Monday, December 16, 2013

Happy Birthday Jane Austen

Monday 16 December 2013

Today is Jane Austen's two-hundred-thirty-eighth birthday. I would say she is doing pretty well.



This is an excerpt from a letter Jane Austen’s father, Revd. George Austen, wrote to his sister-in-law, Mrs. Walter, the morning after Jane was born:

"‘…last night the time came, and without a great deal of warning, everything was soon happily over. We have now another girl, a present plaything for her sister Cassy and a future companion. She is to be Jenny, and seems to me as if she would be as like Henry, as Cassy is to Neddy. Your sister thank God is pure well after it, and sends her love to you and my brother…’"

Jane wrote to Cassandra Tuesday 18 December 1798, “…I am very much obliged to my dear little George for his messages, for his Love at least; - his Duty I suppose was only in consequence of some hint of my favourable intentions towards him from his father or Mother. – I am sincerely rejoiced however that I ever was born, since it has been the means of procuring him a dish of Tea. – Give my best Love to him.”

Little George was her nephew, Edward’s son. He was born in 1795, so he would have been around three years old.

Happy Birthday Jane!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.