WHO WROTE "WUTHERING HEIGHTS"?

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 312, 26 September 1908, Page 14

WHO WROTE "WUTHERING HEIGHTS"?

Who wrote " Wuthering Heights!'? It .seems a queer question to ask (says the ''Manchester Guardian"), but this, is a world of shifting facts, and authors who Josiro untrammelled immortality will liavo to proceed on somo system of affidavits.; Mr. Malliam-Dcmbleby is "maintaining in letters to the " Academy" that it was Cjihrlotto and not Emily Bronto who wrote this great romance, arid it set ins that moro than p year ?go lie made the same assertion in the Tortnightly Review." Mr. Malham-Dembleby says that lie has' been boycotted by tlio Bronto Society, but he claims the support of Sydney Dobell, who said in 1850 " tWt any •hand but that which 'shaped ' Jane Eyre' and ' Shirley' cut out tlio earlier statues [tlio .characters in " "Wuthermg Heights "] we should requirp more than the evidence of our senses to believe." Of courso wo can all see that these novels have something in common; the Bronto sisters woi'o a pjreat " school," though critics will hardly fail to fiml individuality 111 it. Mr. MalhamDembleby's caso for the imposture that ho wishes to establish seems to bo founded on the supposition that Charlotte wished to get out of a promiso to publish her sccond book with a Mr. Newly, who had already published " Wuthering Heights." It appears that tlio manuscript is not in existence, hut even if it were wo might havo tlio suggestion that Emily had copied it out. However, Mr. Malham-Dembleby has " not as yet presented in print virtually ajiy" of his evidence, though editors seem to havo taken his contention seriously. We may wait for this evidence, but in the meantime it may bo permitted to express a .vigorous incredulity. If lie could establish his point ho would mar a noble romantic story and a perfectly coherent anil well-authenticated ono. If Emily Bronto wero proved not to have written "'Wuthering Heights". she would remain an astoiiishlug and distinguished person by. virtue of her poems, unless, iiidecd, wo arc to conspiro to take these from her; but she would share with her sister an extraordinary deception bejjun for- the most flimsy reasons and carried on with incredible success. If lSmily Bronto did not write "Wuthering Heights" wo may as well pool thp world's literature and say it was written by mankind.