My
Dear Miss Austen,
I
must say, you have created quite a stir.
I am fairly positive that you merely wrote those stories to get the
characters out of your head. What else
is an intelligent woman to do who is not allowed to have a profession on her
own; one who is not inclined to marry simply for the sake of taking over
housekeeping for some boorish man, if one does not love him? However, I must say that I am quite pleased
with your stories and am ever so glad that your friends demanded to have their
stories told!
I
understand that today is an anniversary of sorts for you. How exciting it must be have to sent your ‘child’
out in to the world and then seeing that your creation has touched so many
lives! And countless lives it has touched. To know that Elizabeth Bennet is a person
upon whom many have felt a deep and abiding friendship. To know that many are shocked at the
duplicity of George Wickham, and that few can stand the imperiousness of Lady
Catherine de Bourgh. It serves the old
woman right that her nephew would rather fall in love with an upstart such as
Miss Eliza Bennet instead of her sickly Anne.
But
enough of the characters of your story that has now been known to the world for
two hundred years. TWO HUNDRED YEARS! Oh, the felicity of knowing that your labour
of love has existed for two centuries and delighted readers for all of those
minutes and hours! Let us turn to how it
has affected this humble reader.
First,
I will have you know that I was able to find my own Mr Darcy quite some time
before I had discovered your treasured works.
It was actually several years after my own blissful union, with three
wee lasses running about that I had the opportunity to discover the wonderful
worlds you had created. A friend had
actually lent to me the lifelike reproductions, a visual story telling of
sorts, of your beloved First Impressions (which was much better titled Pride
and Prejudice). I was captivated to say
the least. It was so pleasant to have
the worry of nappies and running a household dissolve as I fell in to the lives
of the Bennet girls and their pursuit of happiness, in whatever form it would
take. (What a dreadfully silly girl Miss Lydia turned out to be!)
Shortly
after my effusive compliments to my mother about this story, she had wisely
obtained beautiful renditions of your four most read novels. Once again, I was captivated and enthralled
that an author from the early nineteenth century could so capture the true
essence of a young lady finding her way about her small world, in hopes of
finding love that she can call her own.
It was fascinating to see that men and women of our present day were not
too different than those walking about this great Earth during the Napoleonic
Wars. What was even more diverting was
how apropos your words and advice are today!
It is still true that a girl likes to be crossed in love once in a
while, it helps to hone what is truly desired in a life companion. It is also still true that one cannot know a
person simply by looking at them and mis-interpreting their character. I could detail all of the wonderful lessons
that we modern ladies have gleaned from your stories, but I am sure that you
are quite well aware of what you wrote and what it means to you.
I
will say this, though, that your stories, to this day, have meant something to
a vast audience of people, from women to men (yes, men quite enjoy your little
novels), young and old, and even those that speak different languages. We all read your novels with anticipation,
even if it is for the fourth or fortieth time, wondering how the story will
advance and if true love will prevail.
It is awe-inspiring to me to have an author who still is revered to this
day, two centuries later. Many try to
emulate your style, but it remains to be seen if any will have the longevity
that your novels, your characters, your life lessons have engendered.
Thank
you for having created a truly remarkable work that I will turn to often in
times when peace and happiness are needed.
My Dear Miss Austen, your novels, which you were afraid to publish as
you were a woman during a certain age and time, have touched my heart and those
of many others, giving us the hope that all will turn out as it should. Strength of character and being true to one’s
own heart are lessons that all of us need to learn and practice and your stories
have helped with this. Thank you for
allowing the stories to flow from your heart, through your pen, and into
published works that have been enjoyed for the past two hundred years.
I
have, and will always be…
your
Servant,
Kate Maxwell
Kate Maxwell will always have a special
place in her heart for Pride and
Prejudice, as it was the first introduction to Jane Austen. However, truth be told, Persuasion with Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth holds the
highest place of honour in her heart and on her bookshelf. She is, however, in the midst of writing a
story of Margaret Dashwood, and a new friend of hers, Catherine Kingsley. Kate hopes to one day be brave enough like
Miss Austen and put her novel out for general consumption.
