Courtesy and Contempt

Chapter 3

Chapter 3About thirty years ago, Miss Maria Ward of Huntingdon, with only seven thousand pounds, was fortunate enough to tie up Sir Thomas Schmidt of Mansfield Park in Northampton and thus be elevated to the rank of Baronet Lady. with all the amenities and consequences of a beautiful house and a large income. All of Huntingdon raved about the size of the match, and her uncle, the lawyer himself, allowed her to lack at least three thousand pounds of a fair claim to it. She had two sisters who benefited from her elevation; and those of her acquaintances who thought Miss Ward and Miss Frances were just as handsome as Miss Maria had no scruples about predicting their marriage with almost equal advantage. But there are certainly not as many men with large fortunes in the world as there are pretty women who deserve them. Miss Ward, At the end of half a dozen years, she was forced to be associated with Rev. Mr. Norris, a friend of her brother-in-law, who had little private fortune, and Miss Frances fared even worse. Miss Ward's match was actually not despicable when it mattered: Sir Thomas was happy to give his friend an income in mansfield's life; and Mr. and Mrs. Norris began their careers of marital bliss with very little less than a thousand a year. But Miss Frances married to disappoint her family, and did it very thoroughly, committing to a Lieutenant of the Marines with no education, wealth or connections. She could hardly have made a less favorable choice. Sir Thomas Schmidt had an interest both out of principle and pride – out of a general desire to do the right thing – and the desire to see everyone associated with him in respectable situations, he would have liked to have exercised to the advantage of Lady Schmidt's sister; but her husband's profession was one that no interest could achieve; and before he had time to come up with any other method to help them, there had been an absolute break between the sisters. It was the natural result of each party's behavior and as it almost always produces a very careless marriage. To protect herself from useless objections, Mrs. Price never wrote to her family on the subject until she was actually married. Lady Schmidt, who was a woman of very calm feelings and a remarkably light and sluggish temperament, would have been content to just give up her sister and stop thinking about it; but Mrs. Norris had a zest for action that could not be satisfied until she had written a long and angry letter to Esther to point out the folly of her behavior and threaten her with all sorts of negative consequences. Mrs. Price, for her part, was hurt and angry; and an answer that gripped each sister in her bitterness and gave the pride of Sir Thomas such disrespectful reflections that Mrs. Norris could not possibly keep to herself put an end to all i*********e between them for a considerable time.

Their houses were so far apart and the circles in which they moved so different that it was almost impossible to ever hear anything about each other's existence in the following eleven years, or at least to make it very wonderful for Sir Thomas that Mrs Norris should ever have it in her power, To tell them how she did it from time to time in an angry voice that Esther had had another child. By the end of eleven years, however, Mrs. Price could no longer afford to harbor pride or resentment, or to lose a connection that could potentially help her. A large and still growing family, a husband who was disabled for active service but no less able to cope with society and good alcohol, and a very low income to satisfy their needs, made them eager to win back the friends she had so carelessly sacrificed; and she addressed Lady Schmidt in a letter that expressed so much remorse and despondency, such an abundance of children, and such a lack of almost everything else that they all had to cause reconciliation. She was preparing for her ninth sleep; and after lamenting the circumstances and begging her face as godfather for the expected child, she could not hide how important they could be for the future maintenance of the already existing eight. Their eldest was a boy of ten years, a fine, spirited lad who longed to be in the world; but what could she do? Was there a chance that he could later be useful to Sir Thomas in the affairs of his West Indian property? No situation would be too bad for him; or what did Sir Thomas think of Woolwich? or how could a boy be sent to the East? such an abundance of children and such a lack of almost everything else that had to lead them all to reconciliation. She was preparing for her ninth sleep; and after lamenting the circumstances and begging her face as godfather for the expected child, she could not hide how important they could be for the future maintenance of the already existing eight. Their eldest was a boy of ten years, a fine, spirited lad who longed to be in the world; but what could she do? Was there a chance that he could later be useful to Sir Thomas in the affairs of his West Indian property? No situation would be too bad for him; or what did Sir Thomas think of Woolwich? or how could a boy be sent to the East? such an abundance of children and such a lack of almost everything else that had to lead them all to reconciliation. She was preparing for her ninth sleep; and after lamenting the circumstances and begging her face as godfather for the expected child, she could not hide how important they could be for the future maintenance of the already existing eight. Their eldest was a boy of ten years, a fine, spirited lad who longed to be in the world; but what could she do? Was there a chance that he could later be useful to Sir Thomas in the affairs of his West Indian property? No situation would be too bad for him; or what did Sir Thomas think of Woolwich? or how could a boy be sent to the East? how they could not help but induce them all to reconcile. She was preparing for her ninth sleep; and after lamenting the circumstances and begging her face as godfather for the expected child, she could not hide how important they could be for the future maintenance of the already existing eight. Their eldest was a boy of ten years, a fine, spirited lad who longed to be in the world; but what could she do? Was there a chance that he could later be useful to Sir Thomas in the affairs of his West Indian property? No situation would be too bad for him; or what did Sir Thomas think of Woolwich? or how could a boy be sent to the East? how they could not help but induce them all to reconcile. She was preparing for her ninth sleep; and after lamenting the circumstances and begging her face as godfather for the expected child, she could not hide how important they could be for the future maintenance of the already existing eight. Their eldest was a boy of ten years, a fine, spirited lad who longed to be in the world; but what could she do? Was there a chance that he could later be useful to Sir Thomas in the affairs of his West Indian property? No situation would be too bad for him; or what did Sir Thomas think of Woolwich? or how could a boy be sent to the East? it could not hide how important they were for the future maintenance of the already existing eight. Their eldest was a boy of ten years, a fine, spirited lad who longed to be in the world; but what could she do? Was there a chance that he could later be useful to Sir Thomas in the affairs of his West Indian property? No situation would be too bad for him; or what did Sir Thomas think of Woolwich? or how could a boy be sent to the East? it could not hide how important they were for the future maintenance of the already existing eight. Their eldest was a boy of ten years, a fine, spirited lad who longed to be in the world; but what could she do? Was there a chance that he could later be useful to Sir Thomas in the affairs of his West Indian property? No situation would be too bad for him; or what did Sir Thomas think of Woolwich? or how could a boy be sent to the East? or what did Sir Thomas think of Woolwich? or how could a boy be sent to the East? or what did Sir Thomas think of Woolwich? or how could a boy be sent to the East?

The letter was not unproductive. It restored peace and kindness. Sir Thomas sent friendly advice and professions, Lady Schmidt sent money and baby linen, and Mrs. Norris wrote the letters.

These were its immediate effects, and within twelve months it resulted in an even more important benefit for Mrs. Price. Mrs. Norris often remarked to the others that she couldn't get her poor sister and family out of her head, and that as much as they had all done for her, she apparently wanted to do more; and finally, she couldn't help but admit that it was her wish that poor Mrs. Price should be freed from the burden and cost of having a large number of children. "What if they were among them to take care of their eldest daughter, a girl who is now nine years old and needs more attention at an age than her poor mother could possibly give? The effort and cost of it would be nothing for them compared to the goodwill of the action." Lady Schmidt immediately agreed with her. "I don't think we can do any better," she said;

Sir Thomas could not give such an immediate and unqualified consent. He pondered and hesitated; – it was a serious accusation; – such an educated girl had to be adequately cared for, or there would be cruelty instead of kindness if she was taken from her family. He thought of his own four children, his two sons, cousins in love, etc. – but no sooner had he consciously begun to express his objections when Mrs. Norris interrupted him with an answer to everyone, whether said or not.

"My dear Sir Thomas, I fully understand you and live up to the generosity and tenderness of your ideas, which are in fact entirely in line with your general conduct; and I totally agree with you, in the main, as far as the adequacy is concerned, to do everything that can be done to care for a child that you have taken into your own hands; and I am sure that I should be the last person in the world to hold back my little bit on such an occasion. Since I don't have children of my own, who should I turn to in every little matter I ever have to give than my sisters' children? – and I'm sure Norris-san is too fair – but you know that I'm a woman with few words and professions. Let us not be deterred from a good deed by a small thing. Give a girl an education and properly introduce her to the world, and ten to one, but she has the means to settle in well, at no additional cost to anyone. A niece of ours, Sir Thomas, I can say, or at least without many advantages, yours would not grow up in this neighborhood. I'm not saying she would look as good as her cousins. I dare say she wouldn't; but it would be introduced into the society of this country under such very favorable circumstances that would in all probability give it a decent institution. You think of your sons – but don't you know that, of all things on earth – this will happen least when they are brought up like this, always together like brothers and sisters? It is morally impossible. I have never known a case of it. It is, in fact, the only sure way to go against the connection. Suppose she were a pretty girl and was seen by Tom or Edmund for the first time in seven years, and I dare say there would be mischief. The mere idea that she had to grow up in poverty and neglect far away from all of us would be enough to make one of the dear, good-natured boys fall in love with her. But raise her with them from that time, and imagine if she had even the beauty of an angel, and she won't be more than a sister to either of them."

"There is a great deal of truth in what you are saying," Sir Thomas replied, "and it is far from me to put any imaginative obstacle in the way of a plan that would be so compatible with the circumstances. I just wanted to note that it should not be frivolous, and that in order to make it truly serviceable to Mrs. Price and commendable to ourselves, we must entrust ourselves to the child or feel obliged to secure it later. as you expect so confidently.

"I fully understand you," exclaimed Mrs. Norris, "You are all that is generous and considerate, and I am sure we will never contradict each other on this point. Whatever I can do, as you know, I am always ready enough to do it for the good of those I love; and although I could never feel for this little girl the hundredth part of the respect I have for your own dear children, nor could I consider them so much my own in any way, I would hate myself if I were able to neglect them. Isn't she the child of a sister? and could I bear to see her, while I would have to give her a piece of bread? My dear Sir Thomas, for all my faults I have a warm heart; and poor as I am, I would rather give up the necessities of life than do an involuntary thing. So, if you are not against it, tomorrow I will write to my poor sister and make the suggestion; and,I will get involved to bring the child to Mansfield; You won't have any trouble with it. My own difficulties, you know, I never look at them. I'm going to send Nanny to London on purpose, and she can have a bed with her cousin, the saddler, and the child is destined to meet her there. You can easily take them to the city by carriage from Portsmouth, under the care of a credible person who happens to ride along. I dare to say that one or the other serious merchant woman always appears."

Except for the attack on Nanny's cousin, Sir Thomas raised no objections, and a more respectable, if less frugal, rendezvous was replaced accordingly, everything was considered done, and the joys of such a benevolent plan were already enjoyed. Strictly speaking, the distribution of satisfying sensations should not have been the same; for Sir Thomas was determined to be the real and consistent patron of the chosen child, and Mrs. Norris had no intention of taking care of her subsistence at all costs. As far as walking, talking, and tinkering were concerned, she was thoroughly benevolent, and no one knew better how to dictate generosity to others; but her love of money was on par with her love of directing, and she knew just as well how to save her own as spending that of her friends. Since she had married with a lower income than she was used to, she had considered a very strict austerity policy necessary from the beginning; and what was started out of prudence soon grew into a matter of choice, as an object of that necessary care that there were no children to deliver. Had a family been provided for, Mrs. Norris might never have saved her money; but since they did not care about this species, there was nothing that hindered their frugality or reduced the comfort of making an annual increase to an income they had never lived up to. Under this beguiling principle, which was not countered by any real affection for her sister, it was impossible for her to seek more than the merit of planning and organizing such an expensive charity; although she may know so little to go home to the rectory,

when the issue was raised again, her views were explained more fully; and in response to Lady Schmidt's quiet question "Where should the child come first, sister, to you or to us?" Sir Thomas heard with some surprise that it would be completely outside the power of Mrs. Norris to participate in her personal responsibility. He had seen her as a particularly welcome addition to the rectory, as a desirable partner of an aunt who had no children of her own; but he found himself completely in error. Mrs. Norris unfortunately had to say that staying with them for the little girl, at least as things were then, was quite unthinkable. Poor Mr. Norris' indifferent state of health made it impossible: he could not bear the noise of a child any more than he could fly; if he really ever recovered from his gout complaints, it would be another matter: she would like to take her turn and think nothing of it; but right now, poor Mr. Norris took up every moment of her time, and she was sure that the mere mention of such a thing would distract him.

"Then she had better come to us," said Lady Schmidt with the utmost serenity. After a short pause, Sir Thomas added gracefully: "Yes, let their home be in this house. We will strive to fulfill our duty through her, and she will at least have the advantage of a companion of the same age and a regular teacher."

"Very true," exclaimed Mrs. Norris, "these are both very important considerations; and it will be the same for Miss Lee whether she has three girls to teach or only two – there can be no difference. I just wish I could be more useful; but you see, I do everything in my power. I am not one of those who spare their own difficulties; and Nanny is supposed to pick her up, however it can be uncomfortable for me to have my chief advisor away for three days. I suppose sister, you take the child to the little white attic near the old kindergartens. It will be the best place for them, so close to Miss Lee and not far from the girls and close to the housemaids who could both help attract them, you know, and take care of their clothes, for me you suppose you wouldn't think it would be fair to expect from Ellis, that he serves them as well as the others. In fact,

Lady Schmidt did not object.

"I hope she will prove to be a kind-minded girl," Mrs. Norris continued, "and be aware of her unusual happiness of having such friends."

"If she is really unwell," said Sir Thomas, "we do not have to keep her in the family for the sake of our own children; but there is no reason to expect such a great evil. We will probably see a change in it that leaves much to be desired and must be prepared for gross ignorance, a certain meanness of opinions and a very disturbing vulgarity of behavior; but these are not incurable mistakes; I trust that they cannot be dangerous for their companions either. If my daughters had been younger than themselves, I would have considered the introduction of such a companion to be a matter of very serious importance; but as it is, I hope that they have nothing to fear from unification and everything they can hope for for them."

"That's exactly what I think," exclaimed Mrs. Norris, "and what I said to my husband this morning. It will be an education for the child, I said, to be only with her cousins; If Miss Lee didn't teach her anything, she would learn from them to be good and smart."

"I hope she won't annoy my poor pug," said Lady Schmidt; "I just got Julia to leave it alone."

"There will be some difficulties ahead of us, Mrs Norris," Sir Thomas remarked, "regarding the distinction to be made between the adolescent girls: how to keep in the minds of my daughters the awareness of who they are without them thinking too little of their cousin; and how she remembers, without depressing her mood too much, that she is not Miss Schmidt. I want to see her very good friends and I don't want to give my girls the slightest arrogance against their relatives; but still, they cannot be the same. Their rank, wealth, rights and expectations will always be different. It's a very delicate point, and you need to support us in our efforts to choose exactly the right behavior."

Mrs. Norris was entirely at his service; and although she completely agreed with him that it was an extremely difficult thing, she encouraged him to hope that it would be easily handled between them.

It's easy to believe that Mrs. Norris didn't write to her sister for nothing. Mrs. Price seemed quite surprised that a girl was fixated on her when she had so many good boys, but gratefully accepted the offer, assuring them that their daughter was a very kind-hearted, good-humored girl, trusting that they would never have reason to drop her. She spoke of her father as a bit tender and puny, but was confident in the hope that she would be better off materially to change the air. Poor woman! She probably thought that a change of air would do many of her children good.