Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-04-28
DAILY IIRGINIAN.
Death OF Currer Bell.
From the London News |

of society that her genius will yield us nothing
more. We have three works from her which
will hold their place in the literature of
fury; and, but for her fra health. there might
have been thrco times three for she was under
forty; and her genius not of an exhaustahle
kind II il had been exhaustble. il would have
been exhausted some time sicne.
She had every inducement that could have
availed with one less high minded to publish two
or three novels year Fame waited upon all
she did, and she might have enriched herself by
very slight exertion; but her steady conviction
was that the publication of book is n solemn
act Of conscienco-in the case of novel
much any other kind of book. She was not
fond Of speaking of herself and her conscience;
but she now and then uttered to her very few
friends things which mny, alas be told now with
ont fear of hurting her sensitive nature; things
which ought 10 be told in her honor.
Among these savings which explains
the long intervals between her works. Sho said
that She thought every serious delineation of
life ought to be the product of personal expo
rience and obscrvaton-exp experience naturally oc-
curing. and observation OF normal, and not Of
n forced or special kind. Il have not acoumu
lntcd since l published Shirley" she snid,
what makes it needful for TO speak again;
and till | do. may Con give mo grace to be
dumb"
She had consricntiousness which could not
be relaxed by praise or even smpathy-dear M
smphthy was To nPf SENSITIVE nutuie. Sne nhu
vanity which praise could nggravate or cen.
mor'fy. She calmly read all adverse views
of her books. for the sake of instructions; nnd
when she could not recognize the aptnoss of
criticism, she was more puzzled thnn hurt or
angry. The common batteries which whit upon
literary success. she quizzcd with n charming
grace; and any occasional severity, such az Ito
rnry women nre favored with Mt the beginning
of their course, she accepted with a humility
which was full of dignity and charm.
From her feeble constitution of body, her suf
ferngs by the death of her whole family, and the
secluded nnd monotonous life she led, she became
murbidly sensitive in some respects but in her
high vocation, she Ind, in addition to the deep
intu,ons Of gifted woman, the strength of
man. the patience of hero and the conscienti-
BUSINESS of saint. In the points to which
men are usually most weak in regnrd To opinion,
to appreciation, To applause her moral strength
fell not whit hehnd the intellectual force mani
Tested in her works.
Though passion occupies too prominent place
in her pictures of life, though women have to
complain that she presents love as tho whole and
sole concern of their lives. and though governcs
ses especially have reason TO demonstrate and do
remonstrnte, that their shnre OF human conflict
is laid open somewhat rudely and inconsideratey
and very sweopingly to social observation, il is
n true sociul blessing that we have had female
writer who has dscountenanced scntmentalism
is apparent i'll the works of Currer Bell. Her
hcroines lovo too readily too yehemenly, and
sometimes after fashion which their female
ders may resent; but they do their duty through
everything. and arc healthy in action, however
morbid in passion.
How admirable this strength is-how wonder
full this force of integrity-can hardly be under
stood by any but the few who know the story of
this remarkable woman's life. The account of
the school in "Jane Eyre" is only too true. Tho
'IIelen of that tale is--not precisely the eldest
sister, who died there, but more like her than
any other real person. She is that sister, with
difference" Another sister died at home soon
after leaving the school, and in consequence of
its hardships and "Currer Bell' Charlotte
Bronti) was never free while there (for year
| and half from tho gnawing sensation or CON
seqnent feeblenoss of downright hunger and she
never grew an inch from that time
Sho was the smallest of women; and it
that school which stuntcd her growth. As she
tells us in Jane Eyre" the visitation Of an cpl
dcmic caused total change and radical reform
in the establishment, which was even removed to
another site. But the reform came too late to
reverse the destiny of the doomed family of the
Brons
These wonderful girls tho daughters of
clergyman who, now very aged and infrm, sur
wives his wife aud all his many children. The
name Bronti ian abbrevaton of Bronterre) is
Irish, and very ancient The mother died many
years ago. and several of her children
When the reading world began to have an in
terest in their existence, there were three sisters
and brother living with their father at Haworth,
near Kcighley, in York shire. The girls had been
out rs pnvernesses-Charlotte, at Brussels. as is
no secret to the renders of YiHefte: They re-
ioiced to meet again at home-Charlotte, Emily
and Ann ("Currer." Ellis und "Acton.) In
her obituary notice of her two sisters, "Currer'
reveals something OF their process of authorship,
and their experience of failure and success
How terrible some Of their experience of life
was in the midst Of the domestic freedom and in
diligence afforded them by their studous father,
may be seen by the fearful representations of
masculine nature and character found in the nov
els and tales of Emily and Ann. They consid-
cred it their duty, they told us. TO present life
they knew it; and they gave us "Wuthering
Heights" and "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall"
Such an cxpt rence this indicates is really
perplexing to English people in general; and all
that we have to do with it is to bear it in mind
when disposed to pass criticism the coarse
ness which, to certain degree, pervades the
works of all the sisters, and the responsiveness
which makes the tales by Emily and Ann really
horrible to people who have not iron nerves.
"Jane Eyre" was naturally and universally
supposed to be Charlotte herself but she al.
WAYS denied it, calmly, cheerfully, and with the
obvious sincerity which characterized all she
said. She declared that there no more ground
for the assertion than this. She once told her
sisters that they were wrong-even morally
wrong-in making their heroines beautiful, as a
matter of course. They replied that it was i'm
possible to mako heroine interesting other
terms Her answer was. Il viii prove to you
that you are wrong. l will show you heroine
as small and as plain myself who shall be as
interesting as any of yours" "IIence, Jane
Evre'n said she in telling tho anecdote .but