1
The family of Dashw ood had long been settled in
Sussex. Their estate was large, and t heir residence was at
Norland Park, in the centre of their property, where, for
many generations, they had lived in so respectable a
manner as to engage the general good opinion of their
surrounding acquaintance. The late owner of this estate
was a single man, who lived to a very advanced age, and
who for many years of his life, had a constant companion
and housekeeper in his sister. But her death, which
happened ten years before his own, produced a great
alteration in his home; for to supply her loss, he invited
and received into his house th e fami ly of hi s nep hew Mr.
Henry Dashwood, the legal inheritor of the Norland
estate, and the person to whom he intended to bequeath
it. In the society of his ne phew and niece, and their
children, the old Gent leman?s days were co mfortably
spent. Hi s a ttach ment to them all in creased. The constan t
attention of Mr. and Mrs. He nry Dashwood to hi s wishes,
which proceeded not merely fro m interest, but from
goodness of heart, gave him every degree of soli d comf ort
which hi s age could receive; and the cheerfulness of the
children added a relish to his existence.
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By a former marriage, Mr. Henry Dashwood had one
son: by his present lady, three daughters. The son, a steady
respectable young man, was amply provided for by the
fortune of his mother, which had been large, and half of
which devolved on him on his comi ng of age. By his own
marriage, likewise, which happene d soon afterwards, he
added to hi s wealth. To him therefore the succession to
the Norland estate was not so really important as to hi s
sisters; for their fortune, inde pendent of w hat might arise
to them from their father?s i nheriting that property, coul d
be but small . Their mother had nothing, and their father
only seven thousand pounds in his own disposal; for the
remaining moiety of his fir st wi fe?s fortune was also
secured to her child, and he had only a life-interest in it.
The old gentleman die d: his will was read, and like
almost every other will, gave as much disappointment as
pleasure. He was neither so unjust, nor so ungrateful, as to
leave his estate from his neph ew;?but he left it to him on
such terms a s destroyed half the valu e of the bequest. Mr.
Dashwood had wished for it more for the sake of his wife
and daughters than for himself or his son;?but to his son,
and his son?s son, a child of four years old, it was secured,
in such a way, as to leave to himself no power of
providing for those who were most dear to him, and who
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most needed a provision by any charg e on the esta te, or by
any sale of its valuable woods. The whole was tied up for
the benefit of this child, who, in occasional visits with his
father and mother at Norland, had so far gained on the
affections of his uncle, by such attractions as ar e by no
means unusual in children of two or three yea rs old; an
imperfect articulatio n, an earnest desire of having his own
way, many cunning tricks, and a great deal of noise, as to
outweigh all the value of all th e attention which, for years,
he had received from his niece and her daughters. He
meant not to be unkind, however, and, as a mark of his
affection for the three girls, he left them a thousand
pounds a-pi ece.
Mr. Dashwood?s disappointment was, at first, severe;
but his temper was cheerful and sanguine; and he might
reasonably hope to li ve many years, and by living
economicall y, lay by a considerable sum from the produce
of an estate already large, and capabl e of almost i mmediate
improvement. But the fortune, which had been so tardy in
coming, was his only one twelvemonth. He sur vived his
uncle no l onger; and ten thou sand pounds, incl uding the
late legacies, was all that remained for his wi dow and
daughters.
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His son was sent for as soon as his d anger was known,
and to hi m Mr. Dashwood recommended, with all the
strength and urgency which illness could command, the
interest of his mother-in- law and siste rs.
Mr. John D ashwood had not the str ong feelings of the
rest of the family; but he was affected by a
recommendation of such a nature at such a time, and he
promised to do every thing in his power to make the m
comfortable. His father was rendered easy by such an
assuran ce, and Mr. Joh n Dashwoo d had then leisure to
consider how much the re might prudently be in his power
to do for them.
He was not an ill-disposed young man, unless to be
rather cold hearted and rather se lfish is to be ill-disposed:
but he was, in general, we ll respec ted; for he conducted
himself with propriety in th e discharge of his ordinary
duties. Had he married a more amiable woman, he might
have been made still more res pec table than he was:?he
might even have been made amiable himself; for he was
very young when he married, and very fond of his wife.
But Mrs. John Dashw ood was a strong caricature of
himself;? more narro w-minded and selfish.
When he gave his promise to hi s father, he meditated
within himself to increase the fortunes of his sisters by the
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present of a thousand pounds a-piece. He then really
thought himself equal to it . The prospect of four thousand
a-year, in addition to his present income, besides the
remaining half of his own mother?s fortune, warmed his
heart, and made him feel capable of generosity.? ?Yes, he
would give them three thous and pounds: it would be
liberal and handsome! It would be enough to make them
completely easy. Three thousand pounds! he could spare
so considerable a sum with little inconvenience.?? He
thought of i t all day l ong, and for many days successively,
and he did n ot repent.
No sooner was his father?s funeral over, than Mrs. John
Dashwood, without sending any notice of her intention to
her mother-in-law, arr ived with her child and their
attendan ts. No one could dispute h er right to come; the
house was her husband?s from the moment of hi s father? s
decease; but the indelicacy of her conduct was so much
the greater, and to a woman in Mrs. Dashwood?s situati on,
with only common fe elings, must have been highly
unpleasing;? but in HER mi nd there was a sense of
honor so keen, a generosity so romantic, that any offence
of the kind, by whomsoever given or recei ved, w as to her
a source of immoveable disgu st. Mrs. John Dashwood had
never been a favourite with any of her husband?s family;
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but she had had no opportunity, till the present, of
shewing the m with how little attenti on to the comfort o f
other people she could act when occasion required it.
So acutely did Mrs. Dashw ood feel this ungracious
behaviour, and so earnestly did she despise her daughter-
in-law for it, that, on the arrival of the latter, she would
have quitted the house for ever, had not the entreaty of
her eld est girl induced her first to reflect on the propriety
of going, and her own tender love for all her three
children determined her afterwards to stay, and for their
sakes avoid a breach with their brother.
Elinor, this eldest daughter, whose advice was so
effectual, p ossessed a strengt h of understand ing, and
coolness of judgment, which quali fied her, though only
nineteen, to be the counsellor of her mother, and enabled
her frequently to counteract, to the advantage of them all,
that eagerness of mind in Mrs. Da shwood whi ch mu st
generally have led to imprudence. She had an excellent
heart;?her dispositi on was affect ionate, and her feelings
were strong; but she knew how to govern them: it was a
knowledge which her mother had yet to learn; and which
one of her si sters had resol ved never to be taught.
Marianne?s abilities were, in many respects, quite equal
to Elinor?s. She was sensible and clever; but eager in
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everything: her sorrows, her joys, could have no
moderation. She was g enerous, amiable, interesting: she
was everyth ing but prudent. The resemblance between
her and her mother was strikingly great.
Elinor saw, with concern, the excess of her sister?s
sensibility; but by Mrs. Dashwood it was v alued and
cherished. They encouraged eac h other now in the
violence of their affliction. The agony of grief which
overpowered them at first, was voluntarily renewed, was
sought for, was created again and again. They gave
themselves up wholly to their sorro w, seeking i ncrease of
wretchedness in every reflecti on that could afford it, and
resolved against ever admitti ng consolation i n future.
Elinor, too, was deeply afflicted; but still she could
struggle, she could exert hers elf. She could consult with
her brother, could receive her sister-in-law on her arrival,
and treat her with proper attention; and could strive to
rouse her mother to similar exertion, and encourage her to
similar forbearance.
Margaret, the other sister, was a good-humored, well-
disposed girl; but as she had already imbibed a g ood deal
of Marianne?s romance, without having much of her
sense, she did not, at thir teen, bid fair to equal her sisters at
a more advanced period of life.
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