The Letters of Jane Austen: Selected from the compilation of her great nephew, Edward, Lord Bradbourne — John Shaqi
The Letters of Jane Austen: Selected from the compilation of her great nephew, Edward, Lord BradbourneAusten, Jane
General
The Letters of Jane Austen: Selected from the compilation of her great nephew, Edward, Lord Bradbourne
Austen, Jane
Austen, Cassandra, 1773-1845; Austen, Jane, 1775-1817 -- Correspondence; Novelists, English -- 19th century -- Correspondence
The spectacles which Molly found are my mother's, the scissors my
father's. We are very glad to hear such a good account of your patients,
little and great. My dear itty Dordy's remembrance of me is very
pleasing to me,--foolishly pleasing, because I know it will be over so
soon. My attachment to him will be more durable. I shall think with
tenderness and delight on his beautiful and smiling countenance and
interesting manner until a few years have turned him into an
ungovernable, ungracious fellow.
The books from Winton are all unpacked and put away; the binding has
compressed them most conveniently, and there is now very good room in
the bookcase for all that we wish to have there. I believe the servants
were very glad to see us Nanny was, I am sure. She confesses that it
was very dull, and yet she had her child with her till last Sunday. I
understand that there are some grapes left, but I believe not many; they
must be gathered as soon as possible, or this rain will entirely rot
them.
I am quite angry with myself for not writing closer; why is my alphabet
so much more sprawly than yours? Dame Tilbury's daughter has lain in.
Shall I give her any of your baby clothes? The laceman was here only a
few days ago. How unfortunate for both of us that he came so soon! Dame
Bushell washes for us only one week more, as Sukey has got a place. John
Steevens' wife undertakes our purification. She does not look as if
anything she touched would ever be clean, but who knows? We do not seem
likely to have any other maidservant at present, but Dame Staples will
supply the place of one. Mary has hired a young girl from Ashe who has
never been out to service to be her scrub, but James fears her not being
strong enough for the place.
Earle Harwood has been to Deane lately, as I think Mary wrote us word,
and his family then told him that they would receive his wife, if she
continued to behave well for another year. He was very grateful, as well
he might; their behavior throughout the whole affair has been
particularly kind. Earle and his wife live in the most private manner
imaginable at Portsmouth, without keeping a servant of any kind. What a
prodigious innate love of virtue she must have, to marry under such
circumstances!
It is now Saturday evening, but I wrote the chief of this in the
morning. My mother has not been down at all to-day; the laudanum made
her sleep a good deal, and upon the whole I think she is better. My
father and I dined by ourselves. How strange! He and John Bond are now
very happy together, for I have just heard the heavy step of the latter
along the passage.
James Digweed called to-day, and I gave him his brother's deputation.
Charles Harwood, too, has just called to ask how we are, in his way from
Dummer, whither he has been conveying Miss Garrett, who is going to
return to her former residence in Kent. I will leave off, or I shall not
have room to add a word to-morrow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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