EDITOR\'SPREFACETOTHENEWEDITIONOF\'WUTHERINGHEIGHTS\'
IHAVEjustreadover\'WutheringHeights，\'and，forthefirsttime，haveobtainedaclearglimpseofwhataretermed（and，perhaps，reallyare）itsfaults；havegainedadefinitenotionofhowitappearstootherpeople-tostrangerswhoknewnothingoftheauthor；whoareunacquaintedwiththelocalitywherethescenesofthestoryarelaid；towhomtheinhabitants，thecustoms，thenaturalcharacteristicsoftheoutlyinghillsandhamletsintheWestRidingofYorkshirearethingsalienandunfamiliar。
Toallsuch\'WutheringHeights\'mustappeararudeandstrangeproduction。ThewildmoorsoftheNorthofEnglandcanforthemhavenointerest:thelanguage，themanners，theverydwellingsandhouseholdcustomsofthescatteredinhabitantsofthosedistrictsmustbetosuchreadersinagreatmeasureunintelligible，and-whereintelligible-repulsive。Menandwomenwho，perhaps，naturallyverycalm，andwithfeelingsmoderateindegree，andlittlemarkedinkind，havebeentrainedfromtheircradletoobservetheutmostevennessofmannerandguardednessoflanguage，willhardlyknowwhattomakeoftherough，strongutterance，theharshlymanifestedpassions，theunbridledaversions，andheadlongpartialitiesofunletteredmoorlandhindsandruggedmoorlandsquires，whohavegrownupuntaughtandunchecked，exceptbyMentorsasharshasthemselves。Alargeclassofreaders，likewise，willsuffergreatlyfromtheintroductionintothepagesofthisworkofwordsprintedwithalltheirletters，whichithasbecomethecustomtorepresentbytheinitialandfinalletteronly-ablanklinefillingtheinterval。Imayaswellsayatoncethat，forthiscircumstance，itisoutofmypowertoapologise；deemingit，myself，arationalplantowritewordsatfulllength。Thepracticeofhintingbysinglelettersthoseexpletiveswithwhichprofaneandviolentpersonsarewonttogarnishtheirdiscourse，strikesmeasaproceedingwhich，howeverwellmeant，isweakandfutile。Icannottellwhatgooditdoes-
whatfeelingitspares-whathorroritconceals。
Withregardtotherusticityof\'Wutheringheights，\'Iadmitthecharge，forIfeelthequality。Itisrusticallthrough。Itismoorish，andwild，andknottyasarootofheath。Norwasitnaturalthatitshouldbeotherwise；theauthorbeingherselfanativeandnurslingofthemoors。Doubtless，hadherlotbeencastinatown，herwritings，ifshehadwrittenatall，wouldhavepossessedanothercharacter。Evenhadchanceortasteledhertochooseasimilarsubject，shewouldhavetreateditotherwise。HadEllisBellbeenaladyoragentlemanaccustomedtowhatiscalled\'theworld，\'herviewofaremoteandunreclaimedregion，aswellasofthedwellerstherein，wouldhavedifferedgreatlyfromthatactuallytakenbythehome-bredcountrygirl。Doubtlessitwouldhavebeenwider-morecomprehensive:whetheritwouldhavebeenmoreoriginalormoretruthfulisnotsocertain。Asfarasthesceneryandlocalityareconcerned，itcouldscarcelyhavebeensosympathetic:EllisBelldidnotdescribeasonewhoseeyeandtastealonefoundpleasureintheprospect；hernativehillswerefarmoretoherthanaspectacle；theywerewhatshelivedin，andby，asmuchasthewildbirds，theirtenants，orastheheather，theirproduce。Herdescriptions，then，ofnaturalsceneryarewhattheyshouldbe，andalltheyshouldbe。
Wheredelineationofhumancharacterisconcerned，thecaseisdifferent。Iamboundtoavowthatshehadscarcelymorepracticalknowledgeofthepeasantryamongstwhomshelived，thananunhasofthecountrypeoplewhosometimespassherconventgates。Mysister\'sdispositionwasnotnaturallygregarious；circumstancesfavouredandfosteredhertendencytoseclusion；excepttogotochurchortakeawalkonthehills，sherarelycrossedthethresholdofhome。Thoughherfeelingforthepeopleroundwasbenevolent，intercoursewiththemsheneversought；nor，withveryfewexceptions，everexperienced。Andyetsheknowthem:knewtheirways，theirlanguage，theirfamilyhistories；shecouldhearofthemwithinterest，andtalkofthemwithdetail，minute，graphic，andaccurate；butWITHthem，sherarelyexchangedaword。
Henceitensuedthatwhathermindhadgatheredoftherealconcerningthem，wastooexclusivelyconfinedtothosetragicandterribletraitsofwhich，inlisteningtothesecretannalsofeveryrudevicinage，thememoryissometimescompelledtoreceivetheimpress。Herimagination，whichwasaspiritmoresombrethansunny，morepowerfulthansportive，foundinsuchtraitsmaterialwhenceitwroughtcreationslikeHeathcliff，likeEarnshaw，likeCatherine。Havingformedthesebeings，shedidnotknowwhatshehaddone。Iftheauditorofherwork，whenreadinmanuscript，shudderedunderthegrindinginfluenceofnaturessorelentlessandimplacable，ofspiritssolostandfallen；ifitwascomplainedthatthemerehearingofcertainvividandfearfulscenesbanishedsleepbynight，anddisturbedmentalpeacebyday，EllisBellwouldwonderwhatwasmeant，andsuspectthecomplainantofaffectation。
Hadshebutlived，hermindwouldofitselfhavegrownlikeastrongtree，loftier，straighter，wider-spreading，anditsmaturedfruitswouldhaveattainedamellowerripenessandsunnierbloom；
butonthatmindtimeandexperiencealonecouldwork:totheinfluenceofotherintellectsitwasnotamenable。
Havingavowedthatovermuchof\'WutheringHeights\'therebroods\'ahorrorofgreatdarkness\'；that，initsstorm-heatedandelectricalatmosphere，weseemattimestobreathelightning:letmepointtothosespotswherecloudedday-lightandtheeclipsedsunstillattesttheirexistence。Foraspecimenoftruebenevolenceandhomelyfidelity，lookatthecharacterofNellyDean；foranexampleofconstancyandtenderness，remarkthatofEdgarLinton。
（Somepeoplewillthinkthesequalitiesdonotshinesowellincarnateinamanastheywoulddoinawoman，butEllisBellcouldneverbebroughttocomprehendthisnotion:nothingmovedhermorethananyinsinuationthatthefaithfulnessandclemency，thelong-sufferingandloving-kindnesswhichareesteemedvirtuesinthedaughtersofEve，becomefoiblesinthesonsofAdam。SheheldthatmercyandforgivenessarethedivinestattributesoftheGreatBeingwhomadebothmanandwoman，andthatwhatclothestheGodheadinglory，candisgracenoformoffeeblehumanity。）ThereisadrysaturninehumourinthedelineationofoldJoseph，andsomeglimpsesofgraceandgaietyanimatetheyoungerCatherine。
Noriseventhefirstheroineofthenamedestituteofacertainstrangebeautyinherfierceness，orofhonestyinthemidstofpervertedpassionandpassionateperversity。
Heathcliff，indeed，standsunredeemed；neveronceswervinginhisarrow-straightcoursetoperdition，fromthetimewhen\'thelittleblack-hairedswarthything，asdarkasifitcamefromtheDevil，\'
wasfirstunrolledoutofthebundleandsetonitsfeetinthefarmhousekitchen，tothehourwhenNellyDeanfoundthegrim，stalwartcorpselaidonitsbackinthepanel-enclosedbed，withwide-gazingeyesthatseemed\'tosneeratherattempttoclosethem，andpartedlipsandsharpwhiteteeththatsneeredtoo。\'
Heathcliffbetraysonesolitaryhumanfeeling，andthatisNOThisloveforCatherine；whichisasentimentfierceandinhuman:apassionsuchasmightboilandglowinthebadessenceofsomeevilgenius；afirethatmightformthetormentedcentre-theever-
sufferingsoulofamagnateoftheinfernalworld:andbyitsquenchlessandceaselessravageeffecttheexecutionofthedecreewhichdoomshimtocarryHellwithhimwhereverhewanders。No；
thesinglelinkthatconnectsHeathcliffwithhumanityishisrudely-confessedregardforHaretonEarnshaw-theyoungmanwhomhehasruined；andthenhishalf-impliedesteemforNellyDean。
Thesesolitarytraitsomitted，weshouldsayhewaschildneitherofLascarnorgipsy，butaman\'sshapeanimatedbydemonlife-aGhoul-anAfreet。
WhetheritisrightoradvisabletocreatebeingslikeHeathcliff，Idonotknow:Iscarcelythinkitis。ButthisIknow:thewriterwhopossessesthecreativegiftownssomethingofwhichheisnotalwaysmaster-somethingthat，attimes，strangelywillsandworksforitself。Hemaylaydownrulesanddeviseprinciples，andtorulesandprinciplesitwillperhapsforyearslieinsubjection；andthen，haplywithoutanywarningofrevolt，therecomesatimewhenitwillnolongerconsentto\'harrowthevalleys，orbeboundwithabandinthefurrow\'-whenit\'laughsatthemultitudeofthecity，andregardsnotthecryingofthedriver\'-
when，refusingabsolutelytomakeropesoutofsea-sandanylonger，itsetstoworkonstatue-hewing，andyouhaveaPlutooraJove，aTisiphoneoraPsyche，aMermaidoraMadonna，asFateorInspirationdirect。Betheworkgrimorglorious，dreadordivine，youhavelittlechoiceleftbutquiescentadoption。Asforyou-
thenominalartist-yourshareinithasbeentoworkpassivelyunderdictatesyouneitherdeliverednorcouldquestion-thatwouldnotbeutteredatyourprayer，norsuppressednorchangedatyourcaprice。Iftheresultbeattractive，theWorldwillpraiseyou，wholittledeservepraise；ifitberepulsive，thesameWorldwillblameyou，whoalmostaslittledeserveblame。
\'WutheringHeights\'washewninawildworkshop，withsimpletools，outofhomelymaterials。Thestatuaryfoundagraniteblockonasolitarymoor；gazingthereon，hesawhowfromthecragmightbeelicitedahead，savage，swart，sinister；aformmouldedwithatleastoneelementofgrandeur-power。Hewroughtwitharudechisel，andfromnomodelbutthevisionofhismeditations。Withtimeandlabour，thecragtookhumanshape；andthereitstandscolossal，dark，andfrowning，halfstatue，halfrock:intheformersense，terribleandgoblin-like；inthelatter，almostbeautiful，foritscolouringisofmellowgrey，andmoorlandmossclothesit；andheath，withitsbloomingbellsandbalmyfragrance，growsfaithfullyclosetothegiant\'sfoot。
CURRERBELL。