Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Austen, art, hypochondria, summer

Hypochondriacal Henry Woodhouse has one criticism of his daughter Emma’s drawing of her friend Harriet Smith:

“It is very pretty,” said Mr. Woodhouse. “So prettily done! Just as your drawings always are, my dear. I do not know any body who draws so well as you do. The only thing I do not thoroughly like is, that she seems to be sitting out of doors, with only a little shawl over her shoulders — and it makes one think she must catch cold.”

“But, my dear papa, it is supposed to be summer; a warm day in summer. Look at the tree.”

“But it is never safe to sit out of doors, my dear.”

Jane Austen, Emma (1816).
Today is the first day of summer. Break out your shawls.

Related reading
All Jane Austen posts

comments: 5

Jazzbumpa said...

Are you sure that's Jane Austen?

I only saw one semicolon.

Cheers!
JzB

Elaine said...

Well, it's true that it is not safe to sit outside today. Because it is 90-trillion degrees! and windy, which helps increase the dehydration factor! And sunny, so you can burn to a crisp before you can say, 'Jack Robinson.'

And a shawl...well, heat stroke is a quick way to go, I guess.

Michael Leddy said...

JzB, yep, it’s Austen. Many of her semicolons were the work of an editor.

Elaine, it was 93° when I was out earlier this afternoon, with what felt like no humidity. Just ovenish.

normann said...

On this the first day of summer, the high in Oslo will be 70°F, the warmest day since mid-May. And then the low 60s return for the weekend...

Michael Leddy said...

That’s the kind of summer I can get behind.