Part 23 (1/2)

What is become of all the shyness in the world?

Moral as well as natural diseases disappear in the progress of time, and new ones take their place

Shyness and the sweating sickness have given way to confidence and paralytic co_--Our little visitor has just left us, and left us highly pleased with her; she is a nice, natural, open-hearted, affectionate girl, with all the ready civility which one sees in the best children in the present day; so unlike anything that I was e, that I am often all astonishment and shame Half her time was spent at spillikins, which I consider as a very valuable part of our household furniture, and as not the least iht to that of Austen

There, I flattermy want of materials, but, like my dear Dr Johnson, I believe I have dealt more in notions than facts[165]

Southampton: [Friday, February 20, 1807]

We have at last heard so of Mr

Austen's[166] will It is believed at Tunbridge that he has left everything after the death of histo Mr M Austen's third son John; and, as the said John was the only one of the family who attended the funeral, it see fro in Bath, from which my uncle has suffered ever since their return, and she has herself a cough much worse than any she ever had before, subject as she has always been to bad ones She writes in good huotiation between them and Adlestrop so happily over, indeed, what can have power to vex her materially?

_Saturday_--I have received your letter, but I suppose you do not expect ratified by its contents I confess myself much disappointed by this repeated delay of your return, for though I had pretty well given up all idea of your being with us before our removal, I felt sure that March would not pass quite aithout bringing you

Before April co else will occur to detain you But as _you_ are happy, all this is selfishness, of which here is enough for one page

Frank's going into Kent depends, of course, upon his being une Lord Moira that Captain A should have the first good frigate that was vacant, has since given ao or three fine ones, he has no particular reason to expect an appointment now

_He_, however, has scarcely spoken about the Kentish journey I have oing thither as more certain if he should be at sea than if not

Frank has got a very bad cough, for an Austen; but it does not disable hi-room curtains

I recommend Mrs Grant's[167] letters, as a present to her [Martha]; what they are about, and hownever heard of them but from Miss Irvine, who speaks of them as a new and hly I have inquired for the book here, but find it quite unknown

We are reading Baretti's other book,[168] and find hier take his part against you, as I did nine years ago

Our knowledge of the house which was the Austens' hos, is derived from the personal reminiscences of the author of the _Meh to visit his relatives, and who tells us that at this ti, to love' his Aunt Jane 'They lived,' he says,[169] 'in a commodious old-fashi+oned house in a corner of Castle Squarewith a pleasant garden, bounded on one side by the old city walls; the top of this as sufficiently wide to afford a pleasant walk, with an extensive view easily accessible to ladies by steps' Castle Square itself was occupied 'by a fantastic edifice, too large for the space in which it stood, though too small to accord ith its castellated style, erected by the second Marquis of Lansdowne'

The whole of this building disappeared after the death of its eccentric owner in Novee--the well-known statesman--became in after life an ardent admirer of Jane Austen's novels, and told a friend[170] that 'one of the circumstances of his life which he looked back upon with vexation was that Miss Austen should once have been living so it' Had he known it, however, he would have had no reason--in the Southa her to be an author

On March 9, 1807, wepossession of their new house; but Frank can have seen but little of it before he took command of the _St Albans_ in April, and went to the Cape of Good Hope on convoying duty He was back by June 30

On Cassandra's return, the two sisters ether for a considerable period; but till June 1808 we know little that is definite about theether with their mother, they paid a visit to Chawton House--Edward Austen's Ha these years, Charles Austen was long engaged in the unpleasant and unprofitable duty of enforcing the right of search on the Atlantic seaboard of A is said in the extant letters of his hter of the Attorney-General of Bermuda, which took place in 1807