Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-02-17
Miss Martineau's Literary Sketches.

MISS MHralueaus AAicEnfJ SACtS.
Miss Martineau's Recoections of Charlotte
Bronte are touching She says:
1.-The account of the school In 'Jane Eyre is
only too true. The Helen Of that tale is
not precisely the eldest sister who died there
but more like her than any 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 Bronte) was never
free, while there (for year and half,) 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 1t was that school
which stunted her growth.
WHO WAS JANE EYRE?
"Jane Eyre was naturally and universally
supposed to be Charlotte herself; but she always
denied it. calmly, cheerfully, and with the
obvious sincerity which characterized all she
said. She declared that there was no more
ground for the assertion than this She once
told her sisters that they were wrong-even
morally wrong-in making their heroines beau
tiful, as matter of course. They replied that
il was impossible to make heroine interesting
on other terms. Her answer was, L will prove
10 you that you are wrong. | will show to
you heroine as small and as plain as myself
who shall be as interesting as any OF yours.
Hence "Jane Eyre said she, In telling the
anecdote but she is not myself, any further
than that As the work went on, the interest
deepened to the writer. When she came to
'Thornfeld,' she could not stop. Being short
sighted to excess, she wrote In little square
paper books, held close to her eyes, and (the
first copy in pencil. Ga she went, writing in-
cessantly for three weeks; by which time she
had carried her heroine away from Thornheld,
and was herself in lever, which compelled
her to pause. The rest was written with less
vehemence, and with more anxious care the
world adds, with less vigOr and interest.
CHARLOTTE BRONTE's MODEsTY.
''She could crafty her singular reserve in
regard to the publication of this remarkable
book. We all remember how long it was be-
fore we could learn who wrote it, and any par
ticulars of the writer, when the name was re-
ycaled. She was living among the wild York
shire hills, with father who was too much
absorbed in his studies to notice her occupations
in place where newspapers were never seen
Tor where she never saw any, and IN house
where the servants knew nothing about books,
manuscripts. proofs, or the post. When she
told her secret 10 her father she carried her
book in one hand and an adverse review in the
Olner, 10 save HIS pie uuWOTluly mlHu
from rash expectations OF fame and fortune
which she was determined should never be the
aims OF her life.
I'm her deep mourning dress, neat as Quak
er's-with her beautiful hair, smooth and
brown, her fine eyes. and her sensible face in-
dicatng habit of self control, she seemed a
perfect household mage-irresistably recalling
Wordswortb's description OF that domestic
treasure And she was this She was as able
at the needle as at the pen. The household
knew the excellence of her cookery before they
heard OF that of her books.
MRS. AMELIA oPIE.
This lady, who died at great age in De-
cember, 1853, Miss Martlneau brings yIvidly
before us as a provincial literary lion, "a
benefcent Quaker lady whose conversion to
muslin caps and silent meetings made noise.
out in youth as painted by her husband with
a remarkable female face-singular IN prohe.
and, as front face, so waggish that when used
for tragic purposes it moves more mirth than
sympathy in the Observer face with merry
twinkling eyes, and mouth either sauclly
laughing or obstinately resoute against a
laugh"
She lived life of excitement and sayety
during her husbands life, and was famous
singer, but after his death, she became devout,
and wrote little novels read them to admir-
ing friends in Norwich, who cried their eyes
outat the pathetic scenes. read In her dramat-
ic manner, and then she carried them to Lon
don, got considerable sums by them, enjoyed
the homage they brought TO her feet, sang at
supper tables, dressed spendidy, did not Scru
PIE be present at Lady Cork's and other Sun
day concerts, and was very nearly marrying
younger brother OF LORD Butte.
Disappointed In this, she suddenly dlScov-
cred that all is vanity she took to gray silks
and muslin, and the thee and thou quoted
Habakkuk and Micah with gusto, and set her
heart upon preaching. That however, was
not allowed Her Quaker friends could never
be sufficiently sure how much was imagination,
and how much the nstgation OF the inward
witness and the privileged gallery in the
chapel was closed against her, and her utter
ance was confined to loud sighs in the body oil