Austen, Jane . Jane Austen's Letters To Her Sister Cassandra and Others
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Cassandra 1805

   Godmersham Park, Saturday Augst** 24 My dear Cassandra

   How do you do? & how is Harriot's cold?-I hope you are at this time sitting down to answer these questions.-Our visit to Eastwell was very agreable, I found Ly Gordon's manners as pleasing as they had been described, & saw nothing to dislike in Sir Janison, excepting once or twice a sort of sneer at Mrs** Anne Finch. He was just getting into Talk with Elizth** as the carriage was ordered, but during the first part of the visit he said very little.-Your going with Harriot was highly approved of by everyone; & only too much applauded as an act of virtue on your part. I said all I could to lessen your merit.-The Mrs** finches were afraid you would find Goodnestone very dull; I wished when I heard them say so, that they could have heard Mr* E. Bridges's solicitude on the subject & have known all the amusements that were planned to prevent it.-They were very civil to me, as they always are;-Fortune was also very civil to me in placing Mr* e. hatton by me at dinner.-I have discovered that Ly Elizth** for a woman of her age & situation, has astonishingly little to say for herself, & that Miss Hatton has not much more.-Her eloquence lies in her fingers; they were most fluently harmonious.-George is a fine boy, & well behaved, but Daniel cheifly delighted me; the good humour


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of his countenance is quite bewitching. After Tea we had a cribbage Table, & he & I won two rubbers of his brother & Mrs** mary.-Mr* brett was the only person there besides our two families. It was considerably past eleven before we were at home, & I was so tired as to feel no envy of those who were at Ly Yates' Ball.-My good wishes for it's being a pleasant one, were I hope successful. Yesterday was a very quiet day with us; my noisiest efforts were writing to Frank, & playing at Battledore & Shuttlecock with William; he & I have practiced together two mornings, & improve a little; we have frequently kept it up three times, & once or twice six. The two Edwards went to Canterbury in the chair, & found Mrs** knight as you found her I suppose the day before, chearful but weak.-Fanny was met walking with Miss Sharp & Miss Milles, the happiest Being in the world; she sent a private message to her Mama implying as much-" Tell Mama that I am quite Palmerstone! "-If little Lizzy used the same Language, she would I dare say send the same message from Goodnestone.-In the evening we took a quiet walk round the Farm, with George & Henry to animate us by their races & merriment.-Little Edwd* is by no means better, & his papa & mama have determined to consult Dr* wilmot. Unless he recovers his strength beyond what is now probable, his brothers will return to School without him, & he will be of the party to Worthing.-If SeaBathing should be recommended he will be left there with us, but this is not thought likely to happen.-I have been used very ill this morning, I have received a letter from Frank which I ought to have had when Elizth** & Henry had theirs, & which in it's way from


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Albany to Godmersham has been to Dover & Steventon. It was finished on ye* 16th**, & tells what theirs told before as to his present situation; he is in a great hurry to be married, & I have encouraged him in it, in the letter which ought to have been an answer to his.-He must think it very strange that I do not acknowledge the receipt of his, when I speak of those of the same dates to Eliz: & Henry; & to add to my injuries I forgot to number mine on the outside.-I have found your white mittens, they were folded up within my clean nightcap, & send their duty to you.-Eliz: has this moment proposed a scheme, which will be very much for my pleasure, if equally convenient to the other party; it is that when you return on Monday, I should take your place at Goodnestone for a few days.-Harriot cannot be insincere, let her try for it ever so much, & therefore I defy her to accept this self-invitation of mine, unless it be really what perfectly suits her.-As there is no time for an answer, I shall go in the Carriage on Monday, & can return with you, if my going on to Goodnestone is at all inconvenient.-The Knatchbulls come on Wednesday to dinner, & stay only till Friday morng. at the latest.-Frank's letter to me is the only one that you or I have received since Thursday.-Mr* hall walked off this morng. to Ospringe, with no inconsiderable Booty. He charged Elizth** 5s for every time of dressing her hair, & 5s for every lesson to Sace, allowing nothing for the pleasures of his visit here, for meat drink & Lodging, the benefit of Country air, & the charms of Mrs** salkeld's & Mrs** sace's society.-Towards me he was as considerate, as I had hoped for, from my relationship to you, charging me only 2s6d


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for cutting my hair, tho' it was as thoroughly dress'd after being cut for Eastwell, as it had been for the Ashford Assembly.-He certainly respects either our Youth or our poverty.-My writing to you to day prevents Elizth** writing to Harriot, for which Evil I implore the latter's pardon.-Give my best Love to her-& kind remembrances to her Brothers.-

   Yours very affecly**

   J A.

   You are desired to bring back with you Henry's picture of Rowling for the Mrs** finches.

   Elizth** hopes you will not be later here on Monday than 5 o'clock, on Lizzy's account.-

   As I find on looking into my affairs, that instead of being very rich I am likely to be very poor, I cannot afford more than ten shillings for Sackree; but as

   We are to meet in Canterbury I need not have mentioned this. It is as well however, to prepare you for the sight of a Sister sunk in poverty, that it may not overcome your Spirits. We have heard nothing from Henry since he went.-Daniel told us that he went from Ospringe in one of the Coaches.

   Goodnestone Farm : Tuesday August 27 My dear Cassandra

   We had a very pleasant drive from Canterbury, and reached this place about half-past four, which seemed


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to bid fair for a punctual dinner at five; but scenes of great agitation awaited us, and there was much to be endured and done before we could sit down to table.

   Harriot found a letter from Louisa Hatton, desiring to know if she and her brothers were to be at the ball at Deal on Friday, and saying that the Eastwell family had some idea of going to it, and were to make use of Rowling if they did ; and while I was dressing she came to me with another letter in her hand, in great perplexity. It was from Captain Woodford, containing a message from Lady Forbes, which he had intended to deliver in person, but had been prevented from doing.

   The offer of a ticket for this grand ball, with an invitation to come to her house at Dover before and after it, was Lady Forbes's message. Harriot was at first very little inclined, or rather totally disinclined, to profit by her ladyship's attention; but at length, after many debates, she was persuaded by me and herself together to accept the ticket. The offer of dressing and sleeping at Dover she determined on Marianne's account to decline, and her plan is to be conveyed by Lady Elizabeth Hatton.

   I hope their going is by this time certain, and will be soon know to be so. I think Miss H. would not have written such a letter if she had not been all but sure of it, and a little more. I am anxious on the subject, from the fear of being in the way if they do not come to give Harriot a conveyance. I proposed and pressed being sent home on Thursday, to prevent the possibility of being in the wrong place, but Harriot would not hear of it.


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   There is no chance of tickets for the Mr. Bridgeses, as no gentlemen but of the garrison are invited.

   With a civil note to be fabricated to Lady F., and an answer written to Miss H., you will easily believe that we could not begin dinner till six. We were agreeably surprised by Edward Bridges's company to it. He had been, strange to tell, too late for the cricket match, too late at least to play himself, and, not being asked to dine with the players, came home. It is impossible to do justice to the hospitality of his attentions towards me; he made a point of ordering toasted cheese for supper entirely on my account.

   We had a very agreeable evening, and here I am before breakfast writing to you, having got up between six and seven; Lady Brydges's room must be good for early rising.

   Mr. Sankey was here last night, and found his patient better, but I have heard from a maidservant that she has had but an indifferent night.

   Tell Elizabeth that I did not give her letter to Harriot till we were in the carriage, when she received it with great delight, and could read it in comfort.

   As you have been here so lately, I need not particularly describe the house or style of living, in which all seems for use and comfort; nor need I be diffuse on the state of Lady Brydges's bookcase and cornershelves upstairs. What a treat to my mother to arrange them!

   Harriot is constrained to give up all hope of seeing Edward here to fetch me, as I soon recollected that Mr. and Mrs. Charles Knatchbull's being at Godmersham on Thursday must put it out of the question.

   Had I waited till after breakfast, the chief of all


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this might have been spared. The Duke of Gloucester's death sets my heart at ease, though it will cause some dozens to ache. Harriot's is not among the number of the last; she is very well pleased to be spared the trouble of preparation. She joins me in best love to you all, and will write to Elizabeth soon. I shall be very glad to hear from you, that we may know how you all are, especially the two Edwards.

   I have asked Sophie if she has anything to say to Lizzy in acknowledgment of the little bird, and her message is that, with her love, she is very glad Lizzy sent it. She volunteers, moreover, her love to little Marianne, with the promise of bringing her a doll the next time she goes to Godmersham.

   John is just come from Ramsgate, and brings a good account of the people there. He and his brother, you know, dine at Nackington; we are to dine at four, that we may walk afterwards. As it is now two, and Harriot has letters to write, we shall probably not get out before.

   Yours affectionately,

   J. A.

   Three o'clock.-Harriot is just come from Marianne, and thinks her upon the whole better. The sickness has not returned, and a headache is at present her chief complaint, which Henry attributes to the sickness.




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