Delphi Complete Works of the Brontes Charlotte, Emily, Anne Brontë (Illustrated) (562 page)

‘Breakfast-time is near, I must bid you farewell for the time, but rest assured you will always share in the prayers and heart of your own

Maria.

‘Mr. Fennell has crossed my letter to my sisters.  With his usual goodness he has supplied my
deficiencies
, and spoken of me in terms of commendation of which I wish I were more worthy.  Your character he has likewise displayed in the most favourable light; and I am sure they will not fail to love and esteem you though unknown.

‘All here unite in kind regards.  Adieu.’

TO REV. PATRICK BRONTË A.B., Hartshead

‘Wood House Grove,
September
23
rd
, 1812.

‘My dearest Friend, — Accept of my warmest thanks for your kind affectionate letter, in which you have rated mine so highly that I really blush to read my own praises.  Pray that God would enable me to deserve all the kindness you manifest towards me, and to act consistently with the good opinion you entertain of me — then I shall indeed be a helpmeet for you, and to be this shall at all times be the care and study of my future life.  We have had to-day a large party of the Bradford folks — the Rands, Fawcets, Dobsons, etc.  My thoughts often strayed from the company, and I would have gladly left them to follow my present employment.  To write to and receive letters from my friends were always among my chief enjoyments, but none ever gave me so much pleasure as those which I receive from and
 
write to my newly adopted friend.  I am by no means sorry you have given up all thought of the house you mentioned.  With my cousin’s help I have made known your plans to my uncle and aunt.  Mr. Fennell immediately coincided with that which respects your present abode, and observed that it had occurred to him before, but that he had not had an opportunity of mentioning it to you.  My aunt did not fall in with it so readily, but her objections did not appear to me to be very weighty.  For my own part, I feel all the force of your arguments in favour of it, and the objections are so trifling that they can scarcely be called objections.  My cousin is of the same opinion.  Indeed, you have such a method of considering and digesting a plan before you make it known to your friends, that you run very little risque of incurring their disapprobations, or of having your schemes frustrated.  I greatly admire your talents this way — may they never be perverted by being used in a bad cause!  And whilst they are exerted for good purposes, may they prove irresistible!  If I may judge from your letter, this middle scheme is what would please you best, so that if there should arise no new objection to it, perhaps it will prove the best you can adopt.  However, there is yet sufficient time to consider it further.  I trust in this and every other circumstance you will be guided by the wisdom that cometh from above — a portion of which I doubt not has guided you hitherto.  A belief of this, added to the complete satisfaction with which I read your reasonings on the subject, made me a ready convert to your opinions.  I hope nothing will occur to induce you to change your intention of spending the next week at Bradford.  Depend on it you shall have letter for letter; but may we not hope to see you here during that time, surely you will not think the way more tedious than usual?  I have not heard any particulars respecting the church since you were at Bradford.  Mr. Rawson is now there, but Mr. Hardy and his brother are absent, and I understand nothing decisive can be accomplished without them.  Jane expects to hear something more to-morrow.  Perhaps ere this reaches you, you will have received some intelligence respecting it from Mr. Morgan.  If you have no other apology to make for your blunders
 
than that which you have given me, you must not expect to be excused, for I have not mentioned it to any one, so that however it may clear your character in my opinion it is not likely to influence any other person.  Little, very little, will induce me to cover your faults with a veil of charity.  I already feel a kind of participation in all that concerns you.  All praises and censures bestowed on you must equally affect me.  Your joys and sorrows must be mine.  Thus shall the one be increased and the other diminished.  While this is the case we shall, I hope, always find “life’s cares” to be “comforts.”  And may we feel every trial and distress, for such must be our lot at times, bind us nearer to God and to each other!  My heart earnestly joins in your comprehensive prayers.  I trust they will unitedly ascend to a throne of grace, and through the Redeemer’s merits procure for us peace and happiness here and a life of eternal felicity hereafter.  Oh, what sacred pleasure there is in the idea of spending an eternity together in perfect and uninterrupted bliss!  This should encourage us to the utmost exertion and fortitude.  But whilst I write, my own words condemn me — I am ashamed of my own indolence and backwardness to duty.  May I be more careful, watchful, and active than I have ever yet been!

‘My uncle, aunt, and Jane request me to send their kind regards, and they will be happy to see you any time next week whenever you can conveniently come down from Bradford.  Let me hear from you soon — I shall expect a letter on Monday.  Farewell, my dearest friend.  That you may be happy in yourself and very useful to all around you is the daily earnest prayer of yours truly,

‘Maria Branwell.’

TO REV. PATRICK BRONTË, A.B., Hartshead

‘Wood House Grove,
October
3
rd
, 1812.

‘How could my dear friend so cruelly disappoint me?  Had he known how much I had set my heart on having a letter this afternoon, and how greatly I felt the disappointment when the bag arrived and I found there was nothing for me, I am sure he would not have permitted a little matter to hinder him.  But whatever was the reason of your not writing, I cannot
 
believe it to have been neglect or unkindness, therefore I do not in the least blame you, I only beg that in future you will judge of my feelings by your own, and if possible never let me expect a letter without receiving one.  You know in my last which I sent you at Bradford I said it would not be in my power to write the next day, but begged I might be favoured with hearing from you on Saturday, and you will not wonder that I hoped you would have complied with this request.  It has just occurred to my mind that it is possible this note was not received; if so, you have felt disappointed likewise; but I think this is not very probable, as the old man is particularly careful, and I never heard of his losing anything committed to his care.  The note which I allude to was written on Thursday morning, and you should have received it before you left Bradford.  I forget what its contents were, but I know it was written in haste and concluded abruptly.  Mr. Fennell talks of visiting Mr. Morgan to-morrow.  I cannot lose the opportunity of sending this to the office by him as you will then have it a day sooner, and if you have been daily expecting to hear from me, twenty-four hours are of some importance.  I really am concerned to find that this, what many would deem trifling incident, has so much disturbed my mind.  I fear I should not have slept in peace to-night if I had been deprived of this opportunity of relieving my mind by scribbling to you, and now I lament that you cannot possibly receive this till Monday.  May I hope that there is now some intelligence on the way to me? or must my patience be tried till I see you on Wednesday?  But what nonsense am I writing?  Surely after this you can have no doubt that you possess all my heart.  Two months ago I could not possibly have believed that you would ever engross so much of my thoughts and affections, and far less could I have thought that I should be so forward as to tell you so.  I believe I must forbid you to come here again unless you can assure me that you will not steal any more of my regard.  Enough of this; I must bring my pen to order, for if I were to suffer myself to revise what I have written I should be tempted to throw it in the fire, but I have determined that
 
you shall see my whole heart.  I have not yet informed you that I received your serio-comic note on Thursday afternoon, for which accept my thanks.

‘My cousin desires me to say that she expects a long poem on her birthday, when she attains the important age of twenty-one.  Mr. Fennell joins with us in requesting that you will not fail to be here on Wednesday, as it is decided that on Thursday we are to go to the Abbey if the weather, etc., permits.

‘
Sunday morning
. — I am not sure if I do right in adding a few lines to-day, but knowing that it will give you pleasure I wish to finish that you may have it to-morrow.  I will just say that if my feeble prayers can aught avail, you will find your labours this day both pleasant and profitable, as they concern your own soul and the souls of those to whom you preach.  I trust in your hours of retirement you will not forget to pray for me.  I assure you I need every assistance to help me forward; I feel that my heart is more ready to attach itself to earth than heaven.  I sometimes think there never was a mind so dull and inactive as mine is with regard to spiritual things.

‘I must not forget to thank you for the pamphlets and tracts which you sent us from Bradford.  I hope we shall make good use of them.  I must now take my leave.  I believe I need scarcely assure you that I am yours truly and very affectionately,

‘Maria Branwell.’

TO REV. PATRICK BRONTË, A.B., Hartshead

‘Wood House Grove,
October
21
st
1812.

‘With the sincerest pleasure do I retire from company to converse with him whom I love beyond all others.  Could my beloved friend see my heart he would then be convinced that the affection I bear him is not at all inferior to that which he feels for me — indeed I sometimes think that in truth and constancy it excels.  But do not think from this that I entertain any suspicions of your sincerity — no, I firmly believe you to be sincere and generous, and doubt not in the least that you feel all you express.  In return, I entreat that you
 
will do me the justice to believe that you have not only a
very large portion
of my
affection
and
esteem
, but
all
that I am capable of feeling, and from henceforth measure my feelings by your own.  Unless my love for you were very great how could I so contentedly give up my home and all my friends — a home I loved so much that I have often thought nothing could bribe me to renounce it for any great length of time together, and friends with whom I have been so long accustomed to share all the vicissitudes of joy and sorrow?  Yet these have lost their weight, and though I cannot always think of them without a sigh, yet the anticipation of sharing with you all the pleasures and pains, the cares and anxieties of life, of contributing to your comfort and becoming the companion of your pilgrimage, is more delightful to me than any other prospect which this world can possibly present.  I expected to have heard from you on Saturday last, and can scarcely refrain from thinking you unkind to keep me in suspense two whole days longer than was necessary, but it is well that my patience should be sometimes tried, or I might entirely lose it, and this would be a loss indeed!  Lately I have experienced a considerable increase of hopes and fears, which tend to destroy the calm uniformity of my life.  These are not unwelcome, as they enable me to discover more of the evils and errors of my heart, and discovering them I hope through grace to be enabled to correct and amend them.  I am sorry to say that my cousin has had a very serious cold, but to-day I think she is better; her cough seems less, and I hope we shall be able to come to Bradford on Saturday afternoon, where we intend to stop till Tuesday.  You may be sure we shall not soon think of taking such another journey as the last.  I look forward with pleasure to Monday, when I hope to meet with you, for as we are no
longer twain
separation is painful, and to meet must ever be attended with joy.

‘
Thursday morning
. — I intended to have finished this before breakfast, but unfortunately slept an hour too long.  I am every moment in expectation of the old man’s arrival.  I hope my cousin is still better to-day; she requests me to say that she is
 
much obliged to you for your kind inquiries and the concern you express for her recovery.  I take all possible care of her, but yesterday she was naughty enough to venture into the yard without her bonnet!  As you do not say anything of going to Leeds I conclude you have not been.  We shall most probably hear from the Dr. this afternoon.  I am much pleased to hear of his success at Bierly!  O that you may both be zealous and successful in your efforts for the salvation of souls, and may your own lives be holy, and your hearts greatly blessed while you are engaged in administering to the good of others!  I should have been very glad to have had it in my power to lessen your fatigue and cheer your spirits by my exertions on Monday last.  I will hope that this pleasure is still reserved for me.  In general, I feel a calm confidence in the providential care and continued mercy of God, and when I consider his past deliverances and past favours I am led to wonder and adore.  A sense of my small returns of love and gratitude to him often abases me and makes me think I am little better than those who profess no religion.  Pray for me, my dear friend, and rest assured that you possess a very very large portion of the prayers, thoughts, and heart of yours truly,