CHARLOTTE BRONTE'S MARRIAGE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 818, 16 May 1910, Page 3

CHARLOTTE BRONTE'S MARRIAGE.

The notes, on the Bronte- family at contributed by Bishop Wclldon to. the "Comhill Magazine," contain, among hitherto unpublished letters, one from Charlotte Bronte to Mrs. Gas■kell, dated April, 1854, in which she an-Hounces-hor forthcoming ill-assorted marriage to the Rov. Mr.' Nicholls, just then determined on.

"Mr. Nioholls returns to Haworth. The people are very glad, especially the poor 'ana old and very young, to all of whom he was kind with a kindness that showed po flash at first, but left a very durable impression. He is to become a resident in this house (the Havrorth parsonage). I believe it is expected that ' I shall change my name in the course of summer —perhaps in July. Ho promises to prove his gratitnd© to papa by offering iaittifnl support and consolation to his age. Aβ he is not a man of fine words, I believe him. The Rubicon once passed, papa seems, cheerful ami satisfied. He Bays he lias been 'far too stern'; ho even ■ admits that he was unjust—terribly unjust he certainly was for a time, but now all this is effaced from memory, now that he'is kind again and declares him6elf happy, and talks reasonably and without invectivo. I could almost cry Eoinotimes that in this important action in my life I cannot better satisfy papa's perhaps natural pride. My destiny will not be brilliant, certainly, but ' Mr. NkhoHs is conscientious, affectionate, pure in. heart -and. life. He offers a, m«st constant and, tried-attachment. I am very grateful to him. I mean to try to make him happy, and papa, too." It was loss than a year later—April 6, 1855—that Mr. Bronte wrote to Mrs. Gaskell of his daughter's death:— "My daughter is indeed dead—the solemn truth presses upon her worthy and affectionate husband and mo with great and, it may be, with unusual weight. But others also have, or shall have, their sorrows, and we feel our own the most. The marriage that took place seemed to hold forth long and bright prospects of happiness. But in the inscrutable providence of God all our hopes have ended in disappointment and our joy in mourning.' May .we resign to the will of the Most High! 'After three months of sickness, tranquil death closed tho scene. But our loss, we trust, is ■ her gain. But why should I trouble you longer with our sorrows ? 'The heart knoweth its own bitterness/ and we ought to bear with fortitudp our own grievances, and not to .bring others into our sufferings.""" ' ■ '• ■'•'•'■' ■• There is something of stoicism 'as well as of Christianity (observes Bishop Welldon) in the bereaved father's calm and gtern submission to the.Almighty will. .'