Untitled
Norris began their career of conjugal felicity...
8:14 AM, Wednesday, February 10, 2010
.. Link
Norris began
their career of conjugal felicity with very little less than a thousand
a yearBut Miss Frances married, in the common phrase, to disoblige
her family, and by fixing on a lieutenant of marines, without education,
fortune, or connexions, did it very thoroughlyShe could hardly
have made a more untoward choiceSir Thomas Bertram had interest,
which, from principle as well as pride?from a general wish of
doing right, and a desire of seeing all that were connected with him
in situations of respectability, he would have been glad to exert for
the advantage of Lady Bertram?s sister; but her husband?s profession
was such as no interest could reach; and before he had time to devise
any other method of assisting them, an absolute breach between
the sisters had taken placeIt was the natural result of the
conduct of each party, and such as a very imprudent marriage almost
always producesTo save herself from useless remonstrance,
MrsPrice never wrote to her family on the subject till actually
marriedLady Bertram, who was a woman of very tranquil feelings,
and a temper remarkably easy and indolent, would have contented
herself with merely giving up her sister, and thinking no more of
the matter; but MrsNorris had a spirit of activity, which could not
be satisfied till she had written a long and angry letter to Fanny, to
point out the folly of her conduct, and threaten her with all its
possible ill consequencesPrice, in her turn, was injured and
angry; and an answer, which chanel handbags large classic shopping bag comprehended each sister in its bitterness,
and bestowed such very disrespectful reflections on the pride
of Sir Thomas as MrsNorris could not possibly keep to herself, put
an end to all intercourse between them for a considerable period
Their homes were so distant, and the circles in which they moved
so distinct, as almost to preclude the means of ever hearing of each
other?s existence during the eleven following years, or, at least, to
make it very wonderful to Sir Thomas that MrsNorris should ever
have it in her power to tell them, as she now and then did, in an
angry voice, that Fanny had got another childBy the end of eleven
years, however, MrsPrice could no longer afford to cherish pride or
resentment, or to lose one connexion that might possibly assist her
A large and still increasing family, an husband disabled for active
5
Jane Austen
service, but not the less equal to company and good liquor, and a
very small income to supply their wants, made her eager to regain
the friends she had so carelessly sacrificed; and she addressed Lady
Bertram in a letter which spoke so much contrition and despondence,
such a superfluity of children, and such a want of almost
everything else, as could not but dispose them all to a reconciliation
She was preparing for her ninth lying-in; and after bewailing
the circumstance, and imploring their countenance as sponsors to
the expected child, she could not conceal how important she felt
they might be to the future maintenance of the eight already louis vuitton bag to buy in
beingHer eldest was a boy of ten years old, a fine spirited fellow,
who longed to be out in the world; but what could she do? Was
there any chance of his being hereafter useful to Sir Thomas in the
concerns of his West Indian property? No situation would be beneath
him; or what did Sir Thomas think of Woolwich? or how
could a boy be sent out to the East?
The letter was not unproductiveIt re-established peace and kindness
Sir Thomas sent friendly advice and professions, Lady Bertram
dispatched money and baby-linen, and MrsNorris wrote the letters
Such were its immediate effects, and within a twelvemonth a more
important advantage to MrsPrice resulted from itNorris was
often observing to the others that she could not get her poor sister
and her family out of her head, and that, much as they had all done
for her, she seemed to be wanting to do more; and at length she
could not but own it to be her wish that poor MrsPrice should be
relieved from the charge and expense of one child entirely out of her
great number?What if they were among them to undertake the
care of her eldest daughter, a girl now nine years old, of an age to
require more attention than her poor mother could possibly give?
The trouble and expense of it to them would be nothing, compared
with the benevolence of the action Lady Bertram agreed with her
instantly?I think we cannot do better,? said she; ?let us send for
the child
Sir Thomas could not give so instantaneous and unqualified a
consentHe debated and fendi large clutch hesitated;?it was a serious charge;?a
girl so brought up must be adequately provided for, or there would
be cruelty instead of kindness in taking her from her familyHe
6
Mansfield Park
thought of his own four children, of his two sons, of cousins in love,
etc?but no sooner had he deliberately begun to state his objections,
than MrsNorris interrupted him with a reply to them all,
whether stated or not
?My dear Sir Thomas, I perfectly comprehend you, and do justice
to the generosity and delicacy of your notions, which indeed are
quite of a piece with your general conduct; and I entirely agree with
you in the main as to the propriety of doing everything one could
by way of providing for a child one had in a manner taken into one?s
own hands; and I am sure I should be the last person in the world to
withhold my mite upon such an occasionHaving no children of
my own, who should I look to in any little matter I may ever have to
bestow, but the children of my sisters??and I am sure MrNorris is
too just?but you know I am a woman of few words and professions
Do not let us be frightened from a good deed by a trifleGive
a girl an education, and introduce her properly into the world, and
ten to one but she has the means of settling well, without farther
expense to anybodyA niece of ours, Sir Thomas, I may say, or at
least ofyours, would not grow up in this neighbourhood without
many advantagesI don?t say she would be so handsome as her cousins
I dare say she would not; but she would be introduced into christian dior handbags the
society of this country under such very favourable circumstances as,
in all human probability, would get her a creditable establishment
You are thinking of your sons?but do not you know that, of all
things upon earth, that is the least likely to happen, brought up as
they would be, always together like brothers and sisters? It is morally
impossibleI never knew an instance of itIt is, in fact, the only
sure way of providing against the connexionSuppose her a pretty
girl, and seen by Tom or Edmund for the first time seven years
hence, and I dare say there would be mischiefThe very idea of her
having been suffered to grow up at a distance from us all in poverty
and neglect, would be enough to make either of the dear, sweettempered
boys in love with herBut breed her up with them from
this time, and suppose her even to have the beauty of an angel, and
she will never be more to either than a sister
?There is a great deal of truth in what you say,? replied Sir Thomas,
?and far be it from me to throw any fanciful impediment in
7
Jane Austen
the way of a plan which would be so consistent with the relative
situations of eachI only meant to observe that it ought not to be
lightly engaged in, and that to make it really serviceable to Mrs
Price, and creditable to ourselves, we must secure to the child, or
consider ourselves engaged to secure to her hereafter, as circumstances
may arise, the provision of a gentlewoman, if no such establishment
should offer as you are so sanguine in balenciaga bag made with goat leather expectin
{ Last Page } { Page 52 of 78 } { Next Page }
About Me
My Profile
Archives
Friends
My Photo Album
Links
Categories
Recent Entries
Yes, they're nice people and Townsend's kin, but...Miss Bertram had made up her mind to something...
"Dara visits me often," said the wise woman"It's...
To think about happiness? I was happy even...
The brougham's door opened and a laughing young...