Perry does not call it
altogether
a sickly season.
Warner - World's Best Literature - v02 - Aqu to Bag
1059 (#485) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1059
Away they walked to the book; and while Isabella examined
the names, it was Catherine's employment to watch the proceed-
ings of these alarming young men.
"They are not coming this way, are they? I hope they are
not so impertinent as to follow us. Pray let me know if they
are coming. I am determined I will not look up. "
In a few moments Catherine, with unaffected pleasure, assured
her that she need not be longer uneasy, as the gentlemen had
just left the Pump-room.
"And which way are they gone? " said Isabella, turning
hastily round. "One was a very good-looking young man. ”
"They went towards the churchyard. "
"Well, I am amazingly glad I have got rid of them! And
now what say you to going to Edgar's Buildings with me, and
looking at my new hat? You said you should like to see it. "
Catherine readily agreed. "Only," she added, "perhaps we
may overtake the two young men. "
>>>
"Oh! never mind that. If we make haste, we shall pass by
them presently, and I am dying to show you my hat. "
"But if we only wait a few minutes, there will be no danger
of our seeing them at all. "
"I shall not pay them any such compliment, I assure you. I
have no notion of treating men with such respect. That is the
way to spoil them. "
Catherine had nothing to oppose against such reasoning; and
therefore, to show the independence of Miss Thorpe, and her
resolution of humbling the sex, they set off immediately, as fast
as they could walk, in pursuit of the two young men.
Half a minute conducted them through the Pump-yard to the
archway, opposite Union Passage; but here they were stopped.
Everybody acquainted with Bath may remember the difficulties
of crossing Cheap Street at this point; it is indeed a street of so
impertinent a nature, so unfortunately connected with the great
London and Oxford roads, and the principal inn of the city, that
a day never passes in which parties of ladies, however important
their business, whether in quest of pastry, millinery, or even (as
in the present case) of young men, are not detained on one side
or other by carriages, horsemen, or carts. This evil had been
felt and lamented, at least three times a day, by Isabella since
her residence in Bath: and she was now fated to feel and lament
it once more; for at the very moment of coming opposite to
## p. 1060 (#486) ###########################################
1060
JANE AUSTEN
Union Passage, and within view of the two gentlemen who were
proceeding through the crowds and treading the gutters of that
interesting alley, they were prevented crossing by the approach
of a gig, driven along on bad pavements by a most knowing-
looking coachman, with all the vehemence that could most fitly
endanger the lives of himself, his companion, and his horse.
"Oh, these odious gigs! " said Isabella, looking up, "how I
detest them! " But this detestation, though so just, was of short
duration, for she looked again, and exclaimed, "Delightful! Mr.
Morland and my brother! "
"Good Heaven! 'tis James! " was uttered at the same moment
by Catherine; and on catching the young men's eyes, the horse
was immediately checked with a violence which almost threw
him on his haunches; and the servant having now scampered up,
the gentlemen jumped out, and the equipage was delivered to
his care.
Catherine, by whom this meeting was wholly unexpected,
received her brother with the liveliest pleasure; and he, being of
a very amiable disposition, and sincerely attached to her, gave
every proof on his side of equal satisfaction, which he could
have leisure to do, while the bright eyes of Miss Thorpe were
incessantly challenging his notice; and to her his devoirs were
speedily paid, with a mixture of joy and embarrassment which
might have informed Catherine, had she been more expert in
the development of other people's feelings, and less simply en-
grossed by her own, that her brother thought her friend quite as
pretty as she could do herself.
John Thorpe, who in the mean time had been giving orders
about the horse, soon joined them, and from him she directly
received the amends which were her due; for while he slightly
and carelessly touched the hand of Isabella, on her he bestowed
a whole scrape and half a short bow. He was a stout young
man, of middling height, who, with a plain face and ungraceful
form, seemed fearful of being too handsome unless he wore the
dress of a groom, and too much like a gentleman unless he were
easy where he ought to be civil, and impudent where he might
be allowed to be easy. He took out his watch: «< How long do
you think we have been running in from Tetbury, Miss Mor-
land? "
"I do not know the distance. " Her brother told her that it
was twenty-three miles.
-
## p. 1061 (#487) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1061
"Three-and-twenty! " cried Thorpe; "five-and-twenty if it is
an inch. " Morland remonstrated, pleaded the authority of road-
books, innkeepers, and milestones: but his friend disregarded
them all; he had a surer test of distance. "I know it must be
five-and-twenty," said he, "by the time we have been doing it. "
"It is now half after one; we drove out of the inn-yard at Tet-
bury as the town-clock struck eleven; and I defy any man in
England to make my horse go less than ten miles an hour in
harness; that makes it exactly twenty-five. "
"You have lost an hour," said Morland: "it was only ten
o'clock when we came from Tetbury. "
"Ten o'clock! it was eleven, upon my soul! I counted every
stroke. This brother of yours would persuade me out of my
senses, Miss Morland. Do but look at my horse: did you ever
see an animal so made for speed in your life? " (The servant
had just mounted the carriage and was driving off. ) "Such true
blood! Three hours and a half, indeed, coming only three-and-
twenty miles! Look at that creature, and suppose it possible, if
you can! "
"He does look very hot, to be sure. "
"Hot! he had not turned a hair till we came to Walcot
Church: but look at his forehand; look at his loins; only see
how he moves: that horse cannot go less than ten miles an hour;
tie his legs, and he will get on. What do you think of my gig,
Miss Morland? A neat one, is it not? Well hung; town built:
I have not had it a month. It was built for a Christ Church
man, a friend of mine, a very good sort of fellow; he ran it a
few weeks, till, I believe, it was convenient to have done with
it. I happened just then to be looking out for some light thing
of the kind, though I had pretty well determined on a curricle
too; but I chanced to meet him on Magdalen Bridge, as he was
driving into Oxford, last term: 'Ah, Thorpe,' said he, 'do you
happen to want such a little thing as this? It is a capital one of
the kind, but I am cursed tired of it. ' 'Oh! d,' said I, 'I
am your man; what do you ask? ' And how much do you think
he did, Miss Morland? "
"I am sure I cannot guess at all. "
"Curricle-hung, you see; seat, trunk, sword-case, splashing-
board, lamps, silver molding, all, you see, complete; the ironwork
as good as new, or better. He asked fifty guineas: I closed with
him directly, threw down the money, and the carriage was mine. "
## p. 1062 (#488) ###########################################
1062
JANE AUSTEN
"And I am sure," said Catherine, "I know so little of such
things, that I cannot judge whether it was cheap or dear. "
"Neither one nor t'other; I might have got it for less, I dare
say; but I hate haggling, and poor Freeman wanted cash. "
"That was very good-natured of you," said Catherine, quite
pleased.
"Oh! d- it, when one has the means of doing a kind thing
by a friend, I hate to be pitiful. "
An inquiry now took place into the intended movements of
the young ladies; and on finding whither they were going, it
was decided that the gentlemen should accompany them to
Edgar's Buildings, and pay their respects to Mrs. Thorpe. James
and Isabella led the way; and so well satisfied was the latter
with her lot, so contentedly was she endeavoring to insure a
pleasant walk to him who brought the double recommendation of
being her brother's friend and her friend's brother, so pure and
uncoquettish were her feelings, that though they overtook and
passed the two offending young men in Milsom Street, she was
so far from seeking to attract their notice that she looked back
at them only three times.
John Thorpe kept of course with Catherine, and after a few
minutes' silence renewed the conversation about his gig:—“You
will find, however, Miss Morland, it would be reckoned a cheap
thing by some people, for I might have sold it for ten guineas
more the next day; Jackson of Oriel bid me sixty at once; Mor-
land was with me at the time. "
"Yes," said Morland, who overheard this; "but you forgot
that your horse was included. "
"My horse! oh, d- it! I would not sell my horse for a
hundred. Are you fond of an open carriage, Miss Morland? "
"Yes, very: I have hardly ever an opportunity of being in
one; but I am particularly fond of it. "
"I am glad of it: I will drive you out in mine every day. ”
"Thank you," said Catherine, in some distress, from a doubt
of the propriety of accepting such an offer.
"I will drive you up Lansdown Hill to-morrow. "
"Thank you; but will not your horse want rest? "
"Rest! he has only come three-and-twenty miles to-day; all
nonsense: nothing ruins horses so much as rest; nothing knocks
them up so soon. No, no: I shall exercise mine at the average
of four hours every day while I am here. "
## p. 1063 (#489) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1063
"Shall you, indeed! " said Catherine, very seriously: "that will
be forty miles a day. "
"Forty! ay, fifty, for what I care. Well, I will drive you up
Lansdown to-morrow; mind, I am engaged. ”
"How delightful that will be! " cried Isabella, turning round;
"my dearest Catherine, I quite envy you; but I am afraid,
brother, you will not have room for a third. "
"A third, indeed! no, no; I did not come to Bath to drive
my sisters about: that would be a good joke, faith! Morland
must take care of you. "
This brought on a dialogue of civilities between the other
two; but Catherine heard neither the particulars nor the result.
Her companion's discourse now sunk from its hitherto animated
pitch to nothing more than a short, decisive sentence of praise
or condemnation on the face of every women they met; and
Catherine, after listening and agreeing as long as she could, with
all the civility and deference of the youthful female mind, fear-
ful of hazarding an opinion of its own in opposition to that of a
self-assured man, especially where the beauty of her own sex is
concerned, ventured at length to vary the subject by a question
which had been long uppermost in her thoughts. It was, "Have
you ever read 'Udolpho,' Mr. Thorpe ? "
(
« Udolpho! O Lord! not I: I never read novels; I have
something else to do. "
Catherine, humbled and ashamed, was going to apologize for
her question; but he prevented her by saying, "Novels are all
so full of nonsense and stuff! there has not been a tolerable
decent one come out since Tom Jones,' except the 'Monk'; I
read that t'other day: but as for all the others, they are the
stupidest things in creation. "
"I think you must like 'Udolpho,' if you were to read it: it
is so very interesting. "
"Not I, faith! No, if I read any, it shall be Mrs. Radcliffe's;
her novels are amusing enough: they are worth reading; some
fun and nature in them. »
"Udolpho was written by Mrs. Radcliffe," said Catherine,
with some hesitation, from the fear of mortifying him.
"No, sure; was it? Ay, I remember, so it was; I was think-
ing of that other stupid book, written by that woman they made
such a fuss about; she who married the French emigrant. "
"I suppose you mean 'Camilla › ? »
## p. 1064 (#490) ###########################################
1064
JANE AUSTEN
"Yes, that's the book: such unnatural stuff! An old man
playing at see-saw: I took up the first volume once, and looked
it over, but I soon found it would not do; indeed, I guessed
what sort of stuff it must be before I saw it; as soon as I heard
she had married an emigrant, I was sure I should never be able
to get through it. "
"I have never read it. "
"You have no loss, I assure you; it is the horridest nonsense
you can imagine: there is nothing in the world in it but an old
man's playing at see-saw and learning Latin; upon my soul, there
is not. "
This critique, the justness of which was unfortunately lost on
poor Catherine, brought them to the door of Mrs. Thorpe's lodg-
ings, and the feelings of the discerning and unprejudiced reader
of 'Camilla' gave way to the feelings of the dutiful and affec-
tionate son, as they met Mrs. Thorpe, who had descried them
from above, in the passage. "Ah, mother, how do you do? "
said he, giving her a hearty shake of the hand; "where did you
get that quiz of a hat? it makes you look like an old witch.
Here is Morland and I come to stay a few days with you; so
you must look out for a couple of good beds somewhere near. "
And this address seemed to satisfy all the fondest wishes of the
mother's heart, for she received him with the most delighted and
exulting affection. On his two younger sisters he then bestowed
an equal portion of his fraternal tenderness, for he asked each of
them how they did, and observed that they both looked very
ugly.
FAMILY DOCTORS
From Emma'
WHIL
HILE they were thus comfortably occupied, Mr. Woodhouse
was enjoying a full flow of happy regrets and tearful
affection with his daughter.
"My poor, dear Isabella," said he, fondly taking her hand,
and interrupting for a few moments her busy labors for some
one of her five children, "how long it is, how terribly long since
you were here! And how tired you must be after your journey!
You must go to bed early, my dear, and I recommend a little
gruel to you before you go. You and I will have a nice basin of
―――――
## p. 1065 (#491) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1065
gruel together. My dear Emma, suppose we all have a little
gruel. »
Emma could not suppose any such thing, knowing as she
did that both the Mr. Knightleys were as unpersuadable on that
article as herself, and two basins only were ordered. After a
little more discourse in praise of gruel, with some wondering at
its not being taken every evening by everybody, he proceeded to
say, with an air of grave reflection:
"It was an awkward business, my dear, your spending the
autumn at South End instead of coming here. I never had
much opinion of the sea air. "
"Mr. Wingfield most strenuously recommended it, sir, or we
should not have gone. He recommended it for all the children,
but particularly for the weakness in little Bella's throat, — both
sea air and bathing. "
-
“Ah, my dear, but Perry had many doubts about the sea
doing her any good; and as to myself, I have been long perfectly
convinced, though perhaps I never told you so before, that the
sea is very rarely of use to anybody. I am sure it almost killed
me once. »
-:
"Come, come," cried Emma, feeling this to be an unsafe sub-
ject, "I must beg you not to talk of the sea. It makes me
envious and miserable; I who have never seen it! South End
is prohibited, if you please. My dear Isabella, I have not heard.
you make one inquiry after Mr. Perry yet; and he never forgets
you. "
«< Oh, good Mr. Perry, how is he, sir? "
"Why, pretty well; but not quite well. Poor Perry is bilious,
and he has not time to take care of himself; he tells me he has
not time to take care of himself - which is very sad - but he is
always wanted all round the country. I suppose there is not a
man in such practice anywhere. But then, there is not so clever
a man anywhere. "
"And Mrs. Perry and the children, how are they? Do the
children grow? I have a great regard for Mr. Perry. I hope
he will be calling soon. He will be so pleased to see my little
ones. "
"I hope he will be here to-morrow, for I have a question or
two to ask him about myself of some consequence.
And, my
dear, whenever he comes, you had better let him look at little
Bella's throat. "
## p. 1066 (#492) ###########################################
1066
JANE AUSTEN
"Oh, my dear sir, her throat is so much better that I have
hardly any uneasiness about it. Either bathing has been of the
greatest service to her, or else it is to be attributed to an excel-
lent embrocation of Mr. Wingfield's, which we have been apply-
ing at times ever since August. "
"It is not very likely, my dear, that bathing should have been
of use to her; and if I had known you were wanting an embro-
cation, I would have spoken to-"
"You seem to me to have forgotten Mrs. and Miss Bates,"
said Emma: "I have not heard one inquiry after them. "
"Oh, the good Bateses-I am quite ashamed of myself; but
you mention them in most of your letters. I hope they are quite
well. Good old Mrs. Bates. I will call upon her to-morrow, and
take my children. They are always so pleased to see my chil-
dren. And that excellent Miss Bates! -such thorough worthy
people! How are they, sir? "
"Why, pretty well, my dear, upon the whole. But poor Mrs.
Bates had a bad cold about a month ago. "
"How sorry I am! but colds were never so prevalent as they
have been this autumn. Mr. Wingfield told me that he had
never known them more general or heavy, except when it has
been quite an influenza. "
"That has been a good deal the case, my dear, but not to the
degree you mention. Perry says that colds have been very gen-
eral, but not so heavy as he has very often known them in No-
vember.
Perry does not call it altogether a sickly season. "
"No, I do not know that Mr. Wingfield considers it very
sickly, except—”
"Ah, my poor, dear child, the truth is, that in London it is
always a sickly season. Nobody is healthy in London, nobody
can be. It is a dreadful thing to have you forced to live there;-
so far off! -and the air so bad! "
Our part of
must not con-
The neighbor-
"No, indeed, we are not at all in a bad air.
London is so very superior to most others. You
found us with London in general, my dear sir.
hood of Brunswick Square is very different from almost all the
rest. We are so very airy! I should be unwilling, I own, to
live in any other part of the town; there is hardly any other that
I could be satisfied to have my children in: but we are SO
remarkably airy! Mr. Wingfield thinks the vicinity of Brunswick
Square decidedly the most favorable as to air. "
-
## p. 1067 (#493) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1067
You make the best
"Ah, my dear, it is not like Hartfield.
of it—but after you have been a week at Hartfield, you are all
of you different creatures; you do not look like the same. Now,
I cannot say that I think you are any of you looking well at
present. "
"I am sorry to hear you say so, sir; but I assure you, except-
ing those little nervous headaches and palpitations which I am
never entirely free from anywhere, I am quite well myself; and
if the children were rather pale before they went to bed, it was
only because they were a little more tired than usual from their
journey and the happiness of coming. I hope you will think
better of their looks to-morrow; for I assure you Mr. Wingfield
told me that he did not believe he had ever sent us off, alto-
gether, in such good case. I trust at least that you do not think
Mr. Knightley looking ill," turning her eyes with affectionate
anxiety toward her husband.
“Middling, my dear; I cannot compliment you. I think Mr.
John Knightley very far from looking well. "
"What is the matter, sir? Did you speak to me? " cried Mr.
John Knightley, hearing his own name.
"I am sorry to find, my love, that my father does not think
you looking well; but I hope it is only from being a little
fatigued. I could have wished, however, as you know, that you
had seen Mr. Wingfield before you left home. "
"My dear Isabella," exclaimed he hastily, "pray do not con-
cern yourself about my looks. Be satisfied with doctoring and
coddling yourself and the children, and let me look as I choose. "
"I did not thoroughly understand what you were telling your
brother," cried Emma, "about your friend Mr. Graham's intend-
ing to have a bailiff from Scotland to look after his new estate.
But will it answer? Will not the old prejudice be too strong? >>>>
And she talked in this way so long and successfully that,
when forced to give her attention again to her father and sister,
she had nothing worse to hear than Isabella's kind inquiry after
Jane Fairfax; and Jane Fairfax, though no great favorite with
her in general, she was at that moment very happy to assist in
praising.
"That sweet, amiable Jane Fairfax! " said Mrs. John Knight-
ley. "It is so long since I have seen her, except now and then
for a moment accidentally in town. What happiness it must be
to her good old grandmother and excellent aunt when she comes
## p. 1068 (#494) ###########################################
1068
JANE AUSTEN
to visit them! I always regret excessively, on dear Emma's
account, that she cannot be more at Highbury; but now their
daughter is married I suppose Colonel and Mrs. Campbell will
not be able to part with her at all. She would be such a de-
lightful companion for Emma. "
Mr. Woodhouse agreed to it all, but added:-
"Our little friend Harriet Smith, however, is just such another
pretty kind of young person. You will like Harriet. Emma
could not have a better companion than Harriet. "
"I am most happy to hear it; but only Jane Fairfax one
knows to be so very accomplished and superior, and exactly
Emma's age. "
>>
This topic was discussed very happily, and others succeeded
of similar moment, and passed away with similar harmony; but
the evening did not close without a little return of agitation.
The gruel came and supplied a great deal to be said — much
praise and many comments- undoubting decision of its whole-
someness for every constitution, and pretty severe philippics upon
the many houses where it was never met with tolerably; but
unfortunately, among the failures which the daughter had to
instance, the most recent and therefore most prominent was
in her own cook at South End, a young woman hired for the
time, who never had been able to understand what she meant by
a basin of nice smooth gruel, thin, but not too thin. Often as
she had wished for and ordered it, she had never been able to
get anything tolerable. Here was a dangerous opening.
"Ah,” said Mr. Woodhouse, shaking his head, and fixing his
eyes on her with tender concern. The ejaculation in Emma's
ear expressed, "Ah, there is no end of the sad consequences of
your going to South End. It does not bear talking of. " And
for a little while she hoped he would not talk of it, and that a
silent rumination might suffice to restore him to the relish of
his own smooth gruel. After an interval of some minutes, how-
ever, he began with
"I shall always be very sorry that you went to the sea this
autumn, instead of coming here. "
"But why should you be sorry, sir? I assure you it did the
children a great deal of good. ”
"And moreover, if you must go to the sea, it had better not
have been to South End. South End is an unhealthy place.
Perry was surprised to hear you had fixed upon South End. "
## p. 1069 (#495) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1069
"I know there is such an idea with many people, but indeed
it is quite a mistake, sir. We all had our health perfectly well
there, never found the least inconvenience from the mud, and
Mr. Wingfield says it is entirely a mistake to suppose the place
unhealthy; and I am sure he may be depended on, for he thor-
oughly understands the nature of the air, and his own brother
and family have been there repeatedly. "
"You should have gone to Cromer, my dear, if you went any-
where. Perry was a week at Cromer once, and he holds it to be
the best of all the sea-bathing places. A fine open sea, he says,
and very pure air. And by what I understand, you might have
had lodgings there quite away from the sea—a quarter of a mile
off very comfortable. You should have consulted Perry. "
"But my dear sir, the difference of the journey: only con-
sider how great it would have been. A hundred miles, perhaps,
instead of forty. "
"Ah, my dear, as Perry says, where health is at stake, noth-
ing else should be considered; and if one is to travel, there is
not much to choose between forty miles and a hundred. Better
not move at all, better stay in London altogether than travel
forty miles to get into a worse air. This is just what Perry
said. It seemed to him a very ill-judged measure. "
Emma's attempts to stop her father had been vain; and when
he had reached such a point as this, she could not wonder at her
brother-in-law's breaking out.
I
"Mr. Perry," said he, in a voice of very strong displeasure,
"would do as well to keep his opinion till it is asked for. Why
does he make it any business of his to wonder at what I do? -
at my taking my family to one part of the coast or another?
may be allowed, I hope, the use of my judgment as well as Mr.
Perry. I want his directions no more than his drugs. " He
paused, and growing cooler in a moment, added, with only sar-
castic dryness, "If Mr. Perry can tell me how to convey a wife
and five children a distance of a hundred and thirty miles with
no greater expense or inconvenience than a distance of forty, I
should be as willing to prefer Cromer to South End as he could
himself. "
-
"True, true," cried Mr. Knightley, with most ready interposi-
tion, "very true. That's a consideration, indeed. But, John, as
to what I was telling you of my idea of moving the path to
Langham, of turning it more to the right that it may not cut
## p. 1070 (#496) ###########################################
1070
JANE AUSTEN
through the home meadows, I cannot conceive any difficulty. I
should not attempt it, if it were to be the means of inconvenience
to the Highbury people, but if you call to mind exactly the pres-
ent light of the path- The only way of proving it, however,
will be to turn to our maps. I shall see you at the Abbey
to-morrow morning, I hope, and then we will look them over,
and you shall give me your opinion. "
Mr. Woodhouse was rather agitated by such harsh reflections
on his friend Perry, to whom he had in fact, though uncon-
sciously, been attributing many of his own feelings and expres-
sions; but the soothing attentions of his daughters gradually
removed the present evil, and the immediate alertness of one
brother, and better recollections of the other, prevented any
renewal of it.
-
FAMILY TRAINING
From Mansfield Park'
A$
S HER [Fanny Price's] appearance and spirits improved, Sir
Thomas and Mrs. Norris thought with greater satisfaction
of their benevolent plan; and it was pretty soon decided
between them, that though far from clever, she showed a tract-
able disposition, and seemed likely to give them little trouble.
A mean opinion of her abilities was not confined to them. Fanny
could read, work, and write, but she had been taught nothing
more; and as her cousins found her ignorant of many things
with which they had been long familiar, they thought her prodi-
giously stupid, and for the first two or three weeks were con-
tinually bringing some fresh report of it into the drawing-room.
"Dear mamma, only think, my cousin cannot put the map of
Europe together" or "my cousin cannot tell the principal riv-
ers in Russia". or "she never heard of Asia Minor".
or "she
does not know the difference between water-colors and crayons!
How strange! Did you ever hear anything so stupid? "
"My dear," their aunt would reply, "it is very bad, but you
must not expect everybody to be as quick at learning as your-
self. "
-
-
"But, aunt, she is really so very ignorant! Do you know, we
asked her last night which way she would go to get to Ireland;
and she said she should cross to the Isle of Wight. She thinks
of nothing but the Isle of Wight, and she calls it the Island, as
## p. 1071 (#497) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1071
I am sure I should
if there were no other island in the world.
have been ashamed of myself, if I had not known better long
before I was so old as she is. I cannot remember the time
when I did not know a great deal that she has not the least
notion of yet. How long ago it is, aunt, since we used to
repeat the chronological order of the kings of England, with the
dates of their accession, and most of the principal events of their
reigns! "
"Yes," added the other; "and of the Roman emperors as
low as Severus; besides a great deal of the heathen mythology,
and all the metals, semi-metals, planets, and distinguished phi-
losophers. "
"Very true, indeed, my dears, but you are blessed with won-
derful memories, and your poor cousin has probably none at all.
There is a vast deal of difference in memories, as well as in
everything else; and therefore you must make allowance for
your cousin, and pity her deficiency. And remember that if
you are ever so forward and clever yourselves, you should
always be modest, for, much as you know already, there is a
great deal more for you to learn. "
"Yes, I know there is, till I am seventeen. But I must tell
you another thing of Fanny, so odd and so stupid.
Do you
know, she says she does not want to learn either music or
drawing? "
"To be sure, my dear, that is very stupid indeed, and shows
a great want of genius and emulation. But, all things consid-
ered, I do not know whether it is not as well that it should be
SO: for though you know (owing to me) your papa and mamma
are so good as to bring her up with you, it is not at all neces-
sary that she should be as accomplished as you are; on the
contrary, it is much more desirable that there should be a
difference. "
Such were the counsels by which Mrs. Norris assisted to form
her nieces' minds; and it is not very wonderful that, with all
their promising talents and early information, they should be
entirely deficient in the less common acquirements of self-knowl-
edge, generosity, and humility. In everything but disposition,
they were admirably taught. Sir Thomas did not know what
was wanting, because, though a truly anxious father, he was not
outwardly affectionate, and the reserve of his manner repressed
all the flow of their spirits before him.
## p. 1072 (#498) ###########################################
1072
JANE AUSTEN
PRIVATE THEATRICALS
From Mansfield Park'
F₁
ANNY looked on and listened, not unamused to observe the
selfishness which, more or less disguised, seemed to govern
them all, and wondering how it would end.
Three of the characters were now cast, besides Mr. Rush-
worth, who was always answered for by Maria as willing to do
anything; when Julia, meaning, like her sister, to be Agatha,
began to be scrupulous on Miss Crawford's account.
"This is not behaving well by the absent," said she. "Here
are not women enough. Amelia and Agatha may do for Maria
and me, but here is nothing for your sister, Mr. Crawford. "
Mr. Crawford desired that might not be thought of; he was
very sure his sister had no wish of acting but as she might be
useful, and that she would not allow herself to be considered in
the present case. But this was immediately opposed by Tom
Bertram, who asserted the part of Amelia to be in every respect
the property of Miss Crawford, if she would accept it. "It falls
as naturally as necessarily to her," said he, "as Agatha does to
one or other of my sisters. It can be no sacrifice on their side,
for it is highly comic. "
A short silence followed. Each sister looked anxious; for
each felt the best claim to Agatha, and was hoping to have it
pressed on her by the rest. Henry Crawford, who meanwhile
had taken up the play, and with seeming carelessness was turn-
ing over the first act, soon settled the business.
"I must entreat Miss Julia Bertram," said he, "not to engage
in the part of Agatha, or it will be the ruin of all my solem-
nity. You must not, indeed you must not [turning to her].
I could not stand your countenance dressed up in woe and pale-
ness. The many laughs we have had together would infal-
libly come across me, and Frederick and his knapsack would be
obliged to run away. "
Pleasantly, courteously, it was spoken; but the manner was
lost in the matter to Julia's feelings. She saw a glance at Maria,
which confirmed the injury to herself: it was a scheme, a trick;
she was slighted, Maria was preferred; the smile of triumph
which Maria was trying to suppress showed how well it was
understood and before Julia could command herself enough to
## p. 1073 (#499) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1073
speak, her brother gave his weight against her too, by saying,
"Oh yes! Maria must be Agatha. Maria will be the best Agatha.
Though Julia fancies she prefers tragedy, I would not trust her
in it. There is nothing of tragedy about her. She has not the
look of it. Her features are not tragic features, and she walks
too quick, and speaks too quick, and would not keep her coun-
tenance. She had better do the old countrywoman - the Cot-
tager's wife; you had, indeed, Julia. Cottager's wife is a very
pretty part, I assure you. The old lady relieves the high-flown
benevolence of her husband with a good deal of spirit. You
shall be the Cottager's wife. "
"Cottager's wife! " cried Mr. Yates. "What are you talking
of? The most trivial, paltry, insignificant part; the merest com-
monplace; not a tolerable speech in the whole. Your sister do
that! It is an insult to propose it. At Ecclesford the governess
was to have done it. We all agreed that it could not be offered
to anybody else. A little more justice, Mr. Manager, if you
please. You do not deserve the office if you cannot appreciate
the talents of your company a little better. "
"Why, as to that, my good friends, till I and my company
have really acted, there must be some guesswork; but I mean
no disparagement to Julia. We cannot have two Agathas, and
we must have one Cottager's wife; and I am sure I set her the
example of moderation myself in being satisfied with the old
Butler. If the part is trifling she will have more credit in mak-
ing something of it: and if she is so desperately bent against
everything humorous, let her take Cottager's speeches instead of
Cottager's wife's, and so change the parts all through; he is sol-
emn and pathetic enough, I am sure. It could make no differ-
ence in the play; and as for Cottager himself, when he has
got his wife's speeches, I would undertake him with all my
heart. "
"With all your partiality for Cottager's wife," said Henry
Crawford, "it will be impossible to make anything of it fit for
your sister, and we must not suffer her good nature to be im-
posed on. We must not allow her to accept the part. She must
not be left to her own complaisance. Her talents will be wanted
in Amelia. Amelia is a character more difficult to be well rep-
resented than even Agatha. I consider Amelia as the most diffi-
cult character in the whole piece. It requires great powers,
great nicety, to give her playfulness and simplicity without
11-68
## p. 1074 (#500) ###########################################
1074
JANE AUSTEN
not.
extravagance. I have seen good actresses fail in the part. Sim-
plicity, indeed, is beyond the reach of almost every actress by
profession. It requires a delicacy of feeling which they have
It requires a gentlewoman-a Julia Bertram. You will
undertake it, I hope? " turning to her with a look of anxious
entreaty, which softened her a little; but while she hesitated
what to say, her brother again interposed with Miss Crawford's
better claim.
"No, no, Julia must not be Amelia. It is not at all the part
for her. She would not like it. She would not do well. She is
too tall and robust.
JANE AUSTEN
1059
Away they walked to the book; and while Isabella examined
the names, it was Catherine's employment to watch the proceed-
ings of these alarming young men.
"They are not coming this way, are they? I hope they are
not so impertinent as to follow us. Pray let me know if they
are coming. I am determined I will not look up. "
In a few moments Catherine, with unaffected pleasure, assured
her that she need not be longer uneasy, as the gentlemen had
just left the Pump-room.
"And which way are they gone? " said Isabella, turning
hastily round. "One was a very good-looking young man. ”
"They went towards the churchyard. "
"Well, I am amazingly glad I have got rid of them! And
now what say you to going to Edgar's Buildings with me, and
looking at my new hat? You said you should like to see it. "
Catherine readily agreed. "Only," she added, "perhaps we
may overtake the two young men. "
>>>
"Oh! never mind that. If we make haste, we shall pass by
them presently, and I am dying to show you my hat. "
"But if we only wait a few minutes, there will be no danger
of our seeing them at all. "
"I shall not pay them any such compliment, I assure you. I
have no notion of treating men with such respect. That is the
way to spoil them. "
Catherine had nothing to oppose against such reasoning; and
therefore, to show the independence of Miss Thorpe, and her
resolution of humbling the sex, they set off immediately, as fast
as they could walk, in pursuit of the two young men.
Half a minute conducted them through the Pump-yard to the
archway, opposite Union Passage; but here they were stopped.
Everybody acquainted with Bath may remember the difficulties
of crossing Cheap Street at this point; it is indeed a street of so
impertinent a nature, so unfortunately connected with the great
London and Oxford roads, and the principal inn of the city, that
a day never passes in which parties of ladies, however important
their business, whether in quest of pastry, millinery, or even (as
in the present case) of young men, are not detained on one side
or other by carriages, horsemen, or carts. This evil had been
felt and lamented, at least three times a day, by Isabella since
her residence in Bath: and she was now fated to feel and lament
it once more; for at the very moment of coming opposite to
## p. 1060 (#486) ###########################################
1060
JANE AUSTEN
Union Passage, and within view of the two gentlemen who were
proceeding through the crowds and treading the gutters of that
interesting alley, they were prevented crossing by the approach
of a gig, driven along on bad pavements by a most knowing-
looking coachman, with all the vehemence that could most fitly
endanger the lives of himself, his companion, and his horse.
"Oh, these odious gigs! " said Isabella, looking up, "how I
detest them! " But this detestation, though so just, was of short
duration, for she looked again, and exclaimed, "Delightful! Mr.
Morland and my brother! "
"Good Heaven! 'tis James! " was uttered at the same moment
by Catherine; and on catching the young men's eyes, the horse
was immediately checked with a violence which almost threw
him on his haunches; and the servant having now scampered up,
the gentlemen jumped out, and the equipage was delivered to
his care.
Catherine, by whom this meeting was wholly unexpected,
received her brother with the liveliest pleasure; and he, being of
a very amiable disposition, and sincerely attached to her, gave
every proof on his side of equal satisfaction, which he could
have leisure to do, while the bright eyes of Miss Thorpe were
incessantly challenging his notice; and to her his devoirs were
speedily paid, with a mixture of joy and embarrassment which
might have informed Catherine, had she been more expert in
the development of other people's feelings, and less simply en-
grossed by her own, that her brother thought her friend quite as
pretty as she could do herself.
John Thorpe, who in the mean time had been giving orders
about the horse, soon joined them, and from him she directly
received the amends which were her due; for while he slightly
and carelessly touched the hand of Isabella, on her he bestowed
a whole scrape and half a short bow. He was a stout young
man, of middling height, who, with a plain face and ungraceful
form, seemed fearful of being too handsome unless he wore the
dress of a groom, and too much like a gentleman unless he were
easy where he ought to be civil, and impudent where he might
be allowed to be easy. He took out his watch: «< How long do
you think we have been running in from Tetbury, Miss Mor-
land? "
"I do not know the distance. " Her brother told her that it
was twenty-three miles.
-
## p. 1061 (#487) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1061
"Three-and-twenty! " cried Thorpe; "five-and-twenty if it is
an inch. " Morland remonstrated, pleaded the authority of road-
books, innkeepers, and milestones: but his friend disregarded
them all; he had a surer test of distance. "I know it must be
five-and-twenty," said he, "by the time we have been doing it. "
"It is now half after one; we drove out of the inn-yard at Tet-
bury as the town-clock struck eleven; and I defy any man in
England to make my horse go less than ten miles an hour in
harness; that makes it exactly twenty-five. "
"You have lost an hour," said Morland: "it was only ten
o'clock when we came from Tetbury. "
"Ten o'clock! it was eleven, upon my soul! I counted every
stroke. This brother of yours would persuade me out of my
senses, Miss Morland. Do but look at my horse: did you ever
see an animal so made for speed in your life? " (The servant
had just mounted the carriage and was driving off. ) "Such true
blood! Three hours and a half, indeed, coming only three-and-
twenty miles! Look at that creature, and suppose it possible, if
you can! "
"He does look very hot, to be sure. "
"Hot! he had not turned a hair till we came to Walcot
Church: but look at his forehand; look at his loins; only see
how he moves: that horse cannot go less than ten miles an hour;
tie his legs, and he will get on. What do you think of my gig,
Miss Morland? A neat one, is it not? Well hung; town built:
I have not had it a month. It was built for a Christ Church
man, a friend of mine, a very good sort of fellow; he ran it a
few weeks, till, I believe, it was convenient to have done with
it. I happened just then to be looking out for some light thing
of the kind, though I had pretty well determined on a curricle
too; but I chanced to meet him on Magdalen Bridge, as he was
driving into Oxford, last term: 'Ah, Thorpe,' said he, 'do you
happen to want such a little thing as this? It is a capital one of
the kind, but I am cursed tired of it. ' 'Oh! d,' said I, 'I
am your man; what do you ask? ' And how much do you think
he did, Miss Morland? "
"I am sure I cannot guess at all. "
"Curricle-hung, you see; seat, trunk, sword-case, splashing-
board, lamps, silver molding, all, you see, complete; the ironwork
as good as new, or better. He asked fifty guineas: I closed with
him directly, threw down the money, and the carriage was mine. "
## p. 1062 (#488) ###########################################
1062
JANE AUSTEN
"And I am sure," said Catherine, "I know so little of such
things, that I cannot judge whether it was cheap or dear. "
"Neither one nor t'other; I might have got it for less, I dare
say; but I hate haggling, and poor Freeman wanted cash. "
"That was very good-natured of you," said Catherine, quite
pleased.
"Oh! d- it, when one has the means of doing a kind thing
by a friend, I hate to be pitiful. "
An inquiry now took place into the intended movements of
the young ladies; and on finding whither they were going, it
was decided that the gentlemen should accompany them to
Edgar's Buildings, and pay their respects to Mrs. Thorpe. James
and Isabella led the way; and so well satisfied was the latter
with her lot, so contentedly was she endeavoring to insure a
pleasant walk to him who brought the double recommendation of
being her brother's friend and her friend's brother, so pure and
uncoquettish were her feelings, that though they overtook and
passed the two offending young men in Milsom Street, she was
so far from seeking to attract their notice that she looked back
at them only three times.
John Thorpe kept of course with Catherine, and after a few
minutes' silence renewed the conversation about his gig:—“You
will find, however, Miss Morland, it would be reckoned a cheap
thing by some people, for I might have sold it for ten guineas
more the next day; Jackson of Oriel bid me sixty at once; Mor-
land was with me at the time. "
"Yes," said Morland, who overheard this; "but you forgot
that your horse was included. "
"My horse! oh, d- it! I would not sell my horse for a
hundred. Are you fond of an open carriage, Miss Morland? "
"Yes, very: I have hardly ever an opportunity of being in
one; but I am particularly fond of it. "
"I am glad of it: I will drive you out in mine every day. ”
"Thank you," said Catherine, in some distress, from a doubt
of the propriety of accepting such an offer.
"I will drive you up Lansdown Hill to-morrow. "
"Thank you; but will not your horse want rest? "
"Rest! he has only come three-and-twenty miles to-day; all
nonsense: nothing ruins horses so much as rest; nothing knocks
them up so soon. No, no: I shall exercise mine at the average
of four hours every day while I am here. "
## p. 1063 (#489) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1063
"Shall you, indeed! " said Catherine, very seriously: "that will
be forty miles a day. "
"Forty! ay, fifty, for what I care. Well, I will drive you up
Lansdown to-morrow; mind, I am engaged. ”
"How delightful that will be! " cried Isabella, turning round;
"my dearest Catherine, I quite envy you; but I am afraid,
brother, you will not have room for a third. "
"A third, indeed! no, no; I did not come to Bath to drive
my sisters about: that would be a good joke, faith! Morland
must take care of you. "
This brought on a dialogue of civilities between the other
two; but Catherine heard neither the particulars nor the result.
Her companion's discourse now sunk from its hitherto animated
pitch to nothing more than a short, decisive sentence of praise
or condemnation on the face of every women they met; and
Catherine, after listening and agreeing as long as she could, with
all the civility and deference of the youthful female mind, fear-
ful of hazarding an opinion of its own in opposition to that of a
self-assured man, especially where the beauty of her own sex is
concerned, ventured at length to vary the subject by a question
which had been long uppermost in her thoughts. It was, "Have
you ever read 'Udolpho,' Mr. Thorpe ? "
(
« Udolpho! O Lord! not I: I never read novels; I have
something else to do. "
Catherine, humbled and ashamed, was going to apologize for
her question; but he prevented her by saying, "Novels are all
so full of nonsense and stuff! there has not been a tolerable
decent one come out since Tom Jones,' except the 'Monk'; I
read that t'other day: but as for all the others, they are the
stupidest things in creation. "
"I think you must like 'Udolpho,' if you were to read it: it
is so very interesting. "
"Not I, faith! No, if I read any, it shall be Mrs. Radcliffe's;
her novels are amusing enough: they are worth reading; some
fun and nature in them. »
"Udolpho was written by Mrs. Radcliffe," said Catherine,
with some hesitation, from the fear of mortifying him.
"No, sure; was it? Ay, I remember, so it was; I was think-
ing of that other stupid book, written by that woman they made
such a fuss about; she who married the French emigrant. "
"I suppose you mean 'Camilla › ? »
## p. 1064 (#490) ###########################################
1064
JANE AUSTEN
"Yes, that's the book: such unnatural stuff! An old man
playing at see-saw: I took up the first volume once, and looked
it over, but I soon found it would not do; indeed, I guessed
what sort of stuff it must be before I saw it; as soon as I heard
she had married an emigrant, I was sure I should never be able
to get through it. "
"I have never read it. "
"You have no loss, I assure you; it is the horridest nonsense
you can imagine: there is nothing in the world in it but an old
man's playing at see-saw and learning Latin; upon my soul, there
is not. "
This critique, the justness of which was unfortunately lost on
poor Catherine, brought them to the door of Mrs. Thorpe's lodg-
ings, and the feelings of the discerning and unprejudiced reader
of 'Camilla' gave way to the feelings of the dutiful and affec-
tionate son, as they met Mrs. Thorpe, who had descried them
from above, in the passage. "Ah, mother, how do you do? "
said he, giving her a hearty shake of the hand; "where did you
get that quiz of a hat? it makes you look like an old witch.
Here is Morland and I come to stay a few days with you; so
you must look out for a couple of good beds somewhere near. "
And this address seemed to satisfy all the fondest wishes of the
mother's heart, for she received him with the most delighted and
exulting affection. On his two younger sisters he then bestowed
an equal portion of his fraternal tenderness, for he asked each of
them how they did, and observed that they both looked very
ugly.
FAMILY DOCTORS
From Emma'
WHIL
HILE they were thus comfortably occupied, Mr. Woodhouse
was enjoying a full flow of happy regrets and tearful
affection with his daughter.
"My poor, dear Isabella," said he, fondly taking her hand,
and interrupting for a few moments her busy labors for some
one of her five children, "how long it is, how terribly long since
you were here! And how tired you must be after your journey!
You must go to bed early, my dear, and I recommend a little
gruel to you before you go. You and I will have a nice basin of
―――――
## p. 1065 (#491) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1065
gruel together. My dear Emma, suppose we all have a little
gruel. »
Emma could not suppose any such thing, knowing as she
did that both the Mr. Knightleys were as unpersuadable on that
article as herself, and two basins only were ordered. After a
little more discourse in praise of gruel, with some wondering at
its not being taken every evening by everybody, he proceeded to
say, with an air of grave reflection:
"It was an awkward business, my dear, your spending the
autumn at South End instead of coming here. I never had
much opinion of the sea air. "
"Mr. Wingfield most strenuously recommended it, sir, or we
should not have gone. He recommended it for all the children,
but particularly for the weakness in little Bella's throat, — both
sea air and bathing. "
-
“Ah, my dear, but Perry had many doubts about the sea
doing her any good; and as to myself, I have been long perfectly
convinced, though perhaps I never told you so before, that the
sea is very rarely of use to anybody. I am sure it almost killed
me once. »
-:
"Come, come," cried Emma, feeling this to be an unsafe sub-
ject, "I must beg you not to talk of the sea. It makes me
envious and miserable; I who have never seen it! South End
is prohibited, if you please. My dear Isabella, I have not heard.
you make one inquiry after Mr. Perry yet; and he never forgets
you. "
«< Oh, good Mr. Perry, how is he, sir? "
"Why, pretty well; but not quite well. Poor Perry is bilious,
and he has not time to take care of himself; he tells me he has
not time to take care of himself - which is very sad - but he is
always wanted all round the country. I suppose there is not a
man in such practice anywhere. But then, there is not so clever
a man anywhere. "
"And Mrs. Perry and the children, how are they? Do the
children grow? I have a great regard for Mr. Perry. I hope
he will be calling soon. He will be so pleased to see my little
ones. "
"I hope he will be here to-morrow, for I have a question or
two to ask him about myself of some consequence.
And, my
dear, whenever he comes, you had better let him look at little
Bella's throat. "
## p. 1066 (#492) ###########################################
1066
JANE AUSTEN
"Oh, my dear sir, her throat is so much better that I have
hardly any uneasiness about it. Either bathing has been of the
greatest service to her, or else it is to be attributed to an excel-
lent embrocation of Mr. Wingfield's, which we have been apply-
ing at times ever since August. "
"It is not very likely, my dear, that bathing should have been
of use to her; and if I had known you were wanting an embro-
cation, I would have spoken to-"
"You seem to me to have forgotten Mrs. and Miss Bates,"
said Emma: "I have not heard one inquiry after them. "
"Oh, the good Bateses-I am quite ashamed of myself; but
you mention them in most of your letters. I hope they are quite
well. Good old Mrs. Bates. I will call upon her to-morrow, and
take my children. They are always so pleased to see my chil-
dren. And that excellent Miss Bates! -such thorough worthy
people! How are they, sir? "
"Why, pretty well, my dear, upon the whole. But poor Mrs.
Bates had a bad cold about a month ago. "
"How sorry I am! but colds were never so prevalent as they
have been this autumn. Mr. Wingfield told me that he had
never known them more general or heavy, except when it has
been quite an influenza. "
"That has been a good deal the case, my dear, but not to the
degree you mention. Perry says that colds have been very gen-
eral, but not so heavy as he has very often known them in No-
vember.
Perry does not call it altogether a sickly season. "
"No, I do not know that Mr. Wingfield considers it very
sickly, except—”
"Ah, my poor, dear child, the truth is, that in London it is
always a sickly season. Nobody is healthy in London, nobody
can be. It is a dreadful thing to have you forced to live there;-
so far off! -and the air so bad! "
Our part of
must not con-
The neighbor-
"No, indeed, we are not at all in a bad air.
London is so very superior to most others. You
found us with London in general, my dear sir.
hood of Brunswick Square is very different from almost all the
rest. We are so very airy! I should be unwilling, I own, to
live in any other part of the town; there is hardly any other that
I could be satisfied to have my children in: but we are SO
remarkably airy! Mr. Wingfield thinks the vicinity of Brunswick
Square decidedly the most favorable as to air. "
-
## p. 1067 (#493) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1067
You make the best
"Ah, my dear, it is not like Hartfield.
of it—but after you have been a week at Hartfield, you are all
of you different creatures; you do not look like the same. Now,
I cannot say that I think you are any of you looking well at
present. "
"I am sorry to hear you say so, sir; but I assure you, except-
ing those little nervous headaches and palpitations which I am
never entirely free from anywhere, I am quite well myself; and
if the children were rather pale before they went to bed, it was
only because they were a little more tired than usual from their
journey and the happiness of coming. I hope you will think
better of their looks to-morrow; for I assure you Mr. Wingfield
told me that he did not believe he had ever sent us off, alto-
gether, in such good case. I trust at least that you do not think
Mr. Knightley looking ill," turning her eyes with affectionate
anxiety toward her husband.
“Middling, my dear; I cannot compliment you. I think Mr.
John Knightley very far from looking well. "
"What is the matter, sir? Did you speak to me? " cried Mr.
John Knightley, hearing his own name.
"I am sorry to find, my love, that my father does not think
you looking well; but I hope it is only from being a little
fatigued. I could have wished, however, as you know, that you
had seen Mr. Wingfield before you left home. "
"My dear Isabella," exclaimed he hastily, "pray do not con-
cern yourself about my looks. Be satisfied with doctoring and
coddling yourself and the children, and let me look as I choose. "
"I did not thoroughly understand what you were telling your
brother," cried Emma, "about your friend Mr. Graham's intend-
ing to have a bailiff from Scotland to look after his new estate.
But will it answer? Will not the old prejudice be too strong? >>>>
And she talked in this way so long and successfully that,
when forced to give her attention again to her father and sister,
she had nothing worse to hear than Isabella's kind inquiry after
Jane Fairfax; and Jane Fairfax, though no great favorite with
her in general, she was at that moment very happy to assist in
praising.
"That sweet, amiable Jane Fairfax! " said Mrs. John Knight-
ley. "It is so long since I have seen her, except now and then
for a moment accidentally in town. What happiness it must be
to her good old grandmother and excellent aunt when she comes
## p. 1068 (#494) ###########################################
1068
JANE AUSTEN
to visit them! I always regret excessively, on dear Emma's
account, that she cannot be more at Highbury; but now their
daughter is married I suppose Colonel and Mrs. Campbell will
not be able to part with her at all. She would be such a de-
lightful companion for Emma. "
Mr. Woodhouse agreed to it all, but added:-
"Our little friend Harriet Smith, however, is just such another
pretty kind of young person. You will like Harriet. Emma
could not have a better companion than Harriet. "
"I am most happy to hear it; but only Jane Fairfax one
knows to be so very accomplished and superior, and exactly
Emma's age. "
>>
This topic was discussed very happily, and others succeeded
of similar moment, and passed away with similar harmony; but
the evening did not close without a little return of agitation.
The gruel came and supplied a great deal to be said — much
praise and many comments- undoubting decision of its whole-
someness for every constitution, and pretty severe philippics upon
the many houses where it was never met with tolerably; but
unfortunately, among the failures which the daughter had to
instance, the most recent and therefore most prominent was
in her own cook at South End, a young woman hired for the
time, who never had been able to understand what she meant by
a basin of nice smooth gruel, thin, but not too thin. Often as
she had wished for and ordered it, she had never been able to
get anything tolerable. Here was a dangerous opening.
"Ah,” said Mr. Woodhouse, shaking his head, and fixing his
eyes on her with tender concern. The ejaculation in Emma's
ear expressed, "Ah, there is no end of the sad consequences of
your going to South End. It does not bear talking of. " And
for a little while she hoped he would not talk of it, and that a
silent rumination might suffice to restore him to the relish of
his own smooth gruel. After an interval of some minutes, how-
ever, he began with
"I shall always be very sorry that you went to the sea this
autumn, instead of coming here. "
"But why should you be sorry, sir? I assure you it did the
children a great deal of good. ”
"And moreover, if you must go to the sea, it had better not
have been to South End. South End is an unhealthy place.
Perry was surprised to hear you had fixed upon South End. "
## p. 1069 (#495) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1069
"I know there is such an idea with many people, but indeed
it is quite a mistake, sir. We all had our health perfectly well
there, never found the least inconvenience from the mud, and
Mr. Wingfield says it is entirely a mistake to suppose the place
unhealthy; and I am sure he may be depended on, for he thor-
oughly understands the nature of the air, and his own brother
and family have been there repeatedly. "
"You should have gone to Cromer, my dear, if you went any-
where. Perry was a week at Cromer once, and he holds it to be
the best of all the sea-bathing places. A fine open sea, he says,
and very pure air. And by what I understand, you might have
had lodgings there quite away from the sea—a quarter of a mile
off very comfortable. You should have consulted Perry. "
"But my dear sir, the difference of the journey: only con-
sider how great it would have been. A hundred miles, perhaps,
instead of forty. "
"Ah, my dear, as Perry says, where health is at stake, noth-
ing else should be considered; and if one is to travel, there is
not much to choose between forty miles and a hundred. Better
not move at all, better stay in London altogether than travel
forty miles to get into a worse air. This is just what Perry
said. It seemed to him a very ill-judged measure. "
Emma's attempts to stop her father had been vain; and when
he had reached such a point as this, she could not wonder at her
brother-in-law's breaking out.
I
"Mr. Perry," said he, in a voice of very strong displeasure,
"would do as well to keep his opinion till it is asked for. Why
does he make it any business of his to wonder at what I do? -
at my taking my family to one part of the coast or another?
may be allowed, I hope, the use of my judgment as well as Mr.
Perry. I want his directions no more than his drugs. " He
paused, and growing cooler in a moment, added, with only sar-
castic dryness, "If Mr. Perry can tell me how to convey a wife
and five children a distance of a hundred and thirty miles with
no greater expense or inconvenience than a distance of forty, I
should be as willing to prefer Cromer to South End as he could
himself. "
-
"True, true," cried Mr. Knightley, with most ready interposi-
tion, "very true. That's a consideration, indeed. But, John, as
to what I was telling you of my idea of moving the path to
Langham, of turning it more to the right that it may not cut
## p. 1070 (#496) ###########################################
1070
JANE AUSTEN
through the home meadows, I cannot conceive any difficulty. I
should not attempt it, if it were to be the means of inconvenience
to the Highbury people, but if you call to mind exactly the pres-
ent light of the path- The only way of proving it, however,
will be to turn to our maps. I shall see you at the Abbey
to-morrow morning, I hope, and then we will look them over,
and you shall give me your opinion. "
Mr. Woodhouse was rather agitated by such harsh reflections
on his friend Perry, to whom he had in fact, though uncon-
sciously, been attributing many of his own feelings and expres-
sions; but the soothing attentions of his daughters gradually
removed the present evil, and the immediate alertness of one
brother, and better recollections of the other, prevented any
renewal of it.
-
FAMILY TRAINING
From Mansfield Park'
A$
S HER [Fanny Price's] appearance and spirits improved, Sir
Thomas and Mrs. Norris thought with greater satisfaction
of their benevolent plan; and it was pretty soon decided
between them, that though far from clever, she showed a tract-
able disposition, and seemed likely to give them little trouble.
A mean opinion of her abilities was not confined to them. Fanny
could read, work, and write, but she had been taught nothing
more; and as her cousins found her ignorant of many things
with which they had been long familiar, they thought her prodi-
giously stupid, and for the first two or three weeks were con-
tinually bringing some fresh report of it into the drawing-room.
"Dear mamma, only think, my cousin cannot put the map of
Europe together" or "my cousin cannot tell the principal riv-
ers in Russia". or "she never heard of Asia Minor".
or "she
does not know the difference between water-colors and crayons!
How strange! Did you ever hear anything so stupid? "
"My dear," their aunt would reply, "it is very bad, but you
must not expect everybody to be as quick at learning as your-
self. "
-
-
"But, aunt, she is really so very ignorant! Do you know, we
asked her last night which way she would go to get to Ireland;
and she said she should cross to the Isle of Wight. She thinks
of nothing but the Isle of Wight, and she calls it the Island, as
## p. 1071 (#497) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1071
I am sure I should
if there were no other island in the world.
have been ashamed of myself, if I had not known better long
before I was so old as she is. I cannot remember the time
when I did not know a great deal that she has not the least
notion of yet. How long ago it is, aunt, since we used to
repeat the chronological order of the kings of England, with the
dates of their accession, and most of the principal events of their
reigns! "
"Yes," added the other; "and of the Roman emperors as
low as Severus; besides a great deal of the heathen mythology,
and all the metals, semi-metals, planets, and distinguished phi-
losophers. "
"Very true, indeed, my dears, but you are blessed with won-
derful memories, and your poor cousin has probably none at all.
There is a vast deal of difference in memories, as well as in
everything else; and therefore you must make allowance for
your cousin, and pity her deficiency. And remember that if
you are ever so forward and clever yourselves, you should
always be modest, for, much as you know already, there is a
great deal more for you to learn. "
"Yes, I know there is, till I am seventeen. But I must tell
you another thing of Fanny, so odd and so stupid.
Do you
know, she says she does not want to learn either music or
drawing? "
"To be sure, my dear, that is very stupid indeed, and shows
a great want of genius and emulation. But, all things consid-
ered, I do not know whether it is not as well that it should be
SO: for though you know (owing to me) your papa and mamma
are so good as to bring her up with you, it is not at all neces-
sary that she should be as accomplished as you are; on the
contrary, it is much more desirable that there should be a
difference. "
Such were the counsels by which Mrs. Norris assisted to form
her nieces' minds; and it is not very wonderful that, with all
their promising talents and early information, they should be
entirely deficient in the less common acquirements of self-knowl-
edge, generosity, and humility. In everything but disposition,
they were admirably taught. Sir Thomas did not know what
was wanting, because, though a truly anxious father, he was not
outwardly affectionate, and the reserve of his manner repressed
all the flow of their spirits before him.
## p. 1072 (#498) ###########################################
1072
JANE AUSTEN
PRIVATE THEATRICALS
From Mansfield Park'
F₁
ANNY looked on and listened, not unamused to observe the
selfishness which, more or less disguised, seemed to govern
them all, and wondering how it would end.
Three of the characters were now cast, besides Mr. Rush-
worth, who was always answered for by Maria as willing to do
anything; when Julia, meaning, like her sister, to be Agatha,
began to be scrupulous on Miss Crawford's account.
"This is not behaving well by the absent," said she. "Here
are not women enough. Amelia and Agatha may do for Maria
and me, but here is nothing for your sister, Mr. Crawford. "
Mr. Crawford desired that might not be thought of; he was
very sure his sister had no wish of acting but as she might be
useful, and that she would not allow herself to be considered in
the present case. But this was immediately opposed by Tom
Bertram, who asserted the part of Amelia to be in every respect
the property of Miss Crawford, if she would accept it. "It falls
as naturally as necessarily to her," said he, "as Agatha does to
one or other of my sisters. It can be no sacrifice on their side,
for it is highly comic. "
A short silence followed. Each sister looked anxious; for
each felt the best claim to Agatha, and was hoping to have it
pressed on her by the rest. Henry Crawford, who meanwhile
had taken up the play, and with seeming carelessness was turn-
ing over the first act, soon settled the business.
"I must entreat Miss Julia Bertram," said he, "not to engage
in the part of Agatha, or it will be the ruin of all my solem-
nity. You must not, indeed you must not [turning to her].
I could not stand your countenance dressed up in woe and pale-
ness. The many laughs we have had together would infal-
libly come across me, and Frederick and his knapsack would be
obliged to run away. "
Pleasantly, courteously, it was spoken; but the manner was
lost in the matter to Julia's feelings. She saw a glance at Maria,
which confirmed the injury to herself: it was a scheme, a trick;
she was slighted, Maria was preferred; the smile of triumph
which Maria was trying to suppress showed how well it was
understood and before Julia could command herself enough to
## p. 1073 (#499) ###########################################
JANE AUSTEN
1073
speak, her brother gave his weight against her too, by saying,
"Oh yes! Maria must be Agatha. Maria will be the best Agatha.
Though Julia fancies she prefers tragedy, I would not trust her
in it. There is nothing of tragedy about her. She has not the
look of it. Her features are not tragic features, and she walks
too quick, and speaks too quick, and would not keep her coun-
tenance. She had better do the old countrywoman - the Cot-
tager's wife; you had, indeed, Julia. Cottager's wife is a very
pretty part, I assure you. The old lady relieves the high-flown
benevolence of her husband with a good deal of spirit. You
shall be the Cottager's wife. "
"Cottager's wife! " cried Mr. Yates. "What are you talking
of? The most trivial, paltry, insignificant part; the merest com-
monplace; not a tolerable speech in the whole. Your sister do
that! It is an insult to propose it. At Ecclesford the governess
was to have done it. We all agreed that it could not be offered
to anybody else. A little more justice, Mr. Manager, if you
please. You do not deserve the office if you cannot appreciate
the talents of your company a little better. "
"Why, as to that, my good friends, till I and my company
have really acted, there must be some guesswork; but I mean
no disparagement to Julia. We cannot have two Agathas, and
we must have one Cottager's wife; and I am sure I set her the
example of moderation myself in being satisfied with the old
Butler. If the part is trifling she will have more credit in mak-
ing something of it: and if she is so desperately bent against
everything humorous, let her take Cottager's speeches instead of
Cottager's wife's, and so change the parts all through; he is sol-
emn and pathetic enough, I am sure. It could make no differ-
ence in the play; and as for Cottager himself, when he has
got his wife's speeches, I would undertake him with all my
heart. "
"With all your partiality for Cottager's wife," said Henry
Crawford, "it will be impossible to make anything of it fit for
your sister, and we must not suffer her good nature to be im-
posed on. We must not allow her to accept the part. She must
not be left to her own complaisance. Her talents will be wanted
in Amelia. Amelia is a character more difficult to be well rep-
resented than even Agatha. I consider Amelia as the most diffi-
cult character in the whole piece. It requires great powers,
great nicety, to give her playfulness and simplicity without
11-68
## p. 1074 (#500) ###########################################
1074
JANE AUSTEN
not.
extravagance. I have seen good actresses fail in the part. Sim-
plicity, indeed, is beyond the reach of almost every actress by
profession. It requires a delicacy of feeling which they have
It requires a gentlewoman-a Julia Bertram. You will
undertake it, I hope? " turning to her with a look of anxious
entreaty, which softened her a little; but while she hesitated
what to say, her brother again interposed with Miss Crawford's
better claim.
"No, no, Julia must not be Amelia. It is not at all the part
for her. She would not like it. She would not do well. She is
too tall and robust.
