"E." was younger than she, and her tender heart was touched by the apparently desolate condition in which she found the oddly-dressed, odd-looking little girl that winter morning, as "sick for home she stood in tears," in a new strange place, among new strange people.

Any over-demonstrative kindness would have scared the wild little maiden from Haworth; but "E." (who is shadowed forth in the Caroline Helstone of "Shirley") managed to win confidence, and was allowed to give sympathy.
To quote again from "Mary's" letter:-- "We thought her very ignorant, for she had never learnt grammar at all, and very little geography." This account of her partial ignorance is confirmed by her other school- fellows.

But Miss W--- was a lady of remarkable intelligence and of delicate tender sympathy.

She gave a proof of this in her first treatment of Charlotte.

The little girl was well-read, but not well-grounded.