Part 35 (1/2)

MY DEAREST CassANDRA,--Thank you five hundred and forty tiht into the roo, while ere at breakfast, with some very inferior works of art in the sahted with everything it told, whether good or bad It is so rich in striking intelligence that I hardly knohat to reply to first I believe finery lad that you like the poplin I thought it would have my mother's approbation, but was not so confident of yours Remember that it is a present Do not refuse in the new tea, and the nehite wine My present elegancies have not yet made me indifferent to such ht, and the landscape is lovely no more,'

but to make amends for that, our visit to the Tyldens is over My brother, fanny, Edwd, and I went; Geo stayed at ho, or out of the common way We entleaes at Ca we returned Mrs Sherer's visit I like _Mr_ S[264] very ed to admire _P and P_, and to send me word that he is sure he shall not like Madame D'Arblay's new novel[265] half so well Mrs C[ooke] invented it all, of course He desires his compliments to you and my mother

I am now alone in the library, mistress of all I survey; at least I may say so, and repeat the whole poem if I like it, without offence to anybody

I have _this_ moment seen Mrs Driver driven up to the kitchen door I cannot close with a grander circureater wit

Yours affectionately, J A

Miss Austen, Chawton

The next of Jane's surviving letters was addressed to her brother Frank

Godmersham Park [September 25, 1813][266]

MY DEAREST FRANK,--The 11th of this ht it very orth its two and three-pence I a a sheet of paper; you are a good one to traffic with in that way, you pay most liberally; my letter was a scratch of a note compared to yours, and then you write so even, so clear, both in style and penence, that it is enough to kill one I am sorry Sweden is so poor, and -place in Mecklenberg! How can people pretend to be fashi+onable or to bathe out of England? Rostock market makes one's mouth water; our cheapest butcher'sunder nine-pence all this su under ten-pence

Bread has sunk and is likely to sink more, which we hope may make meat sink too But I have no occasion to think of the price of bread or of ar cares and conform to the happy indifference of East Kent wealth I wonder whether you and the King of Sweden knew that I was come to Godmersham with my brother Yes, I suppose you have received due notice of it by some means or other I have not been here these four years, so I am sure the event deserves to be talked of before and behind, as well as in the middle We left Chawton on the 14th, spent two entire days in town, and arrived here on the 17th My brother, fanny, Lizzie, Marianne and I coe inside and out

Two post-chaises, under the escort of George, conveyed eight ht to others came on horseback, and the rest by coach, and so by one means or another, we all are removed It puts me in remind of St

Paul's shi+pwreck, when all are said, by different means, to reach the shore in safety I left ood accounts of the to be visited by Mrs Heathcote and Miss Bigg, and to have a few days of Henry's cos in town, one was spent at the Lyceue_ was theand trumpery; but it did very well for Lizzie and Marianne, ere indeed delighted, but I wanted better acting There was no actor worth naht at a very low ebb at present Henry has probably sent you his own account of his visit in Scotland I wish he had had one further north, and deviated to the lakes on his way back; but what he was able to do seereat enjoyhshi+re than I had supposed the South of Scotland possessed Our nephew's gratification was less keen than our brother's

Edward is no enthusiast in the beauties of nature

His enthusias and pleasing young reat propriety to his father, and great kindness to his brothers and sisters, and we es than lakes and mountains

In this house there is a constant succession of s we had Edward Bridges unexpectedly to breakfast with us, on his way froate, where is his wife, to Lenham, where is his church, and to-morrow he dines and sleeps here on his return

They have been all the suate for her health; she is a poor honey--the sort of wo determined never to be well and who likes her spasive her, better than anything else This is an ill-natured statement to send all over the Baltic The Mr Knatchbulls, dear Mrs Knight's brothers, dined here the other day They came from the Friars, which is still on their hands The elder made many inquiries after you Mr Sherer is quite a new Mr Sherer to ave us an excellent serer sometimes in his delivery, but that is to me a better extreme than the want of animation, especially when it evidently comes from the heart, as in hilad to see hi away He has a bad curate at Westwell, whooes noet is to have the curacy of Godmersham; a married man, with a very musical wife, which I hope may make her a desirable acquaintance to fanny