Page:Austen Sanditon and other miscellanea.djvu/38

 14 Bathing-place, certainly the favourite spot of all that are to be found along the coast of Sussex; the most favoured by Nature, and promising to be the most chosen by Man.’ ‘Yes, I have heard of Sanditon,' replied Mr. Heywood. ‘Every five years one hears of some new place or other starting up by the Sea, and growing the fashion. How they can half of them be filled, is the wonder! Where People can be found with Money or Time to go to them! Bad things for a Country; sure to raise the price of Provisions and make the Poor good for nothing—as I dare say you find, Sir.' ‘Not at all, Sir, not at all,' cried Mr. Parker eagerly. ‘Quite the contrary, I assure you. A common idea, but a mistaken one. It may apply to your large, overgrown Places, like Brighton, or Worthing, or Eastbourne, but not to a small village like Sanditon, precluded by its size from experiencing any of the evils of Civilization, while the growth of the place, the Buildings, the Nursery Grounds, the demand for every thing, and the sure resort of the very best Company, those regular, steady, private Families of thorough Gentility and Character, who are a blessing everywhere, excite the industry of the Poor and diffuse comfort and improvement among them of every sort. No, Sir, I assure you, Sanditon is not a place’ ‘I do not mean to take exceptions to any place in particular, Sir,’ answered Mr. Heywood; `I only think our Coast is too full of them altogether. But had we not better try to get you’ 'Our Coast too full,’ repeated Mr. Parker. ‘On that point perhaps we may not totally disagree; at least there are enough. Our Coast is abundant enough; it demands no more. Everybody's Taste and everybody’s finances may be suited. And those good people who are trying to add to the number, are in my opinion excessively absurd, and must soon find themselves the Dupes of their own fallacious Calculations. Such a place as Sanditon, Sir, I may say was