Part 6 (1/2)

'I have been very far fro your book an evil, I assure you I read it iet on very fast I wish other people of my acquaintance could compose as rapidly Julian's history was quite a surprise toknown it yourself, I suspect; but I have no objection to make to the circu been in love with the aunt gives Cecilia an additional interest with him I like the idea; a very proper coine, indeed, that nieces are seldom chosen but in compliment to some aunt or other I dare say your husband was in love with ht of you if he had not supposed me dead of a scarlet fever'

Jane Austen was successful in everything that she atteers None of us could throw spilikins in so perfect a circle, or take them off with so steady a hand Her performances with cup and ball were marvellous The one used at Chaas an easy one, and she has been known to catch it on the point above an hundred times in succession, till her hand eary She soame, when unable, froether A speciiven

Happy would the coible awas not the only part of her letters which showed superior handiwork In those days there was an art in folding and sealing No adhesive envelopes made all easy Some people's letters always looked loose and untidy; but her paper was sure to take the right folds, and her sealing-wax to drop into the right place Her needlework both plain and orna reat in satin stitch She spent much time in these occupations, and some of her merriest talk was over clothes which she and her co, sometimes for themselves, and sometimes for the poor There still remains a curious specimen of her needleworkis deposited a little rolled up housewife, furnished with minikin needles and fine thread In the housewife is a tiny pocket, and in the pocket is enclosed a slip of paper, on which, written as with a crow quill, are these lines:--

This little bag, I hope, will prove To be not vainly made; For should you thread and needles want, It will afford you aid

And, as we are about to part, 'T will serve another end: For, when you look upon this bag, You'll recollect your friend

It is the kind of article that soive as a reward to a diligent little girl The whole is of flowered silk, and having been never used and carefully preserved, it is as fresh and bright as when it was first o; and shows that the same hand which painted so exquisitely with the pen could work as delicately with the needle

I have collected soht qualities which shone, as it were, on the surface of Jane Austen's character, and attractedfoundations of sound sense and judg, qualifying her equally to advise, assist, or amuse She was, in fact, as ready to coh and jest with the lighthearted Two of her nieces were grown up, and one of them was married, before she was taken away from them As their minds became more matured, they were admitted into closer intihts; they knohat a sy friend and judicious adviser they found her to be in many little difficulties and doubts of early woious principles: that is a subject on which she herself was more inclined to _think_ and _act_ than to _talk_, and I shall imitate her reserve; satisfied to have sho much of Christian love and hu to lay bare the roots whence those graces grew Soht, however, into these deeper recesses of the heart iven, e come to speak of her death

CHAPTER VI

_Habits of Co interval--First publication--The interest taken by the Author in the success of her Works_

It may seem extraordinary that Jane Austen should have written so little during the years that elapsed between leaving Steventon and settling at Chawton; especially when this cessation from work is contrasted with her literary activity both before and after that period It ht rather have been expected that fresh scenes and new acquaintance would have called forth her powers; while the quiet life which the family led both at Bath and Southampton must have afforded abundant leisure for co which I know of, certainly nothing which the public have seen, was completed in either of those places I can only state the fact, without assigning any cause for it; but as soon as she was fixed in her second home, she resumed the habits of composition which had been formed in her first, and continued them to the end of her life The first year of her residence at Chawton see for the press 'Sense and Sensibility,' and 'Pride and Prejudice'; but between February 1811 and August 1816, she began and completed 'Mansfield Park,' 'Emma,' and 'Persuasion,' so that the last five years of her life produced the same number of novels with those which had been written in her early youth

How she was able to effect all this is surprising, for she had no separate study to retire to, and -room, subject to all kinds of casual interruptions

She was careful that her occupation should not be suspected by servants, or visitors, or any persons beyond her own family party She wrote upon small sheets of paper which could easily be put away, or covered with a piece of blotting paper There was, between the front door and the offices, a swing door which creaked when it was opened; but she objected to having this little inconvenience re She was not, however, troubled with coer Abbey,' whose 'vacancy ofwere such that, as she never talked a great deal, so she could never be entirely silent; and therefore, while she sat at work, if she lost her needle, or broke her thread, or saw a speck of dirt on her gown, she must observe it, whether there were any one at leisure to answer her or not' In that well occupied female party therewhich the pen was busy at the little -desk, {102} while fanny Price, or E into beauty and interest I have no doubt that I, and my sisters and cousins, in our visits to Chawton, frequently disturbed thisany idea of the uessed it by any signs of impatience or irritability in the writer

As so an to publish, her works came out in quick succession 'Sense and Sensibility' was published in 1811, 'Pride and Prejudice' at the beginning of 1813, 'Mansfield Park' in 1814, 'Eer Abbey' and 'Persuasion' did not appear till after her death, in 1818 It will be shown farther on why 'Northanger Abbey,' though ast the first written, was one of the last published Her first three novels were published by Egerton, her last three by Murray The profits of the four which had been printed before her death had not at that time amounted to seven hundred pounds

I have no record of the publication of 'Sense and Sensibility,' nor of the author's feelings at this her first appearance before the public; but the following extracts froive a lively picture of the interest hich she watched the reception of 'Pride and Prejudice,' and show the carefulness hich she corrected her compositions, and rejected much that had been written:--

Chawton, Friday, January 29 (1813)

'I hope you received , my dear Cassandra, and that you will be ready to hear froain on Sunday, for I feel that I otchild from London On Wednesday I received one copy sent down by Falkener, with three lines froiven another to Charles and sent a third by the coach to GodmershamThe advertisement is in our paper to-day for the first time: 18_s_ He shall ask 1_l_ 1_s_ for my two next, and 1_l_ 8_s_ for my stupidest of all Miss B dined with us on the very day of the book's co we fairly set at it, and read half the first vol to her, prefacing that, having intelligence from Henry that such a ould soon appear, we had desired him to send it whenever it came out, and I believe it passed with her unsuspected She was amused, poor soul! _That_ she could not help, you knoith two such people to lead the way, but she really does seem to adhtful a creature as ever appeared in print, and how I shall be able to tolerate those who do not like _her_ at least I do not know

There are a few typical errors; and a ”said he,” or a ”said she,”

would soue more immediately clear; but ”I do not write for such dull elves” as have not a great deal of ingenuity themselves The second volume is shorter than I could wish, but the difference is not so er proportion of narrative in that part I have lop't and crop't so successfully, however, that I iine it ether Noill try and write of so else'

Chawton, Thursday, February 4 (1813)

'MY DEAR CassANDRA,--Your letter was truly welcoed to you for all your praise; it caust Our second evening's reading to Miss B had not pleasedon: though she perfectly understands the characters herself, she cannot speak as they ought

Upon the whole, however, I ah The work is rather too light, and bright, and sparkling; it wants shade; it wants to be stretched out here and there with a long chapter of sense, if it could be had; if not, of sole unconnected with the story; an essay on writing, a critique on Walter Scott, or the history of Buonaparte, or so the reader with increased delight to the playfulness and epigrareatest blunder in the printing that I have e 220, v 3, where two speeches are bourn; but I suppose it was the remains of Mrs Bennett's old Meryton habits'

The following letter seems to have been written soon after the last two: in February 1813:--

'This will be a quick return for yours,; it htful letter I aly pleased that you can say what you do, after having gone through the whole work, and fanny's praise is very gratifying My hopes were tolerably strong of _her_, but nothing like a certainty Her liking Darcy and Elizabeth is enough She ht hate all the others, if she would I have her opinion under her own hand this , but your transcript of it, which I read first, was not, and is not, the less acceptable

To _me_ it is of course all praise, but the hOur party on Wednesday was not unagreeable, though anted a ety, andthat she had sent the rejected addresses to Mrs H, I began talking to her a little about the amused her

Her ansas, ”Oh dear yes, veryof the house, and the striking up of the fiddles!” What she ht no farther As soon as a whist party was formed, and a round table threatened, Ijust as many for _their_ round table as there were at Mrs Grant's {107} I wish they reeable a set My love-knitting, and at present wants no other work We quite run over with books She has got Sir John Carr's ”Travels in Spain,” and I a a Society octavo, an ”Essay on the Military Police and Institutions of the British Eineers, a book which I protested against at first, but which upon trial I find delightfully written and highly entertaining I am as much in love with the author as I ever ith Clarkson or Buchanan, or even the two Mr Shed for; but he does write with extraordinary force and spirit Yesterday, ht us ”Mrs Grant's Letters,” with Mr White's compliments; but I have disposed of thest so many readers or retainers of books as we have in Chawton, I dare say there will be no difficulty in getting rid of theht, if necessary I have disposed of Mrs Grant for the second fortnight to Mrs --- It can hts in the year the 3 vols lie on her table I have been applied to for information as to the oath taken in forive Perhaps you in where you now are Ladies who read those enorreat stupid thick quarto volumes which one always sees in the breakfast parlour therein the world I detest a quarto Capt

Pasley's book is too good for their society They will not understand a hts into an octavo I have learned from Sir J Carr that there is no Government House at Gibraltar Iletter belongs to the same year, but treats of a different subject It describes a journey from Chawton to London, in her brother's curricle, and shosust scenery which the traveller in an express train now rushes through in little more than an hour, but scarcely sees at all:--