Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-05-05

From The London Morning News.
Courier Bell" is dead, The early death of the
large family of whom she was the sole survivor,
prepared all who knew the circumstances to expect
the loss OF this gifted creature at any time: but
not the less deep will be the grief 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 our century; and, but for her
frail health, there might have been three times
three, for she was under forty, and her genius was
not of an exhaustible kind. If it had been exhaus-
tible, it would have been exhausted some time
since. She had every i%nducement that could have
awaited with one less ~high-minded to publish two
or three novels q 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 a book is q solemn act
Of conscience-in the case of a novel as much as
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 may, alas. be told now, without
fear of hurting her sensitive ~nature-things which
ought to be told in her honor. Among these say
ings was one which explains the long interval
between her works. She said that she thought
every serious delineation of life ought to be the
product Of personal experience and observation
experience naturally occurring, and observation of
u normal, and not OF a forced or special kind. 81
have not accumulated, since | published 'Shir-
ley" she said, what makes it needful for me
TO speak again and. till | do may God give me
grace to be be dumb" She had a conscientious
ness which could not be relaxed by praise or even
sympathy-dear rs sympathy was to her sensitive
nature. She had no vanity which praise could
aggravate or censure mortify. She calmly read
all adverse reviews of her books, for the sake of
instruction and when she could not recognize
the aptness of criticism, she was more puzzled than
hurt or angry. The common batteries which wait
upon literary success she quizzed with charming
grace and any occasional severity, such as liter
AIRY women are favored with at the beginning of
their course, she accepted with q humility which
was full of dignity and charm, From her feeble
constitution of body, her sufferinSs by the death
of her whole family, and the secluded and monot-
onous life she led, she became morbidly sensitive
in some respects but in her high vocation, she
had, in addition to the deep i%ntuitions Of n gift
ed woman, the strength of a man, the patience OF
q hero, and the conscientiousness OF q saint. In
the points in which women are usually most weak
in regard to opinion, to appreciation, to ap-
plause-herm moral strength fell not a whit behind
the intellectual force manifested in her works.
Though passion occupies too prominent a place in
her pictures of life, though women have to COM
plain that she represents love rs the whole and
sole concern of their lives, and though governesses
especially have reason to demonstrate, and do re.
monstrate that their share of human conflict is
laid open somewhat rudely andinconsiderately and
t very sweepingly to social observation, it is atrue
i ooOiai biOosihS INV we nave nuu u female writer
who has discountenanced sentimentalism and
feeble egot;sm with such practical force as is an
l parent in the works Of Currer Bell. Her hero
ines love too readily, too vehemently, and some.
times after a fashion which their female readers
may resent; but they do their duty through eyery
7 thing, and are healthy in action, however morbid
y in passion.
How admirable this strength is-how wonder.
full this force of integrity, can hardly be understood
by any but the few who know the story of this
remarkable woman's life. The accout of the
: school in Jane Eyre" is only too true. The
0 Helen" of that tale is-not precisely the eldest
e sister, who died there-but more like her than
a any other real person. She is that sister with a
difference" Another sister died at home soon
= after leaving the school, and in consequence of its
n hardships and "Currer Bell' Charlotte Brontil
n was never free. when there, for a year and a half,
O from the gnawing sensation or consequent feeble.
ness of downright hunger and she never grew
an inch from that time. She was The smallest OF
women; and it was that school which stunted
8 her growth. AS she tells US in "Jane Eyre.D the
0 visitation of an epidemic caused a total change
and radical reform in the establishment, which
was even removed 10 another site. But the re.
E form CAME too late to reverse tho destiny of the
doomed family Of the Brontis.