The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-14
N CHARLOTTE bRONTE

Charlotte Bronte considered this to oe her best work. It is. without doubt, verdict that has made the latter book the favorite is correct and sound.
 eJane Eyre" has fire In 1t that VII lstte" lacks. .'viiiette." however. would have established Charlotte Bronte's po- sition in Literature if "Jane Eyre had not been written. It is rernarkanle work. It deals with persons and events that ought to Do hopciessly uninter- esting. There is no great plot. tnere is no great event, there Is no action It ts the story of lives almost common- place with the exception of N. Paul There is no drama in it. Ret when U is infshsd 1t leaves one with the sense that a great human tragedy has Just been witnessed, and that 1t has come close to the readers own soul.
 ft was typical of Lucy snowe that when misfortune overlook the kinsfoik with whom she had lived since child. hood, she did not turn to the one per son who always had been her warm frisnd---hsr godmotber, Mrs. Breton. she lived there for part of each year.. shs had been reserved and silent--a dark, shrinking, queer young girl. when at last trouble sheltered the gloomy family life of her kin, she turned as a matter of course to the etranGe world rather than to any when she knew.
 Gathering her few sovereigns. she departed from England and made her way to vilette on the Continent. where ahs obtained a position as English e.. nt. nary of Mrae. Modesto Maria Beck.
 Mme.s Beck was . rather attractive persan. of about 70, short and stout, yet not ungraceful. with eyes blue and serene, and mouth that could be- come little grim at times. She had a system of managing her school that was purely her own. Lucy Shove dis covered It the first night that she spent under the roof of the pension at.
 she awoks to ana Madame in heE room For q quarter of an hour that person stood quite sttll, evidently stu dying her new governess. who wisely feigned sleep. Then she turned to the garments, turned them Inside ofats In spected all the marks, and emptted the pockets She studied memorAndums and notes. and at last made imprints of wax of the trunk. desk and work box keys.
 All this waa cone with ataid, bust ness-lihe dacorum and thoFoughnesa Having finished her task deeently and in order, Mime. Beck returned every. thing neatly to its piece: refolded all the clothes and withdrew with the con. tented air of one who he'd done hei duty.
 Mise snows soon learned that shs considered such tasks purely matters of duty and school discipline Mme. Beck ruled her one hundred pupils her four woman teachers, the eight masters, half c doxen servants and her own three children by a simple system of sErionage and surveillance. Ehs knew what honesty was and liked 1t, but she hsid that Continental ciliidreI scould not be brought up under an, system except hers.
 There never was q mistress whost rule waS nflder@-or more fflexorabIe Her pupils were not ovsrtaxed. The lessons were well distributed. The girls were kept In excellent health and spir its. The fooa was good. Her msthot was easy, liberal and rational. Tn, house full Os wel1 dressed. handsous girls seemed a great contrast to tht EnGlish schools that Lucy Snowe knew
 For while the young EngIishwo. man was afraid to take chance or tt seise the other chances for Dronotio, that Mfle. Beck offered her. After he many years of repression she was Fla. 60 be without heavy anxiety or trials and aas would have been we'll conteri to live a life limited to daily bread hourly work and roof of shelter.
 After e short times however. {ht girls began to like her in a way. Bon quets were laid on her desk and th, pupils displayed a desire to walk witt her in the hours of relaxation.
 An English girl showeds her tn, Greatest &1fection. This was one n the beauties of the school Miss CT nevra Fanshawe. whose pretty blon. mead was quite empty of sense. bu, thoroughly well fitted with music, sing ing. dancing and the science of fiirta tion. The dainty creature was the es @erce Of selishness--ai natural tnher ttance from parents who had apen their entire lives trying to keep ul brilliant appearances on an income Q nothing.
 Miss Fanshawe quite unblushinei accepted dresses and other luxurie fro mher rich friends. and laid con, stant financial siege to her uncle Ds Bassompterre. who paid for her educa ton. De Bassompierre had been al untitled Enslishman who had faiIe
 
 the name of relatives who becueathe 1t to him, Miss Ginevra spoke of hir slightingly as one who was hardly a The same social rank as her father Captain Fanshawe. retired on half pay.
 Miss Fanshawe soon confided to Ms Snowe that she had broken man hearts in the houses to which she wa snvited. Her most recent conquest a ag tA, "a. Kore' the one that delighted her most was over q young man whom she call ed py a pet name.
 why should you make him miser aplea asked Mss SnoWe. "If you ar merely flirting with him, you ma make him wretched for life.''
 Ot course he will break his heart saio MISS Fanshawe. shaking her wei low curls. T should be shocked an disappoihted if he didn't. How dowdy 5sh you are!" -
 'rhis language Is mere nonsense an coqnstry," said Miss Snowe severei
 Surely you would not treat a ma avow." wv VII
 T danced with young officer Colon el Alfred dc Hamal, last night wbn, love q thousand times more" laurf ed Miss Fanshawe, Yhereupon Mi onOWS 1nulc6tea strongly to her ths at was necessary that her apartmer be relieved immediately of Miss G nevra's presence. She danced ava, laughing. and forgave Mss Shove n stantly.
 Within few weeks Miss Snowe sa, the man whom Miss Fanshawe va thus trying to lead by the nose. n was a young English doctor. whom sb recognized at once as her old plaS mate. Jack Breton. her sodmother only son.