ger　members　of　this　recluse　family。　　To　Branwell　it　was　more　than　a　vivid　imagination；　it　was　an　impressed　reality。　　By　dint　of　studying　maps；　he　was　as　well　acquainted　with　it；　even　down　to　its　by…ways；　as　if　he　had　lived　there。　　Poor　misguided　fellow！　this　craving　to　see　and　know　London；　and　that　stronger　craving　after　fame；　were　never　to　be　satisfied。　　He　was　to　die　at　the　end　of　a　short　and　blighted　life。　　But　in　this　year　of　1835；　all　his　home　kindred　were　thinking　how　they　could　best　forward　his　views；　and　how　help　him　up　to　the　pinnacle　where　he　desired　to　be。　　What　their　plans　were；　let　Charlotte　explain。　　These　are　not　the　first　sisters　who　have　laid　their　lives　as　a　sacrifice　before　their　brother's　idolized　wish。　　Would　to　God　they　might　be　the　last　who　met　with　such　a　miserable　return！
  〃Haworth；　July　6th；　1835。
  〃I　had　hoped　to　have　had　the　extreme　pleasure　of　seeing　you　at　Haworth　this　summer；　but　human　affairs　are　mutable；　and　human　resolutions　must　bend　to　the　course　of　events。　　We　are　all　about　to　divide；　break　up；　separate。　　Emily　is　going　to　school；　Branwell　is　going　to　London；　and　I　am　going　to　be　a　governess。　　This　last　determination　I　formed　myself；　knowing　that　I　should　have　to　take　the　step　sometime；　'and　better　sune　as　syne；'　to　use　the　Scotch　proverb；　and　knowing　well　that　papa　would　have　enough　to　do　with　his　limited　income；　should　Branwell　be　placed　at　the　Royal　Academy；　and　Emily　at　Roe　Head。　　Where　am　I　going　to　reside？　you　will　ask。　　Within　four　miles　of　you；　at　a　place　neither　of　us　is　unacquainted　with；　being　no　other　than　the　identical　Roe　Head　mentioned　above。　　Yes！　　I　am　going　to　teach　in　the　very　school　where　I　was　myself　taught。　　Miss　W…　made　me　the　offer；　and　I　preferred　it　to　one　or　two　proposals　of　private　governess…ship；　which　I　had　before　received。　　I　am　sadvery　sadat　the　thoughts　of　leaving　home；　but　dutynecessitythese　are　stern　mistresses；　who　will　not　be　disobeyed。　　Did　I　not　once　say　you　ought　to　be　thankful　for　your　independence？　　I　felt　what　I　said　at　the　time；　and　I　repeat　it　now　with　double　earnestness；　if　anything　would　cheer　me；　it　is　the　idea　of　being　so　near　you。　　Surely；　you　and　Polly　will　come　and　see　me；　it　would　be　wrong　in　me　to　doubt　it；　you　were　never　unkind　yet。　　Emily　and　I　leave　home　on　the　27th　of　this　month；　the　idea　of　being　together　consoles　us　both　somewhat；　and；　truth；　since　I　must　enter　a　situation；　'My　lines　have　fallen　in　pleasant　places。'　　I　both　love　and　respect　Miss　W…。〃
  CHAPTER　VIII
  On　the　29th　of　July；　1835；　Charlotte；　now　a　little　more　than　nineteen　years　old；　went　as　teacher　to　Miss　W…'s。　Emily　accompanied　her　as　a　pupil；　but　she　became　literally　ill　from　home…sickness；　and　could　not　settle　to　anything；　and　after　passing　only　three　months　at　Roe　Head；　returned　to　the　parsonage　and　the　beloved　moors。
  Miss　Bronte　gives　the　following　reasons　as　those　which　prevented　Emily's　remaining　at　school；　and　caused　the　substitution　of　her　younger　sister　in　her　place　at　Miss　W…'s：…
  〃My　sister　Emily　loved　the　moors。　　Flowers　brighter　than　the　rose　bloomed　in　the　blackest　of　the　heath　for　her；out　of　a　sullen　hollow　in　a　livid　hill…side；　her　mind　could　make　an　Eden。　　She　found　in　the　bleak　solitude　many　and　dear　delights；　and　not　the　least　and　best…loved　wasliberty。　　Liberty　was　the　breath　of　Emily's　nostrils；　without　it　she　perished。　　The　change　from　her　own　home　to　a　school；　and　from　her　own　very　noiseless；　very　secluded；　but　unrestricted　and　unartificial　mode　of　life；　to　one　of　disciplined　routine　（though　under　the　kindest　auspices）；　was　what　she　failed　in　enduring。　　Her　nature　proved　here　too　strong　for　her　fortitude。　　Every　morning；　when　she　woke；　the　vision　of　home　and　the　moors　rushed　on　her；　and　darkened　and　saddened　the　day　that　lay　before　her。　　Nobody　knew　what　ailed　her　but　me。　　I　knew　only　too　well。　　In　this　struggle　her　health　was　quickly　broken：　　her　white　face；　attenuated　form；　and　failing　strength；　threatened　rapid　decline。　　I　felt　in　my　heart　she　would　die；　if　she　did　not　go　home；　and　with　this　conviction　obtained　her　recall。　She　had　only　been　three　months　at　school；　and　it　was　some　years　before　the　experiment　of　sending　her　from　home　was　again　ventured　on。〃
  This　physical　suffering　on　Emily's　part　when　absent　from　Haworth；　after　recurring　several　times　under　similar　circumstances；　became　at　length　so　much　an　acknowledged　fact；　that　whichever　was　obliged　to　leave　home；　the　sisters　decided　that　Emily　must　remain　there；　where　alone　she　could　enjoy　anything　like　good　health。　　She　left　it　twice　again　in　her　life；　once　going　as　teacher　to　a　school　in　Halifax　for　six　months；　and　afterwards　accompanying　Charlotte　to　Brussels　for　ten。　　When　at　home；　she　took　the　principal　part　of　the　cooking　upon　herself；　and　did　all　the　household　ironing；　and　after　Tabby　grew　old　and　infirm；　it　was　Emily　who　made　all　the　bread　for　the　family；　and　any　one　passing　by　the　kitchen…door；　might　have　seen　her　studying　German　out　of　an　open　book；　propped　up　before　her；　as　she　kneaded　the　dough；　but　no　study；　however　interesting；　interfered　with　the　goodness　of　the　bread；　which　was　always　light　and　excellent。　　Books　were；　indeed；　a　very　common　sight　in　that　kitchen；　the　girls　were　taught　by　their　father　theoretically；　and　by　their　aunt；　practically；　that　to　take　an　active　part　in　all　household　work　was；　in　their　position；　woman's　simple　duty；　but　in　their　careful　employment　of　time；　they　found　many　an　odd　five　minutes　for　reading　while　watching　the　cakes；　and　managed　the　union　of　two　kinds　of　employment　better　than　King　Alfred。
  Charlotte's　life　at　Miss　W…'s　was　a　very　happy　one；　until　her　health　failed。　　She　sincerely　loved　and　respected　the　former　schoolmistress；　to　whom　she　was　now　become　both　companion　and　friend。　　The　girls　were　hardly　strangers　to　her；　some　of　them　being　younger　sisters　of　those　who　had　been　her　own　playmates。　Though　the　duties　of　the　day　might　be　tedious　and　monotonous；　there　were　always　two　or　three　happy　hours　to　look　forward　to　in　the　evening；　when　she　and　Miss　W…　sat　togethersometimes　late　into　the　nightand　had　quiet　pleasant　conversations；　or　pauses　of　silence　as　agreeable；　because　each　felt　that　as　soon　as　a　thought　or　remark　occurred　which　they　wished　to　express；　there　was　an　intelligent　companion　ready　to　sympathise；　and　yet　they　were　not　compelled　to　〃make　talk。〃
  Miss　W…　was　always　anxious　to　afford　Miss　Bronte　every　opportunity　of　recreation　in　her　power；　but　the　difficulty　often　was　to　persuade　her　to　avail　herself　of　the　invitations　which　came；　urging　her　to　spend　Saturday　and　Sunday　with　〃E。〃　and　〃Mary；〃　in　their　respective　homes；　that　lay　within　the　distance　of　a　walk。　She　was　too　apt　to　consider；　that　allowing　herself　a　holiday　was　a　dereliction　of　duty；　and　to　refuse　herself　the　necessary　change；　from　something　of　an　over…ascetic　spirit；　betokening　a　loss　of　healthy　balance　in　either　body　or　mind。　　Indeed；　it　is　clear　that　such　was　the　case；　from　a　passage；　referring　to　this　time；　in　the　letter　of　〃Mary〃　from　which　I　have　before　given　extracts。
  〃Three　years　after〃　（the　period　when　they　were　at　school　together）〃I　heard　that　she　had　gone　as　teacher　to　Miss　W…'s。　　I　went　to　see　her；　and　asked　how　she　could　give　so　much　for　so　little　money；　when　she　could　live　without　it。　　She　owned　that；　after　clothing　herself　and　Anne；　there　was　nothing　left；　though　she　had　hoped　to　be　able　to　save　something。　　She　confessed　it　was　not　brilliant；　but　what　could　she　do？　　I　had　nothing　to　answer。　She　seemed　to　have　no　interest　or　pleasure　beyond　the　feeling　of　duty；　and；　when　she　could　get；　used　to　sit　alone；　and　'make　out。'　She　told　me　afterwards；　that　one　evening　she　had　sat　in　the　dressing…room　until　it　was　quite　dark；　and　then　observing　it　all　at　once；　had　taken　sudden　fright。〃　　No　doubt　she　remembered　this　well　when　she　described　a　similar　terror　getting　hold　upon　Jane　Eyre。　　She　says　in　the　story；　〃I　sat　looking　at　the　white　bed　and　overshadowed　wallsoccasionally　turning　a　fascinated　eye　towards　the　gleaming　mirrorI　began　to　recall　what　I　had　heard　of　dead　men　troubled　in　their　graves　。　。　。　I　endeavoured　to　be　firm；　shaking　my　hair　from　my　eyes；　I　lifted　my　head　and　tried　to　look　boldly　through　the　dark　room；　at　this　moment；　a　ray　from　the　moon　penetrated　some　aperture　in　the　blind。　　No！　moon　light　was　still；　and　this　stirred　。　。　。　prepared　as　my　mind　was　for　horror；　shaken　as　my　nerves　were　by　agitation；　I　thought　the　swift…darting　beam　was　a　herald　of　some　coming　vision　from　another　world。　　My　heart　beat　thick；　my　head　grew　hot；　a　sound　filled　my　ears　which　I　deemed　the　rustling　of　wings；　something　seemed　near　me。〃　｛4｝
  〃From　that　time；〃　Mary　adds；　〃her　imaginations　became　gloomy　or　frightful；　she　could　not　help　it；　nor　help　thinking。　　She　could　not　forget　the　gloom；　could　not　sleep　at　night；　nor　attend　in　the　day。
  〃She　told　me　that　one　night；　sitting　alone；　about　this　time；　she　heard　a　voice　repeat　these　lines：
  〃'Come　thou　high　and　holy　feeling；　Shine　o'er　mountain；　flit　o'er　wave；　Gleam　like　light　o'er　dome　and　shielding。'
  〃There　were　eight　or　ten　more　lines　which　I　forget。　　She　insisted　that　she　had　not　made　them；　that　she　had　heard　a　voice　repeat　them。　　It　is　possible　that　she　had　read　them；　and　unconsciously　rec