“Anne,” said Charles, “I wish you could persuade Mary not to be always fancying herself ill.” Anne, who really thought Charles bore very patiently with his wife, disliked anything resembling interference, or being placed in the midst of disputes. Yet she felt decided sympathy for her brother-in-law, and so she resolved to try. A gentle …
Category: Diana Birchall
Persuasion 200: The Musgroves Talk About the Elliots
The night before Anne’s visit, the Musgroves vent their feelings about the Elliot family. The Pooles, a very good family of old friends, lived two miles from the Great House, and so it was necessary for Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove to pick up Mary in their carriage for the dinner party on the Thursday evening. …
Persuasion 200: Sir Walter Departs for Bath
Sir Walter and the ladies depart for Bath while Anne walks up to Kellynch Lodge to stay with Lady Russell. Sir Walter examined the horses he was so soon to give up, with complaisant satisfaction. Their last office would be to draw him, Miss Elliot, and Mrs. Clay, to Bath. “We will make a very good picture,” …
Persuasion 200: “We Cannot Possibly Do Without Mrs. Clay” by Diana Birchall
“Elizabeth,” said Lady Russell, “I wish to have some talk with you.” There was that in her voice, that informed even Elizabeth, who was by no means perceptive, that the talk would be unpleasant. “Oh!” said she, “surely you mean – I will send Anne. She is only scribbling and turning over some old …
Persuasion 200: Can We Retrench? by Diana Birchall
It had not been possible for him to spend less: he had done nothing but what Sir Walter Elliot was imperiously called on to do; but blameless as he was, he was not only growing dreadfully in debt, but was hearing of it so often, that it became vain to attempt concealing it longer, even …
Jane Austen in Tarrytown
The New York JASNA branch held a very tempting weekend conference March 21-22 in Tarrytown, NY, and I was fortunately able to attend, tying it in with a family visit. Tarrytown is such a pretty, old community on the Hudson River, spectacular in springtime, but New York’s long winter this year meant that springtime …
Work in Progress: Jane Austen and Lord Byron, a play by Diana Birchall
As my first post for the new Austen Variations blog, I thought I’d share an excerpt from the climactic scene in my short play about an imagined meeting between Jane Austen and Lord Byron. This historic meeting (I suppose I must make the disclaimer) never actually took place, but I have set the scene at …
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