A Memoir of Jane Austen

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Recollections 159
the eldest of her nieces; & I suppose there a [sic] few now living
who can more fully appreciate the talent or revere the memory of
Aunt Jane than Lady Knatchbull. This has brought me to the
period of my own greatest share of intimacy; the two years before
my marriage, & the two or three years after, when we lived, as you
know almost close to Chawton when the original 17 years
between us seemed to shrink to 7–– or to nothing. It comes back
to me now how strangely I missed her; it had become so much a
habit with me to put by things in my mind with a reference to her
and to say to myself, ‘I shall keep this for Aunt Jane.’ It was my
great amusement during one summer visit at Chawton to procure
Novels from a circulating Library at Alton, & after running them
over to relate the stories to Aunt Jane. I may say it was her
amusement also, as she sat busily stitching away at a work of
charity, in which I fear that I took myself no more useful part.
Greatly we both enjoyed it, one piece of absurdity leading to
another, till Aunt Cassan[dr] a fatigued with her own share of
laughter w d . exclaim ‘How can you both be so foolish?’ & beg us
to leave off–– One of these Novels, written by a M rs . Hunter of
Norwich,° was an exceedingly lengthy affair; there was no harm in
the book, except that in a most unaccountable manner the same
story about the same people, most of whom I think had died
before the real story began was repeated 3 or 4 times over. A copy
of the note written a few weeks afterwards,° in reply to one from
‘M rs . Hunter’ will give you some idea of the state of the case.
‘Miss Jane Austen begs her best thanks may be conveyed to
M rs . Hunter of Norwich for the Threadpapers which she has
been so kind as to send her by M r . Austen, & which will be always
very valuable on account of the spirited sketches (made it is supposed
by Nicholson or Glover°) of the most interesting spots,
Tarefield Hall, the Mill, & above all the Tomb of Howard’s wife,
of the faithful representation of which Miss Jane Austen is
undoubtedly a good judge having spent so many summers at
Tarefield Abbey the delighted guest of the worthy M rs . Wilson.
Miss Jane Austen’s tears have flowed over each sweet sketch in
such a way as would do M rs . Hunter’s heart good to see; if M rs .
Hunter could understand all Miss Austen’s interest in the subject