The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-20
A YOUNG ENGLISH GIRL OF
RARE GENIUS.

4Ilt SICocNh6SA
said that some enterprising publisher
should publish a fairly cheap edition
of Emily Bronte's novel "Wuthering
Heights" 1t Is out of print we suppose
Els we never see it referred to as one
of the accessible books. The novels of
her elder sister, the gifted Charlotte.
are to be had in various editions. but
the one novel of the richly endowed
young English girl Is not to be obtain
ed in any form, fine or cheap. We have
not read the boOk since it first ap-
peared, perhaps not far from fifty years
ago, we suppose. Writing Of 1t now we
can only give early impressions. A re-
cen reading would possibly moderate
OH opinion, as age Is not so apt to take
an enthusiastic view of new books as
in the vigor and glow Of youth. with
ering Heights" made a decided impress
sion upon the reading public when pub
lished. and it appeared to US something
extraordinary as a novel. We do not
remember, If we ever knew, the age OF
Emily Bronte when she wrote the story,
but she was probably not more than
seventeen, was certainly under twenty,
we think. It was her first and only
effort. She died in her early woman
hood Of consumption. We have no BIZ
ographical sketch or guide, and speak
doubtingly as to dates. That novel, il
republished now, would be read with
as much interest generally as 1t was
read by the cultivated men and women
of nearly a half century since. 1t has
qualities, if we are not mistaken, that
would command the interest Of almost
all classes of readers including that
smaller class Of educated and discip-
lined readers who find in novels of a
particular kind intellectual power, in
tense originality Of conception and de-
velopment, and a faithful study of
character and motive. 1t seemed to
our youthful mind that this sole pro-
duct Of the remarkable young author
was a splendid manifestation of genius
Towering early. We nave thought sup
pose that young English girl living in
so much seclusion, had been spared to
live so long as George Eliot lived or as
Mrs. Ward, who still lives, what wealth
of literature she might and probably
would have ~created-what bounteous
bestowments might have fallen to the
worlds share of her mental riches, SO
that her fame would nave been assured
for many generations, and perhaps her
name lave been added to the splendid
1;.t of ,raot I1ooI;.l rnynJ;,+c n. &Io
other hand, it might nave been that her
gifts were so precocious that her first
effort might have been her highest, but
this is not probable. She might have
grown in intellectual power as she
would doubtless in literary art and
knowledge of the world, as some ia
nous writer's have done, until her crea-
tions might have taken rank with the
glories of English literature.
-"Wuthering Heights" as first fruits,
certainly gave rich promise of future
fruition. Now and then we are re-
minded Of the strange, wild, weird
story, so full of vigor and originality,
from the hand of an obscure country
English girl in her teens, by incidental
references to her, and generally in con-
nection with her sister Charlotte, who
wrote those strong. unique novels,
Jane Eyre" and Villette." Many who
have written of these two memorable
sisters Nhere vas a third, Anne, who
had gifts in less degree, wrote a novel
too called THE Tenant of Wildfell
Hall,"-we write from memory-and
died quite young of the same fell di-
sease that killed the others have
thought hat Emily gave indications
OF greater genius than her more distin-
guished sister. Some ten or twelve |
years ago there was a reference to her |
book in The Atlantic Monthly, and |
from it We copy a few sentences. Pos
sibly they may induce some one to Dor
row an old copy and read it. She has
been in her grave for several decades. !
but some still remember the Yorkshire |
lass SO rich in intellectual endowment, |
with pleasure and admiration. What I
girl of her age ever wrote so virile a |
book as "Wuthering Heights?" The |
Atlantic said: |
Painful, nay repulsive, as the story |
is, upon the whole, and many times
more tragic than the rest, in that 1t was
indeed the first and last articulate word
of it's author, the reader of today who
has partially forgotten will find a re-
perusal of it worth his while. The read |
er of today, indeed, appreciates it far
more truly han any reader Of its own
epoch did, or could have done, except
ing always the great creature whose
terse yet piteous epitaph on her great ,
er sister forms the preface to the sec
~ond edition of Wuthering Heights. he
book was curiously and, so far as it's
author was concerned, distressingly in
advance of it's time
The writer may have been too young
to have been contemporaneous with the
first publication of the novel. 1t was,
widely read and admired and discussed.
Tho Atlantic. so recognizes it's power