Part 7 (1/2)

But there were three houses which meant to the Austen sisters far s[53] of Manydown Park--a substantial oldWither, which stands between Steventon and Basingstoke--were especial friends of Cassandra and Jane One of these, Elizabeth, became Mrs Heathcote, and was the mother of Sir William Heathcote of Hursley Park--a fine specientleman, and still remembered by many as Member for Oxford University, and as _sole_ patron of John Keble Catherine, another sister, married Southey's uncle, the Rev Herbert Hill; and Alethea, who never married, was probably for that very reason all the more important to the Steventon sisters One of the latest of Jane's extant letters is addressed to Alethea

A still closer friendshi+p united Jane and Cassandra to a family named Lloyd, who for a short tie at Deane Mrs Lloyd had been a Craven--one of the unhappy daughters of a beautiful and fashi+onable but utterly neglectful mother, who left them to shi+ft for themselves and to marry where they could In this respect Martha Craven had done better than soyood position With him she had led a peaceful life, and, on his death in January 1789, she spent the first two or three years of a quiet hood at Deane Her second daughter, Eliza, was then already married to a first cousin, Fulwar Craven Fowle; but the two others, Martha and Mary, were still at home Both became fast friends of Cassandra and Jane, and both were destined eventually to marry into the Austen fahbourhood ca of 1792, when Mrs Lloyd rehteen miles distant from Steventon It was on the occasion of this removal that Jane, then just sixteen years old, presented to Mary Lloyd an interesting speci It is a very s a yet smaller 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, 'Twill serve another end: For, when you look upon this bag, You'll recollect your friend _January 1792_

It isbeen carefully preserved, it is in as perfect a condition 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[54]

Martha Lloyd also had her dedicatory poeo to Harrogate, and hoped in vain for the escort of a Mr Best, Jane presented her with a copy of doggerel--and probably almost extemporaneous--verses:--

Oh! Mr Best, you're very bad And all the world shall know it; Your base behaviour shall be sung By ate Each suo this year the same?

The way's as plain, the road's as s not increased, You're scarcely stouter than you were, Not younger, Sir, at least

&c, &c

We must mention one other intimate friendshi+p--that which existed between the Austens and the Lefroys of Ashe Mr Lefroy was Rector of that parish; and his wife, knoithin it as 'Madaes to e are indebted for the very early notice of Jane Austen as a girl which we have already given

'Mrs Lefroy was a reraceful person, and engaging manners were sufficient to secure her a prominent place in any society into which she was throhile her enthusiastic eagerness of disposition rendered her especially attractive to a clever and lively girl'[55] How intensely Jane loved and admired her is shown by some lines which she wrote on December 16, 1808--the anniversary both of her own birth and of the sudden death of her friend, killed by a fall from her horse in 1804 It has sometimes been assumed that the self-restraint in expressions of affection to be found throughout Jane's published writings, and the self-control they display in matters of emotion, arises from the fact that in the writer's nature there were no very ardent affections to be restrained, and no overpowering emotions to be suppressed These lines show the baselessness of such an assuaze of the public, but to relieve her own heart, that Jane, at the age of thirty-three, wrote thus, four years after the death of this elder friend Here she dared to speak as she felt, striving in all the war attachment and admiration to paint a character which she yet declares to have been 'past her power to praise' The verses continue thus:--

But co, chill, severe, to thee: Bless thou this little portion of an hour; Let me behold her as she used to be

I see her here with all her ser love, her accents sweet, That voice and countenance almost divine, Expression, harmony, alike complete

Listen! It is not sound alone, 'tis sense, 'Tis genius, taste, and tenderness of soul; 'Tis genuine warmth of heart without pretence, And purity of oodness? Yes, to me Her partial favour froive me but to see Her smile of love! The vision disappears

Ties to the Austens The elder brothers married James had a curacy at Overton, and near Overton was Laverstoke Manor House, now occupied by General and Lady Jane Mathew Jahter Anne, five years older than himself They were married in March 1792, and started life on an income of 300 (of which 100 was an allowance , it is said, a se for the wife James afterwards moved to Deane, where he was his father's curate

The married life of the couple was but short Their one child, always known as Anna, was born in April 1793, and the hter only a shadowy recollection of 'a tall and slender lady dressed in white' The poor little girl fretted in her solitude, till her father took the wise step of sending her to Steventon Rectory to be comforted by her aunts She was ad-rooer authorshi+p Anna was a very intelligent, quick-witted child, and, hearing the original draft of _Pride and Prejudice_ read aloud by its youthful writer to her sister, she caught up the names of the characters and repeated them so much downstairs that she had to be checked; for the composition of the story was still a secret kept froe of the elders

Anna also co before she could write them down, and preserved a vivid re that task for her, and then telling her others of endless adventure and fun, which were carried on from day to day, or from visit to visit

Towards the end of 1796 Jaed to Mary Lloyd, and they were e could hardly have happened had not General Mathew continued, for the sake of Anna, the 100 a year which he had allowed to his daughter The event must have been most welcome to Jane; and Mrs Austen wrote a very cheerful and friendly letter to her daughter-in-law elect, expressing the 'most heartfelt satisfaction at the prospect' She adds: 'Had the selection been mine, you, my dear Mary, are the person I should have chosen for Ja as certain as I can be of anything in this uncertain world, that you will greatly increase and promote the happiness of each of the threeI look forward to you as a real coone into Shropshi+re,[56]

and Jane--the Lord knohere Tell Martha she too shall be hter, she does me honour in the request' There was an unconscious prophecy contained in the last words, for Martha became eventually the second wife of the writer's son Francis

Edward Austen's e had preceded his brother's by a few hts, would be sure to make this easy for him; and it must have been under their auspices that he hter of Sir Brook Bridges, and was settled at Rowling, a ses family, about a mile away from their seat at Goodnestone No doubt it was a suitable e of affection, if one e from the happy life which ensued, and from the lovely features of Mrs

Edward Austen, preserved in the miniature by Cosway[57] So

The place was not, however, to be the hoht died in 1794, leaving his large estates to hisfor her life Three years later, in 1797, she determined to make them over, at once, to the adopted son, as after her death to beco for herself only an incorateful and affectionate letter,[58] saying that he wrote because he felt hi with her on the subject; that it was impossible for him and his wife to accede to her plan, for they should never be happy at God in a s quitted a mansion where he had so often heard her say her whole happiness was centred This protest by no ht from her intentions; on the contrary, she expressed the a spirit that we must quote a considerable part of her letter:--