Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. TITELBLATT

2. IMPRESSUM

3. VOLUME I

4. CHAPTER I

5. CHAPTER II

6. CHAPTER III

7. CHAPTER IV

8. CHAPTER V

9. CHAPTER VI

10. CHAPTER VII

11. CHAPTER VIII

12. CHAPTER IX

13. CHAPTER X

14. CHAPTER XI

15. CHAPTER XII

16. CHAPTER XIII

17. CHAPTER XIV

18. CHAPTER XV

19. CHAPTER XVI

20. CHAPTER XVII

21. CHAPTER XVIII

22. CHAPTER XIX

23. CHAPTER XX

24. CHAPTER XXI

25. CHAPTER XXII

26. VOLUME II

27. CHAPTER I

28. CHAPTER II

29. CHAPTER III

30. CHAPTER IV

31. CHAPTER V

32. CHAPTER VI

33. CHAPTER VII

34. CHAPTER VIII

35. CHAPTER IX

36. CHAPTER X

37. CHAPTER XI

38. CHAPTER XII

39. CHAPTER XIII

40. CHAPTER XIV

41. VOLUME III

42. CHAPTER I

43. CHAPTER II

44. CHAPTER III

45. CHAPTER IV

46. CHAPTER V

47. CHAPTER VI

48. CHAPTER VII

49. CHAPTER VIII

50. CHAPTER IX

51. CHAPTER X

52. CHAPTER XI

53. CHAPTER XII

54. CHAPTER XIII

55. CHAPTER XIV

56. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (ENGLISCH)

Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility / Vernunft und Gefühl
Zweisprachige Ausgabe
Übersetzt von Erika Gröger

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VOLUME I

ERSTES BUCH

CHAPTER I

ERSTES KAPITEL

THE family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex.

Die Dashwoods waren eine alteingesessene Familie in Sussex.

Their estate was large, and their residence was at Norland Park, in the centre of their property,

Sie hatten ein großes Besitztum und wohnten auf Norland Park inmitten ihrer Ländereien,

where, for many generations, they had lived in so respectable a manner as to engage the general good opinion of their surrounding acquaintance.

wo sie seit vielen Generationen ein so achtbares Leben geführt hatten, daß sie im ganzen Bekanntenkreis in hohem Ansehen standen.

The late owner of this estate was a single man, who lived to a very advanced age,

Der letzte Eigentümer dieses Besitzes war ein Junggeselle, der ein sehr hohes Alter erreichte

and who for many years of his life, had a constant companion and housekeeper in his sister.

und viele Jahre seines Lebens hindurch seine Schwester als ständige Gefährtin und Haushälterin bei sich hatte.

But her death, which happened ten years before his own, produced a great alteration in his home;

Doch ihr Tod – sie starb zehn Jahre vor ihm – zog große Veränderungen in seinem Hause nach sich;

for to supply her loss, he invited and received into his house the family of his nephew Mr. Henry Dashwood,

denn um ihren Verlust zu ersetzen, nahm er die Familie seines Neffen Mr. Henry Dashwood bei sich auf,

the legal inheritor of the Norland estate, and the person to whom he intended to bequeath it.

welcher der rechtmäßige Erbe des Besitzes Norland war und dem er ihn auch zu vermachen gedachte.

In the society of his nephew and niece, and their children, the old Gentleman’s days were comfortably spent. His attachment to them all increased.

In der Gesellschaft seines Neffen und seiner Nichte sowie ihrer Kinder verbrachte der alte Herr behaglich seinen Lebensabend. Er schloß sie alle in sein Herz.

The constant attention of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood to his wishes, which proceeded not merely from interest, but from goodness of heart,

Die ständige Aufmerksamkeit Mr. und Mrs. Henry Dashwoods gegenüber seinen Wünschen, die nicht etwa bloßem Eigennutz, sondern echter Herzensgüte entsprang,

gave him every degree of solid comfort which his age could receive; and the cheerfulness of the children added a relish to his existence.

gewährte ihm alle Labsal, die ihm bei seinem Alter noch zuteil werden konnte, und das fröhliche Treiben der Kinder verschönte seine Tage.

By a former marriage, Mr. Henry Dashwood had one son: by his present lady, three daughters. The son, a steady respectable young man,

Aus erster Ehe hatte Mr. Henry Dashwood einen Sohn, von seiner jetzigen Frau drei Töchter. Der Sohn, ein gesetzter, achtbarer junger Mann,

was amply provided for by the fortune of his mother, which had been large, and half of which devolved on him on his coming of age.

war durch das große Vermögen seiner Mutter, dessen eine Hälfte ihm bei Erlangung der Volljährigkeit zufiel, reichlich versorgt.

By his own marriage, likewise, which happened soon afterwards, he added to his wealth.

Überdies hatte er durch seine Ehe, die er bald darauf schloß, seinen Reichtum noch vermehrt.

To him therefore the succession to the Norland estate was not so really important as to his sisters;

Für ihn war daher das Erbe von Norland nicht so lebenswichtig wie für seine Schwestern;

for their fortune, independent of what might arise to them from their father’s inheriting that property, could be but small.

denn deren Vermögen konnte nur klein ausfallen, wenn nicht dadurch etwas hinzukam, daß ihr Vater dieses Besitztum erbte.

Their mother had nothing, and their father only seven thousand pounds in his own disposal;

Ihre Mutter hatte nichts, und ihr Vater verfügte bloß über siebentausend Pfund;

for the remaining moiety of his first wife’s fortune was also secured to her child, and he had only a life-interest in it.

denn die verbleibende Hälfte des Vermögens seiner ersten Frau war gleichfalls ihrem Kind vermacht, und er bezog daraus nur eine Lebensrente.

The old gentleman died: his will was read, and like almost every other will, gave as much disappointment as pleasure.

Der alte Herr starb; sein Testament wurde verlesen, und wie fast jedes Testament rief es ebensoviel Enttäuschung wie Freude hervor.

He was neither so unjust, nor so ungrateful, as to leave his estate from his nephew;

Er war weder so ungerecht noch so undankbar, sein Gut einem andern zu hinterlassen als seinem Neffen,

— but he left it to him on such terms as destroyed half the value of the bequest.

doch er hinterließ es ihm unter Bedingungen, die den halben Wert der Erbschaft zunichte machten.

Mr. Dashwood had wished for it more for the sake of his wife and daughters than for himself or his son;

Mr. Dashwood hatte sie sich mehr um seiner Frau und seiner Töchter als um seiner selbst und seines Sohnes willen gewünscht;

— but to his son, and his son’s son, a child of four years old, it was secured, in such a way,

aber sie war seinem Sohn und dessen Sohn – einem Kind von vier Jahren – auf eine Weise sichergestellt,

as to leave to himself no power of providing for those who were most dear to him,

daß ihm selbst keine Möglichkeit blieb, diejenigen zu versorgen, die er am meisten liebte

and who most needed a provision by any charge on the estate, or by any sale of its valuable woods.

und die auf eine Versorgung, sei es durch eine Hypothek auf das Gut oder durch den Verkauf seiner wertvollen Wälder, am meisten angewiesen waren.

The whole was tied up for the benefit of this child, who, in occasional visits with his father and mother at Norland,

Das Ganze war zugunsten dieses Kindes festgelegt, das bei einigen Besuchen mit seinem Vater und seiner Mutter auf Norland

had so far gained on the affections of his uncle, by such attractions as are by no means unusual in children of two or three years old;

das Herz seines Onkels so sehr für sich eingenommen hatte, durch reizvolle kleine Eigenheiten, die bei zwei- bis dreijährigen Kindern beileibe nichts Ungewöhnliches sind

an imperfect articulation, an earnest desire of having his own way, many cunning tricks, and a great deal of noise,

– mangelnde Sprechfertigkeit, einen ausgeprägten Willen, zahlreiche listige Streiche und viel Lärm –,

as to outweigh all the value of all the attention which, for years, he had received from his niece and her daughters.

daß sie bei ihm mehr ins Gewicht fielen als alle Aufmerksamkeiten, die ihm jahrelang von seiner Nichte und ihren Töchtern erwiesen worden waren.

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-piece.

Er wollte sich jedoch keineswegs lieblos zeigen, und so hinterließ er jedem der drei Mädchen eintausend Pfund als Zeichen seiner Zuneigung.

Mr. Dashwood’s disappointment was, at first, severe; but his temper was cheerful and sanguine;

Im ersten Augenblick war Mr. Dashwoods Enttäuschung groß, doch er war von Natur aus heiter und ein Optimist,

and he might reasonably hope to live many years, and by living economically,

und er durfte mit Recht hoffen, noch viele Jahre zu leben und, wenn er sparsam lebte,

lay by a considerable sum from the produce of an estate already large, and capable of almost immediate improvement.

eine ansehnliche Summe aus dem Ertrag eines Besitzes zurückzulegen, der an sich schon groß war und in allernächster Zeit noch vergrößert werden konnte.

But the fortune, which had been so tardy in coming, was his only one twelvemonth.

Aber der Reichtum, der so lange hatte auf sich warten lassen, gehörte ihm nur ein Jahr.

He survived his uncle no longer; and ten thousand pounds, including the late legacies, was all that remained for his widow and daughters.

Länger überlebte er seinen Onkel nicht, und zehntausend Pfund einschließlich der jüngst hinzugekommenen Legate waren alles, was seiner Witwe und seinen Töchtern verblieb.

His son was sent for as soon as his danger was known,

Sobald man erkannte, daß er in Lebensgefahr schwebte, schickte man nach seinem Sohn,

and to him Mr. Dashwood recommended, with all the strength and urgency which illness could command, the interest of his mother-in-law and sisters.

und ihm legte Mr. Dashwood mit aller Kraft und allem Nachdruck, die er bei seiner Krankheit noch aufbringen konnte, das Wohl seiner Stiefmutter und -schwestern ans Herz.

Mr. John Dashwood had not the strong feelings of the rest of the family;

Mr. John Dashwood hatte kein so empfindsames Gemüt wie die übrigen Mitglieder der Familie,

but he was affected by a recommendation of such a nature at such a time,

doch eine derartige Bitte in einem derartigen Augenblick ging ihm nahe,

and he promised to do every thing in his power to make them comfortable.

und er versprach, alles zu tun, was in seiner Macht stand, um für ihr Auskommen zu sorgen.

His father was rendered easy by such an assurance, and Mr. John Dashwood had then leisure to consider

Eine solche Versicherung beruhigte seinen Vater, und dann hatte Mr. John Dashwood Muße, zu überlegen,

how much there might prudently be in his power to do for them.

wie viel wohl bei gebührender Umsicht in seiner Macht stehen mochte.

He was not an ill-disposed young man, unless to be rather cold hearted and rather selfish is to be ill-disposed:

Er war kein übel gearteter junger Mann, es sei denn, man hielte ein ziemliches Maß an Kaltherzigkeit und Selbstsucht für üble Art;

but he was, in general, well respected; for he conducted himself with propriety in the discharge of his ordinary duties.

aber er war im allgemeinen gut angesehen, weil er sich seiner üblichen Pflichten mit Anstand entledigte.

Had he married a more amiable woman, he might have been made still more respectable than he was:

Hätte er eine liebenswertere Frau geheiratet, dann wäre aus ihm vielleicht ein noch angesehenerer Mann geworden:

— he might even have been made amiable himself; for he was very young when he married, and very fond of his wife.

vielleicht wäre er sogar selbst liebenswert geworden; denn er war noch sehr jung, als er heiratete, und hatte seine Frau sehr gern.

But Mrs. John Dashwood was a strong caricature of himself; — more narrow-minded and selfish.

Aber Mrs. Dashwood war ein bloßes Zerrbild seiner selbst – noch engstirniger und selbstsüchtiger.

When he gave his promise to his father, he meditated within himself to increase the fortunes of his sisters by the present of a thousand pounds a-piece.

Als er seinem Vater das Versprechen gab, erwog er innerlich, das Vermögen seiner Schwestern durch ein Geschenk von tausend Pfund für jede zu vergrößern.

He then really thought himself equal to it.

In diesem Augenblick glaubte er sich wirklich dazu in der Lage.

The prospect of four thousand a-year, in addition to his present income,

Bei der Aussicht auf jährlich viertausend zusätzlich zu seinem jetzigen Einkommen,

besides the remaining half of his own mother’s fortune, warmed his heart, and made him feel capable of generosity.

neben der verbleibenden Hälfte des Vermögens seiner Mutter, wurde ihm warm ums Herz, und er hatte das Gefühl, freigebig sein zu können.

— “Yes, he would give them three thousand pounds: it would be liberal and handsome! It would be enough to make them completely easy.

Jawohl, er würde ihnen dreitausend Pfund geben – das wäre großzügig und anständig von ihm! Damit könnten sie reichlich auskommen.

Three thousand pounds! he could spare so considerable a sum with little inconvenience.”

Dreitausend Pfund! Eine beträchtliche Summe, die er ohne große Schwierigkeit erübrigen könnte.

— He thought of it all day long, and for many days successively, and he did not repent.

Den ganzen Tag dachte er darüber nach, und noch eine Reihe von Tagen, und bereute seinen Vorsatz nicht.

No sooner was his father’s funeral over, than Mrs. John Dashwood,

Kaum war sein Vater beerdigt, da traf Mrs. John Dashwood,

without sending any notice of her intention to her mother-in-law, arrived with her child and their attendants.

ohne ihre Schwiegermutter von ihrer Absicht zu benachrichtigen, mit ihrem Kind und ihren Bediensteten ein.

No one could dispute her right to come; the house was her husband’s from the moment of his father’s decease;

Niemand konnte ihr Recht zu kommen bestreiten: das Haus gehörte ihrem Mann von dem Augenblick an, da sein Vater verschieden war;

but the indelicacy of her conduct was so much the greater, and to a woman in Mrs. Dashwood’s situation,

die Taktlosigkeit ihres Benehmens aber war um so größer und mußte auf eine Frau in Mrs. Dashwoods Lage,

with only common feelings, must have been highly unpleasing;

selbst wenn sie nur normal empfand, höchst abstoßend wirken;

— but in her mind there was a sense of honor so keen, a generosity so romantic,

in ihrem Innern jedoch lebten ein so ausgeprägtes Ehrgefühl, eine so romantische Seelengröße,

that any offence of the kind, by whomsoever given or received, was to her a source of immovable disgust.

daß eine derartige Kränkung, wer immer sie begangen oder erfahren haben mochte, für sie eine Quelle unüberwindlicher Abneigung war.

Mrs. John Dashwood had never been a favourite with any of her husband’s family;

Mrs. John Dashwood war bei keinem aus der Familie ihres Mannes je besonders beliebt gewesen,

but she had had no opportunity, till the present, of shewing them

aber bisher hatte sie noch nie Gelegenheit gehabt, zu zeigen,

with how little attention to the comfort of other people she could act when occasion required it.

mit welcher Rücksichtslosigkeit gegenüber den Gefühlen anderer Menschen sie handeln konnte, falls es die Umstände geraten erscheinen ließen.

So acutely did Mrs. Dashwood feel this ungracious behaviour, and so earnestly did she despise her daughter-in-law for it,

Als so kränkend empfand Mrs. Dashwood dieses schroffe Benehmen und so heftig verachtete sie deshalb ihre Schwiegertochter,

that, on the arrival of the latter, she would have quitted the house for ever,

daß sie bei deren Ankunft das Haus für immer verlassen hätte,

had not the entreaty of her eldest girl induced her first to reflect on the propriety of going,

wäre sie nicht durch die dringenden Bitten ihrer ältesten Tochter veranlaßt worden, erst zu bedenken, ob es auch schicklich sei;

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.

und ihre zärtliche Liebe zu ihren drei Kindern bestimmte sie hernach, zu bleiben und um ihretwillen einen Bruch mit ihrem Stiefsohn zu vermeiden.

Elinor, this eldest daughter, whose advice was so effectual, possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgment,

Elinor, die älteste Tochter, deren Ratschlag so wirksam gewesen war, besaß eine Verstandeskraft und eine Nüchternheit des Urteils,

which qualified her, though only nineteen, to be the counsellor of her mother,

die sie befähigten, trotz ihrer neunzehn Jahre bereits die Ratgeberin ihrer Mutter zu sein,

and enabled her frequently to counteract, to the advantage of them all, that eagerness of mind in Mrs. Dashwood which must generally have led to imprudence.

und sie häufig in die Lage versetzten, zu ihrer aller Wohl der überschwenglichen Gemütsart Mrs. Dashwoods entgegenzuwirken, die doch meist zu Unbesonnenheiten führen mußte.

She had an excellent heart; — her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings were strong; but she knew how to govern them:

Sie besaß ein vortreffliches Wesen – ihr Herz war zärtlich, und ihre Gefühle waren stark, doch sie wußte sie zu beherrschen;

it was a knowledge which her mother had yet to learn; and which one of her sisters had resolved never to be taught.

das war etwas, was ihre Mutter noch lernen mußte und was die eine ihrer Schwestern nie zu lernen entschlossen war.

Marianne’s abilities were, in many respects, quite equal to Elinor’s.

Mariannes Fähigkeiten entsprachen in vieler Hinsicht durchaus denen Elinors.

She was sensible and clever; but eager in everything: her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation.

Sie war verständig und intelligent, doch in allem überschwenglich: ihr Kummer, ihre Freude kannten kein Maß.

She was generous, amiable, interesting: she was everything but prudent. The resemblance between her and her mother was strikingly great.

Sie war hochherzig, liebenswert, anziehend – sie war alles, nur nicht besonnen. Die Ähnlichkeit zwischen ihr und ihrer Mutter war verblüffend.

Elinor saw, with concern, the excess of her sister’s sensibility; but by Mrs. Dashwood it was valued and cherished.

Elinor sah das Übermaß der Empfindsamkeit ihrer Schwester mit Besorgnis, Mrs. Dashwood aber schätzte und förderte es noch.

They encouraged each other now in the violence of their affliction.

Jetzt bestärkten beide einander in ihrem bitteren Weh.

The agony of grief which overpowered them at first, was voluntarily renewed, was sought for, was created again and again.

Der heftige Schmerz, der sie im ersten Augenblick überwältigt hatte, wurde aus freiem Entschluß erneuert, herbeigesehnt, ständig neu erzeugt.

They gave themselves up wholly to their sorrow, seeking increase of wretchedness in every reflection that could afford it, and resolved against ever admitting consolation in future.

Sie gaben sich ganz ihrem Kummer hin, suchten ihr Leid mit jedem geeigneten Gedanken zu vertiefen und waren fest entschlossen, sich nie wieder trösten zu lassen.

Elinor, too, was deeply afflicted; but still she could struggle, she could exert herself.

Auch Elinor war tief betrübt, aber sie war dennoch imstande, zu kämpfen, sich zu bemühen.

She could consult with her brother, could receive her sister-in-law on her arrival, and treat her with proper attention;

Sie war imstande, sich mit ihrem Bruder zu beraten, ihre Schwägerin bei ihrer Ankunft zu empfangen und mit der gebührenden Aufmerksamkeit zu behandeln

and could strive to rouse her mother to similar exertion, and encourage her to similar forbearance.

und ihre Mutter zu gleichen Bemühungen aufzurütteln und zu gleicher Nachsicht zu bewegen.

Margaret, the other sister, was a good-humored, well-disposed girl;

Margaret, die andere Schwester, war ein gutmütiges, freundliches Mädchen,

but as she had already imbibed a good deal of Marianne’s romance, without having much of her sense,

doch da sie bereits einen beträchtlichen Teil von Mariannes romantischen Vorstellungen in sich aufgenommen hatte, ohne indes Mariannes Verstand zu besitzen,

she did not, at thirteen, bid fair to equal her sisters at a more advanced period of life.

erweckte sie mit ihren dreizehn Jahren nicht den Eindruck, daß sie in einem späteren Lebensalter ihren Schwestern gleichen würde.

VOLUME I

CHAPTER I

THE family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex. Their estate was large, and their 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 the family of his nephew 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 nephew and niece, and their children, the old Gentleman’s days were comfortably spent. His attachment to them all increased. The constant attention of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood to his wishes, which proceeded not merely from interest, but from goodness of heart, gave him every degree of solid comfort which his age could receive; and the cheerfulness of the children added a relish to his existence.

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 coming of age. By his own marriage, likewise, which happened soon afterwards, he added to his wealth. To him therefore the succession to the Norland estate was not so really important as to his sisters; for their fortune, independent of what might arise to them from their father’s inheriting that property, could be but small. Their mother had nothing, and their father only seven thousand pounds in his own disposal; for the remaining moiety of his first wife’s fortune was also secured to her child, and he had only a life-interest in it.

The old gentleman died: 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 nephew; — but he left it to him on such terms as destroyed half the value 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 most needed a provision by any charge on the estate, 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 are by no means unusual in children of two or three years old; an imperfect articulation, 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 the 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-piece.

Mr. Dashwood’s disappointment was, at first, severe; but his temper was cheerful and sanguine; and he might reasonably hope to live many years, and by living economically, lay by a considerable sum from the produce of an estate already large, and capable of almost immediate improvement. But the fortune, which had been so tardy in coming, was his only one twelvemonth. He survived his uncle no longer; and ten thousand pounds, including the late legacies, was all that remained for his widow and daughters.

His son was sent for as soon as his danger was known, and to him Mr. Dashwood recommended, with all the strength and urgency which illness could command, the interest of his mother-in-law and sisters.

Mr. John Dashwood had not the strong 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 them comfortable. His father was rendered easy by such an assurance, and Mr. John Dashwood had then leisure to consider how much there 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 selfish is to be ill-disposed: but he was, in general, well respected; for he conducted himself with propriety in the discharge of his ordinary duties. Had he married a more amiable woman, he might have been made still more respectable 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 Dashwood was a strong caricature of himself; — more narrow-minded and selfish.

When he gave his promise to his father, he meditated within himself to increase the fortunes of his sisters by the 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 thousand 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 it all day long, and for many days successively, and he did not 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, arrived with her child and their attendants. No one could dispute her right to come; the house was her husband’s from the moment of his father’s decease; but the indelicacy of her conduct was so much the greater, and to a woman in Mrs. Dashwood’s situation, with only common feelings, must have been highly unpleasing; — but in her mind there was a sense of honor so keen, a generosity so romantic, that any offence of the kind, by whomsoever given or received, was to her a source of immovable disgust. Mrs. John Dashwood had never been a favourite with any of her husband’s family; but she had had no opportunity, till the present, of shewing them with how little attention to the comfort of other people she could act when occasion required it.

So acutely did Mrs. Dashwood 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 eldest 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, possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgment, which qualified 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. Dashwood which must generally have led to imprudence. She had an excellent heart; — her disposition was affectionate, 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 sisters had resolved never to be taught.

Marianne’s abilities were, in many respects, quite equal to Elinor’s. She was sensible and clever; but eager in everything: her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation. She was generous, amiable, interesting: she was everything 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 valued and cherished. They encouraged each 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 sorrow, seeking increase of wretchedness in every reflection that could afford it, and resolved against ever admitting consolation in future. Elinor, too, was deeply afflicted; but still she could struggle, she could exert herself. 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 good deal of Marianne’s romance, without having much of her sense, she did not, at thirteen, bid fair to equal her sisters at a more advanced period of life.