A Memoir of Jane Austen

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Emma 99
the hero. Often reduced to support herself and her father by her
talents, and work for her bread;° continually cheated, and
defrauded of her hire; worn down to a skeleton, and now and
then starved to death. At last, hunted out of civilised society,
denied the poor shelter of the humblest cottage, they are compelled
to retreat into Kamtschatka,° where the poor father quite
worn down, finding his end approaching, throws himself on the
ground, and after four or five hours of tender advice and parental
admonition to his miserable child, expires in a fine burst of
literary enthusiasm, intermingled with invectives against the
holders of tithes. Heroine inconsolable for some time, but afterwards
crawls back towards her former country, having at least
twenty narrow escapes of falling into the hands of anti-hero; and
at last, in the very nick of time, turning a corner to avoid him,
runs into the arms of the hero himself, who, having just shaken
off the scruples which fettered him before, was at the very
moment setting off in pursuit of her. The tenderest and completest
éclaircissement takes place, and they are happily united.
Throughout the whole work heroine to be in the most elegant
society, and living in high style.’°
Since the first publication of this memoir, Mr. Murray of
Albemarle Street° has very kindly sent to me copies of the following
letters, which his father received from Jane Austen, when
engaged in the publication of ‘Emma.’ The increasing cordiality
of the letters shows that the author felt that her interests were
duly cared for, and was glad to find herself in the hands of a
publisher whom she could consider as a friend.
Her brother had addressed to Mr. Murray a strong complaint
of the tardiness of a printer:––
‘23 Hans Place, Thursday, November 23 (1815).°
‘SIR,–– My brother’s note last Monday has been so fruitless,
that I am afraid there can be but little chance of my writing to any
good effect; but yet I am so very much disappointed and vexed
by the delays of the printers, that I cannot help begging to know
whether there is no hope of their being quickened. Instead of the
work being ready by the end of the present month, it will hardly,