'MY DEAR ELLEN,--Mr. Price is dead. He had fallen into a state of
delicate health for some time, and the rupture of a blood-vessel
carried him off. He was a strong, athletic-looking man when I saw
him, and that is scarcely six months ago. Though I knew so little of
him, and of course could not be deeply or permanently interested in
what concerned him, I confess, when I suddenly heard he was dead, I
felt both shocked and saddened: it was no shame to feel so, was it?
I scold you, Ellen, for writing illegibly and badly, but I think you
may repay the compliment with cent per cent interest. I am not in
the humour for writing a long letter, so good-bye. God bless you.
'C. B.'
There are many thoughts on marriage scattered through Charlotte's
correspondence. It was a subject upon which she never wearied of asking
questions, and of finding her own answers. 'I believe it is better to
marry _to_ love than to marry _for_ love,' she says on one occasion. And
in reference to the somewhat uncertain attitude of the admirer of one of
her friends, she thus expresses herself to Miss Nussey:
TO MISS ELLEN NUSSEY
'_November_ 20_th_, 1840.
Pages:
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464