The Life of Charlotte Brontë — Volume 2Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn
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The Life of Charlotte Brontë — Volume 2
Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn
Brontë, Charlotte, 1816-1855; Novelists, English -- 19th century -- Biography
My husband and I were anxious that she should pay us a visit before
the winter had set completely in; and she thus wrote, declining our
invitation:--
"Nov. 6th.
"If anybody would tempt me from home, you would; but, just now, from
home I must not, will not go. I feel greatly better at present than
I did three weeks ago. For a month or six weeks about the equinox
(autumnal or vernal) is a period of the year which, I have noticed,
strangely tries me. Sometimes the strain falls on the mental, sometimes
on the physical part of me; I am ill with neuralgic headache, or I am
ground to the dust with deep dejection of spirits (not, however, such
dejection but I can keep it to myself). That weary time has, I think
and trust, got over for this year. It was the anniversary of my poor
brother's death, and of my sister's failing health: I need say no more.
"As to running away from home every time I have a battle of this sort
to fight, it would not do besides, the 'weird' would follow. As to
shaking it off, that cannot be. I have declined to go to Mrs. ----, to
Miss Martineau, and now I decline to go to you. But listen do not think
that I throw your kindness away; or that it fails of doing the good you
desire. On the contrary, the feeling expressed in your letter,--proved
by your invitation--goes RIGHT HOME where you would have it to go, and
heals as you would have it to heal.
"Your description of Frederika Bremer tallies exactly with one I read
somewhere, in I know not what book. I laughed out when I got to the
mention of Frederika's special accomplishment, given by you with a
distinct simplicity that, to my taste, is what the French would call
'impayable.' Where do you find the foreigner who is without some little
drawback of this description? It is a pity."
A visit from Miss Wooler at this period did Miss Brontë much good for
the time. She speaks of her guest's company as being very pleasant,"like
good wine," both to her father and to herself. But Miss Wooler could
not remain with her long; and then again the monotony of her life
returned upon her in all its force; the only events of her days and
weeks consisting in the small changes which occasional letters brought.
It must be remembered that her health was often such as to prevent her
stirring out of the house in inclement or wintry weather. She was liable
to sore throat, and depressing pain at the chest, and difficulty of
breathing, on the least exposure to cold.
A letter from her late visitor touched and gratified her much; it was
simply expressive of gratitude for attention and kindness shown to her,
but it wound up by saying that she had not for many years experienced
so much enjoyment as during the ten days passed at Haworth. This little
sentence called out a wholesome sensation of modest pleasure in Miss
Brontë's mind; and she says, "it did me good."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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