whole however i am quite vain enough and well satisfied enough the work is rather too light and bright and sparkling it wants shade it wants to be stretched out here and there with a long chapter of sense if it could be had if not of solemn nonsense about something with the story an essay on writing a on walter scott or the history of or something that would form a contrast and bring the reader with increased delight to the and of the general style johnson we learn from the preface to lady that and was first written in the form of letters the reference here is evidently to the earlier story of which was partially in sense and and which gives it a claim to be considered the earliest of her published in its present form the story was begun says mr in november and finished in though it was not for press till after miss s settlement at in the following appeared during her life time � a sense and sensibility a novel in three by a lady london printed for the author by c temple bar and published by t jane b � sense and sensibility a in three t by the author of pride and prejudice the second edition london printed for the author by c bell yard temple bar and by t the book has since been brought out by various and in several series it forms the first volume of messrs s library edition known as the edition c to the in s standard novels is a of miss which her family believe to have been written by her brother the rev h it contains little more than the of which is very likely from the same pen the present edition is a of b in the few cases where obvious errors have crept into the text the reading of has been followed and this is indicated by the words being enclosed in square for the sale of and miss received i which seemed to her a magnificent sum in a letter to her sister dated april th t she writes no indeed i am never too busy to think of s and s i can no more forget it than a mother can forget her child the remain as they were but i will get them altered if i can i think mrs like my but cannot build on anything else she confided to her family that anne never succeeded in catching the doctor sense and sensibility the family of had been long in their estate was la e and their residence was at park in the centre of th� r property where for many generations they had lived in so respectable a as to engage the general good opinion of their acquaintance the owner of this estate was a who lived to a very advanced age and who for many years of his life had a constant and housekeeper in his but her death which happened ten years before his own produced a great alteration in his home for to imply her loss he invited and into his house the family of his nephew mr henry the legal of the estate and the person to whom he intended to it in the society of his nephew and niece and their children the old gentleman s days were comfortably spent hia attachment to them all increased the constant attention of mr and mrs henry to his wishes which proceeded not merely from interest but from goodness of heart gave him every degree of solid comfort which bis age could receive and the of the added a to his existence b by a former ma mr had bv hia present three daughters the a young man was amply for by the fortune oi his mother which had been large and half of which 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 estate was not so really important as to his for their fortune independent of what might arise to them from their father s that property could be but small their mother had and their only seven thousand pounds in his own disposal for the remaining of his first wife s fortune was also secured to her child and he had only a life in it the old gentleman died his will was and like almost every other will gave as much aa 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 mr had wished for it more for the sake of his wife and daughters than for himself or his son but to his son and us 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 had so far gained on the of his uncle by such attractions as are by no means unusual in children of two or three years old an im perfect an earnest desire of having his own way many cunning tricks and a great deal of noise aa to all the value of all the attention which for years he had received m his and her sense and he meant to be unkind however and aa a mark of for the three girls he left them a and pounds a piece mr s disappointment was at first severe but his temper was and sanguine and he might 