What is right to be done cannot be done too soon.
Jane Austen, Emma (vol. II, ch. 4)
***
-
Recent Posts
Looking for Something?
I like these blogs!
Sweet Tweets
- RT @LauraDroege: What is your favorite fiction genre to read? Twitter only gave me 4 places for options, so if your favorite isn't on the l… 1 hour ago
- @moorloc @fairlyspiritual Thanks much. I must say that Doug is one who sets an example I follow. As for not sayin… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 1 hour ago
- Where goodness exists: https://t.co/Vg909eVUMH 1 hour ago
- @moorloc @tweetmommybop @MargMowczko @fairlyspiritual @dodo @sacwriter @RevDaniel @abbyjperry You are very encourag… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 2 hours ago
- @CarolHoward I’ve set Google alerts on the various iterations of my name. It’s a job hazard/management thing. 22 hours ago
Archives
- January 2019
- December 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
Meta
Tim, this just inspired a new cyber-sampler! 😀
Loved this, Adriana!
Thank you! 🙂
Me, too!
What’s funny about that quote in context is that Frank is chomping at the bit to see his beloved Jane but is pretending, “Well, I suppose I SHOULD go pay my respects to Miss Farfax…” and his dad is urging him to do the polite thing and go. Once again a father has the wool pulled over his eyes! 🙂 But there is a lot of truth in that quote: it’s never too soon to do right!
Yeah, Frank’s in a high-powered dissembling mode. I think it makes Mr. Weston’s comment all the more pointed, even though inadvertently so, because Frank is doing so much that is wrong in how he interacts with others!
It’s been so long since I’ve read any Jane Austen that I can hardly remember the storyline of Emma. I think I need to reread it soon. What a wonderful thought Austen had here.
It’s such a great story, Laura, that i come back to it for a re-read every so often. Then again, I read through all six of her novels every few years!
That’s quite amazing that you do that, Tim!! I re-read them very regularly as well. I have a stack of JA on my beside table and find them perfect bedtime reading; they are well-written enough to remain interesting after multiple reads, yet the slow pace & speeches have a very soothing effeczzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
At the moment I’m enjoying the hospitality of the Coles, while Emma and Mrs. Weston talk over the prudence (or lack thereof) in a match between Mr K and Miss Fairfax. Poor Emma doesn’t know her real motivations!
In Jane’s era right and wrong were pretty clear. Tragically, the case is not quite so today. And doing ‘good’ is often confused with doing ‘right’. Here’s to Jane, not quite as classical as the Bible, but nearly as endearing (BTW: I have a prayer composed by JA that hangs in my study (there are many JA fans and many who follow Christ so I will post the complete prayer):
“Give us grace almighty Father, so to pray, as to deserve to be heard, to address thee with our hearts, as with our lips. Thou art everywhere present, from thee no secret can be hid. May the knowledge of this, teach us to fix our thoughts on thee, with reverence and devotion that we pray not in vain. —
“May we now, and on each return of night, consider how the past day has been spent by us, what have been our prevailing thoughts, words and actions during it, and how far we an acquit ourselves of evil. —
“Have we thougth irreverently of thee, have we disobeyed thy commandments, have we neglected any known duty, or willingly given pain to any human being? Incline us to ask our hearts these questions oh@ God, to sabe us from deceiving ourselves by pride or vanity —
“Give us a thankful sense of the blessings in which we live, of the many comforts of our lot; that we may not deserve to lose them by discontent or indifference — Hear us almighty God, for his sake who has redeemed us, and taught us, thus to pray — Amen.”
Perhaps she has evoked in us a sense of what is ‘right’ rather than of what is ‘good’?
I love that prayer, Sarah. Jane Austen’s line about doing right reminds me too of Paul in Galatians 6:10 – “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Amen!
Pingback: When Pop Stars Do Right, Right Away | Tim's Blog - Just One Train Wreck After Another