Letter #11, Post #6

Monday 18 June 2012
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "There is to be a ball at Basingstoke next Thursday. Our assemblies have very kindly declined ever since we laid down the carriage, so that dis-convenience and dis-inclination to go have kept pace together." - Jane Austen, Saturday 17-Sunday 18 November 1798

The Austen's had a carriage for about a year or so. It must have been too expensive to keep. I am reminded of the scene in Sense and Sensibility when Willoughby gives Marianne a horse:    


"As Elinor and Marianne were walking together the next morning the latter communicated a piece of news to her sister, which, in spite of all that she knew before of Marianne's imprudence and want of thought, surprised her by its extravagant testimony of both. Marianne told her, with the greatest delight, that Willoughby had given her a horse, one that he had bred himself on his estate in Somersetshire, and which was exactly calculated to carry a woman. Without considering that it was not in her mother's plan to keep any horse -- that if she were to alter her resolution in favour of this gift, she must buy another for the servant, and keep a servant to ride it, and after all, build a stable to receive them -- she had accepted the present without hesitation, and told her sister of it in raptures." - Sense and Sensibility, chapter twelve.


The letter does not say if Jane Austen would be attending the ball and there are letters missing between eleven and twelve, so...


While I was doing research I found this video. It combines two of my favorites, U2 and Jane Austen, really a pretty romantic match. I thought you might enjoy it also. It was uploaded by Blissblissbliss87. The U2 song is  Electrical Storm... Some Way Back, awesome song/ awesome movie/ excellent video.

I hope you are enjoying your day today!
Terrie