Branwell Family—Personal Traits of Maria Branwell—Her Virtues—Her Letters to Mr. Brontë—Her Domestic Experiences
33 |
| CHAPTER III. |
| 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 |
41 |
| CHAPTER IV. |
| Girlhood—Gravity of Character—Charlotte's Description of the Elf-land of Childhood—The Still and Solemn Moors of Haworth influence their Writings—The Present of Toys—The Plays which they Acted—Mr. Brontë on a Supposed Earthquake—The Evidence of his Care for his Children—Grammar School at Haworth—His Children under the Tuition of the Master—The Character of the School—Cowan Bridge School—Charlotte's View of Mr. Carus Wilson's Management—Deaths of Maria and Elizabeth |
57 |
| CHAPTER V. |
| Reunion of the Brontë Family—Branwell is the supposed Prototype of Victor Crimsworth—That Character not a complete Portrait of Branwell—His Friendships—His Visit to the Keighley Feast—Its Effect on Branwell's Nerves—The Wrestle—The Lost Spectacles—Fear of his Father's Displeasure—Mrs. Gaskell's Story of the 'Black Bull' Incident Questioned—Miss Branwell and her Nephew |
81 |
| CHAPTER VI. |
| The youthful Compositions of the Brontës—Their Character— Branwell's Share in them—'The Secret,' a Fragment—The Reading of the Brontë Children—Branwell's Character at this Period |
93 |
| CHAPTER VII. |
| Charlotte goes to Roe Head—Return Home—Branwell at the Time—The Companion of his Sisters—Escorts Charlotte on a Visit—He becomes Interested in Pugilism—His Education—His Love for Music—His Retentive Memory—His Personal Appearance—His Spirit |
109 |
| CHAPTER VIII. |
| Love of Art in the Youthful Brontës—Their elaborate Drawings— J. B. Leyland, Sculptor—Spartacus—Mr. George Hogarth's Opinion—Art Exhibition at Leeds—Mr. William Robinson, their Drawing-Master—Branwell aims at Portrait-Painting—J. B. Leyland in London—Branwell and the Royal Academy—He visits London |
123 |
| CHAPTER IX. |
| Charlotte returns as a Teacher, with Emily as a Pupil, to Roe Head—Their Determination to Maintain themselves—Charlotte's Fears respecting Emily—Charlotte's religious Melancholy—Accuses herself of Flippancy—She is on the Borders of Despair—Anxiety to Know more of the World—Emily at Law Hill, Halifax, as a Teacher—Charlotte's Excitability—She returns Home out of Health |
147 |
| CHAPTER X. |
| The Light in which Biographers have regarded Branwell— Bibliography—Mrs. Gaskell—The Causes which led her into Error—Resentment of Branwell's Friends—Mr. George Searle Phillips—Branwell as Depicted by Mr. T. Wemyss Reid—Mr. F. H. Grundy's Notice of Branwell—Miss A. Mary F. Robinson's Portrait of Branwell |
159 |
| CHAPTER XI. |
| Branwell becomes a Freemason—His love of Art undiminished—Has Instruction in Oil-Painting—Commences Portrait-Painting at Bradford—His Commissions—His Letter to Mr. Thompson, the Artist—Miss Robinson's Charges of Misconduct—Her Erroneous Statements—Branwell's true Character and Conduct at Bradford —Remarks on his alleged Opium-eating there |
172 |
| CHAPTER XII. |
| New Inspiration of Poetry—Wordsworth—Southey, Scott, and Byron—Southey to Charlotte Brontë—Hartley Coleridge—His Worthies of Yorkshire—Poets of the West-Riding—Alaric A. Watts—Branwell's Literary Abilities |
184 |
| CHAPTER XIII. |
| Branwell's Letter to Wordsworth, with Stanzas—Remarks upon it—No Reply—He Tries Again—His Interest in the Manchester and Leeds Railway—Branwell's Literary and Artistic Friends at Bradford and Halifax—Leyland's Works there—Branwell's great Interest in them—Early Verses—Mrs. Gaskell's Judgment on his Literary Abilities |
193 |
| CHAPTER XIV. |
| The Poetical bent of Branwell's Genius—'Caroline's Prayer'—'On Caroline'—'Caroline'—Spirit of these Early Effusions |
210 |
| CHAPTER XV. |
| Charlotte's first Offer of Marriage—Her Remarks concerning it —A second Offer Declined—Anne a Governess—She Moralizes upon it—Charlotte obtains a Situation—Unsuited to Her—She Leaves it—Branwell takes Pleasure in Scenery—He Visits Liverpool with his Friends—Charlotte goes to Easton—Curates at Haworth—Their Visits to the
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