New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-21

Inc dream ef enc Say oScoinihS s"'
now .eemel that the time had come. Ihey %ru
IN arrange q small selection Of their poems, and'
possible ret them printed under the assumed hA,N''
which have since become 50 famous I'D H'""'
literature. The ambiguous choice was dic"Vu "
q sort Of conscientious scruple at assuming p0''
lively masculine Christian names while they dd no'
like to be known az women account oi a 'ae"'
impression that authoresses are liable 10 Dc io'"'N
on with prejudice-that "critics sometimes use
for their chasteement the weapon Of persoha'i'!'
and for their reward . fattery which is not true
praise" After several Intellectual applications
to publishers they at last succeeded IN making
a suitable arrangement, and the little volume Sd"
the light in the Spring Of ls46. 1t excited li''e
commo,ion and the mighty murmnring puohc
did not discover that three more voices were utter
ing their speech.
A new domestic calamity at this time came u
highten the natural gloom of literary dlsapPolht
ment:
Her fathers eyesicht had become seriously I'M
paired by the progress of the cataract when %as
forming. He was nearly blind. He could grope MS
way about, and recognize the features oi tho-e NJ
knew well, when they were placed against tlivss
light; but he could longer TO read, and thu. ~,
eager appetite for knowledge and information % III
kinds was severely baked. He continued 10 preach;
have heard that he was led up into the pulpit, auu
that hi. sermons were never effective as when ne
stood there gray sghtless old man, his blind eyes
locking out straight before him. while the words tna'
from his lips had all the vgor aud iorce OF MS
best days Another fact has been mentioned to me,
curious as showing the accurateness Of hs sensation
,ftme. His sermons had always lasted eXactly nan
an hour. With the clock right before MIN, and WIN
Ls ready flow Of words this had been no difficult
h.. NIL W q
when he was blind Az the minue-hand came to the
point aikng the expiration of the thirty minutes, he
concluded his sermon.
During the pressure of l-success after multi
piled rcjections by the publishers of prose tale
which TO this day remains in manuscript, with no
announcement but her own consciousness OF
power, in those "gray, weary, uniform streets
where all faces SAFE that of her kind doctor were
strange and untouched with sunlight to her" did
this brave, undaunted genius begin Jane Eyre
Read what she herself says Currer Bells
book found acceptance nowhere, nor any ackho"i-
edpInent of merit, that something like the cii OF
despair began to invade his heart And, remember
!, was not the heart of person who disappointed in
one hope, can turn with redOubled affection 10 the
many certain blessings that remain. Think OF her
home and the black shadow Of remorse lying over one
in il fill his very brain was maZed and his gifts ana
lis life were lost; think Of her fathers sight hanging
on thread; of her sisters delicate health, ana de-
pendence her care and then admire rs II deserves
a. be admired, the steady courage which coud Work
AWAY AT "Jane Eyre" all the time that the one
volume tale was plOddding lts weary round III London
1t has been supposed that the germ OF the story
was found in an incident of her school days. but OF
this nothing can now be known except from CON
lecture She was not in the habit OF aludlng TO
her writings, and the few to whom she ever spoke
on the subject dead and silent. Mrs. Gaskell,
however has some interesting "reminiscences with
regard to her habits as a writer.
remember, however many little particulars which
Miss Brunte gave me, in answer to my inquiries re-
spectng her mode Of composition. &c she sad, that
il was not every day that she could write. Sometimes
weeks months elapsed before she felt that she
had anything TO add to that portion OF her story which
was already written Then, some morning, she would
waken up and the progress Of her tale lay clear ano
biiph before her, in distinct vision When this was
the case all her was to discharge her househou
and fial duties 70 to obtain leisure to sit down and
write out the incidents and quent thoughts which
We're fact present to her mind AT such times
than her actual life itself. Yet Notwithstanding this
pussesson" las it wrrel those who survive, of her
daily and household companions, are clear III theii
,su ony that never the claim of any duty, never
war TIA. call If another for help, neglected for an IN
slant. Ii had become necessary to give 1abby-lan
old family servant now nearly eighty years OF age
her work with Jealous reluctance and could not bear
TO be reminded, though ever so deicaely, that the
acueness Of her duled by age. The other
servant might not interfere with what she chose IL
consider her exclusive work. Among other things,
rhe reserved t. herself the right of peelng the poa
toes for dinner; but as she was growing bind she
often left in those black specks which We IN the North
call the "eyes of the potato. Miss Bronte was too
dainty housekeeper to put up with this; yet she
could not bear hunt the faithful old servant by bid
ding the Younger maiden 60 over the potatoes again
and so reminding Tsbby that her work was less ef.
ftctua than formerly. Accordingly she would steai
into the kitchen and quietly carry off the bowl OF
vegetables, without Tabbys being aware, and break
ing of in the full flow of interest and Inspiration IN
her writing carefully cut cut the specks IN the pota-
toes and noiseessy carry them buck to their place
This little proceeding may show how orderly and fully
.he accom- pished her duties, even at those times when
the "pOss, sson was upon her.
The process by which "Jane Eyre" at length
found ts way to the public affords some curious il
mstratons of the my steries of the book-craft in
London, and may suggest word OF consolation to
long suffering and impatient authors among our
selves.
Wh.n the manuscript of Jane Eyre" had been re-
ceyed by the future publishers Of that remarkable
nove il fe 10 the lot Of gentleman connected with
the finn 10 read i, frs He was so powerfully struck
by the character Of the tale that ne reported Ms impress
sion in very strong terms 10 Mr. Smith, who appears
10 have been much amused by the admiration excited
,you seem 10 have been 80 enchanted that do not
know how TO believe you, he laughingy said. But
when Secoud reader, in the person Of cesr-headed
scotchmsn, no, given to enthusiasm, had taken the
,trd in il a. TO sit up half the night TO finish it, Mr..
smiths curiosity was sufficiently excited to prompt him
- rrad il for himself: and great were the praises
which had been bestowed upon IT. lie found that they
had not exceeded the truth
I'm its publication copi,r were presented 10 a few
private literary friends. Their discerument had been
, 1;rhtly reckonrd upon They were Of considerable
standing in the world Of letters and one and all return
.In with fi.,ir l.,