. and his sister they used to be.

Very affectionately yours,
J. AUSTEN.

Miss Knight, Godmersham Park,
Canterbury.

Very different in tone and subject were the letters, addressed about the
same time as the two earlier of this series, to her other niece, Anna.
Not that Anna was without her own love story: on the contrary, it came
to a straightforward and satisfactory climax in her marriage to Ben
Lefroy, which took place in November 1814; and no doubt, she, like her
cousin, had received letters of sympathy and advice on the realities of
life from her aunt. Her own romance, however, did not prevent her from
interesting herself in the creations of her brain: indeed, all the three
children of James Austen--Anna, Edward, and little Caroline--had
indulged freely in the delights of authorship from a very youthful age.
It was a novel of Anna's which caused the present correspondence; and we
can see from the delicate hints of her aunt that _Pride and Prejudice_
and _Mansfield Park_ had not been without their influence over its
matter and style. Readers of these letters will note the kindness with
which Jane, now deep in the composition of _Emma_, turns aside from her
own work to criticise and encourage, associating her views all the time
with those of Cassandra--who was to her like a Court of Appeal--and
allowing ample freedom of judgment also to Anna herself. They will see
also that her vote is for 'nature and spirit,' above everything; while
yet she insists on the necessity of accuracy of detail for producing the
illusion of truth in fiction.

[May or June, 1814.]

MY DEAR ANNA,--I am very much obliged to you for
sending your MS. It has entertained me extremely;
all of us, indeed. I read it aloud to your
Grandmama and Aunt Cass, and we were all very much
pleased. The spirit does not droop at all. Sir
Thos., Lady Helena and St. Julian are very well
done, and Cecilia continues to be interesting in
spite of her being so amiable. It was very fit you
should advance her age. I like the beginning of
Devereux Forester very much, a great deal better
than if he had been very good or very bad. A few
verbal corrections are all that I felt tempted to
mak