To Cassandra, Bath, 21 May 1801

Paragon: Thursday (May 21)

My deae Cassaxdra,

To make long sentences upon unpleasant subjects is very odious, and I shall therefore get rid of the one now uppermost in my thoughts as soon as possible.

Our views on G. P. Buildings seem all at an end; the observation of the damps still remaining

in the offices of an house which has been only vacated a week, with reports of discontented families and putrid fevers, has given the coup de grace. We have now nothing in view. When you arrive, we will at least have the pleasure of examining some of these putrefying houses again; they are so very desirable in size and situation, that there is some satisfaction in spending ten minutes within them.

I will now answer the inquiries in your last letter. I cannot learn any other explanation of the coolness between my aunt and Miss Bond than that’ the latter felt herself slighted by the former’s leaving Bath last summer without calling to see her before she wxnt. It seems the oddest kind of quarrel in the world. They never visit, but I believe they speak very civilly if they meet. My uncle and Miss Bond certainly do.

The four boxes of lozenges, at, l^^/. per box, amount, as I was told, to 4,§. 6rZ., and as the sum was so trifling, I thought it better to pay at once than contest the matter.

I have just heard from Frank. My father’s plans are now fixed; you will see him at Kintbury on Friday, and, unless inconvenient to you, we are to see you both here on Monday, the 1st of June

Prank has an invitation to ], which I believe he means to accept.

Our party at Ly. Fust’s was made up of the same set of people that you have abeady heard of — the Winstones, Mrs. Chamberlayne, Mrs. Busby, Mrs. Franklyn, and Mrs. Maria Somerville; yet I think it was not quite so stupid as the two preceding parties here.

The friendship between Mrs. Chamberlayne and me which you predicted has already taken place, for we shake hands whenever we meet. Our or and walk to Weston was again fixed for yesterday, and was accomplished in a very striking manner. Every one of the party declined it under some pretence or other except our two selves, and we had therefore a tete-a-tete but that we should equally have had after the first two yards had half the inhabitants of Bath set off with us.

It would have amused you to see our progress. We went up by Sion Hill, and returned across the fields. In climbing a hill Mrs. Chamberlayne is very capital; I could with difficulty keep pace with her, yet would not flinch for the world. On plain ground I was quite her equal. And so we posted away under a fine hot sun, site without any parasol or any shade to her hat, stopping for

nothing, and crossing the churchyard at Weston with as much expedition as if we were afraid of being buried alive. After seeing what she is equal to, 1 cannot help feeling a regard for her As to agreeableness, she is much like other people.

Yesterday evening we had a short call from two of the Miss Arnolds, who came from Chippenham on business. They are very civil, and not too genteel, and upon hearing that we wanted a house recommended one at Chippenham.

This morning we have been visited again by Mrs. and Miss Holder; they wanted us to fix an evening for drinking tea with them, but my mother’s still remaining cold allows her to decline everything of the kind. As 1 had a separate invitation, however, I believe I shall go some afternoon. It is the fiishion to think them both very detestable, but they are so civil, and their gowns look so white and so nice (which, by the bye, my aunt thinks an absurd pretension in this place), that I cannot utterly’ abhor them, especially as Miss Holder owns that she has no taste for music.

After they left us I went with my mother to help look at some houses in N"ew King Street, towards which she felt some kind of inclination, but their size has now satisfied her. They were smaller than

I expected to find them; one in particular out of the two was quite monstrously little; the best of the sitting-rooms not so. large as the little parlour at Steventon, and the second room in every floor about capacious enough to admit a very small single bed.

We are to have a tiny party here to-night. I hate tiny parties, they force one into constant exertion. Miss Edwards and her father, Mrs. Busby and her nephew, Mr. Maitland, and Mrs. Lillingstone are to be the whole; and I am prevented from setting my black cap at Mr. Maitland by his having a wife and ten children.

My aunt has a very bad cough — do not forget to have heard about that when you come — and I think she is deafer than ever. My mother’s cold disordered her for some days, l3ut she seems now very well. Her resolution as to remaining here begins to give way a little; she will not like being-left behind, and will be glad to compound matters with her enraged family.

You will be sorry to hear that Marianne Mapleton’s disorder has ended fatally. She was believed out of danger on Sunday, but a sudden relapse carried her off the next day. So affectionate a family must suffer severely; and many a girl on

early death has been praised mto an angel, I believe, on slighter pretensions to beauty, sense, and merit than Marianne.

Mr. Bent seems hent upon being very detestable, for he values the books at only 70/. The whole world is in a conspiracy to enrich one part of our family at the expense of another. Ten shillings for Dodsley’s Poems, however, please me to the quick, and I do not care how often I sell them for as much. When Mrs. Bramston has read them through I will sell them again. I suppose you can hear nothing of your magnesia?

Friday. — You have a nice day for your journey, in whatever way it is to be performed, whether in the Debary’s coach or on your own twenty toes.

When you have made Martha’s bonnet you must make her a cloak of the same sort of materials; they are very much worn here, in different forms — many of them just like her black silk spencer, with a trimming round the arm holes instead of sleeves; some are long before, and some long all round, like C. Bigg’s. Our party last night supplied me with no new idea for my letter.

Yours ever, J. A.

The Pickfords are in Bath, and have called

here. She is the most elegant-lookmg woman I have seen smce I left Martha; he is as raffish in his appearance as I would wish every disciple of Godwin to be. We drink tea to-night with Mrs. Busby. I scandahsed her nephew cruelly; he has but three children instead of ten. Best love to everybody.

Miss Austen, the Rev. F. 0. Fowle’s, Kint’biirY, Newburv.