STEVENTON, Monday night (December 24).
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--I have got some pleasant news for you which I am
eager to communicate, and therefore begin my letter sooner, though I
shall not send it sooner than usual.
Admiral Gambier, in reply to my father's application, writes as follows:
"As it is usual to keep young officers in small vessels, it being most
proper on account of their inexperience, and it being also a situation
where they are more in the way of learning their duty, your son has been
continued in the 'Scorpion;' but I have mentioned to the Board of
Admiralty his wish to be in a frigate, and when a proper opportunity
offers and it is judged that he has taken his turn in a small ship, I
hope he will be removed. With regard to your son now in the 'London' I
am glad I can give you the assurance that his promotion is likely to
take place very soon, as Lord Spencer has been so good as to say he
would include him in an arrangement that he proposes making in a short
time relative to some promotions in that quarter."
There! I may now finish my letter and go and hang myself, for I am sure
I can neither write nor do anything which will not appear insipid to you
after this. _Now_ I really think he will soon be made, and only wish we
could communicate our foreknowledge of the event to him whom it
principally concerns. My father has written to Daysh to desire that he
will inform us, if he can, when the commission is sent. Your chief wish
is now ready to be accomplished; and could Lord Spencer give happiness
to Martha at the same time, what a joyful heart he would make of yours!
I have sent the same extract of the sweets of Gambier to Charles, who,
poor fellow, though he sinks into nothing but an humble attendant on the
hero of the piece, will, I hope, be contented with the prospect held out
to him. By what the Admiral says, it appears as if he had been
designedly kept in the "Scorpion." But I will not torment myself with
conjectures and suppositions; facts shall satisfy me.
Frank had not heard from any of us for ten weeks when he wrote to me on
November 12 in consequence of Lord St. Vincent being removed to
Gibraltar. When his commission is sent, however, it will not be so long
on its road as our letters, because all the Government despatches are
forwarded by land to his lordship from Lisbon with great regularity.
I returned from Manydown this morning, and found my mother certainly in
no respect worse than when I left her. She does not like the cold
weather, but that we cannot help. I spent my time very quietly and very
pleasantly with Catherine. Miss Blackford is agreeable enough. I do not
want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking
them a great deal. I found only Catherine and her when I got to Manydown
on Thursday. We dined together, and went together to Worting to seek the
protection of Mrs. Clarke, with whom were Lady Mildmay, her eldest son,
and Mr. and Mrs. Hoare.
Our ball was very thin, but by no means unpleasant. There were
thirty-one people, and only eleven ladies out of the number, and but
five single women in the room. Of the gentlemen present you may have
some idea from the list of my partners,--Mr. Wood, G. Lefroy, Rice, a
Mr. Butcher (belonging to the Temples, a sailor and not of the 11th
Light Dragoons), Mr. Temple (not the horrid one of all), Mr. Wm. Orde
(cousin to the Kingsclere man), Mr. John Harwood, and Mr. Calland, who
appeared as usual with his hat in his hand, and stood every now and then
behind Catherine and me to be talked to and abused for not dancing. We
teased him, however, into it at last. I was very glad to see him again
after so long a separation, and he was altogether rather the genius and
flirt of the evening. He inquired after you.
There were twenty dances, and I danced them all, and without any
fatigue. I was glad to find myself capable of dancing so much, and with
so much satisfaction as I did; from my slender enjoyment of the Ashford
balls (as assemblies for dancing) I had not thought myself equal to it,
but in cold weather and with few couples I fancy I could just as well
dance for a week together as for half an hour. My black cap was openly
admired by Mrs. Lefroy, and secretly I imagine by everybody else in the
room. . . .
Poor Edward! It is very hard that he, who has everything else in the
world that he can wish for, should not have good health too. But I hope
with the assistance of stomach complaints, faintnesses, and sicknesses,
he will soon be restored to that blessing likewise. If his nervous
complaint proceeded from a suppression of something that ought to be
thrown out, which does not seem unlikely, the first of these disorders
may really be a remedy, and I sincerely wish it may, for I know no one
more deserving of happiness without alloy than Edward is. . . .
The Lords of the Admiralty will have enough of our applications at
present, for I hear from Charles that he has written to Lord Spencer
himself to be removed. I am afraid his Serene Highness will be in a
passion, and order some of our heads to be cut off. . . .
You deserve a longer letter than this; but it is my unhappy fate seldom
to treat people so well as they deserve. . . . God bless you!
Yours affectionately,
JANE AUSTEN.
_Wednesday._--The snow came to nothing yesterday, so I did go to Deane,
and returned home at nine o'clock at night in the little carriage, and
without being very cold.
Miss AUSTEN,
Godmersham Park, Faversham, Kent.