Love and Freindship [sic]
“Nay, t’is very true answered she, I assure you, for he was in love
with you from the first moment he beheld you.”
“I wish it may be true said I, for that is the only kind of love I
would give a farthing for—There is some sense in being in love at first
sight.”
“Well, I give you Joy of your conquest, replied Lady Scudamore, and I
beleive it to have been a very complete one; I am sure it is not a
contemptible one, for my Cousin is a charming young fellow, has seen a
great deal of the World, and writes the best Love-letters I ever read.”
This made me very happy, and I was excessively pleased with my
conquest. However, I thought it was proper to give myself a few Airs—so
I said to her—
“This is all very pretty Lady Scudamore, but you know that we young
Ladies who are Heiresses must not throw ourselves away upon Men who
have no fortune at all.”
“My dear Miss Halton said she, I am as much convinced of that as you
can be, and I do assure you that I should be the last person to
encourage your marrying anyone who had not some pretensions to expect a
fortune with you. Mr Musgrove is so far from being poor that he has an
estate of several hundreds an year which is capable of great
Improvement, and an excellent House, though at Present it is not quite
in repair.”
“If that is the case replied I, I have nothing more to say against him,
and if as you say he is an informed young Man and can write a good
Love-letter, I am sure I have no reason to find fault with him for
admiring me, tho’ perhaps I may not marry him for all that Lady
Scudamore.”
“You are certainly under no obligation to marry him answered her
Ladyship, except that which love himself will dictate to you, for if I
am not greatly mistaken you are at this very moment unknown to
yourself, cherishing a most tender affection for him.”
“Law, Lady Scudamore replied I blushing how can you think of such a
thing?”
“Because every look, every word betrays it, answered she; Come my dear
Henrietta, consider me as a freind, and be sincere with me—Do not you
prefer Mr Musgrove to any man of your acquaintance?”
“Pray do not ask me such questions Lady Scudamore, said I turning away
my head, for it is not fit for me to answer them.”
“Nay my Love replied she, now you confirm my suspicions. But why
Henrietta should you be ashamed to own a well-placed Love, or why
refuse to confide in me?”
“I am not ashamed to own it; said I taking Courage. I do not refuse to
confide in you or blush to say that I do love your cousin Mr Musgrove,
that I am sincerely attached to him, for it is no disgrace to love a
handsome Man. If he were plain indeed I might have had reason to be
ashamed of a passion which must have been mean since the object would
have been unworthy. But with such a figure and face, and such beautiful
hair as your Cousin has, why should I blush to own that such superior
merit has made an impression on me.”
“My sweet Girl (said Lady Scudamore embracing me with great affection)
what a delicate way of thinking you have in these matters, and what a
quick discernment for one of your years! Oh! how I honour you for such
Noble Sentiments!”
“Do you Ma’am said I; You are vastly obliging. But pray Lady Scudamore
did your Cousin himself tell you of his affection for me I shall like
him the better if he did, for what is a Lover without a Confidante?”
“Oh! my Love replied she, you were born for each other. Every word you
say more deeply convinces me that your Minds are actuated by the
invisible power of simpathy, for your opinions and sentiments so
exactly coincide. Nay, the colour of your Hair is not very different.
Yes my dear Girl, the poor despairing Musgrove did reveal to me the
story of his Love—. Nor was I surprised at it—I know not how it was,
but I had a kind of presentiment that he _would_ be in love with you.”
“Well, but how did he break it to you?”
“It was not till after supper. We were sitting round the fire together
talking on indifferent subjects, though to say the truth the
Conversation was cheifly on my side for he was thoughtful and silent,
when on a sudden he interrupted me in the midst of something I was
saying, by exclaiming in a most Theatrical tone—
Yes I’m in love I feel it now And Henrietta Halton has undone me
“Oh! What a sweet way replied I, of declaring his Passion! To make such
a couple of charming lines about me! What a pity it is that they are
not in rhime!”
“I am very glad you like it answered she; To be sure there was a great
deal of Taste in it. And are you in love with her, Cousin? said I. I am
very sorry for it, for unexceptionable as you are in every respect,
with a pretty Estate capable of Great improvements, and an excellent
House tho’ somewhat out of repair, yet who can hope to aspire with
success to the adorable Henrietta who has had an offer from a Colonel
and been toasted by a Baronet”—“_That_ I have—” cried I. Lady Scudamore
continued. “Ah dear Cousin replied he, I am so well convinced of the
little Chance I can have of winning her who is adored by thousands,
that I need no assurances of yours to make me more thoroughly so. Yet
surely neither you or the fair Henrietta herself will deny me the
exquisite Gratification of dieing for her, of falling a victim to her
Charms. And when I am dead”—continued her—
“Oh Lady Scudamore, said I wiping my eyes, that such a sweet Creature
should talk of dieing!”
“It is an affecting Circumstance indeed, replied Lady Scudamore.” “When
I am dead said he, let me be carried and lain at her feet, and perhaps
she may not disdain to drop a pitying tear on my poor remains.”
“Dear Lady Scudamore interrupted I, say no more on this affecting
subject. I cannot bear it.”
“Oh! how I admire the sweet sensibility of your Soul, and as I would
not for Worlds wound it too deeply, I will be silent.”
“Pray go on.” said I. She did so.
“And then added he, Ah! Cousin imagine what my transports will be when
I feel the dear precious drops trickle on my face! Who would not die to
haste such extacy! And when I am interred, may the divine Henrietta
bless some happier Youth with her affection, May he be as tenderly
attached to her as the hapless Musgrove and while _he_ crumbles to
dust, May they live an example of Felicity in the Conjugal state!”
Did you ever hear any thing so pathetic? What a charming wish, to be
lain at my feet when he was dead! Oh! what an exalted mind he must have
to be capable of such a wish! Lady Scudamore went on.
“Ah! my dear Cousin replied I to him, such noble behaviour as this,
must melt the heart of any woman however obdurate it may naturally be;
and could the divine Henrietta but hear your generous wishes for her
happiness, all gentle as is her mind, I have not a doubt but that she
would pity your affection and endeavour to return it.” “Oh! Cousin
answered he, do not endeavour to raise my hopes by such flattering
assurances. No, I cannot hope to please this angel of a Woman, and the
only thing which remains for me to do, is to die.” “True Love is ever
desponding replied I, but _I_ my dear Tom will give you even greater
hopes of conquering this fair one’s heart, than I have yet given you,
by assuring you that I watched her with the strictest attention during
the whole day, and could plainly discover that she cherishes in her
bosom though unknown to herself, a most tender affection for you.”
“Dear Lady Scudamore cried I, This is more than I ever knew!”
“Did not I say that it was unknown to yourself? I did not, continued I
to him, encourage you by saying this at first, that surprise might
render the pleasure still Greater.” “No Cousin replied he in a languid
voice, nothing will convince me that _I_ can have touched the heart of
Henrietta Halton, and if you are deceived yourself, do not attempt
deceiving me.” “In short my Love it was the work of some hours for me
to Persuade the poor despairing Youth that you had really a preference
for him; but when at last he could no longer deny the force of my
arguments, or discredit what I told him, his transports, his Raptures,
his Extacies are beyond my power to describe.”
“Oh! the dear Creature, cried I, how passionately he loves me! But dear
Lady Scudamore did you tell him that I was totally dependant on my
Uncle and Aunt?”
“Yes, I told him every thing.”
“And what did he say.”
“He exclaimed with virulence against Uncles and Aunts; Accused the laws
of England for allowing them to Possess their Estates when wanted by
their Nephews or Neices, and wished _he_ were in the House of Commons,
that he might reform the Legislature, and rectify all its abuses.”
“Oh! the sweet Man! What a spirit he has!” said I.
“He could not flatter himself he added, that the adorable Henrietta
would condescend for his sake to resign those Luxuries and that
splendor to which she had been used, and accept only in exchange the
Comforts and Elegancies which his limited Income could afford her, even
supposing that his house were in Readiness to receive her. I told him
that it could not be expected that she would; it would be doing her an
injustice to suppose her capable of giving up the power she now
possesses and so nobly uses of doing such extensive Good to the poorer
part of her fellow Creatures, merely for the gratification of you and
herself.”
“To be sure said I, I _am_ very Charitable every now and then. And what
did Mr Musgrove say to this?”
“He replied that he was under a melancholy necessity of owning the
truth of what I said, and that therefore if he should be the happy
Creature destined to be the Husband of the Beautiful Henrietta he must
bring himself to wait, however impatiently, for the fortunate day, when
she might be freed from the power of worthless Relations and able to
bestow herself on him.”
What a noble Creature he is! Oh! Matilda what a fortunate one I am, who
am to be his Wife! My Aunt is calling me to come and make the pies, so
adeiu my dear freind, and beleive me yours etc—
H. Halton.
Finis.
SCRAPS
To Miss FANNY CATHERINE AUSTEN
MY DEAR NEICE
As I am prevented by the great distance between Rowling and Steventon
from superintending your Education myself, the care of which will
probably on that account devolve on your Father and Mother, I think it
is my particular Duty to Prevent your feeling as much as possible the
want of my personal instructions, by addressing to you on paper my
Opinions and Admonitions on the conduct of Young Women, which you will
find expressed in the following pages.—
I am my dear Neice
Your affectionate Aunt
The Author.
THE FEMALE PHILOSOPHER
A LETTER
MY DEAR LOUISA
Your friend Mr Millar called upon us yesterday in his way to Bath,
whither he is going for his health; two of his daughters were with him,
but the eldest and the three Boys are with their Mother in Sussex.
Though you have often told me that Miss Millar was remarkably handsome,
you never mentioned anything of her Sisters’ beauty; yet they are
certainly extremely pretty. I’ll give you their description.—Julia is
eighteen; with a countenance in which Modesty, Sense and Dignity are
happily blended, she has a form which at once presents you with Grace,
Elegance and Symmetry. Charlotte who is just sixteen is shorter than
her Sister, and though her figure cannot boast the easy dignity of
Julia’s, yet it has a pleasing plumpness which is in a different way as
estimable. She is fair and her face is expressive sometimes of softness
the most bewitching, and at others of Vivacity the most striking. She
appears to have infinite Wit and a good humour unalterable; her
conversation during the half hour they set with us, was replete with
humourous sallies, Bonmots and repartees; while the sensible, the