Bronte Parsonage Museum
Keeper was at least partially a bull-mastiff, and has also been claimed by commentators to have had a bulldog or labrador strain. He was certainly a very large dog - his collar is shown in the image below, next to that of Flossy, who was a spaniel.
Charlotte, who had never been close to the house dogs as much as Anne and Emily, developed a close bond with them after her sisters’ deaths. She wrote to her publisher William Smith Williams after she returned to the Parsonage following Anne’s death at Scarborough: “The ecstasy of these poor animals when I came in was something singular – at former returns from brief absences they always welcomed me warmly – but not in that strange, heart-touching way – I am ce...rtain they thought that, as I was returned, my sisters were not far behind – but here my Sisters will come no more. Keeper may visit Emily’s little bedroom – as he still does day by day – and Flossy may look wistfully round for Anne – they will never see them again – nor shall I”.
(N.B. I came across this quote when I was researching our current exhibition ‘The Brontës and Animals’. It made me cry. I thought I’d share it with you – Mari, Curatorial Intern).
(N.B. I came across this quote when I was researching our current exhibition ‘The Brontës and Animals’. It made me cry. I thought I’d share it with you – Mari, Curatorial Intern).
We are extremely fortunate Charlotte had such a literary and sympathetic correspondent as William S. Williams at this time in her life . Ellen knew about her sisters and so she would not receive the portraiture of them from CB that he got when they sickened and then died.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenSome of Charlotte's finest letters were written to him at this time.
It was fortunate for Charlotte as well as I believe it was a comfort for her she otherwise would not have had.
This story about the Parsonage dogs greeting Charlotte always reminds me of a Romanov story. Of all the Romanovs and their retainers, the only one who survived the 1918 execution was the Tsarevich Alexi's dog. A spaniel named Joy .
A lady in waiting saw the dog later. When she was yet far off, this dog who had been listless for months, raced up to her then leaped and barked in " ecstasy", the word she used as well .
The lady in waiting said the same as Charlotte did. Poor creature.
Because he sees me, he thinks the others are coming.