English Task 3

JANE EYRE STORY



How sad a fate!


I was born into a life of poverty and misfortune. Since my first birthday I have been an orphan. My mother and my father died because of an accident and so I lost my whole family. When I had to go to school I was sent to a school for parentless children, which was called LOWOOD. The school was poor and cold, the teachers were strict and the food was uneatable. I hated LOWOOD more than everything else. In my opinion it was the most horrible place in the world.
In my third year a new pupil came, named Jane Eyre. She looked nice and inquisitive, but there was something about her, something around her, I can not explain. She was often alone. But on a couple of days I could see her with Helen Burns, who was very special and unpopular. I didn’t know her very well and I never was really interested in her, but there was one event, which I could never forget:

The winter had been cold and everyone was happy when spring came. But before May arrived, a fever had attacked the crowded schoolroom and turned the orphanage into a hospital. Forty-five out of the eighty girls lay ill at one time. More and more girls died. I was healthy, and Jane too. But Helen was ill, very ill! I knew that Jane was very sad about Helen’s illness and I knew that she tried to visit her. One night I was woken up by a noise. I looked around and saw Jane. All girls slept in one big room. My bed was standing next to Jane’s, and so I could see her when she got out of the bed. I can not explain, why I followed her, but I did. Maybe I only wanted to know where she would go. Maybe I knew where she would go, and that was to reason. Jane went upstairs and downstairs, across the whole house. But a few minutes later she arrived at Miss Temple’s room. I asked myself, what she would do at this room. Miss Temple was one of the teachers.Jane went in. Close by Miss Temple’s bed stood a smaller one. A nurse was sitting in a chair asleep. I was able to watch Jane and the ill Helen through a slit in the door. Jane went to Helen and sat down on her bed. I could hear them talk.” Helen! Are you awake?” Jane asked.Helen repeated: “Is it you, Jane?”They kept silent. I looked at the nurse, who was still asleep. ”Why have you come here, Jane?””I came to see you. I heard you were very ill, and I could not sleep until I had spoken to you””You came to say goodbye to me, then. You are just in time, probably.”I thought about going. It was a very private moment and it was no concern of mine. But I wasn’t able to move. I was so nosy, although I knew it was wrong.

“Are you going somewhere, Helen?” Jane wanted to know.”Yes, to my last home.”
“No, no, Helen!” Jane cried.
“I am very happy, Jane, and when you hear them say that I am dead, you must not be sad. We must all die one day, and the illness which is removing me is gentle and gradual. My mind is at rest. I am leaving no one to cry for me. I have only a father, and he has lately remarried and will not miss me. I am going to God.”
I felt scared. Helen knew that she was going to die, nevertheless she wasn’t afraid.
I had a really bad feeling. Helen liked Jane to be near her. The minutes went by and Jane said: “I’ll stay with you, dear Helen. No one shall take me away”
Jane lay down beside her.
I went back to bed, but I couldn’t sleep. I thought about Jane and Helen, death and losing a friend.
At the next morning a teacher told the pupils that Helen Burns had died last night.
I felt so sorry for Jane.


This event happened many years ago. Today I am a wife and a mother. Some month ago a neighbour talked about a young teacher named Jane Eyre, who is working for a gentleman in Thornfield. I am happy for Jane, because she found her way and a good job. Maybe I will meet her one day again.



Words: 752