The family gathering in the summer prompted some discussions about the Brontës’ future and an important decision was taken. Teaching was really the only option and, as Charlotte had pointed out, everyone expected her to open a school on her return from Brussels. Unwilling to leave home again, Charlotte now settled on a slightly different plan. She would open her school in the parsonage, beginning with five or six girls who would board in the rooms vacated by Anne and Branwell. The new scheme had some obvious advantages which allowed Patrick to give it his full support. It would avoid the
The family gathering in the summer prompted some discussions about the Brontës’ future and an important decision was taken. Teaching was really the only option and, as Charlotte had pointed out, everyone expected her to open a school on her return from Brussels. Unwilling to leave home again, Charlotte now settled on a slightly different plan. She would open her school in the parsonage, beginning with five or six girls who would board in the rooms vacated by Anne and Branwell. The new scheme had some obvious advantages which allowed Patrick to give it his full support. It would avoid the problem of an initial expensive outlay in buying or renting a property and fitting it out and, if it failed, there would be no great financial loss. The housekeeping duties could be taken on by Emily, who would not have to leave their father unattended and could easily expand her present role to care for a small number of girls with the assistance of tried and trusted servants. ‘Emily does not like teaching much’, Charlotte told Monsieur Heger, ‘but she would always do the housekeeping and, although she is a little reclusive, she has too good a heart not to do everything for the wellbeing of the children.’106 On the other hand, there were two great disadvantages. Should Patrick die, the school would be evicted from the parsonage, either to close or relocate elsewhere. Perhaps more importantly, Haworth was too far from any centre of population for the school to be able to draw on the day pu...
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