　will　think　me　foolishly　enthusiastic。

〃At　the　first　perusal　of　your　letter；　I　felt　only　shame　and　regret　that　I　had　ever　ventured　to　trouble　you　with　my　crude　rhapsody；　I　felt　a　painful　heat　rise　to　my　face　when　I　thought　of　the　quires　of　paper　I　had　covered　with　what　once　gave　me　so　much　delight；　but　which　now　was　only　a　source　of　confusion；　but　after　I　had　thought　a　little　and　read　it　again　and　again；　the　prospect　seemed　to　clear。　　You　do　not　forbid　me　to　write；　you　do　not　say　that　what　I　write　is　utterly　destitute　of　merit。　　You　only　warn　me　against　the　folly　of　neglecting　real　duties　for　the　sake　of　imaginative　pleasures；　of　writing　for　the　love　of　fame；　for　the　selfish　excitement　of　emulation。　　You　kindly　allow　me　to　write　poetry　for　its　own　sake；　provided　I　leave　undone　nothing　which　I　ought　to　do；　in　order　to　pursue　that　single；　absorbing；　exquisite　gratification。　　I　am　afraid；　sir；　you　think　me　very　foolish。　　I　know　the　first　letter　I　wrote　to　you　was　all　senseless　trash　from　beginning　to　end；　but　I　am　not　altogether　the　idle　dreaming　being　it　would　seem　to　denote。　　My　father　is　a　clergyman　of　limited；　though　competent　income；　and　I　am　the　eldest　of　his　children。　　He　expended　quite　as　much　in　my　education　as　he　could　afford　in　justice　to　the　rest。　　I　thought　it　therefore　my　duty；　when　I　left　school；　to　become　a　governess。　　In　that　capacity　I　find　enough　to