STEVENTON, December 1.
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--I am so good as to write to you again thus speedily,
to let you know that I have just heard from Frank. He was at Cadiz,
alive and well, on October 19, and had then very lately received a
letter from you, written as long ago as when the "London" was at St.
Helen's. But his _raly_ latest intelligence of us was in one from me of
September 1, which I sent soon after we got to Godmersham. He had
written a packet full for his dearest friends in England, early in
October, to go by the "Excellent;" but the "Excellent" was not sailed,
nor likely to sail, when he despatched this to me. It comprehended
letters for both of us, for Lord Spencer, Mr. Daysh, and the East India
Directors. Lord St. Vincent had left the fleet when he wrote, and was
gone to Gibraltar, it was said to superintend the fitting out of a
private expedition from thence against some of the enemies' ports;
Minorca or Malta were conjectured to be the objects.
Frank writes in good spirits, but says that our correspondence cannot be
so easily carried on in future as it has been, as the communication
between Cadiz and Lisbon is less frequent than formerly. You and my
mother, therefore, must not alarm yourselves at the long intervals that
may divide his letters. I address this advice to you two as being the
most tender-hearted of the family.
My mother made her _entrée_ into the dressing-room through crowds of
admiring spectators yesterday afternoon, and we all drank tea together
for the first time these five weeks. She has had a tolerable night, and
bids fair for a continuance in the same brilliant course of action
to-day. . . .
Mr. Lyford was here yesterday; he came while we were at dinner, and
partook of our elegant entertainment. I was not ashamed at asking him to
sit down to table, for we had some pease-soup, a sparerib, and a
pudding. He wants my mother to look yellow and to throw out a rash, but
she will do neither.
I was at Deane yesterday morning. Mary was very well, but does not gain
bodily strength very fast. When I saw her so stout on the third and
sixth days, I expected to have seen her as well as ever by the end of a
fortnight.
James went to Ibthorp yesterday to see his mother and child. Letty is
with Mary[3] at present, of course exceedingly happy, and in raptures
with the child. Mary does not manage matters in such a way as to make me
want to lay in myself. She is not tidy enough in her appearance; she has
no dressing-gown to sit up in; her curtains are all too thin, and
things are not in that comfort and style about her which are necessary
to make such a situation an enviable one. Elizabeth was really a pretty
object with her nice clean cap put on so tidily and her dress so
uniformly white and orderly. We live entirely in the dressing-room now,
which I like very much; I always feel so much more elegant in it than in
the parlor.
No news from Kintbury yet. Eliza sports with our impatience. She was
very well last Thursday. Who is Miss Maria Montresor going to marry, and
what is to become of Miss Mulcaster?
I find great comfort in my stuff gown, but I hope you do not wear yours
too often. I have made myself two or three caps to wear of evenings
since I came home, and they save me a world of torment as to
hairdressing, which at present gives me no trouble beyond washing and
brushing, for my long hair is always plaited up out of sight, and my
short hair curls well enough to want no papering. I have had it cut
lately by Mr. Butler.
There is no reason to suppose that Miss Morgan is dead after all. Mr.
Lyford gratified us very much yesterday by his praises of my father's
mutton, which they all think the finest that was ever ate. John Bond
begins to find himself grow old, which John Bonds ought not to do, and
unequal to much hard work; a man is therefore hired to supply his place
as to labor, and John himself is to have the care of the sheep. There
are not more people engaged than before, I believe; only men instead of
boys. I fancy so at least, but you know my stupidity as to such matters.
Lizzie Bond is just apprenticed to Miss Small, so we may hope to see her
able to spoil gowns in a few years.
My father has applied to Mr. May for an ale-house for Robert, at his
request, and to Mr. Deane, of Winchester, likewise. This was my mother's
idea, who thought he would be proud to oblige a relation of Edward in
return for Edward's accepting his money. He sent a very civil answer
indeed, but has no house vacant at present. May expects to have an empty
one soon at Farnham, so perhaps Nanny may have the honor of drawing ale
for the Bishop. I shall write to Frank to-morrow.
Charles Powlett gave a dance on Thursday, to the great disturbance of
all his neighbors, of course, who, you know, take a most lively interest
in the state of his finances, and live in hopes of his being soon
ruined.
We are very much disposed to like our new maid; she knows nothing of a
dairy, to be sure, which, in our family, is rather against her, but she
is to be taught it all. In short, we have felt the inconvenience of
being without a maid so long, that we are determined to like her, and
she will find it a hard matter to displease us. As yet, she seems to
cook very well, is uncommonly stout, and says she can work well at her
needle.
_Sunday._--My father is glad to hear so good an account of Edward's
pigs, and desires he may be told, as encouragement to his taste for
them, that Lord Bolton is particularly curious in _his_ pigs, has had
pigstyes of a most elegant construction built for them, and visits them
every morning as soon as he rises.
Affectionately yours,
J. A.
Miss AUSTEN,
Godmersham Park, Faversham.