New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-06
REMINIsoEY0ES of THE BR0yTEsi
JANE EYRE" IN A NEW LIGl
Ernra Thk Yorkshirkman.


the old sacred edfce | must confess that It no
longer possesses the charm that it did when the
quaint old village was to be seen as IN the days y
the BrOntes. The visit to Haworth OF which nave
now TO speak, however, took place before ME-
Wade's system Of stamping out" the Bronte M
fatuatiOn had fairly started. IL was made at the
request of al an tlQuarlan friend of mine, who Was
gathering materials for a WORK on Haworth when
ne was then writing the chef object OF hls visu
being to have an interview with Martha browns
tie faithful of the Brontes tor many years.
OIL matters associated with the history OF that re-
markable family. -.
1--we ct the parsonage. she was native OF
Haworth. aud her parents lived close against tne
church. Mrs. GaskeN has told us how she came TO
be one of the Broute household. Old Tabby, the
servant, mad grown too old and feeble 10 De OF
much use-a he p-gIrl needsd, and Martina
Flown WAS the chosen one. But a piece Of die
piomacJ necessary on the part OF charlotte VINO
then sort OF mother to tpe iainliyJ oeioro
Martbas duties could become clearly dehnod,-ton
IL was with jealous reluctance tna old IaDOy not
wIthstandIng her and in1ruiltles, could oe nv
ducod TO relInquIsh any OF the household duties
tina. she claimed as excluSvey nef own. feeiinS
tue potatoes dinner was one OF such duties Dup
from ner partial blindness, she was unable to see
aud TO cut the black specks known as tno
seve. of the potato. Miss Bronte wss too dainty
a housekeeper 10 put up with this, YET sue couIu
nor hear 10 hurt the faithful old servant by bidding
the Younger maiden tMsrthal go over the potatoes
again. and 80 reminding IaDby that her wOrh wa5
less efectual than formerly. Accordingly sue "ouIU
steal INTO the kitchen ana quietly carry OH INC
howl of vegetables without laDDy's being aware
and breaking OFT IN tue full dow OF interest ana IN
spiratOD in her writing Jane EJr ,, carefully cut
the specks III the potatoes, ana hOseIessy carly
them back to their place - , -,
Martna's recollection: of her early life in The old
parsonage vas peculiarly vivid. Although she
smoke m a qulet subdued tone, her narrative would
sometimes become animated and thrllInyi az
Others deeply pathetic. Especially touching was
her descri ptOn of Charlottes MATERNAL anAletyI
for her younger sisters, and the strOhg
each had Tor the other. She toid Us also Of the
long families on tine OF the regular habits or
Indoor life; the putting away OF all domestic work
punctuay at . O'clock IN the evening. aud then
beginning their literary studies, talking over lho
stories they were engaged upon anu describing
their plots. 4" Mauys the time that nave seen
Miss Emily put down the tall iron as she was iron.
inQ the clothes to scrlbDle something on piece VI
paper Whatever she was dong. IRONING or baklngr
she had her pencil and paper by her. know now
she Was writing, utherlng heights 49,
When old Iabby became so lame that sho lad 10
give UP her work for a ume, Charlotte and Emily
who were then at home, divided her dutiesi
betwlxt them. the former doing the IRONING anu
keeping the rooms clean. the latter baking and
attending generally to the kitchen Poor Ennyi
we always thought the best looking. the eleverest
and the braVest spirited OF the three. Little olo
we think sine would lie the hrst 10 lie taken away
Martha had many inter- sting items treasured IN
her memory relating TO Charlotte bronte literary
career. When the news first came TO Haworth
that Miss Bronte the author Of Jane Eyre.
and shirley" Martha was tue hrst 10 bring the
news TO the parsonage. Sue rushed INTO the nous 20
in the greatest excite neut, exrlaImIng, I've
heard such newslv What about" inquired
Miss Bfoute. Please. na'am. yOa've been and
written two booksthe grandest books that ever was
seen. Ny father has heard II at HALIFAX and Mr..
l., and Mr. C.. aud Mr. N at Bradiordi
they are going to have a meeting at the Mechanics
Institute. 60 settle about ordering them"
II was Just at the time when Jane Eyre was
at tie height OF It's popularity, and every body was
reading and talking about the wonderful book, that
Martha aud Miss bronte, III the midst OF their
domestic labOrs, were having bit of chat on
general touics The latter dId not much care to
talk about either herself her BOOK but these were
themes which Martha could not be silent, anG
talk about tuem she would Well, Martha, SAID
Charlotte, only hope the book may be worth all
the fuss that Is being made about It. but am
afraid it is not lahlng practical view oil the
matter, ana wishing to say something 10 Tue way
of announcement, Martha replied: "O4, but you
must please forget the good your book must
have done IN supplying employ ment 10 81 many
people, Look at the Prlnters, 0ookOinders STA
TONERS and Others who have been benehted oy Ita
large SALE II hank you Martha, Tor quitting II IN
that light" said Miss Bronte, :" / am sure had
Martha brown assured Us that Miss Bronte had
been advised, more than one occasion, u change
her publishers, on the ground that the great popu-
IarIty OF her writings would bow command q
higher figure than she had hitherto received.
Charlotte however, would not mere of this and
Te"l,ed that Messrs smith Elder n Co. had been
pleased to accept her manuscripts, after they IA
been rejected by the other Publishing hrIns and
unless they torsoOk her she would never iOrsaA6
them.
Mr. Bronte, it would seem, was very indignant at
what had been said Id certain quarters respecting
WutherIng Heights having been the loInt pro-
dnctlon Of Emily and 81 an we'll Bropte Tie main>
taind that BranweIl had had no part or share
whatever in the book. Indeed, the very fact Of
Emily being engaged upon such work had put
posely been kept from him as a profound secret. q
Equally indignant Martha Brown az the
hard things that had been SAID about old Mr.
BrOnte By Mis-. Gaskell and Others. A kinser
man could not be, although he was sometimes queer
and reserved before strangers As to bis discharg-
ing pistols into the air IN order to let on MS
tenpers, there not the slightest truth Ia that-
Mr.. Bronte always was food OF hrearus, sue
SAID He had acquired the iondness from ms nav
ing been "A volunteer while at college," She never
saw hun DISCHARGE one III a passion
liz was Martha Brv ms loving duty 10 " AIT upon
-
waa her narrative or the last nOmeuts Of the brave
and patient sufferer. Even when utterly Frustrated
by weakness and pain, her thoughts were moI
occupied with anxiety tor the old man. who was
so soon be lett desolate than by her own lntense
sufferngs. hen she heard hun coming uOstalrp
to see her. she would ask Martha TO Let her SIT ny
moment. and would then stain every nerve "a give
hun q pleasing reception. On his entering -
rOom she would X eet him with, see papa, aQ
looking little bestern The old man would they
retire, trying Co look comtorted. while the poor
patient would fall back upon her pillow simoss ex-
hausted by the effort she had made.
till his death IN 1851, aud one OF the sorro"iu3
mouruers who fol lowed him to his grave.
Miss Brown had treasured up soue sai i ~
interesting mementoes of tine bronte Iamiy seNefal
of which had been gwen W ner oy sue ~, Thits
II these a. it did US TO look them over Among
the more interesting OF these relics was an qia po
folio filled with the pencil drawings anu wsefIr
color sEetche, of Branweu and his three stster4
Rnt still more valuable tnan these 10 our minf
wsr. the mimic magazines In CharlJtte's hands
writing Written in sucn small characters as to DO
scarcely readable without the aid OF glass. Iha
- riting OF these miniature volumes, Mrs. GaskeU
savs had the effect OF nuring Chsrlottes eyesighf
for a time. Then there some letters from the
great literdH with whom Miss Bronte hAd corre.
sponded- Thackeray, Harriet Martinvau, amy
Others. We noticed epstle from the great
humorist IN which he alluded 10 his intended ylsip
to Bradford, TO give his Lecture on the NFo9r
Georges"
Martha ~ may be readily imagined, had had
many opportunities Of parting WITH her t ,ss LII
had she been wlshful 10 so. She had the sooss1
sense, however, not 70 part with them indisGrln2
natsly The curious may DO insess o 'sunoortionej