STEVENTON, Tuesday (December 18).
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Your letter came quite as soon as I expected, and so
your letters will always do, because I have made it a rule not to expect
them till they come, in which I think I consult the ease of us both.
It is a great satisfaction to us to hear that your business is in a way
to be settled, and so settled as to give you as little inconvenience as
possible. You are very welcome to my father's name and to his services
if they are ever required in it. I shall keep my ten pounds too, to wrap
myself up in next winter.
I took the liberty a few days ago of asking your black velvet bonnet to
lend me its cawl, which it very readily did, and by which I have been
enabled to give a considerable improvement of dignity to cap, which was
before too _nidgetty_ to please me. I shall wear it on Thursday, but I
hope you will not be offended with me for following your advice as to
its ornaments only in part. I still venture to retain the narrow silver
round it, put twice round without any bow, and instead of the black
military feather shall put in the coquelicot one as being smarter, and
besides coquelicot is to be all the fashion this winter. After the ball
I shall probably make it entirely black.
I am sorry that our dear Charles begins to feel the dignity of
ill-usage. My father will write to Admiral Gambier. He must have already
received so much satisfaction from his acquaintance and patronage of
Frank, that he will be delighted, I dare say, to have another of the
family introduced to him. I think it would be very right in Charles to
address Sir Thomas on the occasion, though I cannot approve of your
scheme of writing to him (which you communicated to me a few nights ago)
to request him to come home and convey you to Steventon. To do you
justice, however, you had some doubts of the propriety of such a measure
yourself.
I am very much obliged to my dear little George for his message,--for
his love at least; his duty, I suppose, was only in consequence of some
hint of my favorable intentions towards him from his father or mother. I
am sincerely rejoiced, however, that I ever was born, since it has been
the means of procuring him a dish of tea. Give my best love to him. . . .
_Wednesday._--I have changed my mind, and changed the trimmings of my
cap this morning; they are now such as you suggested. I felt as if I
should not prosper if I strayed from your directions, and I think it
makes me look more like Lady Conyngham now than it did before, which is
all that one lives for now. I believe I _shall_ make my new gown like my
robe, but the back of the latter is all in a piece with the tail, and
will seven yards enable me to copy it in that respect? . . .
I have just heard from Martha and Frank: his letter was written on
November 12. All well and nothing particular.