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Leader (1850-1860), 11th April 1857, Edition 2 of 2, Page 18

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      Mrs. Gaskell's..Life Of:..Charlotte Brox...

      following oat a good purpose , fell in tracking -an . evil one . " Another element : of wiltlnesa entered into the original of Jane Efre ; for although in that book ; Charlotte Bronte did . nofe deliberately sit for her own portrait , the type , of the artist ia reproduced in the work . She was ¦ of Irish extraction . Her father , the Reverend Patrick Bronte , was a native of the county of Down , in Ireland—is ,-we should say , for Mr . Bronte still lives , although bereft of all his family . He was himself a man of more energy than self-control . Knowing that his father could afford him no pecuniary aid , and that he must depend upon his own exertions , he opened a public school at the early age of sixteen . He next became tutorin the family of a clergyman , and thence proceeded , at the age of five-and-twenty , to St . John ' s

      College , Cambridge . While he -was at college , he entered one of the volunteer corps then enrolled all over the country ; and he " mentions the name of Temple— -Lord Palmerston— as associated with him hi his military duties . Having entered the Church , Mr . Bronte became curate of Hartshead ; and while in this bumble position he married Maria Bran well , the daughter of a Penzance merchant , who was on a visit at Leeds ; from Hartshead , Mr . Bronte was promoted to the living of Thornton , where , on the 21 st of April , was born his third daughter , Charlotte , and two others . Soon after the birih of the youngest daughter , Anne , the girls lost their mother . Mrs . Bronte was not handsome , but was very elegant in her appearance and manner , and very gentle . Her life had , indeed , been one of trial . She had ' married a trial .

      His strong ; passionate , Irish nature was , in general , compressed down with , resolute stoicism , but it was taere > notwithstanding all his philosophic calm , and dignity of demeanour . He did not speak when he was annoyed or displeased , but worked off his volatile / wrath by firing pistols out of the back door in rapid succession . Mrs . Broate" , lying . in bed up-staira , would hear the quick explosions , and knew that something ha < Lgone , wrong ; but her sweet nature thought invariably of the bright side , and she would say , " O tight I not to le thankful that be never gave me an angry word ? " Now and then iis anger took a different form , but still was speechless . Once lio got the hearth-rog , and stuffing it up the grate , deliberately set it on fire , and remained in the room , in spite of the stench , until it had smouldered and shrivelled away into uselessoess . Another time 3 ie took some chairs and sawed away at the backs till they were reduced to the condition of stools . Mr . ^ BrontS was seized with the theory common in that day of brin « ino- up thchildren in

      e great " hardiness . " Two of them sank in infancy under this mode- of hardening ; and the others appear to have carried through their short life the-destnictive consequences . Mrs . Bronte ' s decline was ' tedious , And , during . her illness , the father being much engaged In study , the children were left almost wholly to themselves . Thus to the harsh and barbarous character of the neighbourhood were added this perverse hardy training and a wild neglect of the nursery . Maria , the eldest , then scarcely seven years of age , was fond of getting the newspaper , with which she entertained her sisters , and hwe , probably , was the germ of CharlotteVpassion for politics , which more or less followed her through life ; though how many children would hear the newspaper read without in the slightest ; degree being seized by a passion for politics ! At a very early age the children begun to invent sand act plays for themselves : —

      I have had a curious packet confided to me , containing an . immense amount of manuscript , in an inconceivably small space ; tales , dramas , poems , romances , written principally by Charlotte , in a hand which it ia almost impossible to decipher without the aid of a naagnifying-glass . Among these papers tliere is a list of her works , which I copy , as a curious proof hour early the rage for literary composition had seized upon her : CATAJjOdUm Off MIT BOOKS , WITH THE PERIOD OF THEIR COMFLEnON UP TO AUGUST 3 « D , 1830 . Two romantic tales in one volume ; -viz ., The Twelve Adventurers and the Adventures in Ireland , April 2 nd , 1829 . The Search after Happiness , a Tale , Aug . 1 st , 1829 . Leisure Hours , a Tale , and two Fragments , July Gtb , 1829-The Adventures of Edward do Craclc , a Tale , Feb . 2 nd , 1830 . The Adventures of Ernest Alembert , a Tale , May 26 th , 1830 . All interesting Incident in the Lives of some of the mo 3 t eminent Persons of the Age , a Talet June 10 th , 1830 . Tales of tha Islanders , in four volumoa . Contents of the 1 st vol : —1 . An Account

      of their Origin ; 2 . A . Description of Vision Island ; 3 . Batten ' s Attempt ; 4 . Lord Charles Welleslay and the Marqub of Douro ' s Adventure ; completed June 31 st , 1829 . 2 nd vol . : — -1 . The School-rebellion ; 2 . Theafcrauga Incident in the Duke of Wellington !* Life ; a . Tide to liis Sons ; 4 . Tho Marquia of Douro and Lord Charles Wollesioy ' s Tale to his little Kiug and Queens ; completed Dec . 2 nd , 1829 . 3 rd vol .: —1 . Tho Duke of Wellington ' s Adventure in the Cavern ; 2 . Tho Duke of Wellington and . the little King ' s and Queen ' s visit to the Horse-Guards ; completed May 8 th , 1880 . 4 th vol . : —1 . The three old Washerwomen of Strathfioldsaye ; 2 . lord-C . Wellealey ' aTale to his Brother ; completed July 30 th , 1830 . Characters of Great Men of the Present Age , Dec . 17 tb , 1829 ; The Young Men ' a Magazines , in Six Numbers , from August to December , tlie latter

      HMHrth ' ft double number , completed Deeembor tho 12 th , 1829 . General index to their ¦ c ontent * : —U _ A Xnia Story ; 2 . Causes of tho War ; 3 . A Song ; 4 . Conversations ; 5 . A . 'Eru » atory . ootrtumed ; 6 . The Spirit of Cawlor ; 7 . Interior of a Pothouse , a Poem ; 8 . The Glaea Town , a Song ; 9 . The Silver Cup , n Tale ; 10 . The Table and / Vaaeia ths . Desert , a . Song , ; , 11 . Conversations ; 12 . Scono on the Great Bridge ; 18 . Song ; of the Ancient Britons . ; 14 =. Scene in my Tun , a Talc ; 15 . An American lale ; 16 . Lvnes vmttwnon seeing tho Garden of a Genius ; 17 . Tho Lay of the Glass on ^ 'i ; ' i WUS Artiat ' a Talo "» 19 - Li"C 3 on the transfer of this Magazine ; 20 . On tUo a < iraB , by a different Hand ; 21 . Chief Geni in Council ; 22 . Harvest in P ' -2 *' * The S ^ 9 v a Artiat continued ; ; 24 . Conversations . ^ F-V *^? *™** 2 volumes , j aly 12 th , 1830 . ABookorRh finiBhod

      ymes . DeeeraW 17 th , 182 i >; Contents : —1 " . Tho Beauty of f A ^ L ^ J ^ . T \ Meditation * . while Journeying iu a Canadian Forest ; t ^ fS ^^ tZ '•! ' ^^^^ liui' ^ ofthoToUrofBabel ; 6 . A Thing w ££ « ' ^ L ^ . ^^^ Bwkat U ^ omta ) Summer Evoinug ; 8 . Spring ,, a Soag . ; , 9 * Autumn ,, a , Song . Miscallanaou * J 3 oeaasr fiuishe & Miiv aotii i can n . i . i rni m ¦ , , L ^ rtr ^ ht ,, ^ Making in the whole tvrenty-two volumes . C . Brohxe , August 8 , 1830 .

      As-each . volume contains from sixty to a hundred pages , and the si- ^ e of th * ' lithographed id rather less than the average , the amount of the whole sa-mt ^ great , if we remember that it was all written in about fifteen months So mini P tha quantity ; the quality strikes me- as of singular merit for a giri of tWrtl fourteen . Botu as a specimen of her prose style at this time , and also as reveaW something of the quiet domestic life led by these children , I take an extract m ! M introduction to " Tales of the Islanders , " the title of one of their ^ Little ¦ 3 £ a- ! ZlUGs ¦ . : . ¦ ¦ . ^ 3 " The play of the ' Islaniei-s' was formed in December , lS 27 , % V 4 \\\ wv / n manlier . One night , about the time when the cold sleet and stormy fo-rs of Xov ber are succeeded by the snow-storms and high piercing night-winds * of confirm i winter , ve were all sitting round the warm blazing kitchen fire , bavin" - iust conoiiTn a quarrel with . Tabby concerning the propriety of lighting a candle , from which SS fame off victorious , no candle having -been produced . A long pause succeeded wlT I was at last broken by Branwell saying , ia a lazy manner , 'I don't know what tn do . ' This was echoed .. by Emily and Anno . . ¦ .. ¦ " Tabby . ' Wha ya mav e-o t'becl . '

      ' Branwell . ' I'd rather do anything than that . ' < ; Charlotte . ' Why are you so glum , to-night , Tabby ? Oh J suppose , Ve had eacli an island of our own . ' ... wu " Branwell . ' If we hai I would choose the Island of Man . ' Charlotte . ' And I would choose the Isle of Wight . ' " Emily . The Isle ; of Arrah for me . ' . "Anne . ' And mine should "be Guernsey . ' "We theii chose wlio should be chief men in our islands . Brainvell chose John Bull , Astley Cooper , and Leigh Hunt ; Emily , Walter Scott , Mr . Lockhart , Johnny Lockhart ; Anne , Michael Sadler , Lord Bentinek , Sir Henry Kalford . I chose the Duke of Wellington and two sons , Christopher ISTorth and Co ., and Mr . Abernethy . Here our conversation was interrupted by the , -to ' , dismal sound of the clock striking seven , and , we were summoned- off to bod . Tho next day . wadded many others to our list of men , till we got almost all the chief men of the kingdom . "

      In fact their intellectual vigour seems even thon to luive gone beyond the uncontrolled energy of the father , to have become something greater thaa he could completely understand . While Maria , was about ten years of ar » e and the youngest about four , Mr . Bronte resorted to a curious method of di'awing them out . lie had a mask in the house , and he told them , all to stand out and speaTt boldly from under its cover"I began-with the youngest , " continuea he ; " ( Anne , afterwards Acton Bell ) and asked what a child like her most wanted ; she answered , ¦? Age and experience . ' I asked the next , Emily ( afterwords Ellis Bell ) , what I had best do with her brother Bramvell , who was sometimes a naughtv boy ; she answered , ' Reason with him , and

      when , he won ' t listen ..-to reason , whip him . ' I asked Branwell what was the best way of knowing the difference between the intellects of rnen and women ; he answered , 'By conaidering the difference between them , as to their "bodies . ' I thea asked Charlotte what was the best book in the world ; sbe answered , ' The Bible . ' And what was the next bast ; she answered , ' The 13 ook of Nature . ' 1 then asked tlie next what was the best mode of education for a woman ; slie answered , ' That which made her rule her house well . ' Lastly , I asked the eldest what Was the best mode of spending time ; she answered , ' By laying it out in preparation for a happy eternity . ' I may not have given precisely their words , but I have nearly done so , as they made a deep and lasting impression on my memory . The substance , however , \ vas exactly what I have stated . ' * - "

      The household , as Charlotte Bronte knew it in her youth , was scarcely formed until the death of the mother . Mrs . Bronte's sister their came from Cornwall to take charge of . the house , but her situation was ' . ' irksome , and she passed most of her time in her own room . Yet it is evident that she attempted to introduce some kind of order and method . She trained the girls to habits , of liousewitery and punctuality , and so drilled them , that even as children tliey could keep the house clean , dress a dinner , get up fine linen , and , in fact , live as completely " on their own hook" as the children of emigrants ; another characteristic of early training which goes far to explain the xinconstrained vigour of Jane Jw / re .

      The three eldest girls were sent to a school at Co-wan ' s Bridge , a little hamlet in the rosul between Leeds and Kendall ,- represented under the name of Lowood in . Jane JUgre . It was ill managed—so ill , that the health of the girls was seriously injured , if not destroyed , and iu less than a year after their arrival , Maria and Elizabeth went home to die . Charlotte was still sent back with a younger sister , Emily ; but it became necessary to advise the removal of the children from the school . Charlotto was then littlo more than nine years old ; she had become the eldest , and she seenns to have been painfully conscious of the responsibility which rested upon her with regard to both , her sisters . " The loving assumption of duties beyond her years , " says Mrs . Gaskell , " miule her feel considerably older than she was ; " and after that fatal year " the epithet Uriyht could no longer be applied to her . "

      _ J*G4fr T Ii E L E A N Ejr. _____ ___^_...

      _ j * g 4 fr T II E L E A n EJR . _____ ___^_^[^ y . Jl 68 , Saturday ,

      Spott1swoode's¦ Taltantasse Journey. A T...

      SPOTT 1 SWOODE'S ¦ TAltANTASSE JOURNEY . A Tarantassc Journey through Eastern Russia in the Autumn of 185 b ' . By William Spotti 3 > yoodo , M . A ., FJR . S . -Longman and Co-Mr . SroTTis \ voos >*; s observations in Russia ranged from Moscow to the Urul Mountains sit Ekaterinburg , thence by way of Ufa to Orenburg , on the Kirghiz borders , along the skirts of the steppes to the Caspian coast , and again north-westwards across the country ox ' the Don Cossacks , through Kiaznn to the capital , and to Warsaw . Throughout this extensive journey ho studied landscapes , industry , men , and manners , with a careful and discriminating eye , throwing ; tho results into a pleasant narrative form , always solid , never heavy , always amusing , never frivolous . Were we to ollor

      tom-i . sts a mod , el , we could not select a better than this thoroughly interesting book , which ia as rich in new information a 3 the story of three months ' travel could pos .: il ) ly be . Mr . Spottiswoode does not trespass on the reader ' s attention with impertinent . superfluities of digression , doos not suck to fossilise fooliah jolces , or to condense old histories of which all that is not already familiar has been justifiably forgotten . He keeps in view tho proper object of iv tourist , ia everywhere immovably impartial , lights up with scholarship the interior of his tarantassc , and illustrates vividly with pen and pencil the aspects of Eastern ltussia . Indeed , the book is a panoramic view , unfolding a hundred changes of scenery and customs , of corftinne and architecture , of natural and artilicial characteristics , from Moscow , of the

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 11, 1857, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_11041857/page/18/