ON THE TRACK OF THE REVIEWER.
A TRUE STORY OF REVENGE,
CONNECTED WITH THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF “JANE EYRE.”
By Doctor William Wright.
The Brontë novels were first read and admired in the Ballynaskeagh manse. This statement I am able to make with fulness of knowledge. “Jane Eyre” was read, cried over, laughed over, argued over, condemned, exalted, by the Reverend David McKee, his brilliant children and numerous pupils, before the author was known publicly in England, or a single review of the work had appeared.
The Reverend W. J. McCracken, an old pupil of the Ballynaskeagh manse, writes me on this point:
“You have no doubt heard Mr. McKee’s[2] opinion as to the source of Charlotte’s genius. When Charlotte Brontë published one of her books, there was always an early copy sent to the uncles and aunts in Ballynaskeagh. As they had little taste for such literature, the book was sent straight over to our dear old friend Mr. McKee. If it pleased him, the Brontës would be in raptures with their niece, and triumphantly say to their neighbors, ‘Mr. McKee thinks her very cliver.’
“I well remember Mr. McKee reading one of Charlotte’s novels, and, in his own inimitable way, making the remark: ‘She is just her Uncle Jamie over the world. Just Jamie’s strong, powerful, direct way of putting a thing.’”
Mrs. McKee, now living in New Zealand, writes me: “My husband had early copies of the novels from the Brontës, and he pronounced them to be Brontë in warp and woof, before ‘Currer Bell’ was publicly known to be Charlotte Brontë. He held that the stories not only showed the Brontë genius and style, but that the facts were largely reminiscences of the Brontë family. He recognized many of the characters as founded largely on old Hugh’s yarns, polished into literature. When ‘Jane Eyre’ came into the hands of the uncles they were troubled as to its character, but they were very grateful to my husband for his good opinion of its ability. He pronounced it a remarkable and brilliant work, before any of the reviews appeared.”
In addition to the five hundred pounds that Smith, Elder & Co. paid Charlotte Brontë for the copyright of each of her novels, they sent half a dozen copies direct to herself. The book was published on October 16th, and ten days later Charlotte thus acknowledged receipt of the copies: