Music Welcome to snoozecast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find and connect with us on snoozecast.com and on social media at snoozecast. This episode is brought to you by notions of decorum. Tonight, to start off persuasion, our latest addition to the Friday rotation of four ongoing stories, we shall read the opening to the book. Or rather, we shall reread the opening as we have once before read the opening to this novel several years ago now. This was the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen, along with being considered her her most mature and refined writing. Persuasion was published in 1817. The story concerns Anne Elliott, a 27-year-old English woman whose family moves to lower their expenses and reduce their debt by renting their home to an admiral and his wife. The novel was well received at its debut, but its greater fame came decades later and continues to this day. Let's get cozy. Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your Now, take a few deep breaths. Chapter 1 Sir Walter Elliott of Kellyn Chal was a man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the baronetage. There he found occupation for a night-alour and consolation in a distressed one. There his faculties were roused into admiration and respect by contemplating the limited remnant of the earliest patents. There, any unwelcome sensations arising from domestic affairs changed naturally into to pity and contempt, as he turned over the almost endless creations of the last century. And there, if every other leaf were powerless, he could read his own history with an interest which never failed.

This was the page at which the favorite volume always opened. Elliott of Kellyn Chal.

Walter Elliott.

Born March 1st, 1760.

Married. Walter Elliott, born March 1st, 1760, married July 15th, 1784, Elizabeth, daughter of James Stevenson, a squire of South Park in the city of Gloucester by which lady who died 1800 he has issue Elizabeth Born June 1st, 1785

and born August 9th, 1787

a stillborn son, November 5, 1789, Mary, Born November 20, 1791. Precisely such had the paragraph originally stood from the printer's hands, but Sir Walter had improved it by adding for the information of his self and his family these words after the date of Mary's birth, married December 16, 1810, Charles, son and heir of Charles Musgrove, a square of upper cross in the county of Somerset, and by inserting most accurately the day of the month on which he had lost his wife. Then followed the history and rise of the ancient and respectable family in the usual terms, how it had been first settled in Cheshire.

How mentioned in Dougdel, serving the office of High Sheriff, representing a borough in three successive parliaments, exertions of loyalty and dignity of baronat. In the first year of Charles II, with all the Mary's and Elizabeth's they had married, forming altogether two handsome pages, and concluding with the arms and motto, principal seat, Kellyn Chal, and Sir Walter's handwriting again in this finale. Air presumptive, William Walter Elliott as choir, great grandson of the second Sir Walter. Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliott's character, Vanity of Person, and of Situation. He had been remarkably handsome in his youth, and at 54 was still a very fine man. Few women could think more of their personal appearance than he did, nor could the valet of any new mate Lord be more delighted with the place he held in society. He considered the blessing of beauty as inferior only to the blessing of a baronet sea. And the Sir Walter Elliott, who united these gifts, was the constant object of his warmest respect and devotion. his good looks and his rank had one fair claim on his attachment. Since to them, he must have owed a wife a very superior character to anything deserved by his own. Lady Elliott had been an excellent woman, sensible and amiable, whose judgment and conduct, if they might be part in the youthful infatuation which made her Lady Elliott, had never required indulgence afterwards. had humid or softened or concealed his failings and promoted his real respectability for 17 years. And, though not the very happiest being in the world herself, had found enough in her duties, her friends, and her children to attach her to life and make it no matter of indifference to her when she was called on to quit them. Three girls, the two eldest sixteen and fourteen, was an awful legacy for a mother to bequeath, an awful charge rather to confide to the authority and guidance of a conceded, silly father. She had, however, one very intimate friend, a sensible, deserving woman, who had been brought by strong attachment to herself to settle close by her in the village of Kellynch, and on her kindness and advice. Lady Elliott mainly relied for the best help and maintenance of the good principles and instruction which she had been anxiously giving her daughters. This friend, answer Walter, did not marry, whatever might have been anticipated on that head by their acquaintance, 13 years had passed away since Lady Elliott's death, and they were still near neighbors and intimate friends, and one remained a widower, the other a widow. Lady Russell Russell of steady age and character and extremely well provided for should have no thought of a second marriage needs no apology to the public, which is rather apt to be unreasonably discontented when a woman does marry again than when she does not. But Sir Walter's continuing in singleness requires explanation. Be it known then that Sir Walter, like a good father, having met with one or two private disappointments and very unreasonable applications.

Pride at himself. Good Father, having met with one or two private disappointments in very unreasonable applications, prided himself on remaining single for his dear daughter's sake. For one daughter, his eldest, he would really have given up anything, which he had not been very much tempted to do. Elizabeth had succeeded at 16 to all that was possible of her mother's rights and consequence and being very handsome and very like himself, her great influence, and they had gone on together most happily. His two other children were a very inferior value. Mary had acquired a little artificial importance by becoming Mrs. Charles Musgrove, but Anne, with an elegance of mind and sweetness of character, which must have placed her high with any people of real understanding, was nobody with either father or sister. Her word had no weight. Her convenience was always to give way. She was only Anne. To Lady Russell, indeed, she was a most dear and highly valued goddaughter, favorite and friend. Lady Russell loved them all, but it was only in Anne that she could fancy the mother to revive again. A few years before Anne, Elliot, had been a very pretty girl, but her bloom had vanished early. And as even in its height, her father had found little to admire in her, so totally different were her delicate features and mild dark eyes from his own. There could be nothing in them now. that that she was faded and thin, to excite, his esteem, he had never indulged much hope. He had now known, of ever reading her name in any other page of his favorite work. All equality of alliance must rest with Elizabeth. For Mary had merely connected herself with an old country family of respectability and large fortune, and had therefore given all the honor and received none. Elizabeth would, one day or other, marry suitably. It sometimes happens that a woman is handsomer at 29 than she was 10 years before. And generally speaking, if there has been neither ill health nor anxiety, it is a time of life at which scarcely any charm is lost. It was so with Elizabeth, still the most handsome Miss Elliott that she had begun to be thirteen years ago, and Sir Walter might be excused therefore in forgetting her age, or at least be deemed only half a full, for thinking himself and Elizabeth as blooming as ever amidst the rack of the good looks of everybody else. For he could plainly see how old all the rest of his family and acquaintance were growing, and haggard, merry course. Every face in the neighborhood warang, and the rapid increase of the Crow's foot about Lady Russell's temples had long been a distress to him. Elizabeth did not quite equal her father in personal contentment. 13 years had seen her mistress of Kalanchol, presiding and directing with a self-possession and decision which could never have given the idea of her being younger than she was. For 13 years had she been doing the honors and laying down the domestic law at home and leading the way to the chase and for and walking immediately after Lady Russell out of all the drawing rooms dining-rooms in the country.

Thirteen winters revolving frosts had seen her opening every ball of credit, which a scanty neighborhood afforded, and thirteen springs shunned their blossoms as she traveled up to London with her father for a few weeks annual enjoyment of the great world. She had the remembrance of all this. She had the consciousness of being nine and twenty to give her some regrets and some apprehensions. She was fully satisfied of being still quite as handsome as ever, which he felt her approach to the years of danger, and would have rejoiced to be certain of being properly solicited by baronet blood within the next twelve months or so. Then, might she again take up the book of books with as much enjoyment as in her early youth. But now, she liked it not. Always to be presented with the date of her own birth and see no marriage follow but that of a youngest sister. Made the book an evil and more than once when her father had left it open on the table near her and she closed it with averted eyes and pushed it away. She had had a disappointment more over which that book and especially the history of her own family must ever present the remembrance of the air presumptive, the very William Walter Elliott Asquire, whose rights had been so generously supported by her father, had disappointed her. She had, while a very young girl, as soon as she had known him to be, in the event of her having no brother, the future bear net meant to marry him, and her father had always meant that she should. He had not been known to them as a boy, but soon after Lady Elliott's death, Sir Walter had sought the acquaintance, and though his overtures had not been met with any warmth, he had persevered in seeking it, making allowance for the modest drawing back of youth, and in one of their spring excursions to London, when Elizabeth was in her first Bloom, Mr. Elliott had been forced into the introduction. He was at that time a very young man just engaged in the study of the law, and Elizabeth found him extremely agreeable, and every plan in his favor was confirmed. He was invited to Kellyn Chal. He was talked of and expected all the rest of the year, but he never came. The following spring he was seen again in town, found equally agreeable, again encouraged, invited, and expected. And again, he did not come. And the next tidings were that he was married. Instead of pushing his fortune in the line marked out for the heir of the house of Elliot. He had purchased independence by uniting himself to a rich woman of inferior birth. Sir Walter had resented it as the head of the house. He felt that he ought to have been consulted, especially after taking the young man so publicly by the hand, for they must have been seen together, he observed one set tatter-salls, and twice in the lobby of the House of Commons. His disaprovation was expressed, but apparently very little regarded. Mr. Elliott had attempted no apology and shown himself as unsolicitous of being longer noticed by the family, as Sir Walter considered him unworthy of it. All acquaintance between them had ceased.

This very awkward history of Mr. Elliott was still after an interval of several years felt with anger by Elizabeth, who had liked the man for himself, and still more for being her father's heir, and whose strong family pride could see only in him a proper match for Sir Walter Elliott's eldest daughter. There was not a baronette from A to Z whom her feelings could have so willingly acknowledged as an equal. so miserably had he conducted himself that though she was at this present time, the summer of 1814, wearing black ribbons for his wife, she could not admit him to be worth thinking of again. The disgrace of his first marriage might, perhaps, as there was no reason to suppose it perpetuated by offspring, have been got over. Had he not done worse? But he had, as by the customary intervention of kind friends, they had been informed, spoken most disrespectfully of them all, most slightingly and contemptuously of the very blood he belonged to, and the honors which were hereafter to be his own, this could not be pardoned. Such were Elizabeth Elliott sentiment and sensations, such the cares to alloy, agitations to vary, the sameness and the elegance, the prosperity and the nothingness of her scene of life, such the feelings to give

interest to a long, uneventful residence in one country circle, to fill the vacancies which

there were no habits of utility abroad, No talents were accomplishments for home to occupy. But now, another occupation and solicitude of mind was beginning to be added to these. Her father was growing distressed for money. She knew that when he now took up the baronetage, it was to drive the heavy bills of the traits people and the unwelcome hints of Mr. Shepherd, his agent from his thoughts. The Kellynch property was good, but not equal to Sir Walter's apprehension of the state required in its possessor. While Lady Elliott lived, there had been method, moderation, and economy, which had just kept him within his income. But with her had died all such right-mindedness, and from that period he had been constantly exceeding it. It had not been possible for him to spend less. He had done nothing but what Sir Walter Elliott was empiriously called on to do. But, blameless as he was, he was not only growing dreadfully in debt, but was hearing of it so often that it became vain to attempt concealing it longer, even partially. From his daughter, he had given her some hints of it, the last spring in town.

He had gone so far even, as to say, can we retrench? Does it occur to you that there is any one article in which we can retrench? Elizabeth to do her justice had in the first order a female alarm, set seriously to think what could be done and had finally proposed these two branches of economy to cut off some unnecessary charities and to refrain from new furnishing to which expedience she afterwards added the happy thought of their taking no present down to Anne as had been the usual yearly custom. these measures. however good in themselves, were insufficient for the real extent of the evil, the whole of which Sir Walter found himself obliged to confess to her soon afterwards. Elizabeth had nothing to propose of deeper efficacy. She felt herself ill-used and unfortunate as did her father, and they were neither of them able to devise any means of lessening their expenses without compromising their dignity or relinquishing their comforts in a way not to be born. There was only a small part of his estate that Sir Walter could dispose of, but had every a car been alienable, it would have made no difference. He had condescended to mortgage as far as he had the power, but he would never condescend to sell. Well, no, he would never disgrace his name so far.

The Kellancha State should be transmitted whole and entire as he had received it. There are two confidential friends, Mr. Shepard, who lived in the neighboring market town, and Lady Russell,

were called to advise them, and both father and daughter seemed to expect that something should be struck out by one or the other to remove their embarrassment and reduce their expenditure without involving the loss of any indulgence of taste or pride. Mr. Tew. Mr. Shepard, a civil, cautious lawyer, who, whatever me, his whole or his views on Sir Walter, would rather have the disagreeable prompted by anybody else. excused himself from offering the slightest hint, and only begged leave to recommend an implicit reference to the excellent judgment of Lady Russell, from whose known good sense he fully expected to have just such resolute measures advised

as he meant to see finally adopted.

Lady Russell was most anxiously zealous on the subject and gave it much serious consideration. Yn yw'n gweld. Yn yw'n gweld. Yn yw'n gweld.

Yn yw'n gweld.

Yn yw'n gweld.

Yn yw'n gweld.

Yn yw'n gweld.

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