The Life of Charlotte Brontë, Volume 2Smith, Elder, 1857 - 352 pages First biography of Charlotte Bronte published in 1857, two years after Charlotte's death on March 31, 1855. The novelist Elizabeth Gaskell had access to a great number of Charlotte Bronte's letter while doing research for her biography, and this intimate access, coupled with Gaskell's literary talents, made her biography very captivating. However, Gaskell's account highlights Charlotte's suffering and self-denial, without doing justice to Charlotte's vitality. |
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admiration Agnes Grey Ambleside amongst ANNE BRONTË Anne's anxiety believe Casterton character Charlotte Brontë Charlotte's cheer cold Cornhill critics Currer Bell dreary Emily EMILY BRONTË Emily's excitement expressed eyes father fear feel felt Filey G. H. LEWES give glad Haworth headache hear heard heart hope illness impression interest Jane Eyre Keighley kind knew lady letter literary London looked Messrs mind Miss Brontë Miss Martineau Miss Wooler moors morning nature ness never night novel once pain Papa pleasant pleasure publishers quiet racter received seems seen sent Shirley sincerely sisters spirits stay Stones of Venice strength strong suffered SYDNEY DOBELL Tabby tale tell Thackeray thankful things thought told trust truth Villette visit to London weather week wish woman words write written wrote Wuthering Heights
Popular passages
Page 37 - So she sat down and read some of the reviews to her father ; and then, giving him the copy of Jane Eyre that she intended for him, she left him to read it. When he came in to tea, he said, " Girls, do you know Charlotte has been writing a book, and it is much better than likely?
Page 113 - ... always do those who dare such divine conflict prevail. Night after night the sweat of agony may burst dark on the forehead; the supplicant may cry for mercy with that soundless voice the soul utters when its appeal is to the Invisible. "Spare my beloved,
Page 96 - If Thou should'st bring me back to life, More humbled I should be; More wise — more strengthened for the strife, More apt to lean on Thee. VIII. 'Should death be standing at the gate, Thus should I keep my vow; But, Lord, whatever be my fate, Oh let me serve Thee now!
Page 294 - I accompanied her in her walks on the sweeping moors: the heather-bloom had been blighted by a thunder-storm a day or two before, and was all of a livid brown colour, instead of the blaze of purple glory it ought to have been. Oh! those high, wild, desolate moors, up above the whole world, and the very realms of silence! Home to dinner at two. Mr. Bronte has his dinner sent in to him.
Page 322 - FORASMUCH as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear brother here departed, we therefore commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust ; in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life...
Page 39 - His wit is bright, his humour attractive ; but both bear the same relation to his serious genius that the mere lambent sheet-lightning playing under the edge of the summer cloud does to the electric death-spark hid in its womb.
Page 235 - Poor old Keeper died last Monday morning, after being ill one night; he went gently to sleep; we laid his old faithful head in the garden. Flossy (the 'fat curly-haired dog') is dull and misses him. There was something very sad in losing the old dog; yet I am glad he met a natural fate. People kept hinting he ought to be put away, which neither papa nor I liked to think of.
Page 27 - I now send you per rail a MS. entitled Jane Eyre, a novel in three volumes, by Currer Bell. I find I cannot prepay the carriage of the parcel, as money for that purpose is not received at the small station-house where it is left. If, when you acknowledge the receipt of the MS., you would have the goodness to mention the amount charged on delivery, I will immediately transmit it in postage-stamps.
Page 7 - ... this here, because, among the dispiriting circumstances connected with her anxious visit to Manchester, Charlotte told me that her tale came back upon her hands, curtly rejected by some publisher, on the very day when her father was to submit to his operation. But she had the heart of Robert Bruce within her, and failure upon failure daunted her no more than him. Not only did The Professor...
Page 95 - I hoped that with the brave and strong My portioned task might lie ; To toil amid the busy throng, With purpose pure and high. " But God has fixed another part, And He has fixed it well : I said so with my bleeding heart, When first the anguish, fell.