Jane Austen Quote of the Week 166

My apologies for the near-last-minute instalment of the quote this week. I’ve been inspired by Sense & Sensibility for a few days, hence the quote is from this dear book. The Dashwoods and Edward Ferrars were talking about what to do when they have more than enough money. Something that Mrs Dashwood and Elinor said rang true to me today. Page 91 (Chapter 17 Penguin 2003 edition):

“I should be puzzled to spend a large fortune myself,” said Mrs Dashwood, “if my children were all to be rich without my help.”

“You must begin your improvements on this house,” observed Elinor, “and your difficulties will soon vanish.”

I like Elinor’s tongue-in-cheek observation. However, was it possible to renovate a rented property back in those days? I would think so, no? I wonder whether the Dashwood eventually bought the Barton Cottage from Sir John Middleton. I don’t recall reading it, but I of course can be wrong. I did find that the last page of the book explained that Mrs Dashwood remained in Barton Cottage.

At any rate, methinks home improvement is a very exciting project. I haven’t got enough cash flow to buy some new furniture for my rented place, but I did some gardening today. Not a 'home improvement' in the sense of renovation, but certainly seeing those greeneries at my backyard improved my mood!

Pic: Janet McTeer as Mrs Dashwood in Sense & Sensibility 2008