Bronte Country by craig_352 on Flickr.
The Bronte Waterfall, a favorite childhood haunt of the Bronte sisters.
“The rugged bank and rippling brook were treasures of delight. Emily, Anne and Branwell used to ford the streams, and sometimes placed stepping stones for the other two; there was always a lingering delight in these spots ― every moss, every flower, every tint and form, were noted and enjoyed. Emily especially had a gleesome delight in these nooks of beauty ― her reserve for the time vanished. One long ramble made in these early days were far away over the moors to a spot familiar to Emily and Anne, which they called ‘the Meeting of the Waters’. It was a small oasis of emerald green turf, broken here and there by small clear springs; a few large stones served as resting places; seated here we were hidden from the world, nothing appearing in view but miles of and miles of heather, a glorious blue sky, and brightening sun. A fresh breeze wafted on us its exhilarating influence; we laughed and made mirth of each other, and settled we would call ourselves the Quartette. Emily, half reclining on a slab of stone, played like a young child with the tadpoles in the water, making them swim about, and then fell to moralising on the strong and the weak, the brave and the cowardly, as she chased them with her hand.”
-Ellen Nussey, correspondence to Mrs Gaskell
