New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
Jane Austen
A Centenary Appreciation

"The cottage on the village green is s.iu
standing There Jane Austen was destined
to spend the last eight years Of her life.
there her literary activities revived; ther,
she saw through the press two Of the novel,
she had written at Steventon, and there 81.
wrote Mansfield Park Emma and 'Persu..
SION
"Her nephew thus speaks of the cottage.
A good-sized entrance and two sitting room,
make the length of the house, all Intended
originally to look upon the road; but N.
large drawing-room window was blocked m
and turned into a bookcase, and anoth,,
opened at the side which gave TO view only
turf and trees, and a high wooden fence and
hornbeam hedge shut out the Winchester
little domain
"Jane was now in her thirty-fourth year
settled in small but comfortable house, Ii.
property of her brother, in the centre Of
cheerful village only one mile distant from
the attractive town of Alton. The country
around was picturesque and well wooded.
within a few miles Of the historic village Of
Selbourne.
"In these happy and congenial surround
ings her literary instincts rapidly revived
and we find her almost at once preparing for
the press the Steventon manuscripts Of 'Ssass
; and Sensibility,' which appeared in 1911, and
of Pride and Prejudice which followed egh.
teen months later. She was also busy on
new novel, Mansfield Park which was fin.
ished in 1913; and within the three years
following both Emma and Persuasion were
completed.
"The amount Of work that Jane Austen was
able to accomplish becomes the more remark.
able when we remember that she had no sep.
arate study Of her own in the cottage at
Chawton. Her little mahogany desk, still
religiously preserved, stood in the general
sitting room, where she must have been sub.
ject to all kinds of interruption.
"She was, moreover, anxious that her o.
cupation should not be suspected by servant,
or visitors, or by any one outside her own
family circle She wrote, we are told, on
very small sheets of paper, which could
easily be put away, or covered with piece
of blotting paper.
Between the front door and the Offices
there was a swing door, which creaked when
it was opened, and this little Inconvenience
she objected to having remedied because it
gave her notice when any one was coming.
s. A THIS time, when she was producing
- her finest work. are fortunate in
possessing a pen picture, sketched by her
nephew, of her appearance and ways. In per-
son. he says, she was very attractive; her
figure was rather tall and slender, her step
light and firm and her whole appearance ey-
pressive of health and animation. In complex.
ion she was a clear brunette, with rich color;
she had full round cheeks, with mouth and
rose small and well formed, bright hazel eyes
and brown hair, forming natural curls close
round her face. If not so regularly hand
some as her sister, Cassandra, yet her coun'
tenance had peculiar charm Of its own to
the eyes of most beholders.
"'At this time she never was seen, either
morning or evening, without a cap; both she
and her sister were generally thought TO
have taken to the garb Of middle age earlier
than their years or their looks required; and,
though remarkably neat in their dress as in
all their ways, were scarcely sufficiently re-
gardful of the fashionable or the becoming.
"She was fond of music, we are told, and
had a sweet voice, both in singing and con-
versation. With her fingers she was remark
ably dexterous, and none could throw spill
kins in so perfect circle or make such mar
-vellous performances with a cup and ball
"Her needework, both plain and orna'
mental, was excellent, and she was cOnsid-
cred especially great in satin stitch A
small handbag of her making, worked in
'fowered silk is still treasured in the fam
ily."