Chapter 5 ~ Rational Creatures

23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. 25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all." 30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:23-30, ESV)

The gentlemen having finished their port now rejoined the ladies. Mary studiously attending to her copy of Fordyce's Sermons was thus addressed by her father.

"My dear, you are a young lady of deep reflection, I know, and read great books and make extracts. I wonder if you might entertain the company by reading this book aloud. I happened very recently to read it on Mr. Wickham's advice and I should like to hear your thoughts on this section towards the end. Will you oblige us."

Though unused to such attention and even less accustomed to this particular manner of display she was not at all opposed to it. It was exactly the talent she most wished to exhibit. She had the length of the coming passage to adjust her ideas. Had she troubled herself to read the title she might have tossed the book from her with horror but trusting her father would give her no false guidance in the presence of two men of the cloth she simply set down the trusted volume she currently held and grasped unknowingly the forbidden fruit. She began to read in her usual style – indiscriminately adding emphasis without adding much to the meaning of the passage – from the place where her father's hand directed her:

Another instance of that feminine weakness of character, often

produced by a confined education, is a romantic twist of the mind,

which has been very properly termed sentimental.

Women subjected by ignorance to their sensations, and only taught

to look for happiness in love, refine on - -feelings, and adopt

metaphysical notions respecting that passion, which lead them

shamefully to neglect the duties of life, and frequently in the midst

of these sublime refinements they plump into actual vice.

Mary, now unsure of the wisdom of reading this text, in company especially, looked to her father who smiled and encouraged her gently to, 'Read on' obediently continued,

These are the women who are amused by the reveries of the stupid

novelists, who, knowing little of human nature, work up stale tales,

and describe meretricious scenes, all retailed in a sentimental

jargon, which equally tend to corrupt the taste, and draw the heart

aside from its daily duties.

Mary could only approve of this portion and smiled her approbation at her father. She then glanced at their handsome guest examining his inscrutable features before she proceeded.

I do not mention the understanding,

because never having been exercised, its slumbering energies rest

inactive . . . Females, in fact, denied all political privileges . . . have

their attention naturally drawn from the interest of the whole

community to that of the minute parts . . . The mighty business of

female life is to please, and restrained from entering into more

important concerns by political and civil oppression, sentiments

become events, and reflection deepens what it should, and would

have effaced, if the understanding had been allowed to take a

wider range.

This part unsettled Mary but looking about her no one else seemed at all troubled. Kitty and Lydia were whispering in the corner of the room where her mother searched for a dropped needle. Mr. Collins eyes were on her eldest sister. Jane had been focused on her embroidery but looked up to give Mary an encouraging smile. Elizabeth looked as if she wished to smile but dared not. Mr. Wickham remained as stoic as ever and her father nodded that she must continue and so she did. Her arbitrary inflection sometimes making the argument more forcefully than the author perhaps intended.

But, confined to trifling employments, they naturally imbibe

opinions which the only kind of reading calculated to interest an

innocent frivolous mind, inspires. Unable to grasp any thing great,

is it surprising that they find the reading of history a very dry task,

and disquisitions addressed to the understanding intolerably

tedious, and almost unintelligible? Thus are they necessarily

dependent on the novelist for amusement.

Elizabeth sighed, and Mr. Wickham leaned forward looking past Miss Mary and Mr. Bennet who anchored the fireplace that divided the company, "Is anything amiss?"

"It is merely that I wonder how she who champions women should look to discredit their usual interests in favour of those generally preferred by gentlemen. Does she propose that women must earn their rights by discarding what is womanly and imitating men."

"She suggests that it is the fault of education that the interest is so shaped. Were girls educated in the same way that boys are, a woman's interests would reach beyond the domestic sphere into the sphere of politics."

Elizabeth had read "The Vindication of the Rights of Women" and found more to approve than otherwise but when she discovered that Mr. Wickham championed the work she wished to shock and challenge him. She chose only to point out what she considered the flaws in Mrs. Wollstonecraft's arguments. It was made easier by the chosen passage for her complaints about novels particularly annoyed Elizabeth.

"Oh, I cannot quarrell with her suppositions on that, she may be right about them; I do not know. But I do not think that the sphere of woman – home and family and domestic concerns – of less value and less significance than the political concerns of the sphere of man- -"

Here her cousin interrupted, "My dear Cousin Elizabeth - -"

But Mr. Wickham gave him a look which cowed him though it offended Mr. Collins dignity to be intimidated by a mere curate and Elizabeth was allowed to continue.

"Are not community concerns already at least as much influenced by women as men? And for what purpose are the community and the nation if not to support the family? For what do soldiers fight if it is not for the home? I feel no shame that I do indeed find history dry and tedious. I would perhaps wish to read of the personal experience of some woman in some previous time, but battle plans and the succession of kings cannot win any enthusiasm from me. She speaks with disdain of her fellow creatures – supposing that her own experience can account for us all. I propose that it is possible that while wishing to be valued for her intellect among men she shames the feminine interests - -"

"But if you read the whole you would see she praises the woman's place in the home and in a family. She places great value and importance on the education of women for the purpose of better educating their children and becoming a more complete companion to her husband."

"Indeed she does. She then follows that proposition by suggesting that women who retain their husbands affection after many years have succeeded only in inspiring a tender contempt. That may be evident in some marriages" Here she blushed beautifully though with shame thinking of her own parents."But I know it is not always so. You yourself must observe it daily at the parsonage. Education is not the only virtue that inspires respect and sustains love."

"I see you have read it and formed some very strong opinions on the subject. So far I must agree that you are correct but her intent is to widen the scope of a woman's understanding and she uses the arguments that best support her claim."

"Ah! and this excuses the exaggeration and passionate speech she decries as the habit of other women in their own more frivolous pursuits. I wonder that the troubles of the children and family, concerns that are real and impactful in the lives of those women and the people they love are called frivolous."

"If you recall she supported that claim also by describing the horror many women express at the sight of a mouse." Miss Elizabeth smiled and offered a conciliatory nod and Mr. Wickham pressed his advantage. "She does not consider all family concerns as frivolous, she speaks of the bonds of mother and child in most tender terms-"

Unable to allow that to stand she boldly broke in "but then she suggests that dolls, toys that by their nature prepare a girl for motherhood, are only preferred by girls because they are permitted no other amusement. I did not play frequently with dolls but Jane, Mary, and Kitty would not be parted from them though they could have run about with me had they chosen to."

He shook his head and smiled, "I take it that you do not approve of Mrs. Wollstonecraft?"

The book dropped from Mary's hands but only Mr. Collins observed her with sympathy. He immediately removed one name from his list of potential brides. A woman so free with her opinions and who had read that shocking book – especially as a maiden – would not make a proper rector's wife and he would write to his bishop about this curate's questionable opinions.

"You mis-take me. Much of what she says is commendable, but she contradicts herself and ought, I think, to have fully satisfied her points before expanding them. Are women to be educated to be better suited as wives preparing them to serve as worthy companions and friends when their husband loses his affectionate interest in her. She treats emotion as a temporary and useless encumbrance instead of an enrichment of life. How cold the world she describes sounds. A woman's education will allow mothers to better superintend the education of their children and serve as a guide as they grow. Then she suggests that those children be educated by someone else. These solutions she proposes seem to me rather to undermine than to support her claims."

"Even in the scriptures the virtuous woman of Proverbs has more duties than motherhood. Should she not have some time in which to pursue some other goal?"

"Again I have no quarrell with that idea, none whatsoever, but she asserts that a woman's time is spent in frivolous pursuits. Could not that time be used instead for more worthy pursuits? Why must the children be sent away? I say this though the idea of the day school interests me. My concern is with the consistency of her stated goals and the solutions she proposes. They do not align and as a rational creature – I use her words you see – I want one to follow the other naturally. Her arguments, though founded on obvious truths, fall short of convincing me that she is not herself guided by emotion rather than reason and I cannot help but wonder if she feels she must reject even what is good.

Let us return to the novel. When she writes of it you can almost see the sneer as she inspects a volume some friend has chosen to occupy herself with and says "Oh, it is only a novel." I propose that, in fact, it is only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language. Perhaps she has no interest in them herself or she has been taught to think meanly of them but her opinion does not shame my own."

Mr. Wickham smiled at her and confessed he had no further argument to make. Mary's opinion was never asked and before she had formed the sentence that would do credit to her moral character and guide the curate to a better way of thinking, the gentleman took his leave.

With a mind full of plans and a heart full of renewed gratitude George Wickham trod the path that would take him to his room at the parsonage. This parish had been the right choice for him, and he was grateful to have the position. Raised knowing the church was his destiny, with a living that would be given into his trust when its current vicar could no longer serve the parish, he felt his future was secure. He had dreamed of the promised living often while away at school. His father's letters described it in cheerful detail. This had been his expectation, it had been promised in his godfather's will. Yet after receiving his ordination he learned that Kympton living had been sold elsewhere and he must find another place.

Besides a legacy of a thousand pounds another two thousand had been added to compensate him for the loss of the living. It was generous and it was a safeguard against want but it was not quite enough to satisfy him that he could offer a home to a gentlewoman. He was tempted by his own observations of his mother and father to dismiss the possibility of happiness in marriage as a fairytale. It was good that at the parsonage he had before him an example of domestic felicity. There was one gentlewoman in the parish that made him want to marry, but as one of the daughters of his benefactor he tried not to allow himself to think of her. Miss Elizabeth was glorious tonight with laughing eyes and a lively mind she was much more than he could hope for. And she had argued so powerfully for lasting happiness proving that she would work towards a happy home along with her husband. That man would not be him. If he had the living he was promised - - but that was a useless thought. If he had that living he would never have met her.

Before taking the position as curate in Longbourn he had been recommended by a family friend to Lady Catherine de Bourgh, but as he that evening discovered, his forthright manner did not please her. He was advised by the bishop overseeing his ordination that without family to use their influence in his favour he must make his own way and if he could not purchase a living he would need to begin as a curate.

It was a year after he began his search for a permanent place that he took the curacy in Longbourn Church. This was a small parish providing a small income, however, he had invested his inheritance in some business ventures in London and was able to keep a close eye on his success by being only a half day's journey from town. He had hope, courage, and determination on his side. It is not to be supposed that he was discontented in his profession; he was instead certain that poverty was not expected of the clergy. The parable of the talents could represent many things but he would not ignore its literal meaning. Thus he would invest his resources not merely his time, his genius, and his strength but his money as well. Being both ambitious and clever he expected a good return from them all.

Dark eyes alive with intelligence and framed by exquisite lashes pursued him all the long half mile home and pestered him for many days thereafter. They drove him in fact to write some letters of business agreeing to take a great risk with the two thousand pounds he had gained in the last few years of careful investment. Perhaps if the venture were successful he could afford to purchase a living and then take a wife. Not likely Miss Elizabeth but he could learn to love another and so put her far from his thoughts.