The Life of Charlotte Brontë by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
by ELIZABETH CLEGHORN GASKELL
Mr. Brontë afflicted with blindness, and relieved by a successfuloperation for cataract—Charlotte Brontë's first work of fiction, "TheProfessor"—She commences "Jane Eyre"—Circumstances attending itscomposition—Her ideas of a heroine—Her attachment to home—Haworth inDecember—A letter of confession and counsel.
State of Charlotte Brontë's health at the commencement of1847—Family trials—"Wuthering Heights" and "Agnes Grey" acceptedby a publisher—"The Professor" rejected—Completion of "Jane Eyre",its reception and publication—The reviews of "Jane Eyre", and theauthor's comments on them—Her father's reception of the book—Publicinterest excited by "Jane Eyre"—Dedication of the second edition toMr. Thackeray—Correspondence of Currer Bell with Mr. Lewes on "JaneEyre"—Publication of "Wuthering Heights" and "Agnes Grey"—MissBrontë's account of the authoress of "Wuthering Heights"—Domesticanxieties of the Brontë sisters—Currer Bell's correspondence with Mr.Lewes—Unhealthy state of Haworth—Charlotte Brontë on the revolutionsof 1848—Her repudiation of authorship—Anne Brontë's second tale, "TheTenant of Wildfell Hall"—Misunderstanding as to the individualityof the three Bells, and its results—Currer and Acton Bell visitLondon—Charlotte Brontë's account of her visit—The Chapter CoffeeHouse—The Clergy Daughters' School at Casterton—Death of BranwellBrontë—Illness and death of Emily Brontë.
The Quarterly Review on "Jane Eyre"—Severe illness of Anne Brontë—Herlast verses—She is removed to Scarborough—Her last hours, and deathand burial there—Charlotte's return to Haworth, and her loneliness.
Commencement and completion of "Shirley"—Originals of the characters,and circumstances under which it was written—Loss on railwayshares—Letters to Mr. Lewes and other friends on "Shirley," and thereviews of it—Miss Brontë visits London, meets Mr. Thackeray, and makesthe acquaintance of Miss Martineau—Her impressions of literary men.
"Currer Bell" identified as Miss Brontë at Haworth and the vicinity—Herletter to Mr. Lewes on his review of "Shirley"—Solitude andheavy mental sadness and anxiety—She visits Sir J. and Lady KayShuttleworth—Her comments on critics, and remarks on Thackeray's"Pendennis" and Scott's "Suggestions on Female Education"—Opinions of"Shirley" by Yorkshire readers.
An unhealthy spring at Haworth—Miss Brontë's proposed visit toLondon—Her remarks on "The Leader"—Associations of her walks on themoors—Letter to an unknown admirer of her works—Incidents of her visitto London—Her impressions of a visit to Scotland—Her portrait, byRichmond—Anxiety about her father.
Visit to Sir J. and Lady Kay Shuttleworth—The biographer's impressionsof Miss Brontë—Miss Brontë's account of her visit to the Lakes ofWestmoreland—Her disinclination for acquaintance and visiting—Remarkson "Woman's Mission," Tennyson's "In Memoriam," etc.—Impressions of hervisit to Scotland—Remarks on a review in the "Palladium."
Intended republication of "Wuthering Heights" and "Agnes Grey"—