July 29, 2025 • 8 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter six. The first part of their journey was performed
in too melancholy a disposition to be otherwise than tedious
and unpleasant. But as they drew towards the end of it,
their interest in the appearance of a country which they
were to inhabit overcame their dejection, and a view of
(00:20):
Barton Valley as they entered it gave them cheerfulness. It
was a pleasant, fertile spot, well wooded and rich in pasture.
After winding along it for more than a mile, they
reached their own house. A small green court was the
whole of its domain in front, and a neat wicket
gait admitted them into it as a house. Barton Cottage,
(00:46):
though small, was comfortable and compact, but as a cottage
it was defective, for the building was regular, the roof
was tiled, the window shutters were not painted green, nor
were the walls covered with honeysuckles. A narrow passage led
directly through the house into the garden. Behind. On each
(01:08):
side of the entrance was a sitting room about sixteen
feet square, and beyond them were the offices and the stairs.
Four bedrooms and two garrets formed the rest of the house.
It had not been built many years, and was in
good repair. In comparison of Norland, it was poor and small, indeed,
(01:31):
but the tiers which recollection called forth as they entered
the house were soon dried away. They were cheered by
the joy of the servants on their arrival, and each,
for the sake of the others, resolved to appear happy.
It was very early in September, the season was fine,
and from first seeing the place under the advantage of
(01:53):
good weather, they received an impression in its favor, which
was of material service in recommend it to their lasting approbation.
The situation of the house was good. High hills rose
immediately behind and at no great distance on each side,
some of which were open downs, the others cultivated and woody.
(02:17):
The village of Barton was chiefly on one of these hills,
and formed a pleasant view from the cottage windows. The
prospect in front was more extensive. It commanded the whole
of the valley and reached into the country beyond the
hills which surrounded the cottage. Terminated the valley in that
direction under another name, and in another course it branched
(02:41):
out again between two of the steepest of them, with
the size and furniture of the house. Missus Dashwood was
upon the whole well satisfied, for though her former style
of life rendered many additions to the latter indispensable, yet
to add and improve was a delight to her, and
she had at this time ready money enough to supply
(03:04):
all that was wanted, of greater elegance to the apartments.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
As for the house itself, to be sure, said she,
it is too small for our family, but we will
make ourselves tolerably comfortable for the present, as it is
too late in the year for improvements. Perhaps in the spring,
if I have plenty of money, as I dare say
I shall, we may think about building. These parlors are
(03:29):
both too small for such parties of our friends, as
I hope to see often collected here, and I have
some thoughts of throwing the passage into one of them,
with perhaps a part of the other, and so leave
the remainder of that other for an entrance. This with
a new drawing room which may be easily added, and
a bed chamber and garret above, will make it a
(03:50):
very snug little cottage. I could wish the stairs were handsome,
but one must not expect everything. Though I suppose it
would be no difficult matter to widen them. I shall
see how much I am beforehand with the world in
the spring, and we will plan our improvements accordingly.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
In the meantime till all these alterations could be made
from the savings of an income of five hundred a
year by a woman who never saved in her life.
They were wise enough to be contented with the house
as it was, and each of them was busy in
arranging their particular concerns and endeavoring by placing around them
(04:29):
books and other possessions to form themselves a home. Mary
Anne's pianoforte was unpacked and properly disposed of, and Eleanor's
drawings were fixed to the walls of their sitting room.
In such employments as these, they were interrupted soon after
breakfast the next day by the entrance of their landlord,
(04:50):
who called to welcome them to Barton, and to offer
them every accommodation from his own house and garden in
which theirs might at present be deficient. Sir John Middleton
was a good looking man about forty. He had formerly
visited at Stanhill, but it was too long for his
young cousins to remember him. His countenance was thoroughly good humored,
(05:13):
and his manners were as friendly as the style of
his letter. Their arrival seemed to afford him real satisfaction,
and their comfort to be an object of real solicitude
to him. He said much of his earnest desire of
their living in the most sociable terms with his family,
and pressed them so cordially to dine at Barton Park
(05:35):
every day till they were better settled at home, that
though his entreaties were carried to a point of perseverance
beyond civility, they could not give offense. His kindness was
not confined to words, for within an hour after he
left them, a large basket full of garden stuff and
fruit arrived from the park, which was followed before the
(05:59):
end of the day by a present of game. He
insisted moreover on conveying all their letters to and from
the post for them, and would not be denied the
satisfaction of sending them his newspaper every day. Lady Middleton
had sent a very civil message by him, denoting her
intention of waiting on missus Dashwood as soon as she
(06:21):
could be assured that her visit would be no inconvenience,
and as this message was answered by an invitation equally polite,
her ladyship was introduced to them the next day. They were,
of course very anxious to see a person on whom
so much of their comfort at Barton must depend, and
(06:41):
the elegance of her appearance was favorable to their wishes.
Lady Middleton was not more than six or seven and twenty.
Her face was handsome, her figure tall and striking, and
her address graceful. Her manners had all the elegance which
her husband's wanted, but they would have been improved by
(07:01):
some share of his frankness and warmth. And her visit
was long enough to detract something from their first admiration
by showing that, though perfectly well bred, she was reserved cold,
and had nothing to say for herself beyond the most
commonplace inquiry or remark. Conversation, however, was not wanted, for
(07:24):
Sir John was very chatty, and Lady Middleton had taken
the wise precaution of bringing with her their eldest child,
a fine little boy about six years old, by which
means there was one subject always to be recurred to
by the ladies in case of extremity, for they had
to inquire his name and age, admire his beauty, and
(07:47):
ask him questions, which his mother answered for him, while
he hung about her and held down his head, to
the great surprise of her ladyship, who wondered at his
being so shy before company, as he could make noise
enough at home. On every formal visit, a child ought
to be of the party by way of provision for discourse.
(08:10):
In the present case, it took up ten minutes to
determine whether the boy were most like his father or mother,
and in what particular he resembled either, For of course
everybody differed, and everybody was astonished at the opinion of
the others. An opportunity was soon to be given to
the Dashwoods of debating on the rest of the children,
(08:32):
as Sir John would not leave the house without securing
their promise of dining at the park the next day.
End of Chapter six
Chapter six. The first part of their journey was performed
in too melancholy a disposition to be otherwise than tedious
and unpleasant. But as they drew towards the end of it,
their interest in the appearance of a country which they
were to inhabit overcame their dejection, and a view of
(00:20):
Barton Valley as they entered it gave them cheerfulness. It
was a pleasant, fertile spot, well wooded and rich in pasture.
After winding along it for more than a mile, they
reached their own house. A small green court was the
whole of its domain in front, and a neat wicket
gait admitted them into it as a house. Barton Cottage,
(00:46):
though small, was comfortable and compact, but as a cottage
it was defective, for the building was regular, the roof
was tiled, the window shutters were not painted green, nor
were the walls covered with honeysuckles. A narrow passage led
directly through the house into the garden. Behind. On each
(01:08):
side of the entrance was a sitting room about sixteen
feet square, and beyond them were the offices and the stairs.
Four bedrooms and two garrets formed the rest of the house.
It had not been built many years, and was in
good repair. In comparison of Norland, it was poor and small, indeed,
(01:31):
but the tiers which recollection called forth as they entered
the house were soon dried away. They were cheered by
the joy of the servants on their arrival, and each,
for the sake of the others, resolved to appear happy.
It was very early in September, the season was fine,
and from first seeing the place under the advantage of
(01:53):
good weather, they received an impression in its favor, which
was of material service in recommend it to their lasting approbation.
The situation of the house was good. High hills rose
immediately behind and at no great distance on each side,
some of which were open downs, the others cultivated and woody.
(02:17):
The village of Barton was chiefly on one of these hills,
and formed a pleasant view from the cottage windows. The
prospect in front was more extensive. It commanded the whole
of the valley and reached into the country beyond the
hills which surrounded the cottage. Terminated the valley in that
direction under another name, and in another course it branched
(02:41):
out again between two of the steepest of them, with
the size and furniture of the house. Missus Dashwood was
upon the whole well satisfied, for though her former style
of life rendered many additions to the latter indispensable, yet
to add and improve was a delight to her, and
she had at this time ready money enough to supply
(03:04):
all that was wanted, of greater elegance to the apartments.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
As for the house itself, to be sure, said she,
it is too small for our family, but we will
make ourselves tolerably comfortable for the present, as it is
too late in the year for improvements. Perhaps in the spring,
if I have plenty of money, as I dare say
I shall, we may think about building. These parlors are
(03:29):
both too small for such parties of our friends, as
I hope to see often collected here, and I have
some thoughts of throwing the passage into one of them,
with perhaps a part of the other, and so leave
the remainder of that other for an entrance. This with
a new drawing room which may be easily added, and
a bed chamber and garret above, will make it a
(03:50):
very snug little cottage. I could wish the stairs were handsome,
but one must not expect everything. Though I suppose it
would be no difficult matter to widen them. I shall
see how much I am beforehand with the world in
the spring, and we will plan our improvements accordingly.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
In the meantime till all these alterations could be made
from the savings of an income of five hundred a
year by a woman who never saved in her life.
They were wise enough to be contented with the house
as it was, and each of them was busy in
arranging their particular concerns and endeavoring by placing around them
(04:29):
books and other possessions to form themselves a home. Mary
Anne's pianoforte was unpacked and properly disposed of, and Eleanor's
drawings were fixed to the walls of their sitting room.
In such employments as these, they were interrupted soon after
breakfast the next day by the entrance of their landlord,
(04:50):
who called to welcome them to Barton, and to offer
them every accommodation from his own house and garden in
which theirs might at present be deficient. Sir John Middleton
was a good looking man about forty. He had formerly
visited at Stanhill, but it was too long for his
young cousins to remember him. His countenance was thoroughly good humored,
(05:13):
and his manners were as friendly as the style of
his letter. Their arrival seemed to afford him real satisfaction,
and their comfort to be an object of real solicitude
to him. He said much of his earnest desire of
their living in the most sociable terms with his family,
and pressed them so cordially to dine at Barton Park
(05:35):
every day till they were better settled at home, that
though his entreaties were carried to a point of perseverance
beyond civility, they could not give offense. His kindness was
not confined to words, for within an hour after he
left them, a large basket full of garden stuff and
fruit arrived from the park, which was followed before the
(05:59):
end of the day by a present of game. He
insisted moreover on conveying all their letters to and from
the post for them, and would not be denied the
satisfaction of sending them his newspaper every day. Lady Middleton
had sent a very civil message by him, denoting her
intention of waiting on missus Dashwood as soon as she
(06:21):
could be assured that her visit would be no inconvenience,
and as this message was answered by an invitation equally polite,
her ladyship was introduced to them the next day. They were,
of course very anxious to see a person on whom
so much of their comfort at Barton must depend, and
(06:41):
the elegance of her appearance was favorable to their wishes.
Lady Middleton was not more than six or seven and twenty.
Her face was handsome, her figure tall and striking, and
her address graceful. Her manners had all the elegance which
her husband's wanted, but they would have been improved by
(07:01):
some share of his frankness and warmth. And her visit
was long enough to detract something from their first admiration
by showing that, though perfectly well bred, she was reserved cold,
and had nothing to say for herself beyond the most
commonplace inquiry or remark. Conversation, however, was not wanted, for
(07:24):
Sir John was very chatty, and Lady Middleton had taken
the wise precaution of bringing with her their eldest child,
a fine little boy about six years old, by which
means there was one subject always to be recurred to
by the ladies in case of extremity, for they had
to inquire his name and age, admire his beauty, and
(07:47):
ask him questions, which his mother answered for him, while
he hung about her and held down his head, to
the great surprise of her ladyship, who wondered at his
being so shy before company, as he could make noise
enough at home. On every formal visit, a child ought
to be of the party by way of provision for discourse.
(08:10):
In the present case, it took up ten minutes to
determine whether the boy were most like his father or mother,
and in what particular he resembled either, For of course
everybody differed, and everybody was astonished at the opinion of
the others. An opportunity was soon to be given to
the Dashwoods of debating on the rest of the children,
(08:32):
as Sir John would not leave the house without securing
their promise of dining at the park the next day.
End of Chapter six
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