Name: Jane Eyre by Charlotte BRONTË Chapter 06
Uploaded: 2023-07-20T11:38:38.000Z
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CHAPTER SIX of Jane Eyre This is a Librivox recording.

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Recording by Elizabeth Klett Jane Eyre by Charlotte BRONTË Chapter Six

The next day commenced as before, getting up and dressing by rushlight;

but this morning we were obliged to dispense with the ceremony of

washing; the water in the pitchers was frozen.

A change had taken place in the weather the preceding evening, and

a keen north-east wind, whistling through the crevices of our bedroom

windows all night long, had made us shiver in our beds, and turned the

Before the long hour and a half of prayers and Bible-reading was over, I

Breakfast-time came at last, and this morning the porridge was not burnt; the quality

In the course of the day I was enrolled a member of the fourth class, and

regular tasks and occupations were assigned me: hitherto, I had only been

a spectator of the proceedings at Lowood; I was now to become an actor

At first, being little accustomed to learn by heart, the

lessons appeared to me both long and difficult; the frequent change from

task to task, too, bewildered me; and I was glad when, about three

o'clock in the afternoon, Miss Smith put into my hands a border of muslin

two yards long, together with needle, thimble, &c., and sent me to sit in

a quiet corner of the schoolroom, with directions to hem the same.

At that hour most of the others were sewing likewise;

but one class still stood round Miss Scatcherd's chair reading,

and as all was quiet, the subject of their lessons could be heard, together

with the manner in which each girl acquitted herself, and the

animadversions or commendations of Miss Scatcherd on the performance.

It was English history: among the readers I observed my acquaintance

of the verandah: at the commencement of the lesson, her place

had been at the top of the class, but for some error of pronunciation,

or some inattention to stops, she was suddenly sent to the very bottom.

Even in that obscure position, Miss Scatcherd continued to make her an object

of constant notice: she was continually addressing to her such phrases

"Burns" (such it seems was her name: the girls here were all called by

their surnames, as boys are elsewhere), "Burns, you are standing on the

side of your shoe; turn your toes out immediately."

"Burns, you poke your chin most unpleasantly; draw it in."

"Burns, I insist on your holding your head up; I will not have you

A chapter having been read through twice, the books were closed and the

The lesson had comprised part of the reign of Charles

I., and there were sundry questions about tonnage and poundage and ship-

money, which most of them appeared unable to answer; still, every little

difficulty was solved instantly when it reached Burns: her memory seemed

to have retained the substance of the whole lesson, and she was ready

I kept expecting that Miss Scatcherd would praise her attention; but, instead of that,

you have never cleaned your nails this morning!"

Burns made no answer: I wondered at her silence.

"Why," thought I, "does she not explain that she could neither clean

her nails nor wash her face, as the water was frozen?"

My attention was now called off by Miss Smith desiring me to hold a skein

of thread: while she was winding it, she talked to me from time to time,

asking whether I had ever been at school before, whether I could mark,

stitch, knit, &c.; till she dismissed me, I could not pursue my

observations on Miss Scatcherd's movements.

When I returned to my seat, that lady was just delivering an order of

which I did not catch the import; but Burns immediately left the class,

and going into the small inner room where the books were kept, returned

in half a minute, carrying in her hand a bundle of twigs tied together

This ominous tool she presented to Miss Scatcherd with

a respectful curtesy; then she quietly, and without being told, unloosed

her pinafore, and the teacher instantly and sharply inflicted on her neck

Not a tear rose to Burns' eye; and, while I paused from

my sewing, because my fingers quivered at this spectacle with a sentiment

of unavailing and impotent anger, not a feature of her pensive face

exclaimed Miss Scatcherd; "nothing can correct you of

your slatternly habits: carry the rod away."

Burns obeyed: I looked at her narrowly as she emerged from the

book-closet; she was just putting back her handkerchief into her pocket,

and the trace of a tear glistened on her thin cheek.

The play-hour in the evening I thought the pleasantest fraction of the

day at Lowood: the bit of bread, the draught of coffee swallowed at five

o'clock had revived vitality, if it had not satisfied hunger: the long

restraint of the day was slackened; the schoolroom felt warmer than in

the morning--its fires being allowed to burn a little more brightly, to

supply, in some measure, the place of candles, not yet introduced: the

ruddy gloaming, the licensed uproar, the confusion of many voices gave

On the evening of the day on which I had seen Miss Scatcherd flog her

pupil, Burns, I wandered as usual among the forms and tables and laughing

groups without a companion, yet not feeling lonely: when I passed the

windows, I now and then lifted a blind, and looked out; it snowed fast, a

drift was already forming against the lower panes; putting my ear close

to the window, I could distinguish from the gleeful tumult within, the

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Jane Eyre by Charlotte BRONTË Chapter 06

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