New-York tribune., 1896-10-18

In one Of her letters TO AIR w. = Williams
-. "r.ada,, AZ Smith & Elders. there is n pas
COO. in which Charlotte Bronts alludes with
,o,,e o,nnbasjs 10 a foolish writer who had said
that "Janc Eyre" deserved praise II 1t had been
cor,nos.d hv man. but merely "odious
a. a was the work Of a woman. She writes
ITO such critics ] would say. To you am
reither man nor woman-I come before you as
an author only. IT Is the sole standard ny
which you have right to judge me-the soie
ground on which I accept your judgment
Acouiescence in that position of the novelists Is
obviously imperative as the one thing right ana
proper yet she energies from the pages OF her p'-
ographsrs as peculiarly woman, and woman
woman at that. There Is something piquant IN
the situation. In her own time she was charged
by many a critic with an unwholesome mascu-
Unity: her books are to this day remarkable for
a vigor which contrasted strongly with the
finicai methods and cheap sentimentality or
most Of the women who wrote novels contempo-
raneously with her; but once she is sympatheti-
caliy understood. she is seen to have written
every line of her works out of womanly ten
derness. womanly gift Of divination. above
all womanly inviolability--we can find no
better word. She stands for many tl'ings. but
IN nothing Is she more impressive than in her
anticipated the public for which Nine. Grand
and John Oliver Hobbies have written for
which Thomas Hardy has composed some OF his
most eloquent chapters-that public. essentially
modern. in which wOmanly stainlessncss is not
the gift of a strong sex to weaker. but the
fruit of an inner superiority TO the things that
defle. Charlotte BrOnta wrote the novels that
she did, she wrote the letters which Mr. Shorter
has gathered together, and she made them all
the sources Of bracing air that they are, be-
cause she had specious illusions. no false
humility. because the very soul of her was In
revolt against convention and weak femininity.
For her there was such thing as blindness
to human truths because God had made her
woman, and seemed therefore, in the eyes OF
her contemporaries, to have exacted OF her per-
retual docility of mind and imagination With
a meekness and an endurance to find in
the history of famous writer's. she shrank from
publicity and cung to the duties OF daughter,
a sister and a wife. But with what keen criti-
cism she speaks of the limitations which many
Of her critics would have set to her scope as an
author, II comes out over and over again in
her letters. She wanted Jane Eyre to be ac-
cepted by the public. not because it was story
OF hers. not with the mere pride Of authorship
but because In her wise. suffering heart she
knew that Jane Eyre" was first and last
true picture Of human life. II y ler sincerity
that counts IL is her way Of getting close to the
heart OF things that moves her reader. and that
sincerity. that way. have a grace and subtety
Of won,anncss about them that is perhaps her
most lasting fascination.
Charlotte Bronts turned TO literature at n time
when Miss Austen the ideal OF what a
woman who also n writer should be in her
books She is precious. almost grca, writer
to tbneo he haze falla
seems improbable that she can ever be deposed
one Of the gories Of English fiction. But IL
the Austen enthusiast will have patience with
the slightly exaggerated severity i'm the follow
ing fragment. he will admit that Il helps us to
better understanding AND greater adm!ra-
tion of Charlotte Bronte's own genius and taste
II have likewise read one OF Miss Austen $
works" she writes. audng 10 Emma" read
II with interest. and with Just the degree Of ad-
niration which Miss Austen herself would have
thought sensible and suitable. Anything like
warmth or Notwithstanding energetic,
poignant. heartfelt. Is utterly out Of place
In commencing these works: all such demon
atration the authoress would have met with a
we'll bred sneer. would have calmly scorned az
cutre and extravagant She does her business
Of deincating the surface of the lines of genteel
English people curiously well. There Is a Chi
nesc fidelity, a miniature delicacy In the paint
Ing She ruffes her reader by nothing vehe-
msnt disturbs him by nothing profound. The
passions are perfectly unknown TO her: she re-
jects even a speaking acquaintance with that
stormy sisterhood. Ever tn the feelings she
vouchsafes no more than an occasional grace
fnl, but distant. recognition--too frequent con-
verse with them would ruffe the smooth ele-
Rance OF her progress Her business Is not half
40 much with the human heart as with the
human eyes. mouth. hands and feet. What
secs kindly, speaks aptly. moves hexibly. it
suits her TO study; but what throbs fast and
full. though hidden. what the blood rushes
through what Is the unseen seat Of life and the
sentient target Of death-this Miss Austen
ignores She TO more. with her minds eye. be-
holds the heart of her race than each man.
with bodily vision sees the heart in his heav-
ing breast. Jane Austen WAS a complete and
most sensible lady. but very incomplete and
rather insensible mot senseiess) woman. II this
n heresy cannot help It. II said 1t TO some
people Gewes. for fnstance) they would di-
rectly accuse me OF advocating exaggerated
heroics. but ! am not afraid OF your falling
into any such vulgar error"
This is much more than a criticism Of Jane
Austen When novelist gives an example OF
how not to do it, his trenchant arraignment OF
what Is wrong or incomplete Is the cIearest pos-
sIblc statement OK how to make II right and this
piercing analysis Of Miss Austen throws us
back at once upon Charlotte Bronte's own aims
and methods. she sought the unseen OF
life and the sentient target OF death" these
things that she justly says Miss Austen ignores
and che Il herself exactly what she says the
authorcss Of Emma" was not. complete and
sensible woman. IT IL not intended 10 return Ia
that question OF sex too frequently. but the
truth Is that II Is not a question OF at ALL
Ia tire usual sense Of the phrase: IL Is really a
question Of spirit pervadine everything tina;
Charlotte Bronfe ever did, and for which II is