Jane Austen Quote of the Week 231

Surprise!  You get two quotes this week.  I stumbled across the following quote by Edward Thompson (1810-1870) an American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  It meant something to me because my daughter and I had just been discussing "trials".

 

Great trials seem to be a necessary preparation for great duties.  It would seem that the more importand the enterprise, the more severe the trial to which the agent is subjected in his preparation.

 

Now this is what Jane has to say about some "trials" which I found in Chapter 38 of Sense and Sensibility:

 

Elinor and Lucy Steel (Sense & Sensibility 2005)

 

 

The next morning brought Elinor a letter by the two-penny post, from Lucy herself.  It was as follows: --

 

Bartlett's Buildings, March.  I hope my dear Miss Dashwood will excuse the liberty I take of writing to her; but I know your friendship for me will make you pleased to hear such a good account of myself and my dear Edward, after all the troubles we have went  through lately, therefore will make no more apologies, but proceed to say that, thank God! though we have suffered dreadfully, we are both quite well now, and as happy s we must always be in one anothers love.  We have had great trials, and great persecutions, but however, at the same time, gratelfully acknowledge many friends, yourself not the least among them, whose great kindness I shall always thankfully remember, as will Edward too, who I have told of it.

 

 

Jane seems to be aware that though we have "great trials" that those trials, though not necessarily preparing us for "great duties," but may possibly have  a 'happy ending'.

 

I found the first quote above by Edward Thompson in a book titled "A Gift of Love" by Perry Tanksley which appears to be quite intriguing due to the subtitle and I can hardly wait to read it in its entirely.  The subtitle for the book is "A Volume of Verse for Young and Old and for All Who have Suffered Adversity."  This is particularly intriguing because my daughter and I were discussing our own personal "trials".  So I leave you with the glad expectation that our 'great trials' will prepare us for our 'great duties'.

 

Yrs aff'ly,

Linda the Librarian