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 "St. Albans" perhaps may soon be off to help bring home what may
remain by this time of our poor army, whose state seems dreadfully
critical. The "Regency" seems to have been heard of only here; my most
political correspondents make no mention of it. Unlucky that I should
have wasted so much reflection on the subject.
I can now answer your question to my mother more at large, and likewise
more at small--with equal perspicuity and minuteness; for the very day
of our leaving Southampton is fixed; and if the knowledge is of no use
to Edward, I am sure it will give him pleasure. Easter Monday, April 3,
is the day; we are to sleep that night at Alton, and be with our friends
at Bookham the next, if they are then at home; there we remain till the
following Monday, and on Tuesday, April 11, hope to be at Godmersham. If
the Cookes are absent, we shall finish our journey on the 5th. These
plans depend of course upon the weather, but I hope there will be no
settled cold to delay us materially.
To make you amends for being at Bookham, it is in contemplation to spend
a few days at Baiton Lodge in our way out of Kent. The hint of such a
visit is most affectionately welcomed by Mrs. Birch, in one of her odd
pleasant letters lately, in which she speaks of us with the usual
distinguished kindness, declaring that she shall not be at all satisfied
unless a very handsome present is made us immediately from one quarter.
Fanny's not coming with you is no more than we expected; and as we have
not the hope of a bed for her, and shall see her so soon afterwards at
Godmersham, we cannot wish it otherwise.
William will be quite recovered, I trust, by the time you receive this.
What a comfort his cross-stitch must have been! Pray tell him that I
should like to see his work very much. I hope our answers this morning
have given satisfaction; we had great pleasure in Uncle Deedes' packet;
and pray let Marianne know, in private, that I think she is quite right
to work a rug for Uncle John's coffee urn, and that I am sure it must
give great pleasure to herself now, and to him when he receives it.
The preference of Brag over Speculation does not greatly surprise me, I
believe, because I feel the same myself; but it mortifies me deeply,
because Speculation was under my patronage; and, after all, what is
there so delightful in a pair royal of Braggers? It is but three nines
or three knaves, or a mixture of them. When one comes to reason upon it,
it cannot stand its ground against Speculation,--of which I hope Edward
is now convinced. Give my love to him if he is.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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