The Jane Austen Handbook (18 page)

THE DEMOCRACY OF THE DANCE

In the eighteenth century and earlier, the most fashionable dancing was in the French style, particularly the minuet, which was danced by one couple at a time with everyone else watching. The idea of the minuet was to perform gracefully and give enjoyment to those watching. The highest-ranking persons would dance together, and so on down the line, so the social order was strictly observed.

English country dancing, which came into prominence on both sides of the English Channel after the French Revolution, was a more democratic style of dancing. As a couple worked their way down the set, they interacted with every other couple in the set. Aristocrats would interact with gentry, tradespeople, or even servants who were called in to make up a set if there were not enough couples, giving them their hands and looking them in the eye. Those who considered themselves “above their company,” such as Mr. Darcy at the Meryton assembly in
Pride and Prejudice
, greatly insulted those present.

Northanger Abbey! —These were thrilling words, and wound up Catherine’s feelings to the highest point of exstasy. Her grateful and gratified heart could hardly restrain its expressions within the language of tolerable calmness. To receive so flattering an invitation! To have her company so warmly solicited! Everything honourable and soothing, every present enjoyment, and every future hope was contained in it; and her acceptance, with only the saving clause of Papa and Mamma’s approbation, was eagerly given
. —
N
ORTHANGER
A
BBEY

• 
Cultivate relationships with people who have big houses
. They will want to gather company around them, and you are bound to get an invitation sooner or later.

• 
Offer to keep house for a bachelor relative
. A gentleman cannot invite ladies to his home for dinner or a ball unless there is a lady to receive them, so if a bachelor brother or other close relative would like to extend hospitality to his neighbors, he will be happy to have you keep house for him.
This does take some of the fun out of it for you, since you will have to consult with the housekeeper and take care of the little details. While you are there, look around for a wife for him; when he gets married, he is sure to invite you back, and you can relax and enjoy yourself while his wife takes care of the house.

• 
Make yourself invaluable
. Offer advice or lend money; whatever the owner of the house might need. He will be so grateful that you are sure to be invited. Help with a romance, and the happy couple will always be glad to invite you to stay with them. Listen to the owners’ problems, cheer them when they are feeling ill, and help out with their children.

• 
Play the pity card
. Drop hints into your conversation about how country air agrees so well with you, but you are forced by circumstances to stay in the city just at this time. Cultivate an air of brave forbearance. They will trip over themselves to offer you a few weeks in the country.

• 
Ask!
Sometimes the direct approach works better than you’d think.

• 
Just be good company
. You will have more invitations than you know what to do with.

Lydia was occasionally a visitor there, when her husband was gone to enjoy himself in London or Bath; and with the Bingleys they both of them frequently staid so long, that even Bingley’s good humour was overcome, and he proceeded so far as to
talk
of giving them a hint to be gone
. —
P
RIDE AND
P
REJUDICE

• 
Give them a hint
. Sometimes this is enough, but most of the time it will just be ignored. If so, you must be prepared to escalate hostilities.

• 
Stop the party
. Do not provide any enjoyable activities. No balls, no shooting, no amateur theatricals. They will go elsewhere in search of a good time.

• 
Go away yourself
. Come up with an engagement of your own that takes you away from home. They can hardly expect to stay if you are not there.

• 
Frighten them away
. Tell them that there is a putrid fever in
the house. This is especially effective if the guests have children with them.

• 
Use a middleman
. Why should you do the dirty work? Get someone else to inform the guest that she must leave in the morning. Order her a chaise and be done with it.

PAYING EXTENDED VISITS

In Jane Austen’s time, it was expected that a houseguest would stay a minimum of two weeks. Four to six weeks was a more common length of time, and two months or more was not unheard of. Country dwellers, especially those living in an isolated area, often were happy to have company for an extended period, and considering the difficulty and expense of traveling long distances, it would have been illogical to turn around and go home after only a few days. Unmarried women could not travel alone, and if a servant could not be spared as an escort, they might have to wait until a friend or male relative was available to accompany them home. Modern audiences might marvel at the length of these visits, but recall that everyone had servants to tend to things at home and rarely had a job to which they must return.

On one side was a table occupied by some chattering girls, cutting up silk and gold paper; and on the other were tressels and trays, bending under the weight of brawn and cold pies, where riotous boys were holding high revel; the whole completed by a roaring Christmas fire, which seemed determined to be heard, in spite of all the noise of the others
. —
P
ERSUASION

• 
December 21, the
winter solstice:
If you are the owner of the house, make sure that the Yule log is brought in at this time and that the fire is kept roaring throughout the holiday. Have the servants deck the halls with boughs of holly and other greenery; in more superstitious households, they do not put out the greenery until December 24, as it is considered unlucky to do so earlier. This is the shortest day of the year (in the north of England it is very short indeed) and you will want these reminders of warmth and life around you. No Christmas tree, however; they will not become fashionable until the 1850s.

• 
December 24,
Christmas Eve:
Gather at the appointed house; settle in and greet your family and friends. Guests will likely be invited for dinner, and perhaps some dancing
or games afterwards. Do not stay up too late; it’s a long holiday season, and you need to pace yourself.

• 
December 25,
Christmas Day:
Go to church in the morning, and put a little extra in the poor box for tomorrow. Later in the day, enjoy a turkey dinner (the Christmas goose is a later tradition). Most people will stay at home with their families on Christmas Day, so do not expect a large party after dinner, but you still can have games and other fun activities.

• 
December 26,
Boxing Day:
Give out boxes of food and clothing to the tenants. It also is traditional to give the servants a holiday bonus. The contents of the church poor box will be distributed to the needy, including your extra contribution from the day before; it is hoped that you were generous! There might be a fox hunt put on somewhere in the neighborhood; take part if that is your thing.

• 
December 27–30:
There will be parties and gatherings at home or at nearby houses almost every night. Gentlemen will dance all night and then rise early for sport, but ladies can get their beauty rest and then spend the afternoon touring the countryside in a low phaeton. Evening activities can include games, charades, amateur theatricals, or dancing and music.

• 
December 31:
See in the
New Year at midnight with drink and song, should auld acquaintance be forgot. If you like, get caught under the mistletoe.

• 
January 1:
Recover from the previous night’s activities and rest up for more partying.

• 
January 2–5:
More social gatherings and family activities. If it is cold enough, there might be sleighing or ice skating during the day, and balls and parties in the evening.

• 
January 6,
Twelfth Night:
This is the traditional day for the exchange of gifts, but gifts can be given at any time
throughout the holiday season or even over several days. At night there will likely be a large ball somewhere in the neighborhood to which the children of the house might be invited along with the grown-ups.

• 
January 7:
Take down the decorations (it is unlucky to leave them up longer) and say goodbye to your guests.

Short and easy will be the task of the mere biographer. A life of usefulness, literature, and religion, was not by any means a life of event
. —
FROM
H
ENRY
A
USTEN’S BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF HIS SISTER, PUBLISHED POSTHUMOUSLY WITH
N
ORTHANGER
A
BBEY
AND
P
ERSUASION