CASTLE SQUARE, Tuesday (January 24).
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--I will give you the indulgence of a letter on
Thursday this week, instead of Friday, but I do not require you to write
again before Sunday, provided I may believe you and your finger going on
quite well. Take care of your precious self; do not work too hard.
Remember that Aunt Cassandras are quite as scarce as Miss Beverleys.[11]
I had the happiness yesterday of a letter from Charles, but I shall say
as little about it as possible, because I know that excruciating Henry
will have had a letter likewise, to make all my intelligence valueless.
It was written at Bermuda on the 7th and 10th of December. All well, and
Fanny still only in expectation of being otherwise. He had taken a small
prize in his late cruise,--a French schooner, laden with sugar; but bad
weather parted them, and she had not yet been heard of. His cruise ended
December 1st. My September letter was the latest he had received.
This day three weeks you are to be in London, and I wish you better
weather; not but that you may have worse, for we have now nothing but
ceaseless snow or rain and insufferable dirt to complain of; no
tempestuous winds nor severity of cold. Since I wrote last we have had
something of each, but it is not genteel to rip up old grievances.
You used me scandalously by not mentioning Edward Cooper's sermons. I
tell you everything, and it is unknown the mysteries you conceal from
me; and, to add to the rest, you persevere in giving a final "e" to
"invalid," thereby putting it out of one's power to suppose Mrs. E.
Leigh, even for a moment, a veteran soldier. She, good woman, is, I
hope, destined for some further placid enjoyment of her own excellence
in this world, for her recovery advances exceedingly well.
I had this pleasant news in a letter from Bookham last Thursday; but as
the letter was from Mary instead of her mother, you will guess her
account was not equally good from home. Mrs. Cooke had been confined to
her bed some days by illness, but was then better, and Mary wrote in
confidence of her continuing to mend. I have desired to hear again soon.
You rejoice me by what you say of Fanny.[12] I hope she will not turn
good-for-nothing this ever so long. We thought of and talked of her
yesterday with sincere affection, and wished her a long enjoyment of all
the happiness to which she seems born. While she gives happiness to
those about her she is pretty sure of her own share.
I am gratified by her having pleasure in what I write, but I wish the
knowledge of my being exposed to her discerning criticism may not hurt
my style, by inducing too great a solicitude. I begin already to weigh
my words and sentences more than I did, and am looking about for a
sentiment, an illustration, or a metaphor in every corner of the room.
Could my ideas flow as fast as the rain in the store-closet, it would be
charming.
We have been in two or three dreadful states within the last week, from
the melting of the snow, etc., and the contest between us and the closet
has now ended in our defeat. I have been obliged to move almost
everything out of it, and leave it to splash itself as it likes.
You have by no means raised my curiosity after Caleb. My disinclination
for it before was affected, but now it is real. I do not like the
evangelicals. Of course I shall be delighted when I read it, like other
people; but till I do I dislike it.
I am sorry my verses did not bring any return from Edward. I was in
hopes they might, but I suppose he does not rate them high enough. It
might be partiality, but they seemed to me purely classical,--just like
Homer and Virgil, Ovid and Propria que Maribus.
I had a nice brotherly letter from Frank the other day, which, after an
interval of nearly three weeks, was very welcome. No orders were come on
Friday, and none were come yesterday, or we should have heard to-day. I
had supposed Miss C. would share her cousin's room here, but a message
in this letter proves the contrary. I will make the garret as
comfortable as I can, but the possibilities of that apartment are not
great.
My mother has been talking to Eliza about our future home, and she,
making no difficulty at all of the sweetheart, is perfectly disposed to
continue with us, but till she has written home for mother's approbation
cannot quite decide. Mother does not like to have her so far off. At
Chawton she will be nine or ten miles nearer, which I hope will have its
due influence.
As for Sally, she means to play John Binns with us, in her anxiety to
belong to our household again. Hitherto she appears a very good servant.
You depend upon finding all your plants dead, I hope. They look very
ill, I understand.
Your silence on the subject of our ball makes me suppose your curiosity
too great for words. We were very well entertained, and could have
stayed longer but for the arrival of my list shoes to convey me home,
and I did not like to keep them waiting in the cold. The room was
tolerably full, and the ball opened by Miss Glyn. The Miss Lances had
partners, Captain Dauvergne's friend appeared in regimentals, Caroline
Maitland had an officer to flirt with, and Mr. John Harrison was deputed
by Captain Smith, being himself absent, to ask me to dance. Everything
went well, you see, especially after we had tucked Mrs. Lance's
neckerchief in behind and fastened it with a pin.
We had a very full and agreeable account of Mr. Hammond's ball from Anna
last night; the same fluent pen has sent similar information, I know,
into Kent. She seems to have been as happy as one could wish her, and
the complacency of her mamma in doing the honors of the evening must
have made her pleasure almost as great. The grandeur of the meeting was
beyond my hopes. I should like to have seen Anna's looks and
performance, but that sad cropped head must have injured the former.
Martha pleases herself with believing that if I had kept her counsel you
would never have heard of Dr. M.'s late behavior, as if the very slight
manner in which I mentioned it could have been all on which you found
your judgment. I do not endeavor to undeceive her, because I wish her
happy, at all events, and know how highly she prizes happiness of any
kind. She is, moreover, so full of kindness for us both, and sends you
in particular so many good wishes about your finger, that I am willing
to overlook a venial fault, and as Dr. M. is a clergyman, their
attachment, however immoral, has a decorous air. Adieu, sweet You. This
is grievous news from Spain. It is well that Dr. Moore was spared the
knowledge of such a son's death.
Yours affectionately, J. AUSTEN.
Anna's hand gets better and better; it begins to be too good for any
consequence.
We send best love to dear little Lizzy and Marianne in particular.
The Portsmouth paper gave a melancholy history of a poor mad woman,
escaped from confinement, who said her husband and daughter, of the name
of Payne, lived at Ashford, in Kent. Do you own them?
Miss AUSTEN, EDWARD AUSTEN'S, Esq.,
Godmersham Park, Faversham, Kent.