03-02-03-勃朗特一家的故事 [2]
我们需要她呀！”
“这个世界是个苦难的地方，孩子们，我们无法理解上帝所作的每一件事。但是上帝爱我们，永远不要忘记这一点。你们的妈妈爱你们，也许她现在还可以看见你们。我们大家都应努力工作，努力学习更多的知识，并且彼此友爱。你们能做到吗？”
“是的，爸爸。”
我记得他们看上去非常难过，却都那么仔细地听着。小爱米丽说：“现在谁当妈妈呢？”
“玛丽亚最大，她将协助我。你们都得听她的，按她说的去做。你们的伊丽莎白姨妈也在这儿。也许她会住一阵子。”
伊丽莎白真的住下了。她比我妻子年长，一直未婚。我们叫她布兰韦尔姨妈。她来自英格兰西南部康沃尔的一个叫潘赞斯的靠海的地方，那里温暖而且充满阳光。但霍沃斯后面的荒野经常很冷，整个冬天都刮着寒风。布兰韦尔姨妈讨厌霍沃斯，但她后来一直住在这儿，帮我照料她妹妹的孩子们。她真是个心地善良的女人。
我为我的小玛丽亚非常自豪。她只有8岁，但她像个大人那样整天忙着。她帮弟弟妹妹洗澡、穿衣服；她带他们玩耍、画画、读书。她就是他们的小妈妈。
她自己能读书而且读得很好。我们家里总是有书和报纸，而我每天和孩子们谈论这些书报。我给他们讲大人的事情：惠灵顿公爵及他在伦敦所做的重大事情。孩子们仔细倾听并试着去理解。玛丽亚经常给别人念报纸，还问我些问题。她理解得比大多数成年人还好。
我知道我的孩子们非常聪明。但我常常整天都没有时间和她们谈话，我有自己的工作要做。于是在1824年，我把他们送进了学校。
■ 2 Cowan Bridge School
I was born in a small house in Ireland．There were only two rooms in our house，and I had nine brothers and sisters．My parents were very poor．We had no money，and only a small farm．But we did have a church near us， and that church had a school．
That school gave me my one chance of success．I worked very hard there，and when I was sixteen，I became a teacher．Then I went to St John's College，Cambridge，to study some more．I became a curate．When I married，I was able to get a good job and a house for my family．I got all that because I worked so hard at school．
I wanted my children to go to the best school that I could find．Cowan Bridge School was a school for the daughters of churchmen．It belonged to a churchman—Mr Wilson．He was a good man，I thought．I liked the school，and it was not too expensive．So，in July 1824，I took Maria and Elizabeth there．In September，I took Charlotte and，in November，Emily as well．Emily was just six then，and Charlotte was eight．
I remember how quiet the house was that autumn．In the evenings I taught my son，Branwell，and my wife's sister looked after the youngest child，Anne．I often thought about the girls．My eldest，Maria，was a good，clever girl—I thought she must be the best pupil in the school．I waited for her letters，and wondered what new things she was learning．
She did tell me some things in her letters，but not enough．She told me she liked the schoolwork，and I was pleased．But she did not tell me about the food，or the cold，or the unkind teachers．Charlotte told me those things，much later．I know Maria did not tell me that the food was often burnt and uneat－able，or that they could not sleep because the beds were too cold．She did not tell me that the poor hungry children had to wash with ice in the morning，and walk through wet snow to sit for two hours with icy feet in a cold church on Sundays． She did not tell me that many of the children at the school were ill．
You didn't tell me that， did you，Maria？Did you？Or did you try to write something，and stop because you were afraid of the teachers？You were a good，brave child，and I was so proud of you，so pleased because you were at school．I wanted you to learn everything；I didn't want you to be poor like my sisters．God help me，I thought you were happy at Cowan Bridge School！
There were no Christmas holidays at the school，and it was too difficult to travel over the cold，windy hills to visit my little girls．So I sat at home here in Haworth，with Aunt Branwell，my son，and the little girl，Anne．Outside，the wind blew snow over the gravestones，and there was ice on our windows．
On Christmas Day little Anne looked lonely．She asked me about her sisters．
'Don't worry，my dear，'I said．'They are happy，with the other girls at school．You shall go to Cowan Bridge，too，when you are older．'
I remember how strangely she looked at me then．She was only four，and very pretty．She smiled at me，but her face went very white，and her hands started to shake．I don't know why．I thought she was cold，and I put some more wood on the fire．Then Aunt Branwell read her a story from the Bible，and I for－got about it．
In February a letter came．It was in an adult's handwriting，not Maria'
Many children in the school have been ill，and your daughter Maria...
My hand began to shake badly，and I dropped the letter on the floor．As I picked it up，I could see only one word—dead ...If your daughter Maria does not come home soon，she will be dead
“这个世界是个苦难的地方，孩子们，我们无法理解上帝所作的每一件事。但是上帝爱我们，永远不要忘记这一点。你们的妈妈爱你们，也许她现在还可以看见你们。我们大家都应努力工作，努力学习更多的知识，并且彼此友爱。你们能做到吗？”
“是的，爸爸。”
我记得他们看上去非常难过，却都那么仔细地听着。小爱米丽说：“现在谁当妈妈呢？”
“玛丽亚最大，她将协助我。你们都得听她的，按她说的去做。你们的伊丽莎白姨妈也在这儿。也许她会住一阵子。”
伊丽莎白真的住下了。她比我妻子年长，一直未婚。我们叫她布兰韦尔姨妈。她来自英格兰西南部康沃尔的一个叫潘赞斯的靠海的地方，那里温暖而且充满阳光。但霍沃斯后面的荒野经常很冷，整个冬天都刮着寒风。布兰韦尔姨妈讨厌霍沃斯，但她后来一直住在这儿，帮我照料她妹妹的孩子们。她真是个心地善良的女人。
我为我的小玛丽亚非常自豪。她只有8岁，但她像个大人那样整天忙着。她帮弟弟妹妹洗澡、穿衣服；她带他们玩耍、画画、读书。她就是他们的小妈妈。
她自己能读书而且读得很好。我们家里总是有书和报纸，而我每天和孩子们谈论这些书报。我给他们讲大人的事情：惠灵顿公爵及他在伦敦所做的重大事情。孩子们仔细倾听并试着去理解。玛丽亚经常给别人念报纸，还问我些问题。她理解得比大多数成年人还好。
我知道我的孩子们非常聪明。但我常常整天都没有时间和她们谈话，我有自己的工作要做。于是在1824年，我把他们送进了学校。
■ 2 Cowan Bridge School
I was born in a small house in Ireland．There were only two rooms in our house，and I had nine brothers and sisters．My parents were very poor．We had no money，and only a small farm．But we did have a church near us， and that church had a school．
That school gave me my one chance of success．I worked very hard there，and when I was sixteen，I became a teacher．Then I went to St John's College，Cambridge，to study some more．I became a curate．When I married，I was able to get a good job and a house for my family．I got all that because I worked so hard at school．
I wanted my children to go to the best school that I could find．Cowan Bridge School was a school for the daughters of churchmen．It belonged to a churchman—Mr Wilson．He was a good man，I thought．I liked the school，and it was not too expensive．So，in July 1824，I took Maria and Elizabeth there．In September，I took Charlotte and，in November，Emily as well．Emily was just six then，and Charlotte was eight．
I remember how quiet the house was that autumn．In the evenings I taught my son，Branwell，and my wife's sister looked after the youngest child，Anne．I often thought about the girls．My eldest，Maria，was a good，clever girl—I thought she must be the best pupil in the school．I waited for her letters，and wondered what new things she was learning．
She did tell me some things in her letters，but not enough．She told me she liked the schoolwork，and I was pleased．But she did not tell me about the food，or the cold，or the unkind teachers．Charlotte told me those things，much later．I know Maria did not tell me that the food was often burnt and uneat－able，or that they could not sleep because the beds were too cold．She did not tell me that the poor hungry children had to wash with ice in the morning，and walk through wet snow to sit for two hours with icy feet in a cold church on Sundays． She did not tell me that many of the children at the school were ill．
You didn't tell me that， did you，Maria？Did you？Or did you try to write something，and stop because you were afraid of the teachers？You were a good，brave child，and I was so proud of you，so pleased because you were at school．I wanted you to learn everything；I didn't want you to be poor like my sisters．God help me，I thought you were happy at Cowan Bridge School！
There were no Christmas holidays at the school，and it was too difficult to travel over the cold，windy hills to visit my little girls．So I sat at home here in Haworth，with Aunt Branwell，my son，and the little girl，Anne．Outside，the wind blew snow over the gravestones，and there was ice on our windows．
On Christmas Day little Anne looked lonely．She asked me about her sisters．
'Don't worry，my dear，'I said．'They are happy，with the other girls at school．You shall go to Cowan Bridge，too，when you are older．'
I remember how strangely she looked at me then．She was only four，and very pretty．She smiled at me，but her face went very white，and her hands started to shake．I don't know why．I thought she was cold，and I put some more wood on the fire．Then Aunt Branwell read her a story from the Bible，and I for－got about it．
In February a letter came．It was in an adult's handwriting，not Maria'
Many children in the school have been ill，and your daughter Maria...
My hand began to shake badly，and I dropped the letter on the floor．As I picked it up，I could see only one word—dead ...If your daughter Maria does not come home soon，she will be dead