The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-10-20
RECoLLECTIoNs OF CHARLOTTE
80 ~ BRONTE. 29asbisa7
RI. Horne, in Macmillan's Magazine.


A fragile form is now before M
minds eve, as distinctly as it was il
reality more than twenty years ago
The slender figure is seated by fire il
4he drawing room of Mr. G. S., the pdb
Usher of a novel which had brought the
authoress at one bound to the top o.
popular Arbitration. There has beer
dinner party, and all the literary meI
whom the lady had expressed wish to
meet had been requested to respect the
publishers desire, and the lady's desire.
that she should remain unknown as to
her public position. Nobody was to
know that she was the authoress OF
"Jane Eyre" She was simply Miss
Bronte, on visit to the family of her
host. The dinner party went of as gally
as could be expected where several peo-
pie are afraid of each other without quite
knowing why; and Miss Bronte sat very
modestly and rather on her guard, but
quietly taking the mea oure of les naonstres
de talent, who were talking and taking
wine, and sometimes banteringY each
other Once only she issued from her
shell, with Frightening looks, when some
body made slightly dlsparaging remark
concerning the Duke1of Wellington, for
whom Miss Bronte declared she had the
highest admiration; and she appeared
quite ready to do battle with one gentle
man who smilingly suggested that per
haps it was" because the Duke was an
Irishman." H4 eg o4.sH a.4t.
Now 1T should be promised that the
writer ofthese papers had sent presenta-
ton copy Of a certain poem, addressed IN
complimentary, but very earnest terms to
the Author of Jane Eyre 1.-THE lady
whose nom de plume was Currer Bell, and
whose real name We were not to know
To this size had replied in q note, which
concludes with these words:
How far the applause of critics has
rewarded the author Orion, do not
know: but think the pleasure he enjoy
ed in its composition must have been a
bountt Gus need in itself You could not,
I imagine, have written that poem with
out at times deriving deep happiness
from your work. 70. s0e
"With sincere thanks for the pleasure
it has afforded me, remain, dear sir,
Yours faithfully NY 8, +.
On joining the ladies In the drawing
room, our host requested the writer to
take seat beside Miss Bronte. The
moment he did so, she turned toward
him with the most charming artlcssnes,
exclaiming, (" was so much obliged to
you, Mr. Horne, for sending me your"
She checked herself with an inward start,
having thus at once exploded her Currer
Bell secret by Identifying herself with
the author of ''Jane Eyre She looked
embarrassed. All, Miss Bronte," whis-
pered the innocent cause of the not very
serious misfortune, "you would never do
for treasons and stratagems." She
nodded acquiesently, but with degree
of yexation and selt-reproach Shortly
after this, Mr. S., overhearing some con-
versation between US, which showed that
the secret was out, took an early oppor-
tunity of calling me aside, when he ex-
tended both hands with an ct tn Brute
look, and began to complain of my breach
of the general understanding. |, of course,
explained what the lady had said, at the
7aaacete Of which he was not little
astonished and amused. 3te
A very gentle, brave and noble spirit
ed woman was Charlotte Bronte Fragile
of form, and tremulous as an aspen leaf,
she had an energy of mind and heroism
of character capable of real things in
private life, as admirable as any of the
fine delineations in her works of fiction
Nothing she has ever done, seems to me
more truthful, more magnanimous, and
more touching than the brief preface she
wrote to new edition of her sister S
novel OF Wuthering Heights" Emily
was dead her novel had not been APP
preciated; not well spoken of by the
critics not well received by the public
and mainly in consequence of frequent
violations in no instance of the reality of
the character she had SO wonderfully
portrayed in their time and place, but
violation of the so-called taste of the
day. which does not permit country
squires and others to swear in oaths with
out proper spelling, but only by first
and last letter-and a hushlng up-dash,
to mark the prudent authors disapproval
of profane tongue. There were also
some other startling excrescences, but
only as the excess of force in the reality
oil the pictures, all very pardonable in
the first work of young author. "Wu-
thering Heights is one of the most
powerful novels ever written in the
English language or any other language.
1t did indeed deserve better fate.
Emily Bronte died without receiving any
public recognition of her genius, and
although the inward fangs Of fatal dis
ease were doing their certain work, the
world might perhaps have had another
creation from that so potent spirit; and
in any case the feeling of some public
acknowledgment that she had not lived
and felt, and thought, and labored in
vain, would have helped to smooth hel
death. pillow, and to have made the brie1
remaining period of her generous sister