The age-herald., 1897-09-14
MRS. GASKeLLS HOUSE.
Memories of Charlotte Bronte and Her
 Family.

From the Woman at Home
 The house which Mrs. Gaskells name has rendered famous stands in Plymouth Grove. broad thoroughfare, pleasantly planted with trees, which leads from the suburbs into the city of Manch ster. The house is of gray stone, commodious, double frorlted, with a gravel earrings drive sweeping around to the front door, tall trees forming a screen from the road, with a pleasant garden at the back. When Mrs. Gaskell first made it her home. in 1S49, it stood in ssmi-rual isf5- lation; new houses abound on every hand, and the tramcars pass along the road. There still live Mrs. Gaskers two unmarried daughters, Miss Gaskell and Miss Julia Gaskel ladies who are keep ing up th5 traditions of their celebrated house in a delightful manner and to whose kindly courtesy am indebted fir the privileges of becoming acquainted with it's contents and literary associa- tions.
 Never surely we're biographer and bio- graphied more closely connected in the public mind than are Mrs. Gaskeil and Charlotte Bronte. To mention the one suggests the other. It was during a visit to Sir James and Lady Kay Shuttle worth, 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 became fast friends, and the fol- lowing year Charlotte Bronte paid the first of her memorable visits to Plymouth Grove, and hencefcrth the house and it's inmates have many a kindly mention in her letters. In 1853 she came again, and this time passed week under Mrs. Gas lQell's hospita bls roof It was pleasant to sit in the drawing-room, where she had sat, and listen to Miss Gasker1 as she called up her childhood memories of the visit.
 Miss Gaskell told me that the impres- sion which she retained of Charlotte Bronte was cf dainty, bird-like creat- ure, very delicate in appearance, slight in figure, with tony hands and feet; very large gray eyes, silky brown hair, and a shy, timid manner. At times, when strangers were not present, and she was at her ease, she would become quite impassioned in conversation, using her hands to accentuate her remarks. Miss Gaskell recalls hearing Miss Bronte describe the acting of Mime. Rachel, whom she had recently ssen in London,
  of the actress, Miss Bronte clinched her fists. The aroused passion which thrill ed through her fragile body, and the action of clinching the fists, made a lasting impression on Miss Gaskell then a tiny child. She has also a vivid rec ollection of MT. Bronte in his last years, as she accompanied her mother to Ha- worth, when, after Charlotte's death, Mrs. Gaskel visited the moorland par sonage to gather materials for the Life MT. Bronte was confined to his room at the time, and Miss Gaskell recalls the vivacious manner with which he re- ceived them and what a picturesque figure he made sitting propped up in bed, his snowy white shirt showing up his handsome face and the fine head. He talked necessarily, telling story af- ter story and spinning yarns like Ma pier, full of point and vivid coloring. Tt was easy to understand" said Miss Gaskell, ."where the Bronte sisters got their genius from" Miss Julia Gaskell had also a story to add regarding MT Bronte. "When my sister and I were visiting in the neighborhood of Ha- worth parsonage" she said, i've had occasion to go into little jewellers and clockmaker's shop there. and the owner of it told us that MT. Bronte who was then in a dying condition, had sent his pistol to him to have a new spring put to the trigger, which would enable him to fire it off more easily MT. Bronte should explain, had a very violent tenn per, and was in the habit of firing off pistol to relieve his feelings; and even in his dying state he could not abandon the habit, and had sent to have the trigger made sufficiently easy for his weak hand to press it. He died three days after this incident was related to us, and I believe fired his pistol to the last"