the life of charlotte bronte-1-第47章

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　yet　certainly　it　is　more　in　accordance　with　the　spirit　of　the　Gospel　to　preach　unity　among　Christians　than　to　inculcate　mutual　intolerance　and　hatred。　　I　am　very　glad　I　went　towhen　I　did；　for　the　changed　weather　has　somewhat　changed　my　health　and　strength　since。　　How　do　you　get　on？　　I　long　for　mild　south　and　west　winds。　　I　am　thankful　papa　continues　pretty　well；　though　often　made　very　miserable　by　Branwell's　wretched　conduct。　THEREthere　is　no　change　but　for　the　worse。〃


Meanwhile　the　printing　of　the　volume　of　poems　was　quietly　proceeding。　　After　some　consultation　and　deliberation；　the　sisters　had　determined　to　correct　the　proofs　themselves；　Up　to　March　28th　the　publishers　had　addressed　their　correspondent　as　C。　Bronte；　Esq。；　but　at　this　time　some　〃little　mistake　occurred；〃　and　she　desired　Messrs。　Aylott　and　Co。　in　future　to　direct　to　her　real　address；　〃MISS　Bronte；〃　&c。　　She　had；　however；　evidently　left　it　to　be　implied　that　she　was　not　acting　on　her　own　behalf；　but　as　agent　for　the　real　authors；　since　in　a　note　dated　April　6th；　she　makes　a　proposal　on　behalf　of　〃C。；　E。；　and　A。　Bell；〃　which　is　to　the　following　effect；　that　they　are　preparing　for　the　press　a　work　of　fiction；　consisting　of　three　distinct　and　unconnected　tales；　which　may　be　published　either　together；　as　a　work　of　three　volumes；　of　the　ordinary　novel　size；　or　separately；　as　single　volumes；　as　may　be　deemed　most　advisable。　　She　states；　in　addition；　that　it　is　not　their　intention　to　publish　these　tales　on　their　own　account；　but　that　the　authors　direct　her　to　ask　Messrs。　Aylott　and　Co。　whether　they　would　be　disposed　to　undertake　the　work；　after　having；　of　course；　by　due　inspection　of　the　MS。；　ascertained　that　its　contents　are　such　as　to　warrant　an　expectation　of　success。　　To　this　letter　of　inquiry　the　publishers　replied　speedily；　and　the　tenor　of　their　answer　may　be　gathered　from　Charlotte's；　dated　April　11th。


〃I　beg　to　thank　you；　in　the　name　of　C。；　E。；　and　A。　Bell；　for　your　obliging　offer　of　advice。　　I　will　avail　myself　of　it；　to　request　information　on　two　or　three　points。　　It　is　evident　that　unknown　authors　have　great　difficulties　to　contend　with；　before　they　can　succeed　in　bringing　their　works　before　the　public。　　Can　you　give　me　any　hint　as　to　the　way　in　which　these　difficulties　are　best　met？　　For　instance；　in　the　present　case；　where　a　work　of　fiction　is　in　question；　in　what　form　would　a　publisher　be　most　likely　to　accept　the　MS。？　　Whether　offered　as　a　work　of　three　vols。；　or　as　tales　which　might　be　published　in　numbers；　or　as　contributions　to　a　periodical？

〃What　publishers　would　be　most　likely　to　receive　favourably　a　proposal　of　this　nature？

〃Would　it　suffice　to　WRITE　to　a　publisher　on　the　subject；　or　would　it　be　necessary　to　have　recourse　to　a　personal　interview？

〃Your　opinion　and　advice　on　these　three　points；　or　on　any　other　which　your　experience　may　suggest　as　important；　would　be　esteemed　by　us　as　a　favour。〃


It　is　evident　from　the　whole　tenor　of　this　correspondence；　that　the　truthfulness　and　probity　of　the　firm　of　publishers　with　whom　she　had　to　deal　in　this　her　first　literary　venture；　were　strongly　impressed　upon　her　mind；　and　was　followed　by　the　inevitable　consequence　of　reliance　on　their　suggestions。　　And　the　progress　of　the　poems　was　not　unreasonably　lengthy　or　long　drawn　out。　　On　April　20th　she　writes　to　desire　that　three　copies　may　be　sent　to　her；　and　that　Messrs。　Aylott　will　advise　her　as　to　the　reviewers　to　whom　copies　ought　to　be　sent。

I　give　the　next　letter　as　illustrating　the　ideas　of　these　girls　as　to　what　periodical　reviews　or　notices　led　public　opinion。

〃The　poems　to　be　neatly　done　up　in　cloth。　　Have　the　goodness　to　send　copies　and　advertisements；　AS　EARLY　AS　POSSIBLE；　to　each　of　the　undermentioned　periodicals。

〃'Colburn's　New　Monthly　Magazine。'

〃'Bentley's　Magazine。'

〃'Hood's　Magazine。'

〃'Jerrold's　Shilling　Magazine。'

〃'Blackwood's　Magazine。'

〃'The　Edinburgh　Review。'

〃'Tait's　Edinburgh　Magazine。'

〃'The　Dublin　University　Magazine。'

〃Also　to　the　'Daily　News'　and　to　the　'Britannia'　papers。

〃If　there　are　any　other　periodicals　to　which　you　have　been　in　the　habit　of　sending　copies　of　works；　let　them　be　supplied　also　with　copies。　　I　think　those　I　have　mentioned　will　suffice　for　advertising。〃

In　compliance　with　this　latter　request；　Messrs。　Aylott　suggest　that　copies　and　advertisements　of　the　work　should　be　sent　to　the　〃Athenaeum；〃　〃Literary　Gazette；〃　〃Critic；〃　and　〃Times；〃　but　in　her　reply　Miss　Bronte　says；　that　she　thinks　the　periodicals　she　first　mentioned　will　be　sufficient　for　advertising　in　at　present；　as　the　authors　do　not　wish　to　lay　out　a　larger　sum　than　two　pounds　in　advertising；　esteeming　the　success　of　a　work　dependent　more　on　the　notice　it　receives　from　periodicals　than　on　the　quantity　of　advertisements。　　In　case　of　any　notice　of　the　poems　appearing；　whether　favourable　or　otherwise；　Messrs。　Aylott　and　Co。　are　requested　to　send　her　the　name　and　number　of　those　periodicals　in　which　such　notices　appear；　as　otherwise；　since　she　has　not　the　opportunity　of　seeing　periodicals　regularly；　she　may　miss　reading　the　critique。　　〃Should　the　poems　be　remarked　upon　favourably；　it　is　my　intention　to　appropriate　a　further　sum　for　advertisements。　If；　on　the　other　hand；　they　should　pass　unnoticed　or　be　condemned；　I　consider　it　would　be　quite　useless　to　advertise；　as　there　is　nothing；　either　in　the　title　of　the　work；　or　the　names　of　the　authors；　to　attract　attention　from　a　single　individual。〃

I　suppose　the　little　volume　of　poems　was　published　some　time　about　the　end　of　May；　1846。　　It　stole　into　life；　some　weeks　passed　over；　without　the　mighty　murmuring　public　discovering　that　three　more　voices　were　uttering　their　speech。　　And；　meanwhile；　the　course　of　existence　moved　drearily　along　from　day　to　day　with　the　anxious　sisters；　who　must　have　forgotten　their　sense　of　authorship　in　the　vital　care　gnawing　at　their　hearts。　　On　June　17th；　Charlotte　writes：…

〃Branwell　declares　that　he　neither　can　nor　will　do　anything　for　himself；　good　situations　have　been　offered　him；　for　which；　by　a　fortnight's　work；　he　might　have　qualified　himself；　but　he　will　do　nothing　except　drink　and　make　us　all　wretched。〃

In　the　〃Athenaeum〃　of　July　4th；　under　the　head　of　poetry　for　the　million；　came　a　short　review　of　the　poems　of　C。；　E。；　and　A。　Bell。　The　reviewer　assigns　to　Ellis　the　highest　rank　of　the　three　〃brothers；〃　as　he　supposes　them　to　be；　he　calls　Ellis　〃a　fine；　quaint　spirit；〃　and　speaks　of　〃an　evident　power　of　wing　that　may　reach　heights　not　here　attempted。〃　　Again；　with　some　degree　of　penetration；　the　reviewer　says；　that　the　poems　of　Ellis　〃convey　an　impression　of　originality　beyond　what　his　contributions　to　these　volumes　embody。〃　　Currer　is　placed　midway　between　Ellis　and　Acton。　But　there　is　little　in　the　review　to　strain　out；　at　this　distance　of　time；　as　worth　preserving。　　Still；　we　can　fancy　with　what　interest　it　was　read　at　Haworth　Parsonage；　and　how　the　sisters　would　endeavour　to　find　out　reasons　for　opinions；　or　hints　for　the　future　guidance　of　their　talents。

I　call　particular　attention　to　the　following　letter　of　Charlotte's；　dated　July　10th；　1846。　　To　whom　it　was　written；　matters　not；　but　the　wholesome　sense　of　duty　in　itthe　sense　of　the　supremacy　of　that　duty　which　God；　in　placing　us　in　families；　has　laid　out　for　us；　seems　to　deserve　especial　regard　in　these　days。


〃I　see　you　are　in　a　dilemma；　and　one　of　a　peculiar　and　difficult　nature。　　Two　paths　lie　before　you；　you　conscientiously　wish　to　choose　the　right　one；　even　though　it　be　the　most　steep；　strait；　and　rugged；　but　you　do　not　know　which　is　the　right　one；　you　cannot　decide　whether　duty　and　religion　command　you　to　go　out　into　the　cold　and　friendless　world；　and　there　to　earn　your　living　by　governess　drudgery；　or　whether　they　enjoin　your　continued　stay　with　your　aged　mother；　neglecting；　FOR　THE　PRESENT；　every　prospect　of　independency　for　yourself；　and　putting　up　with　daily　inconvenience；　sometimes　even　with　privations。　　I　can　well　imagine；　that　it　is　next　to　impossible　for　you　to　decide　for　yourself　in　this　matter；　so　I　will　decide　it　for　you。　　At　least；　I　will　tell　you　what　is　my　earnest　conviction　on　the　subject；　I　will　show　you　candidly　how　the　question　strikes　me。　　The　right　path　is　that　which　necessitates　the　greatest　sacrifice　of　self…interest　which　implies　the　greatest　good　to　others；　and　this　path；　steadily　followed；　will　lead；　I　believe；　in　time；　to　prosperity　and　to　happiness；　though　it　may　seem；　at　the　outset；　to　tend　quite　in　a　contrary　direction。　　Your　mother　is　both　old　and　infirm；　old　and　infirm　people　have　but　few　sources　of　happinessfewer　almost　than　the　comparatively　young　and　healthy　can　conceive；　to　deprive　them　of　one　of　these　is　cruel。　　If　your　mother　is　more　composed　when　you　are　with　her；　stay　with　her。　　If　she　would　be　unhappy　in　case　you　left　her；　stay　with　her。　　It　will　not　apparently；　as　far　as　short…sighted　humanity　can　see；　be　for　your　advantage　to　remain　at　…；　nor　will　you　be　praised　and　admired　for　remaining　at　home　to　comfort　your　mother；　yet；　probably；　your　own　conscience　will　approve；　and　if　it　does；　stay　with　her。　　I　recommend　you　to　do　what　I　am　trying　to　do　myself。〃


The　remainder　of　this　letter　is　only　interesting　to　the　reader　as　it　conveys　a　peremptory　disclaimer　of　the　report　that　the　writer　was　engaged　to　be　married　to　her　father's　curatethe　very　same　gentleman　to　whom；　eight　years　afterwards；　she　was　united；　and　who；　probably；　even　now；　although　she　was　unconscious　of　the　fact；　had　begun　his　service　to　her；　in　the　same　tender　and　faithful　spirit　as　that　in　which　Jacob　served　for　Rachel。　　Others　may　have　noticed　this；　though　she　did　not。

A　few　more　notes　remain　of　her　correspondence　〃on　behalf　of　the　Messrs。　Bell〃　with　Mr。　Aylott。　　On　July　15th　she　says；　〃I　suppose；　as　you　have　not　written；　no　other　notices　have　yet　appeared；　nor　has　the　demand　for　the　work　increased。　　Will　you　favour　me　with　a　line　stating　whether　ANY；　or　how　many　copies　have　yet　been　sold？〃

But　few；　I　fear；　for；　three　days　later；　she　wrote　the　following：…

〃The　Messrs。　Bell　desire　me　to　thank　you　for　your　suggestion　respecting　the　advertisements。　　They　agree　with　you　that；　since　the　season　is　unfavourable；　advertising　had　better　be　deferred。　They　are　obliged　to　you　for　the　information　respecting　the　number　of　copies　sold。〃

On　July　23rd　she　writes　to　the　Messrs。　Aylott：…

〃The　Messrs。　Bell　would　be　obliged　to　you　to　post　the　enclosed　note　in　London。　　It　is　an　answer　to　the　letter　you　forwarded；　which　contained　an　application　for　their　autographs　from　a　person　who　professed　to　have　read　and　admired　their　poems。　　I　think　I　before　intimated；　that　the　Messrs。　Bell　are　desirous　for　the　present　of　remaining　unknown；　for　which　reason　they　prefer　having　the　note　posted　in　London　to　sending　it　direct；　in　order　to　avoid　giving　any　clue　to　residence；　or　identity　by　post…mark；　&c。〃

Once　more；　in　September；　she　writes；　〃As　the　work　has　received　no　further　notice　from　any　periodical；　I　presume　the　demand　for　it　has　not　greatly　increased。〃

In　the　biographical　notice　of　her　sisters；　she　thus　speaks　of　the　failure　of　the　modest　hopes　vested　in　this　publication。　　〃The　book　was　printed；　it　is　scarcely　known；　and　all　of　it　that　merits　to　be　known　are　the　poem