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　of　the　village　came　to　live　as　servant　at　the　parsonage。　　She　remained　there；　as　a　member　of　the　household；　for　thirty　years；　and　from　the　length　of　her　faithful　service；　and　the　attachment　and　respect　which　she　inspired；　is　deserving　of　mention。　　Tabby　was　a　thorough　specimen　of　a　Yorkshire　woman　of　her　class；　in　dialect；　in　appearance；　and　in　character。　　She　abounded　in　strong　practical　sense　and　shrewdness。　Her　words　were　far　from　flattery；　but　she　would　spare　no　deeds　in　the　cause　of　those　whom　she　kindly　regarded。　　She　ruled　the　children　pretty　sharply；　and　yet　never　grudged　a　little　extra　trouble　to　provide　them　with　such　small　treats　as　came　within　her　power。　　In　return；　she　claimed　to　be　looked　upon　as　a　humble　friend；　and；　many　years　later；　Miss　Bronte　told　me　that　she　found　it　somewhat　difficult　to　manage；　as　Tabby　expected　to　be　informed　of　all　the　family　concerns；　and　yet　had　grown　so　deaf　that　what　was　repeated　to　her　became　known　to　whoever　might　be　in　or　about　the　house。　　To　obviate　this　publication　of　what　it　might　be　desirable　to　keep　secret；　Miss　Bronte　used　to　take　her　out　for　a　walk　on　the　solitary　moors；　where；　when　both　were　seated　on　a　tuft　of　heather；　in　some　high　lonely　place；　she　could　acquaint　the　old　woman；　at　leisure；　with　all　that　she　wanted　to　hear。
  Tabby　had　lived　in　Haworth　in　the　days　when　the　pack…horses　went　through　once　a　week；　with　their　tinkling　bells　and　gay　worsted　adornment；　carrying　the　produce　of　the　country　from　Keighley　over　the　hills　to　Colne　and　Burnley。　　What　is　more；　she　had　known　the　〃bottom；〃　or　valley；　in　those　primitive　days　when　the　fairies　frequented　the　margin　of　the　〃beck〃　on　moonlight　nights；　and　had　known　folk　who　had　seen　them。　　But　that　was　when　there　were　no　mills　in　the　valleys；　and　when　all　the　wool…spinning　was　done　by　hand　in　the　farm…houses　round。　　〃It　wur　the　factories　as　had　driven　'em　away；〃　she　said。　　No　doubt　she　had　many　a　tale　to　tell　of　by…gone　days　of　the　country…side；　old　ways　of　living；　former　inhabitants；　decayed　gentry；　who　had　melted　away；　and　whose　places　knew　them　no　more；　family　tragedies；　and　dark　superstitious　dooms；　and　in　telling　these　things；　without　the　least　consciousness　that　there　might　ever　be　anything　requiring　to　be　softened　down；　would　give　at　full　length　the　bare　and　simple　details。
  Miss　Branwell　instructed　the　children　at　regular　hours　in　all　she　could　teach；　making　her　bed…chamber　into　their　school…room。　　Their　father　was　in　the　habit　of　relating　to　them　any　public　news　in　which　he　felt　an　interest；　and　from　the　opinions　of　his　strong　and　independent　mind　they　would　gather　much　food　for　thought；　but　I　do　not　know　whether　he　gave　them　any　direct　instruction。　　Charlotte's　deep　thoughtful　spirit　appears　to　have　felt　almost　painfully　the　tender　responsibility　which　rested　upon　her　with　reference　to　her　remaining　sisters。　　She　was　only　eighteen　months　older　than　Emily；　but　Emily　and　Anne　were　simply　companions　and　playmates；　while　Charlotte　was　motherly　friend　and　guardian　to　both；　and　this　loving　assumption　of　duties　beyond　her　years；　made　her　feel　considerably　older　than　she　really　was。
  Patrick　Branwell；　their　only　brother；　was　a　boy　of　remarkable　promise；　and；　in　some　ways；　of　extraordinary　precocity　of　talent。　Mr。　Bronte's　friends　advised　him　to　send　his　son　to　school；　but；　remembering　both　the　strength　of　will　of　his　own　youth　and　his　mode　of　employing　it；　he　believed　that　Patrick　was　better　at　home；　and　that　he　himself　could　teach　him　well；　as　he　had　taught　others　before。　　So　Patrick；　or　as　his　family　called　himBranwell；　remained　at　Haworth；　working　hard　for　some　hours　a　day　with　his　father；　but；　when　the　time　of　the　latter　was　taken　up　with　his　parochial　duties；　the　boy　was　thrown　into　chance　companionship　with　the　lads　of　the　villagefor　youth　will　to　youth；　and　boys　will　to　boys。
  Still；　he　was　associated　in　many　of　his　sisters'　plays　and　amusements。　　These　were　mostly　of　a　sedentary　and　intellectual　nature。　　I　have　had　a　curious　packet　confided　to　me；　containing　an　immense　amount　of　manuscript；　in　an　inconceivably　small　space；　tales；　dramas；　poems；　romances；　written　principally　by　Charlotte；　in　a　hand　which　it　is　almost　impossible　to　decipher　without　the　aid　of　a　magnifying　glass。　　No　description　will　give　so　good　an　idea　of　the　extreme　minuteness　of　the　writing　as　the　annexed　facsimile　of　a　page。
  Among　these　papers　there　is　a　list　of　her　works；　which　I　copy；　as　a　curious　proof　how　early　the　rage　for　literary　composition　had　seized　upon　her：…
  CATALOGUE　OF　MY　BOOKS；　WITH　THE　PERIOD　OF　THEIR　COMPLETION；　UP　TO　AUGUST　3RD；　1830。
  Two　romantic　tales　in　one　volume；　viz。；　The　Twelve　Adventurers　and　the　Adventures　in　Ireland；　April　2nd；　1829。
  The　Search　after　Happiness；　a　Tale；　Aug。　1st；　1829。
  Leisure　Hours；　a　Tale；　and　two　Fragments；　July　6th　1829。
  The　Adventures　of　Edward　de　Crack；　a　Tale；　Feb。　2nd；　1830。
  The　Adventures　of　Ernest　Alembert；　a　Tale；　May　26th；　1830。
  An　interesting　Incident　in　the　Lives　of　some　of　the　most　eminent　Persons　of　the　Age；　a　Tale；　June　10th；　1830。
  Tales　of　the　Islanders；　in　four　volumes。　　Contents　of　the　lst　Vol。：　l。　　An　Account　of　their　Origin；　2。　　A　Description　of　Vision　Island；　3。　　Ratten's　Attempt；　4。　　Lord　Charles　Wellesley　and　the　Marquis　of　Douro's　Adventure；　completed　June　31st；　1829。　2nd　Vol。：…　1。　　The　School…rebellion；　2。　　The　strange　Incident　in　the　Duke　of　Wellington's　Life；　3。　　Tale　to　his　Sons；　4。　　The　Marquis　of　Douro　and　Lord　Charles　Wellesley's　Tale　to　his　little　King　and　Queen；　completed　Dec。　2nd；　1829。　　3rd　Vol。：…　1。　　The　Duke　of　Wellington's　Adventure　in　the　Cavern；　2。　　The　Duke　of　Wellington　and　the　little　King's　and　Queen's　visit　to　the　Horse…　Guards；　completed　May　8th；　1830。　　4th　Vol。：…　1。　　The　three　old　Washer…women　of　Strathfieldsaye；　2。　　Lord　C。　Wellesley's　Tale　to　his　Brother；　completed　July　30th；　1830。
  Characters　of　Great　Men　of　the　Present　Age；　Dec。　17th　1829。
  The　Young　Men's　Magazines；　in　Six　Numbers；　from　August　to　December；　the　latter　months　double　number；　completed　December　the　12th；　1829。　　General　index　to　their　contents：…　1。　　A　True　Story；　2。　　Causes　of　the　War；　3。　　A　Song；　4。　　Conversations；　5。　　A　True　Story　continued；　6。　　The　Spirit　of　Cawdor；　7。　　Interior　of　a　Pothouse；　a　Poem；　8。　　The　Glass　Town；　a　Song；　9。　　The　Silver　Cup；　a　Tale；　10。　　The　Table　and　Vase　in　the　Desert；　a　Song；　11。　Conversations；　12。　　Scene　on　the　Great　Bridge；　13。　　Song　of　the　Ancient　Britons；　14。　　Scene　in　my　Tun；　a　Tale；　15。　　An　American　Tale；　16。　　Lines　written　on　seeing　the　Garden　of　a　Genius；　17。　The　Lay　of　the　Glass　Town；　18。　　The　Swiss　Artist；　a　Tale；　19。　Lines　on　the　Transfer　of　this　Magazine；　20。　　On　the　Same；　by　a　different　hand；　21。　　Chief　Genii　in　Council；　22。　　Harvest　in　Spain；　23。　　The　Swiss　Artists　continued；　24。　　Conversations。
  The　Poetaster；　a　Drama；　in　2　volumes；　July　12th；　1830。
  A　Book　of　Rhymes；　finished　December　17th；　1829。　　Contents：…　1。　The　Beauty　of　Nature；　2。　　A　Short　Poem；　3。　　Meditations　while　Journeying　in　a　Canadian　Forest；　4。　　Song　of　an　Exile；　5。　　On　Seeing　the　Ruins　of　the　Tower　of　Babel；　6。　　A　Thing　of　14　lines；　7。　　Lines　written　on　the　Bank　of　a　River　one　fine　Summer　Evening；　8。　　Spring；　a　Song；　9。　　Autumn；　a　Song。
  Miscellaneous　Poems；　finished　May　30th；　1830。　　Contents：…　1。　　The　Churchyard；　2。　　Description　of　the　Duke　of　Wellington's　Palace　on　the　Pleasant　Banks　of　the　Lusiva；　this　article　is　a　small　prose　tale　or　incident；　3。　　Pleasure；　　4。　　Lines　written　on　the　Summit　of　a　high　Mountain　of　the　North　of　England；　5。　　Winter；　6。　　Two　Fragments；　namely；　1st；　The　Vision；　2nd；　A　Short　untitled　Poem；　the　Evening　Walk；　a　Poem；　June　23rd；　1830。
  Making　in　the　whole　twenty…two　volumes。
  C。　BRONTE；　August　3；　1830
  As　each　volume　contains　from　sixty　to　a　hundred　pages；　and　the　size　of　the　page　lithographed　is　rather　less　than　the　average；　the　amount　of　the　whole　seems　very　great；　if　we　remember　that　it　was　all　written　in　about　fifteen　months。　　So　much　for　the　quantity；　the　quality　strikes　me　as　of　singular　merit　for　a　girl　of　thirteen　or　fourteen。　　Both　as　a　specimen　of　her　prose　style　at　this　time；　and　also　as　revealing　something　of　the　quiet　domestic　life　led　by　these　children；　I　take　an　extract　from　the　introduction　to　〃Tales　of　the　Islanders；〃　the　title　of　one　of　their　〃Little　Magazines：〃　…
  〃June　the　31st；　1829。
  〃The　play　of　the　'Islanders'　was　formed　in　December；　1827；　in　the　following　manner。　　One　night；　about　the　time　when　the　cold　sleet　and　stormy　fogs　of　November　are　succeeded　by　the　snow…storms；　and　high　piercing　night　winds　of　confirmed　winter；　we　were　all　sitting　round　the　warm　blazing　kitchen　fire；　having　just　concluded　a　quarrel　with　Tabby　concerning　the　propriety　of　lighting　a　candle；　from　which　she　came　off　victorious；　no　candle　having　been　produced。　　A　long　pause　succeeded；　which　was　at　last　broken　by　Branwell　saying；　in　a　lazy　manner；　'I　don't　know　what　to　do。'　This　was　echoed　by　Emily　and　Anne。
  〃TABBY。　　'Wha　ya　may　go　t'　bed。'
  〃BRANWELL。　　'I'd　rather　do　anything　than　that。'
  〃CHARLOTTE。　　'Why　are　you