Jane Austen Quote of the Week 254

Tomorrow (16th December) will be Jane's 238th birthday.

There are so many quotes to pick from in order to celebrate Jane's birthday and mine might seem to be a strange choice, both because it has been used before on the blog but also because it doesnt seem to be birthday related. I love it though!

This quote is taken from chapter 5 of Mansfield Park when Mary is being spoken to about marriage.

"If one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better: we find comfort somewhere."

I think that this highlights Jane's philosophy; she recognises bad luck and events that occur in life which are out of our control but she also sees hope and gives us the courage to seek comfort in a better plan. These words are very uplifting for me and form wise advice from someone who, I believe, lived a honest, thoughtful and inspiring life.

Happy Birthday Jane!

Pic: Great design taken from old-fashioned charm blog