Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1851-02-06
The Three sIsicrs-ClFrer, RIIIs, and Aeisa


Three years ago appeared ssJane
Eyre" by Currer Bell; Numbering
Heights,n bY Ellis Bell; and "Agnes
Grey" by Acton Bell The critics
were puzzled With these Bells. Were
they only onel and was that one man
or ,womanl The mystery has now
been cleared in a preface to "Wuther-
ing Heights" and "Agnes Grey
They were three sisters, the eldest Of
whom Miss, alias Currer, Bell, alone
survives; and describes their home as
-"a village parsonage, among the hills
bordering Yorkshire and Lancashire
The scenery of these hills is not grand
it is not romantic; it is scarcely stri-
king. Longlow moors, dark with heath,
shuts in little valleys, where stream
waters, here and there, fringe OF stun
ted copse. Mills and scattered cottages
chase romance from these valleys; It is
only higher up, deep in among the
ridges of the moors, that imagination
can find rest for the sole of her foot;
and even if she finds il there, she must
be a soIitude-loYing raVen,-ro gentle
dove. If she demand beauty TO inspire
her she must bring it Unborn; these
moors are too stern to yield any product
so delicate. About FIVE years ago, my
two sisters and myself, after somewhat
prolonged period Of separation, found
ourselves reunited and at home. Resi-.
dent in a remote district where educa-
ltion had made little progress, and where,
consequently, there was no indueement
to seek social intercourse beyond our
own domestic circle, we were wholly
dependent on ourselves and each cher,
on books and study, for the enjoyments
and occupations of life. One day, in
the Autumn of 1e45, accidentally ight.
ed on a MS. volume of verse in my sis
ter EmiIy's handwriting. OF course,
was surprised, knowing that she could
not write verse. looked it over, and
something more than surprise seized
me,-a deep conviction that these were
not common effusions, nor at all like
the poetry women generally write.-
Meantime, my younger sister quietly
produced some of her own compositions
} intimating that, since Emily's had giVer
me pleasure, might like to look a
hers. Icould not but be partial judge
, yet thought that these verses too hac
. a sweet sincere pathos of their own.
We had very early cherished tn
dIeam of one day becoming authors
r This dream, never relinquished evel
I when distance divided and absorbing
tasks occupied US, now suddenly &C
7 quired strength and consistency; it tool
9 the character of resolve. We agrees
TO arrange a small selection of on
poems, and. if possible, get them prin
ted. Averse TO personal publicity, w
I veiled our own names under those o
Currer, Ellis. and Acton Bell; the sm
biguous choice being dictated by sor
of conscientious scruple at assumin!
Christian names positively masculine
{ while we did not like to declare oursel
yes women because--without at tina
time suspecting that our mode of wri
ting and thinking was not what is calleC
'feminine'-we had a vague impression
that authoresses are liable to be looked
on with prejudice; we had noticed how
critics sometimes use for their chastise
ment the weapon of personality, anC
for their reward, hattery, which is no
true praise. The bringing out of ou
little book was hard work. lll-succes:
failed TO crush US: the mere effort Il
succeed had given a wonderful zest tC
existence; it must be persued. We
each set to work on a prose tale: Eli:
Bell produced 'Wuthering Heights,
Acton Bell agnes Grey and Currel
Bell also wrote a narrative in one vol
ume. These MSS. were perseveringly
obtruded upon various publishers for
the space of a year and half, usually
their fate was an ignominious and abb
rupt dismissal. At last 'Wuthering
Heights and agnes Grey we're accep-
ted on terms somewhat impoverishing
to the two authors. | was then just
completing Jane Eyre, at which | had
( been working while the one volume tale
was plodding its weary round in Lon
don: in three weeks sent it off; friend
ly and skilful hands took it in. This
was in the commencement Of Septem-
Der. 1847; ii came out before the close
of October following, while 'Wuthering
Heights and agnes Grey my sisters
works, which had already been in press
for months, still fingered under differ.
ent management. They appeared at
last. Critics failed to do them justice.
Neither Ellis nor Acton allowed herself
for one moment TO sink under want Of
encouragement; energy nerved the one,
and endurance upheld the other. They
were both prepared to try again; ! would
fain think that hope and the sense Of
power was yet strong within them. But
a great change approached; affection
came in that shaps which to anticipates
dread; TO look back on, grief. In the
very heat and burden, Of day, the labor
ers failed in their work. My sister
Emily first declined. She sank rapidly.
She made haste TO leave us. She died
December I9. 184s. We thought this
enough; bot We were utterly and pre-
sumptuously wrong. She was not bu-
ried ere Anne fell i'll. She had not been
committed 10 the. grave fortnight. be-
Il