Emily’s short time at Miss Wooler’s school set a pattern for her life. She rarely left home, and seemed to become ill and unhappy when she did so. For a short time in 1838 when she was 20, she worked at a school as a teacher, but her health broke down and she returned to Haworth.
The Brontes’ chief servant, their nanny and housekeeper Tabitha Ackroyd, was getting older, and Emily began to take over the work of housekeeping. Aunt Branwell was getting older also, and Emily seemed to enjoy the practical side of keeping house, helping with the cooking and cleaning.
However it had always been expected that the girls would go out as governesses or teachers and earn their living… as Patrick had little money to leave them. Miss Branwell had made a will dividing her own small fortune among the 3 girls.
Their brother Branwell was at first considered to be the cleverest of the children. Patrick had taught him himself, and knew he was an intelligence boy, and he also had a talent for painting. However when Branwell tried to set up as a painter in a nearby city, things didn’t work out well. He got few commissions and began more and more to seek amusement in drinking and talking with his male friends many of whom were artists or budding writers.
The girls had always looked up to and made sacrifices for him, as he was meant to be the one who would be a success in life and might be able to help provide for his sisters when Patrick was gone. However it was becoming apparent that in spite of his genuine intelligence, Branwell had personality problems which meant that he could not be depended on…and that he was not likely to make his fortune as an artist or writer.
The girls began to try to plan for some way of earning their living which was less difficult than governessing… They thought of opening a school, which would mean that they were in charge and could control their lives and reap all the profits…
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