21 February 1807 – continued from previous day

[Letter continued from one begun the previous day, 20th February 1807]

Saturday.  I have received your letter, but I suppose you do not expect me to be gratified by it’s contents.  I confess myself much disappointed by this repeated delay of your return, for tho’ I had pretty well given up all idea of your being with us before our removal, I felt sure that March would not pass quite away without bringing you.  Before April comes, of course something else will occur to detain you.  But as you are happy, all this is Selfishness, of which here is enough for one page.–

Pray tell Lizzy that if I had imagined her Teeth to be really out I should have said before what I say now, that it was a very unlucky fall indeed, that I am afraid it must have given her a great deal of pain, & that I dare say her Mouth looks very comical.– I am obliged to Fanny for the list of Mrs Coleman’s Children, whose names I had not however quite forgot; the new one I am sure will be Caroline.– I have got Mr Bowen’s Recipe for you, it came in my Aunt’s letter.–

You must have had more snow at Gm than we had here;– on Wednesday morng there was a thin covering of it over the fields & roofs of the Houses, but I do not think there was any left the next day.  Everybody used to Southampton says that Snow never lies more than 24 hours near it, & from what we have observed ourselves, it is very true.– Frank’s going into Kent depends of course upon his being unemployed, but as the 1st Lord after promising Ld Moira that Capt. A. should have the first good Frigate that was vacant, has since given away two or three fine ones, he has no particular reason to expect an appointment now.– He however has scarcely spoken about the Kentish Journey; I have my information cheifly from her, & she considers her own going thither as more certain if he shd be at sea, than if not.–

Frank has got a very bad Cough, for an Austen;–but it does not disable him from making very nice fringe for the Drawingroom-Curtains.- Mrs Day has now got the Carpet in hand, & Monday I hope will be the last day of her employment here.  A fortnight afterwards she is to be called again from the shades of her red-check’d bed in an alley near the end of the High Street to clean the new House & air the Bedding.– We hear that we are envied our House by many people, & that the Garden is the best in the Town.–  There will be green baize enough for Martha’s room & ours;– not to cover them but to lie over the part where it is most wanted, under the Dressing Table.  Mary is to have a peice of Carpetting for the same purpose; my Mother says she does not want any; & it may certainly be better done without in her room than in Martha’s & ours, from the difference of their aspect.–  I recommend Mrs Grant’s Letters as a present to the latter;– what they are about, nor how many volumes they form I do not know, having never heard of them but from Miss Irvine, who speaks of them as a new & much admired work, & as one which has pleased her highly.– I have enquired for the book here, but find it quite unknown.  I beleive I put five breadths of Linen also into my flounce; I know I found it wanted more than I had expected, & that I shd have been distressed if I had not bought more than I beleived myself to need, for the sake of the even Measure, on which we think so differently.– A light morng gown will be a very necessary purchase for you, & wish you a pretty one.  I shall buy such things whenever I am tempted, but as yet there is nothing of the sort to be seen.–

We are reading Barretti’s other book, & find him dreadfully abusive of poor Mr Sharpe.  I can no longer take his part against you, as I did nine years ago.–

[to be continued on the following day, 22nd February]