It stole into life; some weeks passed over, without
the mighty murmuring public discovering that three more voices were
uttering their speech. And, meanwhile, the course of existence moved
drearily along from day to day with the anxious sisters, who must have
forgotten their sense of authorship in the vital care gnawing at their
hearts. On June 17th, Charlotte writes:--
"Branwell declares that he neither can nor will do anything for himself;
good situations have been offered him, for which, by a fortnight's work,
he might have qualified himself, but he will do nothing except drink and
make us all wretched."
In the "Athenaeum" of July 4th, under the head of poetry for the million,
came a short review of the poems of C., E., and A. Bell. The reviewer
assigns to Ellis the highest rank of the three "brothers," as he supposes
them to be; he calls Ellis "a fine, quaint spirit;" and speaks of "an
evident power of wing that may reach heights not here attempted." Again,
with some degree of penetration, the reviewer says, that the poems of
Ellis "convey an impression of originality beyond what his contributions
to these volumes embody." Currer is placed midway between Ellis and
Acton. But there is little in the review to strain out, at this distance
of time, as worth preserving. Still, we can fancy with what interest it
was read at Haworth Parsonage, and how the sisters would endeavour to
find out reasons for opinions, or hints for the future guidance of their
talents.
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