"The Widow" Bertha

Mrs. Fisher's salon was opened in her private girls' school.

Jane and Bertha arrived late, and the other guests had already arrived.Today's Miss Jane Eyre is no longer dependent on Bertha, she has her own social circle that is completely different from Bertha.

Bertha was surprised to find that she thought she had a high level of professionalism and knew where she went, but now she wanted Jane, who was reserved and silent, to be her introducer.

She is really a girl with strong adaptability, as tough as rush grass but weak, that is probably the case.

In addition to the school teachers whom I had met before, there were three other ladies who visited today.

"The blond hair is Mrs Bolton, her husband is a member of Parliament like Mrs Fisher's husband, and is said to be a very good friend; the light-colored dress is Mrs Harding, whose husband is a doctor; the last one The youngest is Mrs. Johnson, she came here specially from Oxford, Mrs. Johnson's family, and her husband's family are all intellectuals... Bertha?"

As Jane was talking, she noticed that although Bertha beside her greeted each other politely, she didn't know where she was distracted.

After the introduction was over, she couldn't laugh or cry: "Bertha, do you remember who is who?"

Bertha was expressionless: "No, there are too many people, and you speak too fast."

Jane: "..." Then you still greet people politely!Miss Jane Eyre admired Bertha's social skills.

It's not because Bertha's brain is not good, but suddenly a lot of information came, and it was too difficult to remember a few words!Her surname is not Holmes.

But as a former reporter, Bertha developed the ability to extract key information early on.For example, after Jane's eloquent talk just now, the names of the three wives are secondary, and Bertha remembers their identities first.

All three women are married, and their husbands are MPs, doctors and professors.Such a composition is enough to prove that in the Victorian era in the late nineteenth century, the backbone of progressive women was still the middle class.

Either a politician's wife, involving interests, naturally has a natural sensitivity to social trends - Mrs. Ward, who refuses to condescend to attend in person, is also counted among them.

Either the wife of an intellectual, although the British social atmosphere is conservative, the teachers and students in the university are still the first group to accept progressive ideas.

Either the husband is a doctor in the hospital. In the nineteenth century, there were not many job opportunities for women. Apart from workers, tutors and secretaries, they were naturally nurses.Men who work in hospitals can feel the importance of women's work more directly.

From this point of view, the identities of these three ladies are typical.

No wonder Miss Jane Eyre revealed that the women's magazine that Mrs. Fisher is going to organize mainly involves health, education and political direction.

The other wives have heard about Bertha for a long time. After all, she took care of Miss Jane Eyre all the way to London, so everyone treated Bertha very well.

"Welcome Miss Marple to our party for the first time," Mrs. Fisher was very happy, "and she also brought a piece of good news."

"good news?"

"Let's ask Miss Marple to explain it herself," Mrs. Fisher said.

"It's not a big deal," Bertha twitched her lips and took out a check for [-] pounds from her pocket, "It's just that I met a lady of extraordinary status by chance, and she heard about Mrs. Fisher. If you want to organize a women's magazine, you entrust me with a little support, the money is not too much, but it is a timely gift."

Although Bertha did not say who made the donation, it still made all the ladies present smile.

Besides, two hundred pounds is not too much, it is enough for Miss Jane Eyre to be a teacher for ten years, and it doesn't cost much to run a magazine nowadays.

"This proves that we are going in the right direction," said Mrs. Fisher. "Even the most conservative aristocrats are interested in women's magazines, which is enough to show that the market for women's magazines has great potential."

"We're not looking at the market," reminds Mrs. Johnson, who comes from a family of intellectuals.

"There is no difference. Only when there is a market can people read it, and only when people read it can the knowledge be spread better, isn't it?" said Mrs. Harding, who was born in a hospital.

Mrs. Fisher nodded.

Then she looked at Bertha, obviously her "newcomer" was the focus of tonight's salon.

"If Miss Marple has any questions, feel free to ask them," Mrs. Fisher said patiently. "We have discussed the matter of the magazine many times, and now you are the only one who has less information."

Such words made Bertha raise her eyebrows.

She is sitting on the sofa in the office, her posture is still lazy, but there is a keen color flashing in her dark golden eyes: "Since we have discussed many times and still haven't reached the stage of realization, I assume that you are going to take the steps before doing it." There was a disagreement."

"……Yes."

Ms. Bolton, who is also the wife of a congressman, explained with regret: "We have not come to a conclusion about the orientation of the magazine."

orientation?

This is about Bertha's "old business"!

As a media person, although Bertha does not do magazine media, it is professionally related.She immediately became interested: "Oh? Can you tell me about it?"

"It's nothing."

Unexpectedly, it was Miss Jane Eyre who sat in a corner as usual and tried to reduce her sense of existence.

There is nothing wrong with speaking, but being able to speak so frankly proves that it is not the first time Jane has participated in a salon, nor is it the first time she has taken the initiative to speak. Such evening discussions are already a routine for her.

Then compare Miss Jane Eyre's appearance in Thornfield Manor, even Bertha came to the door with trepidation and trepidation. I have to say that the big city and independent life are really training people.

Jane is not what she used to be today.

"At present, Mrs. Fisher and the others have discussed two directions," Jane said softly, "One is for ordinary citizens, and the other is for high society."

Bertha understood at once where their point of difference lay.

First of all, a major premise: the purpose of organizing women’s magazines is to promote women’s interests, so as to achieve the purpose of promoting women’s self-awareness, and finally realize that everyone supports women’s right to vote and suffrage.

This is a long-term process. Running a magazine may not be able to appeal to many, but it must be done step by step.

Oriented to ordinary citizens, it is more in line with Mrs. Fisher's initial plan. The focus of the magazine is on popular science, including health, culture and politics. The main purchasers are limited to petty bourgeois and middle-class women. If it is too high, we must go in the direction of large volume and low price.

For the upper-class society, the focus of the magazine must be shifted, because the ladies already have a certain basic knowledge, and I am afraid that they will deviate from Mrs. Fisher's plan and take the refined and elegant route.In this way, the price of the magazine can be slightly higher, and it is easy to pay back the cost in the case of low purchasing power in the early stage.

The reason for the disagreement probably lies in whether the money can be heard.Promoting ideas is important, but having money to eat is the most important thing, isn't it?Besides, Mrs. Fisher also runs a school.

"If the course is changed," Mrs. Johnson clearly disapproved of the second option, "what's the point of running a women's magazine?"

Bertha felt all right.

Taking the refined and elegant route sounds contrary to advocating women's independence - the feudal aristocracy itself is in conflict with human rights and freedom.But it doesn't necessarily mean that magazines can't "carry private goods".If it can be achieved, it is actually the difference between appealing from the top down and appealing from the bottom up.

but……

"It's nothing more than the fear of targeting the general public, and women's low willingness to buy magazines," Bertha concluded, "They don't understand the importance of women's rights, and naturally they don't feel that women's magazines are urgently needed to buy, right? "

"Yes."

"What if the 'necessity' to buy was added to magazines?"

"Miss Marple means...?" Mrs. Fisher was thoughtful.

"Since women's magazines are not selling well, what about women's and education," Bertha said, "adding a direction for children's education, which will appear a little more neutral. For a considerable number of women, children are more important than themselves. The benefits are much higher."

Bertha is totally modern thinking: In the 21st century, mothers are more likely to buy more expensive household items for their children than to add a new dress for themselves.You say magazines educate women about the importance of the right to vote, they don't necessarily feel it's necessary.But if it can help you better educate your children, it will be very valuable to buy.

"How can this work!"

Mrs. Johnson immediately frowned: "How can you compromise because of this? Do you still have to call on women to give up their rights and stay at home? This is bowing to men."

Bertha smiled at this and said nothing.

It was Jane who spoke again: "Men don't have children, madam."

Mrs. Johnson: "..."

That's what Bertha meant.

It is no wonder that Mrs. Johnson reacted so violently. Men are often the ones who advocate and publish books on children's education.Even though many single girls have left their homes to work as tutors and girls' school teachers, when it comes to educators and educational writers, people still think of men.

Rousseau who wrote "Emile" was a man, and this cannot be changed.

However, it is always wives, governesses, and private teachers, often women, who actually raise children and provide basic education.Therefore, writing articles and providing guidance for children's education is essentially instructing women on how to do it correctly.

Bertha didn't want to either. She wished that women all over the world would have legal political rights overnight and understand the importance of going out to work.

Being a housewife in the 21st century can at least purchase medical care and social insurance, and still encounter unfair treatment in all aspects under the premise of social welfare, let alone the [-]th century?Not to mention social welfare, a married woman does not even have the right to be a normal "human being".

So Bertha could only think about it.At present, there are a large number of housewives, and considering them can be regarded as doing things for women.

"This is indeed a good idea," Mrs. Fisher nodded. "Before, we only focused on the part of women who went out to work, but ignored the most fundamental thing. Thanks to Miss Marple for reminding me. And I have experience in running a school, adding the education section Not a problem."

"Are you going to do all the work?"

Bertha couldn't help laughing: "Madam, you are opening a school, giving lectures, and writing magazine articles. Can you be busy? I believe other people can do these things."

Mrs. Harding echoed: "Emily, don't always take things on yourself, there are us!"

Bertha: "It will be more convenient for any of you to know the wife of the editor-in-chief of the magazine."

The ladies looked at each other and laughed out loud.

Mrs. Fisher's pressure suddenly eased a lot. She said, "Actually, we really know each other. It's just that she didn't come to the party today because of her family business. Thank you very much for your suggestion, Miss Marple, if you have time, Maybe you can also help write manuscripts and organize magazines.”

Let her forget it.

Bertha has been a reporter for so many years, and she almost vomits when writing manuscripts.She chose to become a crime reporter because Bertha loves the process of tracing the truth, but everything has two sides, and she is not the character who can sit down and write safely.

Now that she has finally gotten rid of paperwork, she doesn't want to go back to her old job.

"I also have my own work at hand," so Bertha declined Mrs. Fisher's proposal, "but I can help you in another aspect. If you contribute, I can contribute money."

After the gathering, several ladies had a lively discussion on the specific matters of organizing the magazine.

What pleased Bertha was that although Miss Jane Eyre seldom spoke, she actually participated in it, and the ladies did not despise her because she was young and inexperienced.

After a party, even Bertha gained a lot.

They chatted like this until very late, and when it was time to "end the meeting", everyone was still reluctant to part.

Bertha asked the coachman to take Jane back to South Bank Street, but Mycroft's coachman was already waiting in the street near the school.

"Miss."

As soon as she got into the car, the driver opened the window and respectfully handed over a letter: "Mr. Holmes told me to bring it back from South Bank Street. It is your letter."

letter?

Bertha took the envelope and took a closer look, as expected, it was a letter from Rochester.

In the whole world, except for this cheap ex-husband, no one would write to Bertha seriously.She opened the envelope, and there was nothing in it, only a check worth three thousand pounds.

...three thousand pounds!

Where did Edward Rochester have the ability to spend so much money in a short period of time? !Although Bertha was the creditor, she was shocked by Rochester's ability to repay the £[-] in less than half a year.

As expected of the heroine of a romance novel, although he is not handsome, he has a lot of halos that he should have.

Bertha was even thinking that Colonel Dent compensated Rochester for making so much money and gave many green lights.If Colonel Dent is taken care of, can he still work so hard to make money?

No, she had to speak to Mycroft about it.

and……

Bertha put away the check, thought about it, and decided to write a letter to Edward.

"Sir," she knocked on the car window, "If you ask me to write a reply to Edward for me, will I trouble you?"

"Not really."

The coachman was a little surprised, but he didn't refuse: "Why don't you write the letter yourself, Miss?"

Bertha: "Oh, I'm too lazy."

Driver: "..."

Wait a minute, aren't you a good friend of Mr. Rochester? Why don't you even bother to write letters yourself? What kind of plastic friendship? !

Bertha: "It doesn't take too long. Let him stop bothering Miss Jane Eyre. His letters have already troubled her. Give her some time to think. Also, if it is convenient, change to a private bank, Barclay Banks are pretty good."

"Yes, miss," the coachman wrote down, "is there anything else?"

"It's so late," Bertha thought, "is Mike asleep?"

"Mr. Holmes is still waiting for you, miss."

"What are you waiting for."

When Bertha heard this, she showed an almost sweet smile: "Let's hurry back."

The author has something to say: Rochester: Anyway, I will pay you back, and you are perfunctory even writing a letter?

Bertha:? ?Please do the ATM machine's duty. Thank you.

Jiang Hua: My ex-husband really has no face...

Bertha: He's not the male protagonist of this article. Male one, two, three, and four don't even count. What kind of cards do you want!