Mrs. Gaskell was enabled to give an extract from one of her letters written to Mr. Brontë before her marriage, which displays in an excellent manner her calm sensibility and understanding. She says: 'For some years I have been perfectly my own mistress, subject to no control whatever; so far from it that my sisters, who are many years older than myself, and even my dear mother, used to consult me on every occasion of importance, and scarcely ever doubted the propriety of my opinions and actions; perhaps you will be ready to accuse me of vanity in mentioning this, but you must consider that I do not boast of it. I have many times felt it a disadvantage, and although, I thank God, it has never led me into error, yet, in circumstances of uncertainty and doubt, I have deeply felt the want of a guide and instructor.'[2]
[2] 'Life of Charlotte Brontë,' chap. iii.
The usual preparations, which Mrs. Gaskell has particularized, were made for the wedding; but during the arrangements a disaster happened, to which the following letter to Mr. Brontë refers:--
'I suppose you never expected to be much richer for me, but I am sorry to inform you that I am still poorer than I thought myself. I mentioned having sent for my books, clothes, &c. On Saturday evening, about the time when you were writing the description of your imaginary shipwreck, I was reading and feeling the effects of a real one, having then received a letter from my sister, giving me an account of the vessel in which she had sent my box being stranded on the coast of Devonshire, in consequence of which the box was dashed to pieces with the violence of the sea, and all my little property, with the exception of a few articles, being swallowed up in the mighty deep. If this should not prove the prelude to something worse, I shall think little of it, as it is the first disastrous circumstance which has occurred since I left home.'[3]
[3] 'Life of Charlotte Brontë,' chap. iii.
The wedding took place at Guiseley, on December 29th, 1812, as is stated in the previous chapter.
Character of the Rev. P. Brontë--Charges against Him--Serious Allegations of Biographers--Injustice of the Charges--Mr. Brontë's indignant Denial of the Imputations--Testimony of Nancy Garrs--Mrs. Brontë and the Silk-Dress Episode--Mr. Brontë, the Supposed Prototype of Mr. Helstone--The Pistol-shots Theory--Mr. Brontë on Science Knowledge--Miss Branwell.