which　some　of　their　simple　revelations　would　have　in　altering　the　opinions　entertained　by　their　friends　of　the　persons　placed　around　them。　　Besides；　Charlotte's　earnest　vigorous　mind　saw；　at　an　unusually　early　age；　the　immense　importance　of　education；　as　furnishing　her　with　tools　which　she　had　the　strength　and　the　will　to　wield；　and　she　would　be　aware　that　the　Cowan　Bridge　education　was；　in　many　points；　the　best　that　her　father　could　provide　for　her。
  Before　Maria　Bronte's　death；　that　low　fever　broke　out；　in　the　spring　of　1825；　which　is　spoken　of　in　〃Jane　Eyre。〃　　Mr。　Wilson　was　extremely　alarmed　at　the　first　symptoms　of　this。　　He　went　to　a　kind　motherly　woman；　who　had　had　some　connection　with　the　school　as　laundress；　I　believeand　asked　her　to　come　and　tell　him　what　was　the　matter　with　them。　　She　made　herself　ready；　and　drove　with　him　in　his　gig。　　When　she　entered　the　school…room；　she　saw　from　twelve　to　fifteen　girls　lying　about；　some　resting　their　aching　heads　on　the　table；　others　on　the　ground；　all　heavy…eyed；　flushed；　indifferent；　and　weary；　with　pains　in　every　limb。　　Some　peculiar　odour；　she　says；　made　her　recognise　that　they　were　sickening　for　〃the　fever；〃　and　she　told　Mr。　Wilson　so；　and　that　she　could　not　stay　there　for　fear　of　conveying　the　infection　to　her　own　children；　but　he　half　commanded；　and　half　entreated　her　to　remain　and　nurse　them；　and　finally　mounted　his　gig　and　drove　away；　while　she　was　still　urging　that　she　must　return　to　her　own　house；　and　to　her　domestic　duties；　for　which　she　had　provided　no　substitute。　However；　when　she　was　left　in　this　unceremonious　manner；　she　determined　to　make　the　best　of　it；　and　a　most　efficient　nurse　she　proved：　　although；　as　she　says；　it　was　a　dreary　time。
  Mr。　Wilson　supplied　everything　ordered　by　the　doctors；　of　the　best　quality　and　in　the　most　liberal　manner；　the　invalids　were　attended　by　Dr。　Batty；　a　very　clever　surgeon　in　Kirby；　who　had　had　the　medical　superintendence　of　the　establishment　from　the　beginning；　and　who　afterwards　became　Mr。　Wilson's　brother…in…law。　　I　have　heard　from　two　witnesses　besides　Charlotte　Bronte；　that　Dr。　Batty　condemned　the　preparation　of　the　food　by　the　expressive　action　of　spitting　out　a　portion　of　it。　　He　himself；　it　is　but　fair　to　say；　does　not　remember　this　circumstance；　nor　does　he　speak　of　the　fever　itself　as　either　alarming　or　dangerous。　　About　forty　of　the　girls　suffered　from　this；　but　none　of　them　died　at　Cowan　Bridge；　though　one　died　at　her　own　home；　sinking　under　the　state　of　health　which　followed　it。　　None　of　the　Brontes　had　the　fever。　　But　the　same　causes；　which　affected　the　health　of　the　other　pupils　through　typhus；　told　more　slowly；　but　not　less　surely；　upon　their　constitutions。　　The　principal　of　these　causes　was　the　food。
  The　bad　management　of　the　cook　was　chiefly　to　be　blamed　for　this；　she　was　dismissed；　and　the　woman　who　had　been　forced　against　her　will　to　serve　as　head　nurse；　took　the　place　of　housekeeper；　and　henceforward　the　food　was　so　well　prepared　that　no　one　could　ever　reasonably　complain　of　it。　　Of　course　it　cannot　be　expected　that　a　new　institution；　comprising　domestic　and　educational　arrangements　for　nearly　a　hundred　persons；　should　work　quite　smoothly　at　the　beginning。
  All　this　occurred　during　the　first　two　years　of　the　establishment；　and　in　estimating　its　effect　upon　the　character　of　Charlotte　Bronte；　we　must　remember　that　she　was　a　sensitive　thoughtful　child；　capable　of　reflecting　deeply；　if　not　of　analyzing　truly；　and　peculiarly　susceptible；　as　are　all　delicate　and　sickly　children；　to　painful　impressions。　　What　the　healthy　suffer　from　but　momentarily　and　then　forget；　those　who　are　ailing　brood　over　involuntarily　and　remember　long；perhaps　with　no　resentment；　but　simply　as　a　piece　of　suffering　that　has　been　stamped　into　their　very　life。　　The　pictures；　ideas；　and　conceptions　of　character　received　into　the　mind　of　the　child　of　eight　years　old；　were　destined　to　be　reproduced　in　fiery　words　a　quarter　of　a　century　afterwards。　　She　saw　but　one　side　of　Mr。　Wilson's　character；　and　many　of　those　who　knew　him　at　that　time　assure　me　of　the　fidelity　with　which　this　is　represented；　while　at　the　same　time　they　regret　that　the　delineation　should　have　obliterated；　as　it　were；　nearly　all　that　was　noble　or　conscientious。　　And　that　there　were　grand　and　fine　qualities　in　Mr。　Wilson；　I　have　received　abundant　evidence。　　Indeed　for　several　weeks　past　I　have　received　letters　almost　daily；　bearing　on　the　subject　of　this　chapter；　some　vague；　some　definite；　many　full　of　love　and　admiration　for　Mr。　Wilson；　some　as　full　of　dislike　and　indignation；　few　containing　positive　facts。　　After　giving　careful　consideration　to　this　mass　of　conflicting　evidence；　I　have　made　such　alterations　and　omissions　in　this　chapter　as　seem　to　me　to　be　required。　　It　is　but　just　to　state　that　the　major　part　of　the　testimony　with　which　I　have　been　favoured　from　old　pupils　is　in　high　praise　of　Mr。　Wilson。　　Among　the　letters　that　I　have　read；　there　is　one　whose　evidence　ought　to　be　highly　respected。　　It　is　from　the　husband　of　〃Miss　Temple。〃　She　died　in　1856；　but　he；　a　clergyman；　thus　wrote　in　reply　to　a　letter　addressed　to　him　on　the　subject　by　one　of　Mr。　Wilson's　friends：…　〃Often　have　I　heard　my　late　dear　wife　speak　of　her　sojourn　at　Cowan　Bridge；　always　in　terms　of　admiration　of　Mr。　Carus　Wilson；　his　parental　love　to　his　pupils；　and　their　love　for　him；　of　the　food　and　general　treatment；　in　terms　of　approval。　　I　have　heard　her　allude　to　an　unfortunate　cook；　who　used　at　times　to　spoil　the　porridge；　but　who；　she　said；　was　soon　dismissed。〃
  The　recollections　left　of　the　four　Bronte　sisters　at　this　period　of　their　lives；　on　the　minds　of　those　who　associated　with　them；　are　not　very　distinct。　　Wild；　strong　hearts；　and　powerful　minds；　were　hidden　under　an　enforced　propriety　and　regularity　of　demeanour　and　expression；　just　as　their　faces　had　been　concealed　by　their　father；　under　his　stiff；　unchanging　mask。　　Maria　was　delicate；　unusually　clever　and　thoughtful　for　her　age；　gentle；　and　untidy。　　Of　her　frequent　disgrace　from　this　last　faultof　her　sufferings；　so　patiently　borneI　have　already　spoken。　　The　only　glimpse　we　get　of　Elizabeth；　through　the　few　years　of　her　short　life；　is　contained　in　a　letter　which　I　have　received　from　〃Miss　Temple。〃　　〃The　second；　Elizabeth；　is　the　only　one　of　the　family　of　whom　I　have　a　vivid　recollection；　from　her　meeting　with　a　somewhat　alarming　accident；　in　consequence　of　which　I　had　her　for　some　days　and　nights　in　my　bedroom；　not　only　for　the　sake　of　greater　quiet；　but　that　I　might　watch　over　her　myself。　　Her　head　was　severely　cut；　but　she　bore　all　the　consequent　suffering　with　exemplary　patience；　and　by　it　won　much　upon　my　esteem。　　Of　the　two　younger　ones　（if　two　there　were）　I　have　very　slight　recollections；　save　that　one；　a　darling　child；　under　five　years　of　age；　was　quite　the　pet　nursling　of　the　school。〃　　This　last　would　be　Emily。　　Charlotte　was　considered　the　most　talkative　of　the　sistersa　〃bright；　clever；　little　child。〃　　Her　great　friend　was　a　certain　〃Mellany　Hane〃　（so　Mr。　Bronte　spells　the　name）；　whose　brother　paid　for　her　schooling；　and　who　had　no　remarkable　talent　except　for　music；　which　her　brother's　circumstances　forbade　her　to　cultivate。　　She　was　〃a　hungry；　good…natured；　ordinary　girl；〃　older　than　Charlotte；　and　ever　ready　to　protect　her　from　any　petty　tyranny　or　encroachments　on　the　part　of　the　elder　girls。　　Charlotte　always　remembered　her　with　affection　and　gratitude。
  I　have　quoted　the　word　〃bright〃　in　the　account　of　Charlotte。　　I　suspect　that　this　year　of　1825　was　the　last　time　it　could　ever　be　applied　to　her。　　In　the　spring　of　it；　Maria　became　so　rapidly　worse　that　Mr。　Bronte　was　sent　for。　　He　had　not　previously　been　aware　of　her　illness；　and　the　condition　in　which　he　found　her　was　a　terrible　shock　to　him。　　He　took　her　home　by　the　Leeds　coach；　the　girls　crowding　out　into　the　road　to　follow　her　with　their　eyes　over　the　bridge；　past　the　cottages；　and　then　out　of　sight　for　ever。　　She　died　a　very　few　days　after　her　arrival　at　home。　Perhaps　the　news　of　her　death　falling　suddenly　into　the　life　of　which　her　patient　existence　had　formed　a　part；　only　a　little　week　or　so　before；　made　those　who　remained　at　Cowan　Bridge　look　with　more　anxiety　on　Elizabeth's　symptoms；　which　also　turned　out　to　be　consumptive。　　She　was　sent　home　in　charge　of　a　confidential　servant　of　the　establishment；　and　she；　too；　died　in　the　early　summer　of　that　year。　　Charlotte　was　thus　suddenly　called　into　the　responsibilities　of　eldest　sister　in　a　motherless　family。　　She　remembered　how　anxiously　her　dear　sister　Maria　had　striven；　in　her　grave　earnest　way；　to　be　a　tender　helper　and　a　counsellor　to　them　all；　and　the　duties　that　now　fell　upon　her　seemed　almost　like　a　legacy　from　the　gentle　little　sufferer　so　lately　dead。
  Both　Charlotte　and　Emily　returned　to　school　after　the　Midsummer　holidays　in　this　fatal　year。　　But　before　the　next　winter　it　was　thought　desirable　to　advise　their　removal；　as　it　was　evident　that　the　damp　situation　of　the　house　at　Cowan　Bridge　did　not　suit　their　health。　｛3｝
  CHAPTER　V
  For　the　reason　just　stated；　the　little　girls　were　sent　home　in　the　autumn　of　1825；　when　Charlotte　was　little　more　than　nine　years　old。
  About　this　time；　an　elderly　woman