In this gossip-filled letter Jane Austen addresses her elder sister, Cassandra, wishing her a happy twenty-third birthday. The two were inseparably close; their mother once said that, “if Cassandra were to have her head cut off, Jane would insist on sharing her same fate.” And their fates did, in fact, align. Cassandra pursued painting as avidly as Jane did her writing, and all of their early projects were collaborations. Both would end up unwedded in a society in which this was less-than-acceptable, as all suitors seemed to die or disappear. Austen discusses one such prospective husband below, her “Irish friend” Tom Lefroy. He left England in order pursue studies of the law, never to return.
To Cassandra Austen
Saturday 9-Sunday 10 January 1796
In the first place I hope you will live twenty-three years longer. Mr. Tom Lefroy’s birthday was yesterday so that you are very near of an age. After this necessary preamble, I shall proceed to inform you that we had an exceeding good ball last night, and that I was very much disappointed at not seeing Charles Fowle of the party, as I had previously heard of his being invited. In addition to our set at the Harwoods’ ball, we had the Grants, St. Johns, Lady Rivers, her three daughters and a son. Mr. and Miss Heathcote, Mrs. Lefevre, two Mr. Watkins, Mr. J. Portal, Miss Deanes, two Miss Ledgers, and a tall clergyman who came with them, whose name Mary would never have guessed. We were so terrible good as to take James in our carriage, though there were three of us before; but indeed he deserves encouragement for the very great improvement, which has lately taken place in his dancing. Miss Heathcote is pretty, but not near so handsome as I expected. Mr. H. began with Elizabeth, and afterwards danced with her again, but they do not know how to be particular. I flatter myself, however, that they will profit by the three successive lessons which I have given them. You scold me so much in the nice long letter, which I have this moment received from you, that I am almost afraid to tell you how my Irish friend and I behaved. Imagine to yourself everything most profligate and shocking in the way of dancing and sitting down together. I can expose myself, however, only once more, because he leaves the country soon after next Friday, on which day we are to have a dance at Ashe after all. He is very gentlemanlike, good-looking, pleasant young man, I assure you. But as to our having ever met, except at the three last balls, I cannot say much, for he is so excessively laughed at about me at Ashe, that he is ashamed of coming to Steventon, and ran away when we called on Mrs. Lefroy a few days ago. We left Warren at Dean Gate, in our way home last night, and he is now on his road to town. He left his love, &c., to you, and I will deliver it when we meet. Henry goes to Harden to-day in his way to his Master’s degree. We shall feel the loss of these two most agreeable young men exceedingly, and shall have nothing to console us till the arrival of the Coopers on Tuesday. As they will stay here till the Monday following, perhaps Caroline will go to the Ashe hall with me, though I dare say she will not. I danced twice with Warren last night, and once with Mr. Charles Watkins, and, to my inexpressible astonishment, I entirely escaped John Lyford. I was forced to fight hard for it, however. We had a very good supper, and the greenhouse was illuminated in a very elegant manner. We had a visit yesterday morning from Mr. Benjamin Portal, whose eyes are as handsome as ever. Everybody is extremely anxious for your return, but as you cannot come home by the Ashe ball, I am glad that I have not fed him or her with false hopes. James danced with Alethea, and cut up the turkey last night with great perseverance. You say nothing of the silk stockings; I flatter myself, therefore, that that Charles has not purchased any, as I cannot very well afford to pay for them; all my money is spent in buying white gloves and pink persian…We have trimmed up and given away all the old paper hats of Mamma’s manufacture; I hope you will not regret the loss of yours. After I had written the above, we received a visit from Mr. Tom Lefroy and his cousin George. The latter is really very well-behaved now, and as for the other, he has but one fault, which time will, I trust, entirely remove—it is that his morning coat is a great deal too light. He is a very great admirer of Tom Jones, and therefore wears the same coloured clothes, I imagine, which he did when he was wounded.
Sunday—By not returning till the 19th, you will exactly contrive to miss seeing the Coopers, which I suppose it is your wish to do. We have heard nothing from Charles for some time. One would suppose they must have sailed by this time, as the wind is so favourable. What a funny name Tom has got for his vessel! But he has no taste in names, as we well know, and I dare say he christened it himself. I am sorry for the Beaches’ loss of their little girl, especially it is the one so much like me. I condole with Miss M. on her losses and with Eliza on her gains, and am ever yours,
J.A.
Notes: Charles Fowle was brother to Thomas, Cassandra’s fiancée who was then serving as an army chaplain in the Carribean. A year after the writing of this letter he contracted yellow fever and died. Cassandra never accepted the advances of another suitor.
Henry, Austen’s youngest brother, was her favorite, and would later be responsible for publishing her two last works, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, post-humously.
John Warren studied for his entrance into the Anglican church with Austen’s father.
John Lyford worked as the surgeon of Basingstoke.
From The Letters of Jane Austen. Oxford: Oxford University Press (2011), pp. 1-3.
FURTHER READING
Austen’s admittedly prejeudiced history of England. Cassandra’s illustrations of the British monarchy share a striking resemblance to Austen family members.
A note on Cassandra’s life and her influence on her sister.
The sisters’ relationship as depicted in the popular imagination.