The Letters of Jane Austen : Complete

HAVE just received yours and Mary's letter, and I thank you both, though their contents might havebeen more agreeable.

I do not at all expect to see you on Tuesday, since matters have fallen out sounpleasantly; and if you are not able to return till after that day, it will hardly be possible for us tosend for you before Saturday, though for my own part I care so little about the ball that it would beno sacrifice to me to give it up for the sake of seeing you two days earlier.

We are extremely sorryfor poor Eliza's illness. I trust, however, that she has continued to recover since you wrote, and thatyou will none of you be the worse for your attendance on her.

What a good-for-nothing fellowCharles is to bespeak the stockings!

I hope he will be too hot all the rest of his life for it!I sent you a letter yesterday to Ibthorp, which I suppose you will not receive at Kintbury.

It wasnot very long or very witty, and therefore if you never receive it, it does not much signify.

I wroteprincipally to tell you that the Coopers were arrived and in good health.

The little boy is very like Dr.Cooper, and the little girl is to resemble Jane, they say.Our party to Ashe to-morrow night will consist of Edward Cooper, James (for a ball is nothingwithout him), Buller, who is now staying with us, and I.

I look forward with great impatience to it, asI rather expect to receive an offer from my friend in the course of the evening.

I shall refuse him,however, unless he promises to give away his white coat.I am very much flattered by your commendation of my last letter, for I write only for fame, andwithout any view to pecuniary emolument.Edward is gone to spend the day with his friend, John Lyford, and does not return till tomorrow.

Anna is now here; she came up in her chaise to spend the day with her young cousins, butshe does not much take to them or to anything about them, except Caroline's spinning-wheel.

I amvery glad to find from Mary that Mr. and Mrs. Fowle are pleased with you. I hope you will continueto give satisfaction.How impertinent you are to write to me about Tom, as if I had not opportunities of hearingfrom him myself!

The last letter that I received from him was dated on Friday, 8th, and he told me 3that if the wind should be favorable on Sunday, which it proved to be, they were to sail fromFalmouth on that day.

By this time, therefore, they are at Barbadoes, I suppose.

The Rivers are stillat Manydown, and are to be at Ashe to-morrow.

I intended to call on the Miss Biggs yesterday hadthe weather been tolerable.

Caroline, Anna, and I have just been devouring some cold souse, and itwould be difficult to say which enjoyed it most.