the life of charlotte bronte-1-第3章

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the　number　of　mountain　streams　in　the　district；　make　it　highly　favourable　to　manufactures；　and　accordingly；　as　I　stated；　the　inhabitants　have　for　centuries　been　engaged　in　making　cloth；　as　well　as　in　agricultural　pursuits。　　But　the　intercourse　of　trade　failed；　for　a　long　time；　to　bring　amenity　and　civilization　into　these　outlying　hamlets；　or　widely　scattered　dwellings。　　Mr。　Hunter；　in　his　〃Life　of　Oliver　Heywood；〃　quotes　a　sentence　out　of　a　memorial　of　one　James　Rither；　living　in　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　which　is　partially　true　to　this　day：…

〃They　have　no　superior　to　court；　no　civilities　to　practise：　　a　sour　and　sturdy　humour　is　the　consequence；　so　that　a　stranger　is　shocked　by　a　tone　of　defiance　in　every　voice；　and　an　air　of　fierceness　in　every　countenance。〃

Even　now；　a　stranger　can　hardly　ask　a　question　without　receiving　some　crusty　reply；　if；　indeed；　he　receive　any　at　all。　　Sometimes　the　sour　rudeness　amounts　to　positive　insult。　　Yet；　if　the　〃foreigner〃　takes　all　this　churlishness　good…humouredly；　or　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　makes　good　any　claim　upon　their　latent　kindliness　and　hospitality；　they　are　faithful　and　generous；　and　thoroughly　to　be　relied　upon。　　As　a　slight　illustration　of　the　roughness　that　pervades　all　classes　in　these　out…of…the…way　villages；　I　may　relate　a　little　adventure　which　happened　to　my　husband　and　myself；　three　years　ago；　at　Addingham　…


From　Penigent　to　Pendle　Hill；　From　Linton　to　Long…ADDINGHAM　And　all　that　Craven　coasts　did　tell；　&c。　…


one　of　the　places　that　sent　forth　its　fighting　men　to　the　famous　old　battle　of　Flodden　Field；　and　a　village　not　many　miles　from　Haworth。

We　were　driving　along　the　street；　when　one　of　those　ne'er…do…weel　lads　who　seem　to　have　a　kind　of　magnetic　power　for　misfortunes；　having　jumped　into　the　stream　that　runs　through　the　place；　just　where　all　the　broken　glass　and　bottles　are　thrown；　staggered　naked　and　nearly　covered　with　blood　into　a　cottage　before　us。　　Besides　receiving　another　bad　cut　in　the　arm；　he　had　completely　laid　open　the　artery；　and　was　in　a　fair　way　of　bleeding　to　deathwhich；　one　of　his　relations　comforted　him　by　saying；　would　be　likely　to　〃save　a　deal　o'　trouble。〃

When　my　husband　had　checked　the　effusion　of　blood　with　a　strap　that　one　of　the　bystanders　unbuckled　from　his　leg；　he　asked　if　a　surgeon　had　been　sent　for。

〃Yoi；〃　was　the　answer；　〃but　we　dunna　think　he'll　come。〃

〃Why　not？〃

〃He's　owd；　yo　seen；　and　asthmatic；　and　it's　up…hill。〃

My　husband　taking　a　boy　for　his　guide；　drove　as　fast　as　he　could　to　the　surgeon's　house；　which　was　about　three…quarters　of　a　mile　off；　and　met　the　aunt　of　the　wounded　lad　leaving　it。

〃Is　he　coming？〃　inquired　my　husband。

〃Well；　he　didna'　say　he　wouldna'　come。〃

〃But；　tell　him　the　lad　may　bleed　to　death。〃

〃I　did。〃

〃And　what　did　he　say？〃

〃Why；　only；　'D…n　him；　what　do　I　care？'〃

It　ended；　however；　in　his　sending　one　of　his　sons；　who；　though　not　brought　up　to　〃the　surgering　trade；〃　was　able　to　do　what　was　necessary　in　the　way　of　bandages　and　plasters。　　The　excuse　made　for　the　surgeon　was；　that　〃he　was　near　eighty；　and　getting　a　bit　doited；　and　had　had　a　matter　o'　twenty　childer。〃

Among　the　most　unmoved　of　the　lookers…on　was　the　brother　of　the　boy　so　badly　hurt；　and　while　he　was　lying　in　a　pool　of　blood　on　the　flag　floor；　and　crying　out　how　much　his　arm　was　〃warching；〃　his　stoical　relation　stood　coolly　smoking　his　bit　of　black　pipe；　and　uttered　not　a　single　word　of　either　sympathy　or　sorrow。

Forest　customs；　existing　in　the　fringes　of　dark　wood；　which　clothed　the　declivity　of　the　hills　on　either　side；　tended　to　brutalize　the　population　until　the　middle　of　the　seventeenth　century。　　Execution　by　beheading　was　performed　in　a　summary　way　upon　either　men　or　women　who　were　guilty　of　but　very　slight　crimes；　and　a　dogged；　yet　in　some　cases　fine；　indifference　to　human　life　was　thus　generated。　　The　roads　were　so　notoriously　bad；　even　up　to　the　last　thirty　years；　that　there　was　little　communication　between　one　village　and　another；　if　the　produce　of　industry　could　be　conveyed　at　stated　times　to　the　cloth　market　of　the　district；　it　was　all　that　could　be　done；　and；　in　lonely　houses　on　the　distant　hill…side；　or　by　the　small　magnates　of　secluded　hamlets；　crimes　might　be　committed　almost　unknown；　certainly　without　any　great　uprising　of　popular　indignation　calculated　to　bring　down　the　strong　arm　of　the　law。　　It　must　be　remembered　that　in　those　days　there　was　no　rural　constabulary；　and　the　few　magistrates　left　to　themselves；　and　generally　related　to　one　another；　were　most　of　them　inclined　to　tolerate　eccentricity；　and　to　wink　at　faults　too　much　like　their　own。

Men　hardly　past　middle　life　talk　of　the　days　of　their　youth；　spent　in　this　part　of　the　country；　when；　during　the　winter　months；　they　rode　up　to　the　saddle…girths　in　mud；　when　absolute　business　was　the　only　reason　for　stirring　beyond　the　precincts　of　home；　and　when　that　business　was　conducted　under　a　pressure　of　difficulties　which　they　themselves；　borne　along　to　Bradford　market　in　a　swift　first…class　carriage；　can　hardly　believe　to　have　been　possible。　For　instance；　one　woollen　manufacturer　says　that；　not　five　and　twenty　years　ago；　he　had　to　rise　betimes　to　set　off　on　a　winter's…　morning　in　order　to　be　at　Bradford　with　the　great　waggon…load　of　goods　manufactured　by　his　father；　this　load　was　packed　over…night；　but　in　the　morning　there　was　a　great　gathering　around　it；　and　flashing　of　lanterns；　and　examination　of　horses'　feet；　before　the　ponderous　waggon　got　under　way；　and　then　some　one　had　to　go　groping　here　and　there；　on　hands　and　knees；　and　always　sounding　with　a　staff　down　the　long；　steep；　slippery　brow；　to　find　where　the　horses　might　tread　safely；　until　they　reached　the　comparative　easy…going　of　the　deep…rutted　main　road。　　People　went　on　horseback　over　the　upland　moors；　following　the　tracks　of　the　pack…horses　that　carried　the　parcels；　baggage；　or　goods　from　one　town　to　another；　between　which　there　did　not　happen　to　be　a　highway。

But　in　winter；　all　such　communication　was　impossible；　by　reason　of　the　snow　which　lay　long　and　late　on　the　bleak　high　ground。　　I　have　known　people　who；　travelling　by　the　mail…coach　over　Blackstone　Edge；　had　been　snowed　up　for　a　week　or　ten　days　at　the　little　inn　near　the　summit；　and　obliged　to　spend　both　Christmas　and　New　Year's　Day　there；　till　the　store　of　provisions　laid　in　for　the　use　of　the　landlord　and　his　family　falling　short　before　the　inroads　of　the　unexpected　visitors；　they　had　recourse　to　the　turkeys；　geese；　and　Yorkshire　pies　with　which　the　coach　was　laden；　and　even　these　were　beginning　to　fail；　when　a　fortunate　thaw　released　them　from　their　prison。

Isolated　as　the　hill　villages　may　be；　they　are　in　the　world；　compared　with　the　loneliness　of　the　grey　ancestral　houses　to　be　seen　here　and　there　in　the　dense　hollows　of　the　moors。　　These　dwellings　are　not　large；　yet　they　are　solid　and　roomy　enough　for　the　accommodation　of　those　who　live　in　them；　and　to　whom　the　surrounding　estates　belong。　　The　land　has　often　been　held　by　one　family　since　the　days　of　the　Tudors；　the　owners　are；　in　fact；　the　remains　of　the　old　yeomanrysmall　squireswho　are　rapidly　becoming　extinct　as　a　class；　from　one　of　two　causes。　　Either　the　possessor　falls　into　idle；　drinking　habits；　and　so　is　obliged　eventually　to　sell　his　property：　　or　he　finds；　if　more　shrewd　and　adventurous；　that　the　〃beck〃　running　down　the　mountain…side；　or　the　minerals　beneath　his　feet；　can　be　turned　into　a　new　source　of　wealth；　and　leaving　the　old　plodding　life　of　a　landowner　with　small　capital；　he　turns　manufacturer；　or　digs　for　coal；　or　quarries　for　stone。

Still　there　are　those　remaining　of　this　classdwellers　in　the　lonely　houses　far　away　in　the　upland　districtseven　at　the　present　day；　who　sufficiently　indicate　what　strange　eccentricity　what　wild　strength　of　willnay；　even　what　unnatural　power　of　crime　was　fostered　by　a　mode　of　living　in　which　a　man　seldom　met　his　fellows；　and　where　public　opinion　was　only　a　distant　and　inarticulate　echo　of　some　clearer　voice　sounding　behind　the　sweeping　horizon。

A　solitary　life　cherishes　mere　fancies　until　they　become　manias。　And　the　powerful　Yorkshire　character；　which　was　scarcely　tamed　into　subjection　by　all　the　contact　it　met　with　in　〃busy　town　or　crowded　mart；〃　has　before　now　broken　out　into　strange　wilfulness　in　the　remoter　districts。　　A　singular　account　was　recently　given　me　of　a　landowner　（living；　it　is　true；　on　the　Lancashire　side　of　the　hills；　but　of　the　same　blood　and　nature　as　the　dwellers　on　the　other；）　who　was　supposed　to　be　in　the　receipt　of　seven　or　eight　hundred　a　year；　and　whose　house　bore　marks　of　handsome　antiquity；　as　if　his　forefathers　had　been　for　a　long　time　people　of　consideration。　　My　informant　was　struck　with　the　appearance　of　the　place；　and　proposed　to　the　countryman　who　was　accompanying　him；　to　go　up　to　it　and　take　a　nearer　inspection。　　The　reply　was；　〃Yo'd　better　not；　he'd　threap　yo'　down　th'　loan。　　He's　let　fly　at　some　folk's　legs；　and　let　shot　lodge　in　'em　afore　now；　for　going　too　near　to　his　house。〃　　And　finding；　on　closer　inquiry；　that　such　was　really　the　inhospitable　custom　of　this　moorland　squire；　the　gentleman　gave　up　his　purpose。　　I　believe　that　the　savage　yeoman　is　still　living。

Another　squire；　of　more　distinguished　family　and　larger　property　one　is　thence　led　to　imagine　of　better　education；　but　that　does　not　always　followdied　at　his　house；　not　many　miles　from　Haworth；　only　a　few　years　ago。　　His　great　amusement　and　occupation　had　been　cock…fighting。　　When　he　was　confined　to　his　chamber　with　what　he　knew　would　be　his　last　illness；　he　had　his　cocks　brought　up　there；　and　watched　the　bloody　battle　from　his　bed。　　As　his　mortal　disease　increased；　and　it　became　impossible　for　him　to　turn　so　as　to　follow　the　combat；　he　had　looking…glasses　arranged　in　such　a　manner；　around　and　above　him；　as　he　lay；　that　he　could　still　see　the　cocks　fighting。　　And　in　this　manner　he　died。

These　are　merely　instances　of　eccentricity　compared　to　the　tales　of　positive　violence　and　crime　that　have　occurred　in　these　isolated　dwellings；　which　still　linger　in　the　memories　of　the　old　people　of　the　district；　and　some　of　which　were　doubtless　familiar　to　the　authors　of　〃Wuthering　Heights〃　and　〃The　Tenant　of　Wildfell　Hall。〃

The　amusements　of　the　lower　classes　could　hardly　be　expected　to　be　more　humane　than　those　of　the　wealthy　and　better　educated。　　The　gentleman；　who　has　kindly　furnished　me　with　some　of　the　particulars　I　have　given；　remembers　the　bull…baitings　at　Rochdale；　not　thirty　years　ago。　　The　bull　was　fastened　by　a　chain　or　rope　to　a　post　in　the　river。　　To　increase　the　amount　of　water；　as　well　as　to　give　their　workpeople　the　opportunity　of　savage　delight；　the　masters　were　accustomed　to　stop　their　mills　on　the　day　when　the　sport　took　place。　　The　bull　would　sometimes　wheel　suddenly　round；　so　that　the　rope　by　which　he　was　fastened　swept　those　who　had　been　careless　enough　to　come　within　its　range　down　into　the　water；　and　the　good　people　of　Rochdale　had　the　excitement　of　seeing　one　or　two　of　their　neighbours　drowned；　as　well　as　of　witnessing　the　bull　baited；　and　the　dogs　torn　and　tossed。

The　people　of　Haworth　were　not　less　strong　and　full　of　character　than　their　neighbours　on　either　side　of　the　hills。　　The　village　lies　embedded