Sense and Sensibility

et civility; and by her husband with as much kindness as he could feel towards anybody beyond himself, his wife, and their child. He really pressed them, with some earnestness, to consider No

no temper could be more cheerful than hers, or possess, in a greater degree, that sanguine expectation of happiness which is happiness

bject. How could he answer it to himself to rob his child, and his only child too, of so large a sum? And what possible claim could the Miss Dashwoods, who were related to him only by half blood, which she considered as no relationship at all, have on his gener

me," replied her husband, "that I sh

headed at the time. Had he been in his right senses, he could not have thought of

to do. Perhaps it would have been as well if he had left it wholly to myself. He could hardly suppose I should neglect them. But as he required the promise, I could not do less than gi

Consider," she added, "that when the money is once parted with, it never can return. Your sisters

The time may come when Harry will regret that so large a sum was parted with. If he

sure it

f the sum were diminished one half.-Five hundred poun

lf so much for his sisters, even if REALLY his sisters! And a

ch occasions, do too much than too little. No one, at least, can think I ha

he lady, "but we are not to think of their expecta

s it is, without any addition of mine, they will each have about three thousand

e ten thousand pounds divided amongst them. If they marry, they will be sure of doing well, and if

omething for their mother while she lives, rather than for them-something of the annuity kind I mean.-My sisters

tle, however, in giving

fteen hundred pounds at once. But, then, if Mrs. Dashwood

anny; her life cannot be

my mother was clogged with the payment of three to old superannuated servants by my father's will, and it is amazing how disagreeable she found it. Twice every year these annuities were to be paid; and then there was the trouble of getting it to them; and then one of them was said to have died, and afterwards it turned out to be no such thing. My mother was quite si

e's income. One's fortune, as your mother justly says, is NOT one's own. To be tied down to the regular

aises no gratitude at all. If I were you, whatever I did should be done at my own discretion entirely. I would not bind myself to a

allowance, because they would only enlarge their style of living if they felt sure of a larger income, and would not be sixpence the richer for it at the end of the year. It will certa

er; indeed, it would be very strange and unreasonable if he did. Do but consider, my dear Mr. Dashwood, how excessively comfortable your mother-in-law and her daughters may live on the interest of seven thousand pounds, besides the thousand pounds belonging to each of the girls, which brings them in fifty pounds a year a-piece, and, of course, they will pay their mother for their board out of it. Altogether, they will have five hundred a-year amongst them, and what on earth

clearly understand it now, and I will strictly fulfil my engagement by such acts of assistance and kindness to them as you have described. When my mother r

ther moved to Norland, though the furniture of Stanhill was sold, all the china, plate, and linen was saved, a

ble legacy indeed! And yet some of the plate would hav

e THEY can ever afford to live in. But, however, so it is. Your father thought only of THEM. And I must say this: that you owe no particular gr

he finally resolved, that it would be absolutely unnecessary, if not highly indecorous, to do more fo