To Cassandra, from Rowling,
[Final postscript written below the address panel on p. 4]
"Buy Mary Harrison's Gown by all means. You shall have mine for ever so much money, tho' if I am tolerably rich when I get home, I shall like it very much myself.
"Miss Austen
"Steventon
"Overton
"Hants."
Mary Harrison was the sister of Revd William Harrison (1768-1846). He was, at this time, the vicar of Overton, Hants.
Mary married, as his second wife, Philip-Henry Poore in September of 1797. Philip-Henry Poore (1764-1847) was from Andover. He was a surgeon, apothecary, and man-midwife. He and Mary had a daughter, Mary-Anne. She was born in March 1799.
Jane Austen did not sign this letter. She was probably too busy trying to fit in all she wanted to say. She wrote upside down at the top of the first page, upside down between the lines on page three and the final postscript below the address panel on page four. In Jane Austen's time the person receiving the letter paid for the postage, so she tried to get in as much as she could without adding another page.
This is an image of an actual letter from Jane Austen showing the creativity it took to write a long, informative letter.
So, today we finished letter #6. I hope you enjoyed it.
Terrie
I think reading a letter like that would give me a headache. I'm pretty sure I'd need at least a couple arrows or starting positions.
ReplyDeleteHi Amy,
ReplyDeleteI know it does look hard to read, and maybe the ink is coming through the other side also. I would love to see one of these letters in person though.