for；　enter　into　my　mind　and　rankle　there　like　venom。　　I　know　these　feelings　are　absurd；　and　therefore　I　try　to　hide　them；　but　they　only　sting　the　deeper　for　concealment。〃
  Compare　this　state　of　mind　with　the　gentle　resignation　with　which　she　had　submitted　to　be　put　aside　as　useless；　or　told　of　her　ugliness　by　her　schoolfellows；　only　three　years　before。
  〃My　life　since　I　saw　you　has　passed　as　monotonously　and　unbroken　as　ever；　nothing　but　teach；　teach；　teach；　from　morning　till　night。　The　greatest　variety　I　ever　have　is　afforded　by　a　letter　from　you；　or　by　meeting　with　a　pleasant　new　book。　　The　'Life　of　Oberlin；'　and　'Leigh　Richmond's　Domestic　Portraiture；'　are　the　last　of　this　description。　　The　latter　work　strongly　attracted　and　strangely　fascinated　my　attention。　　Beg；　borrow；　or　steal　it　without　delay；　and　read　the　'Memoir　of　Wilberforce；'that　short　record　of　a　brief　uneventful　life；　I　shall　never　forget　it；　it　is　beautiful；　not　on　account　of　the　language　in　which　it　is　written；　not　on　account　of　the　incidents　it　details；　but　because　of　the　simple　narrative　it　gives　of　a　young　talented　sincere　Christian。〃
  About　this　time　Miss　W…　removed　her　school　from　the　fine；　open；　breezy　situation　of　Roe　Head；　to　Dewsbury　Moor；　only　two　or　three　miles　distant。　　Her　new　residence　was　on　a　lower　site；　and　the　air　was　less　exhilarating　to　one　bred　in　the　wild　hill…village　of　Haworth。　　Emily　had　gone　as　teacher　to　a　school　at　Halifax；　where　there　were　nearly　forty　pupils。
  〃I　have　had　one　letter　from　her　since　her　departure；〃　writes　Charlotte；　on　October　2nd；　1836：　　〃it　gives　an　appalling　account　of　her　duties；　hard　labour　from　six　in　the　morning　to　eleven　at　night；　with　only　one　half…hour　of　exercise　between。　　This　is　slavery。　　I　fear　she　can　never　stand　it。〃
  When　the　sisters　met　at　home　in　the　Christmas　holidays；　they　talked　over　their　lives；　and　the　prospect　which　they　afforded　of　employment　and　remuneration。　　They　felt　that　it　was　a　duty　to　relieve　their　father　of　the　burden　of　their　support；　if　not　entirely；　or　that　of　all　three；　at　least　that　of　one　or　two；　and；　naturally；　the　lot　devolved　upon　the　elder　ones　to　find　some　occupation　which　would　enable　them　to　do　this。　　They　knew　that　they　were　never　likely　to　inherit　much　money。　　Mr。　Bronte　had　but　a　small　stipend；　and　was　both　charitable　and　liberal。　　Their　aunt　had　an　annuity　of　50L。；　but　it　reverted　to　others　at　her　death；　and　her　nieces　had　no　right；　and　were　the　last　persons　in　the　world　to　reckon　upon　her　savings。　　What　could　they　do？　　Charlotte　and　Emily　were　trying　teaching；　and；　as　it　seemed；　without　much　success。　　The　former；　it　is　true；　had　the　happiness　of　having　a　friend　for　her　employer；　and　of　being　surrounded　by　those　who　knew　her　and　loved　her；　but　her　salary　was　too　small　for　her　to　save　out　of　it；　and　her　education　did　not　entitle　her　to　a　larger。　　The　sedentary　and　monotonous　nature　of　the　life；　too；　was　preying　upon　her　health　and　spirits；　although；　with　necessity　〃as　her　mistress；〃　she　might　hardly　like　to　acknowledge　this　even　to　herself。　　But　Emilythat　free；　wild；　untameable　spirit；　never　happy　nor　well　but　on　the　sweeping　moors　that　gathered　round　her　homethat　hater　of　strangers；　doomed　to　live　amongst　them；　and　not　merely　to　live　but　to　slave　in　their　servicewhat　Charlotte　could　have　borne　patiently　for　herself；　she　could　not　bear　for　her　sister。　　And　yet　what　to　do？　　She　had　once　hoped　that　she　herself　might　become　an　artist；　and　so　earn　her　livelihood；　but　her　eyes　had　failed　her　in　the　minute　and　useless　labour　which　she　had　imposed　upon　herself　with　a　view　to　this　end。
  It　was　the　household　custom　among　these　girls　to　sew　till　nine　o'clock　at　night。　　At　that　hour；　Miss　Branwell　generally　went　to　bed；　and　her　nieces'　duties　for　the　day　were　accounted　done。　　They　put　away　their　work；　and　began　to　pace　the　room　backwards　and　forwards；　up　and　down；as　often　with　the　candles　extinguished；　for　economy's　sake；　as　not；their　figures　glancing　into　the　fire…　light；　and　out　into　the　shadow；　perpetually。　　At　this　time；　they　talked　over　past　cares　and　troubles；　they　planned　for　the　future；　and　consulted　each　other　as　to　their　plans。　　In　after　years　this　was　the　time　for　discussing　together　the　plots　of　their　novels。　And　again；　still　later；　this　was　the　time　for　the　last　surviving　sister　to　walk　alone；　from　old　accustomed　habit；　round　and　round　the　desolate　room；　thinking　sadly　upon　the　〃days　that　were　no　more。〃　　But　this　Christmas　of　1836　was　not　without　its　hopes　and　daring　aspirations。　　They　had　tried　their　hands　at　story…writing；　in　their　miniature　magazine；　long　ago；　they　all　of　them　〃made　out〃　perpetually。　　They　had　likewise　attempted　to　write　poetry；　and　had　a　modest　confidence　that　they　had　achieved　a　tolerable　success。　But　they　knew　that　they　might　deceive　themselves；　and　that　sisters'　judgments　of　each　other's　productions　were　likely　to　be　too　partial　to　be　depended　upon。　　So　Charlotte；　as　the　eldest；　resolved　to　write　to　Southey。　　I　believe　（from　an　expression　in　a　letter　to　be　noticed　hereafter）；　that　she　also　consulted　Coleridge；　but　I　have　not　met　with　any　part　of　that　correspondence。
  On　December　29th；　her　letter　to　Southey　was　despatched；　and　from　an　excitement　not　unnatural　in　a　girl　who　has　worked　herself　up　to　the　pitch　of　writing　to　a　Poet　Laureate　and　asking　his　opinion　of　her　poems；　she　used　some　high…flown　expressions　which；　probably；　gave　him　the　idea　that　she　was　a　romantic　young　lady；　unacquainted　with　the　realities　of　life。
  This；　most　likely；　was　the　first　of　those　adventurous　letters　that　passed　through　the　little　post…office　of　Haworth。　　Morning　after　morning　of　the　holidays　slipped　away；　and　there　was　no　answer；　the　sisters　had　to　leave　home；　and　Emily　to　return　to　her　distasteful　duties；　without　knowing　even　whether　Charlotte's　letter　had　ever　reached　its　destination。
  Not　dispirited；　however；　by　the　delay；　Branwell　determined　to　try　a　similar　venture；　and　addressed　the　following　letter　to　Wordsworth。　　It　was　given　by　the　poet　to　Mr。　Quillinan　in　1850；　after　the　name　of　Bronte　had　become　known　and　famous。　　I　have　no　means　of　ascertaining　what　answer　was　returned　by　Mr。　Wordsworth；　but　that　he　considered　the　letter　remarkable　may；　I　think；　be　inferred　both　from　its　preservation；　and　its　recurrence　to　his　memory　when　the　real　name　of　Currer　Bell　was　made　known　to　the　public。
  〃Haworth；　near　Bradford；　〃Yorkshire；　January　19；　1837。
  〃Sir；I　most　earnestly　entreat　you　to　read　and　pass　your　judgment　upon　what　I　have　sent　you；　because　from　the　day　of　my　birth　to　this　the　nineteenth　year　of　my　life；　I　have　lived　among　secluded　hills；　where　I　could　neither　know　what　I　was；　or　what　I　could　do。　I　read　for　the　same　reason　that　I　ate　or　drank；　because　it　was　a　real　craving　of　nature。　　I　wrote　on　the　same　principle　as　I　spoke…　…out　of　the　impulse　and　feelings　of　the　mind；　nor　could　I　help　it；　for　what　came；　came　out；　and　there　was　the　end　of　it。　　For　as　to　self…conceit；　that　could　not　receive　food　from　flattery；　since　to　this　hour；　not　half　a　dozen　people　in　the　world　know　that　I　have　ever　penned　a　line。
  〃But　a　change　has　taken　place　now；　sir：　　and　I　am　arrived　at　an　age　wherein　I　must　do　something　for　myself：　　the　powers　I　possess　must　be　exercised　to　a　definite　end；　and　as　I　don't　know　them　myself　I　must　ask　of　others　what　they　are　worth。　　Yet　there　is　not　one　here　to　tell　me；　and　still；　if　they　are　worthless；　time　will　henceforth　be　too　precious　to　be　wasted　on　them。
  〃Do　pardon　me；　sir；　that　I　have　ventured　to　come　before　one　whose　works　I　have　most　loved　in　our　literature；　and　who　most　has　been　with　me　a　divinity　of　the　mind；　laying　before　him　one　of　my　writings；　and　asking　of　him　a　judgment　of　its　contents。　　I　must　come　before　some　one　from　whose　sentence　there　is　no　appeal；　and　such　a　one　is　he　who　has　developed　the　theory　of　poetry　as　well　as　its　practice；　and　both　in　such　a　way　as　to　claim　a　place　in　the　memory　of　a　thousand　years　to　come。
  〃My　aim；　sir；　is　to　push　out　into　the　open　world；　and　for　this　I　trust　not　poetry　alonethat　might　launch　the　vessel；　but　could　not　bear　her　on；　sensible　and　scientific　prose；　bold　and　vigorous　efforts　in　my　walk　in　life；　would　give　a　farther　title　to　the　notice　of　the　world；　and　then　again　poetry　ought　to　brighten　and　crown　that　name　with　glory；　but　nothing　of　all　this　can　be　ever　begun　without　means；　and　as　I　don't　possess　these；　I　must　in　every　shape　strive　to　gain　them。　　Surely；　in　this　day；　when　there　is　not　a　WRITING　poet　worth　a　sixpence；　the　field　must　be　open；　if　a　better　man　can　step　forward。
  〃What　I　send　you　is　the　Prefatory　Scene　of　a　much　longer　subject；　in　which　I　have　striven　to　develop　strong　passions　and　weak　principles　struggling　with　a　high　imagination　and　acute　feelings；　till；　as　youth　hardens　towards　age；　evil　deeds　and　short　enjoyments　end　in　mental　misery　and　bodily　ruin。　　Now；　to　send　you　the　whole　of　this　would　be　a　mock　upon　your　patience；　what　you　see；　does　not　even　pretend　to　be　more　than　the　description　of　an　imaginative　child。　　But　read　it；　sir；　and；　as　you　would　hold　a　light　to　one　in　utter　darknessas　you　value　your　own　kindheartednessRETURN　me　an　ANSWER；　if　but　one　word；　telling　me　whether　I　should　write　on；　or　write　no　more。　　Forgive　undue　warmth；　beca