The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-09-18
SELECTED.
MEMORIES OF CHARLOTTE BRONTE
AND HER FAMILY.

The house which Mrs. Gaskell's name
has rendered famous stands in Plymouth
Grove. broad thoroughfare, pleasantly
planted with trees, which leads from the
suburbs into the city of Manchester.
The house is Of gray stone, commodious
double-fronted, with a gravel carriage.
drive sweeping round to the front door.
tall trees forming a screen from the
road, with pleasant garden at the back
When Mrs. Gaskell first made il her
home, in lS49. it stood in semi rural iso-
lation; now houses abound on every
hand, and the tramcars pass along the
road. There still live Mrs. Gaskell's
two unmarried daughters. Miss Gaskell
and Miss Julia Gaskell. ladies who are
keeping up the traditions of their cele-
brated house in delightful manner,
and to whose kindly courtesy am in
debted for the privilege of becoming ac-
quainted with its contents and literary
associations.
Never surely was biographer ana plug-
raphied more closely connected in the
public mind than are Mrs. Gaskell and
Charlotte Bronte. To mention the one
suggests the other. 1t was during a
visit to Sir James and Lady Kay Shut
teworth, at Briery Close. near Winder-
mere, in the autumn of 1850, that Mrs.
Gaskell first saw the author of Jane
Eyre" "a little lady in a black silk
gown" who sat and worked away and
hardly spoke.
Before the visit ended the two be.
came fast friends, and the following
year Charlotte Bronte paid the first of
her memorable visits to Plymouth
Grove, and henceforth the house and it's
inmates have many a kindly mention in
her letters. 10 1858 she came again,
and this time passed week under Mrs.
GaskelI's hospitable roof. 1t was pleas
ant to sit in the drawing room where
she had sat- and listen TO Miss Gaskell
as she called up her childhood memories
of the visit.
Miss Gaskell told me that the inn
preston which she retained of Charlotte
Bronte was of dainty, birdlike Great
ure, very delicate in appearance, slight
in figure. with tiny hands and feet; very
large gray eyee, silky brown hair and a
shy, timid manner At times, when
strangers were not present. and che was
at her ease, she would become quite i'm
passioned in conversation, using her
hands to accentuate her remarks Miss
Gaskell recalls hearing Miss Bronte de-
scribe the acting of Nine. Rachel,
whom she had recently seen in London,
and in order to illustrate some attitude
of the actress Miss Bronte clinched her
fists. The aroused passion which
thrilled through her fragile body, and
the action of clinchipg the fists, made
lasting impression on Miss Gaskell,
then tiny child. She had also a vivid
recollection of Mr.. Bronte in his last
years, as she accompanied her mother
to Haworth whep, after Charlotte's
death, Mre. Gsskell visited the moor.
land parsonage to gather materials for
the Life
Mr.. Bronte was confined to his room
at the time, and Miss Gaskell recalls
the vivacious manner with which he
received them and what picturesque
figure he made sitting propped up in
bed, his snowy white shirt showing up
his handsome face and fine head. He
talked necessarily. telling story after
story and spinning yarns like a Napier,
full of point and vivid coloring. at
was easy to understand" said Miss
Gaskell, where the Bronte sisters got
their genius from" Miss Julia Gaskell
had also story to add regarding Mr..
Bronte. when my sister and | were
visiting in the neighborhood of Haworth
parsonage" she said. I'VE had occasion
to go into little jewelers. and clock
makers shop there. and the owner of
i told us that old Mr.. Bronte. who was
then in dying condition. had sent his
pistol to him to have new spring put to
the trigger. which would enable him 10
fire it off more easily. Mr.. Bronte, j
should explain, had very violent tenn.
per and was in the habit of firing off pis.
tol to relieve his feelings; and even in his
dying state no cold not abandon the
habit, and had sent 10 have the trigger
made sufficiently easy for his weak hand
to press 1t. He died three days after
this incident WAS related to US, ami |
bellows fred his pistol TO the last"