Just about this time, Miss W--- was thinking of relinquishing her school
at Dewsbury Moor; and offered to give it up in favour of her old pupils,
the Brontes. A sister of hers had taken the active management since the
time when Charlotte was a teacher; but the number of pupils had
diminished; and, if the Brontes undertook it, they would have to try and
work it up to its former state of prosperity. This, again, would require
advantages on their part which they did not at present possess, but which
Charlotte caught a glimpse of. She resolved to follow the clue, and
never to rest till she had reached a successful issue. With the forced
calm of a suppressed eagerness, that sends a glow of desire through every
word of the following letter, she wrote to her aunt thus.
"Dear Aunt,
"Sept. 29th, 1841.
"I have heard nothing of Miss W--- yet since I wrote to her,
intimating that I would accept her offer. I cannot conjecture the
reason of this long silence, unless some unforeseen impediment has
occurred in concluding the bargain. Meantime, a plan has been
suggested and approved by Mr. and Mrs. --- " (the father and mother of
her pupils) "and others, which I wish now to impart to you. My
friends recommend me, if I desire to secure permanent success, to
delay commencing the school for six months longer, and by all means to
contrive, by hook or by crook, to spend the intervening time in some
school on the continent.
Pages:
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272