Austen, Jane . Jane Austen's Letters To Her Sister Cassandra and Others
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Cassandra 1811
Sloane St* Thursday April 25 My dearest Cassandra
I can return the compliment by thanking you for the unexpected pleasure of your Letter yesterday, & as I like unexpected pleasure, it made me very happy; And indeed, you need not apologise for your Letter in any respect, for it is all very fine, but not too fine I hope to be written again, or something like it. I think Edward will not suffer much longer from heat; by the look of Things this morng* I suspect the weather is rising into the balsamic Northeast. It has been hot here, as you may suppose, since it was so hot with you, but I have not suffered from it at all, nor felt it in such a degree as to make me imagine it would be anything in the country. Everybody has talked of the heat, but I set it all down to London.-I give you joy of our new nephew, & hope if he ever comes to be hanged, it will not be till we are too old to care about it.-It is a great comfort to have it so safely & speedily over. The Miss Curlings must be hard worked in writing so many Letters, but the novelty of it may recommend it to them;-mine was from Miss Eliza, & she says that my Brother may arrive today.-No indeed, I am never too busy to think of S & S. I can no more forget it, than a mother can forget her sucking child; & I am much obliged to you
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for your enquiries. I have had two sheets to correct, but the last only brings us to W.s first appearance. Mrs** K. regrets in the most flattering manner that she must wait till May, but I have scarcely a hope of its being out in June.-Henry does not neglect it; he has hurried the Printer, & says he will see him again today.-It will not stand still during his absence, it will be sent to Eliza.-The Incomes remain as they were, but I will get them altered if I can.-I am very much gratified by Mrs** K.s interest in it; & whatever may be the event of it as to my credit with her, sincerely wish her curiosity could be satisfied sooner than is now probable. I think she will like my Elinor, but cannot build on any thing else. Our party went off extremely well. There were many solicitudes; alarms & vexations beforehand of course, but at last everything was quite right. The rooms were dressed up with flowers & c, & looked very pretty.-A glass for the Mantlepiece was lent, by the Man who is making their own.-Mr* egerton & Mr* walter came at 1#2 past 5, & the festivities began with a pr* of very fine Soals. Yes, Mr* walter-for he postponed his leaving London on purpose-which did not give much pleasure at the time, any more than the circumstance from which it rose, his calling on Sunday & being asked by Henry to take the family dinner on that day, which he did-but it is all smooth'd over now;-& she likes him very well.-At 1#2 past 7 arrived the Musicians in two Hackney coaches, & by 8 the lordly company began to appear. Among the earliest were George & Mary Cooke, & I spent the greatest part of the eveng* very pleasantly with them.-The Drawg* room being soon hotter than we liked, we placed ourselves in the
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connecting Passage, which was comparatively cool, & gave us all the advantage of the Music at a pleasant distance, as well as that of the first veiw of every new comer.-I was quite surrounded by acquaintance, especially Gentlemen; & what with Mr* Hampson, mr* Seymour, Mr* W. Knatchbull, Mr* Guillemarde, mr* Cure, a Capt* Simpson, brother to the Capt* Simpson, besides Mr* Walter & Mr* Egerton, in addition to the Cookes & Miss Beckford & Miss Middleton, I had quite as much upon my hands as I could do.-Poor Miss B. has been suffering again from her old complaint, & looks thinner than ever. She certainly goes to Cheltenham the beginning of June. We were all delight & cordiality of course. Miss M. seems very happy, but has not beauty enough to figure in London. -Including everybody we were 66-which was considerably more than Eliza had expected, & quite enough to fill the Back Drawg* room, & leave a few to be scattered about in the other, & in the passage. The Music was extremely good. It opened (tell Fanny, with "poike pe Parp pin praise pof prapela"-& of the other Glees I remember, " In Peace Love tunes," " Rosabelle," " The red cross Knight," & " Poor Insect." Between the Songs were Lessons on the Harp, or Harp & Piano Forte together-& the Harp Player was Wiepart, whose name seems famous, tho' new to me.-There was one female singer, a short Miss Davis all in blue, bringing up for the Public Line, whose voice was said to be very fine indeed; & all the Performers gave great satisfaction by doing what they were paid for, & giving themselves no airs.-No amateur could be persuaded to do anything.-The House was not clear till after 12.-If you wish to hear
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more of it, you must put your questions, but I seem rather to have exhausted than spared the subject.-This said Capt. Simpson told us, on the authority of some other Captn* just arrived from Halifax, that Charles was bringing the Cleopatra home, & that she was probably by this time in the Channel-but as Capt. S. was certainly in liquor, we must not quite depend on it.-It must give one a sort of expectation however, & will prevent my writing to him any more. -I would rather he shd* not reach England till I am at home, & the Steventon party gone. My Mother & Martha both write with great satisfaction of Anna's behaviour. She is quite an Anna with variations-but she cannot have reached her last, for that is always the most flourishng & shewey-she is at about her 3d* or 4th** which are generally simple & pretty.-Your Lilacs are in leaf, ours are in bloom.-The Horse chesnuts are quite out, & the Elms almost.-I had a pleasant walk in Kensington Gs* on Sunday with Henry, Mr* smith & Mr* tilson-everything was fresh & beautiful.-We did go to the play after all on saturday, we went to the Lyceum, & saw the Hypocrite, an old play taken from Moliere's Tartuffe, & were well entertained. Dowton & Mathews were the good actors. Mrs Edwin was the Heroine-& her performance is just what it used to be.-I have no chance of seeing Mrs** siddons.-She did act on Monday, but as Henry was told by the Boxkeeper that he did not think she would, the places, & all thought of it, were given up. I should particularly have liked seeing her in Constance, & could swear at her with little effort for disappointing me.-Henry has been to the Watercolour Exhibition, which open'd on Monday,
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& is to meet us there again some morng*.-If Eliza cannot go-(& she has a cold at present) Miss Beaty will be invited to be my companion.-Henry leaves Town on Sunday afternoon-but he means to write soon himself to Edward-& will tell his own plans.-The Tea is this moment setting out.-Do not have your cold* muslin unless you really want it, because I am afraid I cd* not send it to the Coach without giving trouble here.-Eliza caught her cold on Sunday in our way to the D'Entraigues;-the Horses actually gibbed on this side of Hyde Park Gate-a load of fresh gravel made it a formidable Hill to them, and they refused the collar;-I believe there was a sore shoulder to irritate.-Eliza was frightened, & we got out-& were detained in the Eveng* air several minutes. -The cold is in her chest-but she takes care of herself, & I hope it may not last long.-This engagement prevented Mr* walter's staying late-he had his coffee & went away.-Eliza enjoyed her eveng* very much & means to cultivate the acquaintance-& I see nothing to dislike in them, but their taking quantities of snuff.-Monsieur the old Count, is a very fine looking man, with quiet manners, good enough for an Englishman-& I believe is a Man of great Information & Taste. He has some fine Paintings, which delighted Henry as much as the Son's music gratified Eliza-& among them, a Miniature of Philip 5. of Spain, Louis 14.s Grandson, which exactly suited my capacity.-Count Julien's performance is very wonderful. We met only Mrs** Latouche & Miss East-& we are just now engaged to spend next Sunday Eveng* at Mrs** L.S-& to meet the D'Entraigues;-but M. le Comte must do without Henry. If he wd* but speak
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english, I would take to him.-Have you ever mentioned the leaving off Tea to Mrs** K.?-Eliza has just spoken of it again.-The Benefit she has found from it in sleeping, has been very great.-I shall write soon to Catherine to fix my day, which will be Thursday.-We have no engagements but for Sunday. Eliza's cold makes quiet adviseable.-Her party is mentioned in this morning's paper. I am sorry to hear of poor Fanny's state.-From that quarter I suppose is to be the alloy of her happiness.-I will have no more to say.- Yrs** affecly**
J. A.
Give my Love particularly to my God-daughter.