Delphi Complete Works of the Brontes Charlotte, Emily, Anne Brontë (Illustrated) (466 page)

As a companion portrait to this, Emily chose to depict Harold on the eve of the battle of Hastings.  It appears to me that her
devoir
is superior to Charlotte’s in power and in imagination, and fully equal to it in language; and that this, in both cases, considering how little practical knowledge of French they had when they arrived at Brussels in February, and that they wrote without the aid of dictionary or grammar, is unusual and remarkable.  We shall see the progress Charlotte had made, in ease and grace of style, a year later.

In the choice of subjects left to her selection, she frequently took characters and scenes from the Old Testament, with which all her writings show that she was especially familiar.  The picturesqueness and colour (if I may so express it), the grandeur and breadth of its narrations, impressed her deeply. 
To use M. Héger’s expression, “Elle était nourrie de la Bible.” 
After he had read De la Vigne’s poem on Joan of Arc, she chose the “Vision and Death of Moses on Mount Nebo” to write about; and, in looking over this
devoir
, I was much struck with one or two of M. Héger’s remarks.  After describing, in a quiet and simple manner, the circumstances under which Moses took leave of the Israelites, her imagination becomes warmed, and she launches out into a noble strain, depicting the glorious futurity of the Chosen People, as, looking down upon the Promised Land, he sees their prosperity in prophetic vision.  But, before reaching the middle of this glowing description, she interrupts herself to discuss for a moment the doubts that have been thrown on the miraculous relations of the Old Testament.  M. Héger remarks, “When you are writing, place your argument first in cool, prosaic language; but when you have thrown the reins on the neck of your imagination, do not pull her up to reason.”  Again, in the vision of Moses, he sees the maidens leading forth their flocks to the wells at eventide, and they are described as wearing flowery garlands.  Here the writer is reminded of the necessity of preserving a certain verisimilitude: Moses might from his elevation see mountains and plains, groups of maidens and herds of cattle, but could hardly perceive the details of dress, or the ornaments of the head.

When they had made further progress, M. Héger took up a more advanced plan, that of synthetical teaching.  He would read to them various accounts of the same person or event, and make them notice the points of agreement and disagreement.  Where they were different, he would make them seek the origin of that difference by causing them to examine well into the character and position of each separate writer, and how they would be likely to affect his conception of truth.  For instance, take Cromwell.  He would read Bossuet’s description of him in the “Oraison Funèbre de la Reine d’Angleterre,” and show how in this he was considered entirely from the religious point of view, as an instrument in the hands of God, preordained to His work.  Then he would make them read Guizot, and see how, in this view, Cromwell was endowed with the utmost power of free-will, but governed by no higher motive than that of expediency; while Carlyle regarded him as a character regulated by a strong and conscientious desire to do the will of the Lord.  Then he would desire them to remember that the Royalist and Commonwealth men had each their different opinions of the great Protector.  And from these conflicting characters, he would require them to sift and collect the elements of truth, and try to unite them into a perfect whole.

This kind of exercise delighted Charlotte.  It called into play her powers of analysis, which were extraordinary, and she very soon excelled in it.

Wherever the Brontës could be national they were so, with the same tenacity of attachment which made them suffer as they did whenever they left Haworth.  They were Protestant to the backbone in other things beside their religion, but pre-eminently so in that.  Touched as Charlotte was by the letter of St. Ignatius before alluded to, she claimed equal self-devotion, and from as high a motive, for some of the missionaries of the English Church sent out to toil and to perish on the poisonous African coast, and wrote as an “imitation,” “Lettre d’un Missionnaire, Sierra Léone, Afrique.”

Something of her feeling, too, appears in the following letter: —

“Brussels, 1842.

“I consider it doubtful whether I shall come home in September or not.  Madame Héger has made a proposal for both me and Emily to stay another half-year, offering to dismiss her English master, and take me as English teacher; also to employ Emily some part of each day in teaching music to a certain number of the pupils.  For these services we are to be allowed to continue our studies in French and German, and to have board, &c., without paying for it; no salaries, however, are offered.  The proposal is kind, and in a great selfish city like Brussels, and a great selfish school, containing nearly ninety pupils (boarders and day pupils included), implies a degree of interest which demands gratitude in return.  I am inclined to accept it.  What think you?  I don’t deny I sometimes wish to be in England, or that I have brief attacks of home sickness; but, on the whole, I have borne a very valiant heart so far; and I have been happy in Brussels, because I have always been fully occupied with the employments that I like.  Emily is making rapid progress in French, German, music, and drawing.  Monsieur and Madame Héger begin to recognise the valuable parts of her character, under her singularities.

“If the national character of the Belgians is to be measured by the character of most of the girls is this school, it in a character singularly cold, selfish, animal, and inferior.  They are very mutinous and difficult for the teachers to manage; and their principles are rotten to the core.  We avoid them, which it is not difficult to do, as we have the brand of Protestantism and Anglicism upon us.  People talk of the danger which Protestants expose themselves to in going to reside in Catholic countries, and thereby running the chance of changing their faith.  My advice to all Protestants who are tempted to do anything so besotted as turn Catholics, is, to walk over the sea on to the Continent; to attend mass sedulously for a time; to note well the mummeries thereof; also the idiotic, mercenary aspect of all the priests; and then, if they are still disposed to consider Papistry in any other light than a most feeble, childish piece of humbug, let them turn Papists at once — that’s all.  I consider Methodism, Quakerism, and the extremes of High and Low Churchism foolish, but Roman Catholicism beats them all.  At the same time, allow me to tell you, that there are some Catholics who are as good as any Christians can be to whom the Bible is a sealed book, and much better than many Protestants.”

When the Brontës first went to Brussels, it was with the intention of remaining there for six months, or until the
grandes vacances
began in September.  The duties of the school were then suspended for six weeks or two months, and it seemed a desirable period for their return.  But the proposal mentioned in the foregoing letter altered their plans.  Besides, they were happy in the feeling that they were making progress in all the knowledge they had so long been yearning to acquire.  They were happy, too, in possessing friends whose society had been for years congenial to them, and in occasional meetings with these, they could have the inexpressible solace to residents in a foreign country — and peculiarly such to the Brontës — of talking over the intelligence received from their respective homes — referring to past, or planning for future days.  “Mary” and her sister, the bright, dancing, laughing Martha, were parlour-boarders in an establishment just beyond the barriers of Brussels.  Again, the cousins of these friends were resident in the town; and at their house Charlotte and Emily were always welcome, though their overpowering shyness prevented their more valuable qualities from being known, and generally kept them silent.  They spent their weekly holiday with this family, for many months; but at the end of the time, Emily was as impenetrable to friendly advances as at the beginning; while Charlotte was too physically weak (as “Mary” has expressed it) to “gather up her forces” sufficiently to express any difference or opposition of opinion, and had consequently an assenting and deferential manner, strangely at variance with what they knew of her remarkable talents and decided character.  At this house, the T.’s and the Brontës could look forward to meeting each other pretty frequently.  There was another English family where Charlotte soon became a welcome guest, and where, I suspect, she felt herself more at her ease than either at Mrs. Jenkins’, or the friends whom I have first mentioned.

An English physician, with a large family of daughters, went to reside at Brussels, for the sake of their education.  He placed them at Madame Héger’s school in July, 1842, not a month before the beginning of the
grandes vacances
on August 15th.  In order to make the most of their time, and become accustomed to the language, these English sisters went daily, through the holidays, to the pensionnat in the Rue d’Isabelle.  Six or eight boarders remained, besides the Miss Brontës.  They were there during the whole time, never even having the break to their monotonous life, which passing an occasional day with a friend would have afforded them; but devoting themselves with indefatigable diligence to the different studies in which they were engaged.  Their position in the school appeared, to these new comers, analogous to what is often called that of a parlour-boarder.  They prepared their French, drawing, German, and literature for their various masters; and to these occupations Emily added that of music, in which she was somewhat of a proficient; so much so as to be qualified to give instruction in it to the three younger sisters of my informant.

The school was divided into three classes.  In the first were from fifteen to twenty pupils; in the second, sixty was about the average number — all foreigners, excepting the two Brontës and one other; in the third, there were from twenty to thirty pupils.  The first and second classes occupied a long room, divided by a wooden partition; in each division were four long ranges of desks; and at the end was the
estrade
, or platform, for the presiding instructor.  On the last row, in the quietest corner, sat Charlotte and Emily, side by side, so deeply absorbed in their studies as to be insensible to any noise or movement around them.  The school-hours were from nine to twelve (the luncheon hour), when the boarders and half-boarders — perhaps two-and-thirty girls — went to the refectoire (a room with two long tables, having an oil-lamp suspended over each), to partake of bread and fruit; the
externes
, or morning pupils, who had brought their own refreshment with them, adjourning to eat it in the garden.  From one to two, there was fancy-work — a pupil reading aloud some light literature in each room; from two to four, lessons again.  At four, the externes left; and the remaining girls dined in the refectoire, M. and Madame Héger presiding.  From five to six there was recreation, from six to seven, preparation for lessons; and, after that succeeded the
lecture pieuse
— Charlotte’s nightmare.  On rare occasions, M. Héger himself would come in, and substitute a book of a different and more interesting kind.  At eight, there was a slight meal of water and
pistolets
(the delicious little Brussels rolls), which was immediately followed by prayers, and then to bed.

The principal bedroom was over the long classe, or schoolroom.  There were six or eight narrow beds on each side of the apartment, every one enveloped in its white draping curtain; a long drawer, beneath each, served for a wardrobe, and between each was a stand for ewer, basin, and looking-glass.  The beds of the two Miss Brontës were at the extreme end of the room, almost as private and retired as if they had been in a separate apartment.

During the hours of recreation, which were always spent in the garden, they invariably walked together, and generally kept a profound silence; Emily, though so much the taller, leaning on her sister.  Charlotte would always answer when spoken to, taking the lead in replying to any remark addressed to both; Emily rarely spoke to any one.  Charlotte’s quiet, gentle manner never changed.  She was never seen out of temper for a moment; and occasionally, when she herself had assumed the post of English teacher, and the impertinence or inattention of her pupils was most irritating, a slight increase of colour, a momentary sparkling of the eye, and more decided energy of manner, were the only outward tokens she gave of being conscious of the annoyance to which she was subjected.  But this dignified endurance of hers subdued her pupils, in the long run, far more than the voluble tirades of the other mistresses.  My informant adds: — “The effect of this manner was singular.  I can speak from personal experience.  I was at that time high-spirited and impetuous, not respecting the French mistresses; yet, to my own astonishment, at one word from her, I was perfectly tractable; so much so, that at length, M. and Madame Héger invariably preferred all their wishes to me through her; the other pupils did not, perhaps, love her as I did, she was so quiet and silent; but all respected her.”

With the exception of that part which describes Charlotte’s manner as English teacher — an office which she did not assume for some months later — all this description of the school life of the two Brontës refers to the commencement of the new scholastic year in October 1842; and the extracts I have given convey the first impression which the life at a foreign school, and the position of the two Miss Brontës therein, made upon an intelligent English girl of sixteen.  I will make a quotation from “Mary’s” letter referring to this time.