The Bronte Country
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TH E BRON T E C OUN T RY “ ITS Topoca pm PI T I uI cru—z s m , , N Q ‘ 1‘ AN D M18 ORY. J . H . E R 8 K I E r u n m N g , E i a n . — T a nk G od for th e r e n ea rt . BL n fc h g e h K A Von Lm . P a n i s th e embodi men t o f th e un i er se a n d E c ho v , i s th e mer e ta lker a bout th e u n i er se . Let u s o th er efor P v g , e, to a n mself i t we wi sh tr ul to kn ow th e un i er s h hi , y v e ; a n d to E c o , i t — we wish only to hea r a bout i t. LOBD Ba c on . Is ON DON E O GM ZX 8 G E E N N , R N 81 ( CO. 1 888. e on n ' P a mm n B" Ga m m a GR E E N I N G , ' BI ON C OUR T K mxea m . AL , ‘ P R E P ZX GE . coun try associated with the Bron tes i s of n u a n d the -rur or two ki ds , the r ral semi al - n u n ur ban rural . The first i cl des the sce es ’ i n Irelan d con n ected with Patr ick Bron te s youth ; those i n Essex where he held hi s first curacy ; the Corni sh scen es conn ected with Ma r ia Bran well ; h n d n Br d ll a n d Hawort a the Moors ; Cowa i ge , Tun sta , n n nn Casterto . The latter embraces the sce es co ected ’ t h r u u a n d with Patrick s firs Yorks i e c racy at Dewsb ry , his subsequen t Yorkshi re in cumben cies at Hartshea d a n d Thorn ton ; the school scen es of the sisters ; the houses they visited ; all of which material is lar gely i P E E . v. R FAC u n s n s i n n drawn po for the ce e Ja e Eyre , Shirley . Havin g resided for a few years i n the Heavy Woollen n h n wi District , which eve to t is day is redole t th m s n u n emorie of Charlotte Bro te , it wo ld have bee passin g stran ge if I had n ot early mani fested a curiosi ty in ac quirin g scraps of in formation a n d an ecdotes regardin g this ma rvellou s woman a n d her n o less a l n e s r s s - s n i n t e t d iste , whose chool days were pe t great i n Mi r fi eld a n d s u d s s part the Dew b ry i tricts of York hire , while she paid ma n y happy visits i n after life to the n a m i n n eighbourhood of Birstall . Soo fter y arrival Y r I wa s r u n n a on e who in o kshire , b o ght i to co t ct with , , e wa s i n d hi her arly days , rocked the cra le w ch Charlotte u a n d m I t h a d formerly oc c pied , fro her heard a grea un u m m u n o s deal about this iq e fa ily , who were fa o s les n n a n d for their good br ai s tha for their good hearts , who were ever remembered by former depen dan ts a s n - n u s i n n o ki dly, ju stice lovi g s perior , who were way ’ u respecters of person s . Patric k Bron te s c ra c y at ur n d n um n a a l o Dewsb y , a his i c be cy at Hartshe d , s n er s me a n d u ha n e s i t e ted , the res lt was t t I fi ally s ayed n ew u i n n k n a depart re Bro te literature , by s etchi g a few of the scen es conn ected with the family i n a series a c i n ur n h e of rti les the Yorkshire Weekly Post , d i g t n te 1 - n lu wi r of 886 7 . When these articles were co c ded, i it appeared to me that w th a n exten ded ran ge of u m a n d s bjects , a more complete work ight be achieved , u n BR ON TF; U this prod ctio , THE CO NTRY , is the u m res lt of y labours . The object of this book is to give to the reader a full description of the coun try whi ch produced this talen ted f a n hi n u a n d i t e amily , d w ch foster ed their ge i s , is hop d that from these pages will exhale a breath of reality in n ut so k n o descriptio which will p the reader , to spea , i t n th n a n d n hi m a e the positio of e Bro tes , e able to re lis more easily the won derful beauty of their descr iption s . - - c n a n d out of if . of s e ery , of door l e At the same time , vi . ma m a s . a n tiquiti es a n d matters of hi storical in terest perta in in g t di s e wi n ot n t n o the strict tr ated of, ll be awa i g, so that - the volume will n ot be merely a pictur e book with word, u a n d but il pict res ppe ed, w l have such a variety of nf i on in n b i ormat comb ed withi it , that it will e likely n n n n he r to prove i teresti g to a yo e , be gen eral reade , a n u n Mtter a tem . I n i n tiq aria , or addit on to the sce es , a n d the an tiquarian a n d gen eral matters relatin g e n n th reto , there is a special chapter, e titled Collec ta ea n n i n i s r n d n n Bro tea a , which a r a ge a umber of a ecdotes a n d nf m n n i scraps of i or atio regardi g the family , wh ch have come to my n otice durin g my researches i n con n ection with the acqui sition of informati on for the w n riti g of the scen es . I n u n n n co cl sio , I have to tha k the editor of the Yorkshire Post for his kin d permi ssion to u se the i n n n mater ial of my articles hi s paper . To ma y ki d frien ds who have assisted me I r eturn my best than ks. I have laid so man y un der con tribution that it i s almost m a m a s . vii . impossible to sin gle out the most importan t . I have to ac kn owledge my in debtedn ess to the whole body of s r i n en a n a t who sub c ibers g eral , d p r icularly to those ha ve advised fri en ds a n d relatives to subscribe . The i b . c u Rev. Thomas Wh t y, M A Vi ar of Dewsb ry , has been most obligin g i n helpin g me to throw some light ’ on t u in hi s Pa rick s c racy parish , hitherto a n almost n . e tir ely forgotten aspect of Bron te biography . Mr W . ” W . s ur R t ha s n Yates , of the Dew b y epor er , also give me c c hi s r n n Th a ess to w iti gs o Bron te at Dewsbury . e e . e t A ha der un n R vs H W Lett , R c or of g g, Co ty Dow , a n d . t r D r um la n d r W Moore , Rec o of goo , have th own much light on the di sputed poin t about the n ame ” n . M r s . a n ée de Ga rr s Bro te T ylor ( Martha ) , sister n C ffi n t u of Na cy arrs , of She eld , has co rib ted some in terestin g an ecdotes of the in mates of Haworth a r on a a n d t M rs. P s ge ; her sis er, Sarah Newsome , their n ur 80 n r old se , aged years , has writte f om Cra wfords vil in n le , the U ited States .