CASTLE SQUARE, Friday (December 9).
MANY thanks, my dear Cassandra, to you and Mr. Deedes for your joint and
agreeable composition, which took me by surprise this morning. He has
certainly great merit as a writer; he does ample justice to his subject,
and without being diffuse is clear and correct; and though I do not
mean to compare his epistolary powers with yours, or to give him the
same portion of my gratitude, he certainly has a very pleasing way of
winding up a whole, and speeding truth into the world.
"But all this," as my dear Mrs. Piozzi says, "is flight and fancy and
nonsense, for my master has his great casks to mind and I have my little
children." It is you, however, in this instance, that have the little
children, and I that have the great cask, for we are brewing spruce beer
again; but my meaning really is, that I am extremely foolish in writing
all this unnecessary stuff when I have so many matters to write about
that my paper will hardly hold it all. Little matters they are, to be
sure, but highly important.
In the first place, Miss Curling is actually at Portsmouth, which I was
always in hopes would not happen. I wish her no worse, however, than a
long and happy abode there. Here she would probably be dull, and I am
sure she would be troublesome.
The bracelets are in my possession, and everything I could wish them to
be. They came with Martha's pelisse, which likewise gives great
satisfaction.
Soon after I had closed my last letter to you we were visited by Mrs.
Dickens and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Bertie, the wife of a lately made
Admiral. Mrs. F. A.,[8] I believe, was their first object, but they put
up with us very kindly, and Mrs. D., finding in Miss Lloyd a friend of
Mrs. Dundas, had another motive for the acquaintance. She seems a really
agreeable woman,--that is, her manners are gentle, and she knows a great
many of our connections in West Kent. Mrs. Bertie lives in the Polygon,
and was out when we returned her visit, which are her two virtues.
A larger circle of acquaintance, and an increase of amusement, is quite
in character with our approaching removal. Yes, I mean to go to as many
balls as possible, that I may have a good bargain. Everybody is very
much concerned at our going away, and everybody is acquainted with
Chawton, and speaks of it as a remarkably pretty village, and everybody
knows the house we describe, but nobody fixes on the right.
I am very much obliged to Mrs. Knight for such a proof of the interest
she takes in me, and she may depend upon it that I will marry Mr.
Papillon, whatever may be his reluctance or my own. I owe her much more
than such a trifling sacrifice.
Our ball was rather more amusing than I expected. Martha liked it very
much, and I did not gape till the last quarter of an hour. It was past
nine before we were sent for, and not twelve when we returned. The room
was tolerably full, and there were, perhaps, thirty couple of dancers.
The melancholy part was to see so many dozen young women standing by
without partners, and each of them with two ugly naked shoulders.
It was the same room in which we danced fifteen years ago. I thought it
all over, and in spite of the shame of being so much older, felt with
thankfulness that I was quite as happy now as then. We paid an
additional shilling for our tea, which we took as we chose in an
adjoining and very comfortable room.
There were only four dances, and it went to my heart that the Miss
Lances (one of them, too, named Emma) should have partners only for two.
You will not expect to hear that I was asked to dance, but I was--by the
gentleman whom we met that Sunday with Captain D'Auvergne. We have
always kept up a bowing acquaintance since, and, being pleased with his
black eyes, I spoke to him at the ball, which brought on me this
civility; but I do not know his name, and he seems so little at home in
the English language that I believe his black eyes may be the best of
him. Captain D'Auvergne has got a ship.
Martha and I made use of the very favorable state of yesterday for
walking, to pay our duty at Chiswell. We found Mrs. Lance at home and
alone, and sat out three other ladies who soon came in. We went by the
ferry, and returned by the bridge, and were scarcely at all fatigued.
Edward must have enjoyed the last two days. You, I presume, had a cool
drive to Canterbury. Kitty Foote came on Wednesday; and her evening
visit began early enough for the last part, the apple-pie, of our
dinner, for we never dine now till five.
Yesterday I--or rather, you--had a letter from Nanny Hilliard, the
object of which is that she would be very much obliged to us if we would
get Hannah a place. I am sorry that I cannot assist her; if you can, let
me know, as I shall not answer the letter immediately. Mr. Sloper is
married again, not much to Nanny's, or anybody's satisfaction. The lady
was governess to Sir Robert's natural children, and seems to have
nothing to recommend her. I do not find, however, that Nanny is likely
to lose her place in consequence. She says not a word of what service
she wishes for Hannah, or what Hannah can do; but a nursery, I suppose,
or something of that kind, must be the thing.
Having now cleared away my smaller articles of news, I come to a
communication of some weight; no less than that my uncle and aunt[9] are
going to allow James 100_l._ a year. We hear of it through Steventon.
Mary sent us the other day an extract from my aunt's letter on the
subject, in which the donation is made with the greatest kindness, and
intended as a compensation for his loss in the conscientious refusal of
Hampstead living; 100_l._ a year being all that he had at the time
called its worth, as I find it was always intended at Steventon to
divide the real income with Kintbury.
Nothing can be more affectionate than my aunt's language in making the
present, and likewise in expressing her hope of their being much more
together in future than, to her great regret, they have of late years
been. My expectations for my mother do not rise with this event. We will
allow a little more time, however, before we fly out.
If not prevented by parish business, James comes to us on Monday. The
Mrs. Hulberts and Miss Murden are their guests at present, and likely to
continue such till Christmas. Anna comes home on the 19th. The hundred a
year begins next Lady-day.
I am glad you are to have Henry with you again; with him and the boys
you cannot but have a cheerful, and at times even a merry, Christmas.
Martha is so [_MSS. torn_]. . . . We want to be settled at Chawton in time
for Henry to come to us for some shooting in October, at least, or a
little earlier, and Edward may visit us after taking his boys back to
Winchester. Suppose we name the 4th of September. Will not that do?
I have but one thing more to tell you. Mrs. Hill called on my mother
yesterday while we were gone to Chiswell, and in the course of the
visit asked her whether she knew anything of a clergyman's family of the
name of Alford, who had resided in our part of Hampshire. Mrs. Hill had
been applied to as likely to give some information of them on account of
their probable vicinity to Dr. Hill's living by a lady, or for a lady,
who had known Mrs. and the two Miss Alfords in Bath, whither they had
removed it seems from Hampshire, and who now wishes to convey to the
Miss Alfords some work or trimming which she has been doing for them;
but the mother and daughters have left Bath, and the lady cannot learn
where they are gone to. While my mother gave us the account, the
probability of its being ourselves occurred to us, and it had previously
struck herself . . . what makes it more likely, and even indispensably
to be us, is that she mentioned Mr. Hammond as now having the living or
curacy which the father had had. I cannot think who our kind lady can
be, but I dare say we shall not like the work.
Distribute the affectionate love of a heart not so tired as the right
hand belonging to it.
Yours ever sincerely, J. A.
Miss AUSTEN, EDWARD AUSTEN'S, Esq.,
Godmersham Park, Faversham, Kent.