Jane Austen Quote of the Week 268

'The Three Sisters' from JA Center UK

I have just found the pleasure of reading Jane Austen’s ‘The Three Sisters’ Juvenilia from Pemberley. The reading is light and pleasant. There’s a funny thing tho that I found out about Mary Stanhope, one of the three sisters (Mary, Sophy and Georgiana Stanhope). So a Mr Watts asked for Mary’s hand in marriage, but she was unsure whether to accept it or not. He was rich, but she was not very fond of him. Mary’s mother then (as many other mothers in the Regency Era) threatened her, saying that if Mary did not give a positive answer by the day after (when Mr Watts was scheduled for tea with them), he would address the proposal to Mary’s sisters (Sophy and Georgiana). Then, as Mary narrated to her close friend Fanny, 

 "The only thing I can think of, my dear Fanny, is to ask Sophy and Georgiana whether they would have him were he to make proposals to them, and if they say they would not, I am resolved to refuse him too, for I hate him more than you can imagine. As for the Duttons, if he marries one of them, I shall still have the triumph of having refused him first. So, adeiu my dear Friend --"

That is such a very girlish response to a marriage proposal from a girl who had almost zero attachment to the said person. I wish that Jane Austen had actually developed ‘The Three Sisters’ for a larger novel. I’d love to read more about the Stanhope Sisters.

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 267

I apologise for us being slower than normal recently, we have all had a lot on. We are now back though.


Over the past week I have read Tracy Kiely's Murder at Longbourn which I really enjoyed. The story is of a character called Elizabeth Parker who is planning New Year's resolutions after her boyfriend has recently cheated on her. She visits her Aunt Winnie's home who is hosting a murder mystery party on New Year's Eve. Rather predictably a party guest ends up dead and the rest of the story involves Elizabeth trying to solve the crime. The story is witty and had me laughing out loud in parts, many of Jane Austen's themes and characters are drawn upon and it is an engaging, fun read.

At the start of every chapter is a famous quote and there are some great choices used by the author.

Chapter 12 starts with Thornton Wilder's quote "It's when you're safe at home that you wish you were having an adventure. When you're having an adventure you wish you were safe at home."
This stood out for me as I am always striving to have more adventure in my life, but when I do, I always think and long for the comforts of home.

From Chapter 28, a Pride and Prejudice line referencing Elizabeth Bennett talking to Mrs. Gardiner about the actions of Mr Darcy: "Is not general incivility the very essence of love?"

Finally Chapter 29 ends with the famous line from Pride and Prejudice: "That would be the greatest misfortune of all! To find a man agreeable whom one is determined to hate!"#

I think a lot of women out there can relate to this ...

Pic: Murder at Longbourn



Jane Austen Quote of the Week 266

Since it is Easter weekend I thought that I would check to see if Jane had used the word "Easter".  Sure enough, I found quite a few instances, and I will quote one from Mansfield Park, Chapter 47:

 

Mrs. Rushworth had gone, for the Easter holidays, to Twickenham, with a family whom she had just grown intimate with: a family of lively, agreeable manners, and probably of morals and discretion to suit, for to their house Mr. Crawford had constant access at all times.

 

She also used the word "holidays" so I will assume that in those days it was special, though I have no idea how they celebrated.

 

On a sad note, I want to say that my heart was broken this week when I learned of the passing of a dear "Janeite" friend, Linden Salter-Duke.  We met online at Pemberley and in person in 2002 when she made a trip to the U.S.  She visited with my family and I on her way to a conference.  I will always have such beautiful memories of her visit.  I had the honor of making a few suggestions for her book "Freedom in My Love" and she mentioned my name in the Acknowledgements.  That was a first for me.  And to quote our dear Jane:  "My tears flow".

 

Here is a link for Linden's web page:  CLICK HERE.  You can read her obituary here:  CLICK HERE.

 

Yrs aff'ly,

Linda the Librarian

Pic: Daffodils

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 265

We have in the past on this blog quoted from the letter Jane wrote to Cassandra on November 17, 1798 where she said:

 

"...I was too proud to make any inquiries..."

 

Also, we have discussed the Jane and Tom connection.  I ran across the following post made by my late friend, Ashton Dennis on the Male Voices in Praise of Jane Austen web site that I have preserved.  The post is titled:  "I was too proud to make any inquiries" Jane Austen's Eleventh Letter."  In this post he discussed the question "Was Jane Austen ever in love?"  Ashton says this in the second paragraph:

 

Let me begin with an observation: If Goethe himself or even if one of the Russians had written this letter for a fictional character, he would have been very proud of himself—and for good reason. I find the letter to be very interesting and very affecting and I suspect that you will as well. Several biographers point to the most important passages in the letter, the ones dealing with her meeting with Madame Lefroy, but I want to do something more. I will discuss those in the context of other passages in the letter because only in that way can the full impact be felt.

 

Now, if that piques your interest, you may read his most interesting thoughts on this subject here:  Was Jane Austen ever in love?  I highly recommend it.

Yrs aff'ly,

Linda the Librarian

Pic: Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 264

This early 19th CE Dutch milk lady seemed to be enjoying what she was doing. Painter: Wybrand Hendriks

Breaking my recent tradition of being late in quotes (gasp!), I am posting the weekend quote earlier this week (well, it's Friday afternoon in Australia, so it starts to count...). I just realised that we had not done a quote from Sense & Sensibility for a while, so it's good that I found one from the said book just now. 


From Chapter 19 of Sense & Sensibility:  

"I think, Edward," said Mrs. Dashwood, as they were at breakfast the last morning, "you would be a happier man if you had any profession to engage your time and give an interest of your plans and actions. Some inconvenience to your friends, indeed, might result from it -- you would not be able to give them so much of your time. But" (with a smile) "you would be materially benefited in one particular at least -- you would know where to go when you left them." 

Indeed, I agree with what Mrs Dashwood said. It is a grand feeling indeed if we have a profession that interests us. That keeps us vibrant and alive in our hearts.

And if we are lucky enough to have such jobs, know this: keep it. There may be annoying people in your department, or they're just around to whine about their lives. But let them not discourage you. For you are doing what you love the most, and we can ignore hiccups like that.

Enjoy the weekend, and all the best for next week!

Tom Lefroy Quote of the Week 38

Since March 17th is St. Patrick's Day around the world (according to Wikipedia), I thought it appropriate to investigate Tom's Irish connections, especially because he is referred to by Jane as "my Irish friend". I, therefore, quote from the "Memoir of Chief Justice Lefroy", Chapter 1:

Thomas Langlois Lefroy was born on the 8th of January, 1776. He was the eldest son of Anthony Lefroy, Lieut.-Colonel of the 9th Light Dragoons the descendant of a Huguenot family, who were obliged to fly from Cambray, at the period of the Duke of Alva's persecution in the Netherlands and took refuge in England. .... Lieut.-Colonel Lefroy, the father of the subject of this memoir, entered the army in 1763 as Ensign in the 33rd Regiment, then quartered in Ireland, and at the early age of twenty-three married Anna, daughter of Thomas George Gardner, Esq,, of Doonass in the County of Claire; ...

Colonel Lefroy sold out of the army in 1791, and having previously purchased landed property in the County Limerick, he resolved not to return to England, and settled in Limerick, where he resided till his death in 1819.

So Tom was indeed "Irish" in that he was born in Ireland, however, his paternal ancestry is from European origin (Cambray, and Netherlands are mentioned). His maternal ancestry is Irish. So in reality, his 'blood' is half Irish.

Over here in the U.S. we have a St. Patrick's Day custom thusly:  if you see your friends NOT wearing something green, you must give them a pinch.  It is fun to catch them unawares.  So, does anyone else have such customs?

 

I salute our Irish Friend "Tom Lefroy" on this coming St. Patrick's Day, March 17.

 

Yrs aff'ly,

Linda the Librarian

Pic: St Patricks Day emblem

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 263

I wish to continue my quote from last week in The Loiterer Issue No. 29.  I got side tracked with the new discoveries from 200 years ago, so now I want to address the discussion as stated in the title of that issue "Absurdity of marrying from Affection."

 

The very next paragraph says:

 

Between two opinions so warmly urged and so strongly supported, it is not easy to fix any decision; but I must confess that however, in other respects, I may lean to the side of the young, (well knowing that their experience and coolness must nine times out of ten give them the advantage over their adversaries) yet in this one instance I must revolt to the other party; and shall in this paper endeavour to prove, that marrying from motives of affection is a very improper and absurd action, injurious to our own happiness as individuals, and detrimental to the interests of the community.

 

The writer goes on the "prove" his point which is interesting, but as a Southern American, I must admit that I had never thought about 'marriage' in this light.  So I hope to continue this series on "affection" in marriage, and see what happens.  As dear Jane says, "I leave it for you to determine."

 

Yrs aff'ly,

Linda the Librarian

Pic: holding hands

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 262

A Regency wedding, from Isabelle Goddard

 

While searching for some "Jane Austen" opinions about the status of women in her day, I ran across so many things that I had no idea existed.  Let me start with her brother James' Loiterer No. 29.  To get the complete 'picture' you really should read the entire issue.  No. 29 is HERE and this is the first paragraph that starts the discussion about "MATRIMONY":

 

NOTHING has so often interrupted the harmony of private families, and set the whole genealogical table of Relations in arms against each other, as that unfortunate propensity which the old and the young have ever discovered to differ as much as possible in their opinion on almost every subject that comes in their way. Various in consequence are the disputes, and bitter the altercations which arise from the diversity of opinion on matters in themselves of small consequence, such as the shortness of allowances, and the length of bills, the propriety of saving money, and the pleasure of spending it. But there is one subject, which above all others affords never-failing matter of contention between father, uncles, or guardians, and their sons, nephews or wards. I mean (to use the words of a celebrated dramatic authoress) “The great universal purpose, MATRIMONY,” on which the above-mentioned personages have adopted Ideas so very dissimilar, that to endeavour to reconcile them would be a vain attempt. For nothing is more true, than that the young have taken it into their heads to imagine that youth and beauty, good temper and good sense, are the best recommendations in a wife; that on this occasion similarity of dispositions should be consulted rather than equality of fortunes, and that mutual affection is a surer basis of conjugal happiness than a hundred thousand pounds. While the old, on the other hand, that it is no matter how wide the tempers are separated, provided that the estates join: in order to get possession of a rotten borough, would gladly exchange all the beauties of the person, and all the graces of the mind; and (rather than stand upon trifles) give the four cardinal virtues into the bargain.

 

I will comment on the 2 parts in bold.  First, "the clelebrated dramatic authoress" - who is that?  After a Google search I found her, Susanna Centlivre and her writing was "The Wonder: A Woman Keeps a Secret" (1714).  This book is still available at Amazon and at some libraries, if you can believe that!  I'll have to put it on my "to do" list.

 

Next, "the four cardinal virtues" - all right, so what are they?  And it's amazing they were known way back in those "Austen" days.  Wikipedia says HERE that they are piety, purity, domesticity, and submissiveness.  Boy, if that doesn't sound like what I grew up with.  And more importantly, it explains why I was raised to be a "doormat".

 

Such findings make me wonder "what else is out there that we don't know about?"  Happy Hunting!

 

Yrs aff'ly,

Linda the Librarian

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 261

As it is valentines weekend I have chosen a favourite quote from Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne Elliott in Persuasion:

"You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago."

Never give up on true love and always have hope.

Happy Valentines Day to you all.

Pic: Anne Elliott and Captain Wentworth

Tom Lefroy Quote of the Week 37

Jane (Anne Hathaway) and Tom (James McAvoy) before the faithful moment that turned the tide

I’d like to revisit an old quote of Tom’s that Rachel has posted back in August 2010 here. This quote popped up in my mind again today when I was reflecting upon a recent dinner with an old friend.

"I do not say that we are to extinguish the affections which belong to the different relations of life; on the contrary, by the pure and sincere exercise of them, selfishness is in some degree extinguished, but the gratification arising from the most delightful of these affections should not form the stay, and hope, and prop of life. No; therein consists the excess and the abuse: but I’ll say no more on this head, lest you should tell me that nothing but my vanity could suggest the necessity of sermonizing you in this manner. I own, however, it is grounded on a conviction that the sensibility and devotedness of my darling wife’s attachment to a certain degree impair her own enjoyment. But, remember, I am not willing to part with the least atom of it to any earthly object; whatever of it ought to be pruned away, let it be transplanted to that region where we may hope and trust to enjoy it in bliss unfading."

Emphasize are my own.

Rachel et al have discussed this quote in the link above, an interesting discourse I must say. Then, coming back to my dinner, my friend has related to me her love story. Since she remains anonymous here, I feel no guilt in explaining the gist of her love story (and I sincerely hope I do not trespass her boundaries here). The gist is simple: the man and the woman love each other, but due to prior engagement, they cannot be together. They find it difficult to move on, but the woman has made up her mind to do so.

I understand her journey will not be easy, so here’s my prayer for her. She reminds me of Tom, because now I believe that Tom did love Jane Austen and Mary Paul at about the same time. God knows, loving two people at the same time is very difficult, not to mention the guilty feeling. However, I believe that Tom surpassed those turmoils. He dedicated his life and love to Mary, while at the same time kept the sweet memories with Jane in one corner of his heart. 

Was it wrong to do so? I doubt it. Certainly Tom (or my friend) did not wish to have two concurrent loves. But it happened. It still happens these days. What Tom did, and what my friend will do, is distancing himself from Jane. He did not do it out of malice. He did it out of respect, love and responsibility to Mary, and out of his love to Jane as well (at least I think he didn’t want to put Jane in trouble). It was not an easy decision to make. He did it, though. My friend is doing it now. God knows how many hearts have to do that as I write this sentence. That kind of journey is not easy. Letting go is never easy.

So here’s this quote, to those hearts out there who need to let go and move on, despite the desires to be together. May the Universe bless you in this difficult journey.