The Watsons (2): Diplomatic Display Oxford Bodleian Library, MS.Eng.e.3764
The Evils arising from the loſs of her Uncle misfortunes which her Uncle's death had brought on her, were neither every day trifling, norlikely to leſsen; & when Thought had beenfreely indulgedin contrasting, when the past & the present, had been contrasted, the diſsipationsthe employmentof mind, the diſsipation of unpleasant
ideaswhich only reading Books reading could produce, made herthankfully turn to a book. them. — The sink fall in herfortunes, the The change in her home society&,1 stileof Life had in consequence of the death of Mrs . Turner'sone freind & the her Aunt's impru::dence of another, had indeed been most unusualy2 the infatuation of
another had indeed been striking., had been great &
greivous. — From beingthe first object of Hope & Solicitude to an Unclewho had formed her mind with the care of a Parent, & of Tenderness to an Aunt whose a::miable temper had delighted
to give her everyindulgence, from being the Life & Spirit ofa whole House, where all had been comfort & Elegance, & the expected Inh Heireſs of an easy Independance, she was become of importance reduced to a Houseto no one, a burden on those, whose affection she an already too full cd .could not expect, an addition in an house, already over: House, where she was felt an Intruder, a Stranger:-stockedsurrounded by inferior minds, with among those little chance of domestic enjocomfort, & as little no hope of a future support. — It waswell for her that she was
naturally chearful; —forthe Change had been such asmight to have plunged as it was a change which weak spirits must have into wretchedness in Despondence. –––gloom &
Footnotes
- 1.
- Comma turned into caret; perhaps she planned a list of three? Back to context...
- 2.
- RWC reads at this point 'had indeed been materialy' but says the last word is doubtful. Back to context...