Page:Austen Sanditon and other miscellanea.djvu/44

 20 allowed them a very gentlemanlike share of Luxuries and Change, enough for them to have indulged in a new Carriage and better roads, an occasional month at Tunbridge Wells, and symptoms of the Gout and a Winter at Bath; but the maintenance, Education and fitting out of 14 Children demanded a very quiet, settled, careful course of Life, and obliged them to be stationary and healthy at Willingden. What Prudence had at first enjoined, was now rendered pleasant by Habit. They never left home, and they had a gratification in saying so. But very far from wishing their Children to do the same, they were glad to promote their getting out into the World, as much as possible, They stayed at home, that their Children might get out; and while making that home extremely comfortable, welcomed every change from it which could give useful connections or respectable acquaintance to Sons or Daughters. When Mr. and Mrs. Parker therefore ceased from soliciting a family-visit, and bounded their views to carrying back one Daughter with them, no difficulties were started. It was general pleasure and consent. Their invitation was to Miss Charlotte Heywood, a very pleasing young woman of two and twenty, the eldest of the Daughters at home, and the one who under her Mother's directions had been particularly useful and obliging to them; who had attended them most, and knew them best. Charlotte was to go, with excellent health, to bathe and be better if she could, to receive every possible pleasure which Sanditon could be made to supply by the gratitude of those she went with, and to buy new Parasols, new Gloves, and new Brooches, for her sisters and herself at the Library, which Mr. Parker was anxiously wishing to support. All that Mr. Heywood himself could be persuaded to promise was, that he would send everyone to Sanditon, who asked his advice, and that nothing should ever induce him (as far [as]