feat_summary_path: finished_summaries/novelguide/Sense and Sensibility/section_1_part_6.txt
feat_book_id: Sense and Sensibility.chapter vi
feat_summary_id: chapter vi
feat_summary: {"name": "Chapter VI", "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20201020004256/https://www.novelguide.com/sense-and-sensibility/summaries/volume1-chapter1-11", "summary": "The Dashwood women arrive at Barton Cottage, and find it pleasant but small. Mrs. Dashwood has plans for extending it, though does not consider how she will afford to do so, considering that she has never saved money in her life. Sir John Middleton arrives to greet them. He warmly invites them to dine at his house, Barton Park, until they have settled in. He also sends over a basket of fruit, vegetables, and meat. The next day, Lady Middleton, Sir John's wife, visits the Dashwood women with her six-year-old son. She is elegant but lacks her husband's warmth. Lady Middleton is only interested in her children, who are her sole topic of conversation", "analysis": ""}
text: 
  
  The first part of their journey was performed in too melancholy a
  disposition to be otherwise than tedious and unpleasant.  But as they
  drew towards the end of it, their interest in the appearance of a
  country which they were to inhabit overcame their dejection, and a view
  of Barton Valley as they entered it gave them cheerfulness.  It was a
  pleasant fertile spot, well wooded, and rich in pasture.  After winding
  along it for more than a mile, they reached their own house.  A small
  green court was the whole of its demesne in front; and a neat wicket
  gate admitted them into it.
  
  As a house, Barton Cottage, though small, was comfortable and compact;
  but as a cottage it was defective, for the building was regular, the
  roof was tiled, the window shutters were not painted green, nor were
  the walls covered with honeysuckles.  A narrow passage led directly
  through the house into the garden behind.  On each side of the entrance
  was a sitting room, about sixteen feet square; and beyond them were the
  offices and the stairs.  Four bed-rooms and two garrets formed the rest
  of the house.  It had not been built many years and was in good repair.
  In comparison of Norland, it was poor and small indeed!--but the tears
  which recollection called forth as they entered the house were soon
  dried away.  They were cheered by the joy of the servants on their
  arrival, and each for the sake of the others resolved to appear happy.
  It was very early in September; the season was fine, and from first
  seeing the place under the advantage of good weather, they received an
  impression in its favour which was of material service in recommending
  it to their lasting approbation.
  
  The situation of the house was good.  High hills rose immediately
  behind, and at no great distance on each side; some of which were open
  downs, the others cultivated and woody.  The village of Barton was
  chiefly on one of these hills, and formed a pleasant view from the
  cottage windows.  The prospect in front was more extensive; it
  commanded the whole of the valley, and reached into the country beyond.
  The hills which surrounded the cottage terminated the valley in that
  direction; under another name, and in another course, it branched out
  again between two of the steepest of them.
  
  With the size and furniture of the house Mrs. Dashwood was upon the
  whole well satisfied; for though her former style of life rendered many
  additions to the latter indispensable, yet to add and improve was a
  delight to her; and she had at this time ready money enough to supply
  all that was wanted of greater elegance to the apartments.  "As for the
  house itself, to be sure," said she, "it is too small for our family,
  but we will make ourselves tolerably comfortable for the present, as it
  is too late in the year for improvements.  Perhaps in the spring, if I
  have plenty of money, as I dare say I shall, we may think about
  building.  These parlors are both too small for such parties of our
  friends as I hope to see often collected here; and I have some thoughts
  of throwing the passage into one of them with perhaps a part of the
  other, and so leave the remainder of that other for an entrance; this,
  with a new drawing room which may be easily added, and a bed-chamber
  and garret above, will make it a very snug little cottage.  I could
  wish the stairs were handsome.  But one must not expect every thing;
  though I suppose it would be no difficult matter to widen them.  I
  shall see how much I am before-hand with the world in the spring, and
  we will plan our improvements accordingly."
  
  In the mean time, till all these alterations could be made from the
  savings of an income of five hundred a-year by a woman who never saved
  in her life, they were wise enough to be contented with the house as it
  was; and each of them was busy in arranging their particular concerns,
  and endeavoring, by placing around them books and other possessions, to
  form themselves a home.  Marianne's pianoforte was unpacked and
  properly disposed of; and Elinor's drawings were affixed to the walls
  of their sitting room.
  
  In such employments as these they were interrupted soon after breakfast
  the next day by the entrance of their landlord, who called to welcome
  them to Barton, and to offer them every accommodation from his own
  house and garden in which theirs might at present be deficient.  Sir
  John Middleton was a good looking man about forty.  He had formerly
  visited at Stanhill, but it was too long for his young cousins to
  remember him.  His countenance was thoroughly good-humoured; and his
  manners were as friendly as the style of his letter.  Their arrival
  seemed to afford him real satisfaction, and their comfort to be an
  object of real solicitude to him.  He said much of his earnest desire
  of their living in the most sociable terms with his family, and pressed
  them so cordially to dine at Barton Park every day till they were
  better settled at home, that, though his entreaties were carried to a
  point of perseverance beyond civility, they could not give offence.
  His kindness was not confined to words; for within an hour after he
  left them, a large basket full of garden stuff and fruit arrived from
  the park, which was followed before the end of the day by a present of
  game.  He insisted, moreover, on conveying all their letters to and
  from the post for them, and would not be denied the satisfaction of
  sending them his newspaper every day.
  
  Lady Middleton had sent a very civil message by him, denoting her
  intention of waiting on Mrs. Dashwood as soon as she could be assured
  that her visit would be no inconvenience; and as this message was
  answered by an invitation equally polite, her ladyship was introduced
  to them the next day.
  
  They were, of course, very anxious to see a person on whom so much of
  their comfort at Barton must depend; and the elegance of her appearance
  was favourable to their wishes.  Lady Middleton was not more than six
  or seven and twenty; her face was handsome, her figure tall and
  striking, and her address graceful.  Her manners had all the elegance
  which her husband's wanted.  But they would have been improved by some
  share of his frankness and warmth; and her visit was long enough to
  detract something from their first admiration, by shewing that, though
  perfectly well-bred, she was reserved, cold, and had nothing to say for
  herself beyond the most common-place inquiry or remark.
  
  Conversation however was not wanted, for Sir John was very chatty, and
  Lady Middleton had taken the wise precaution of bringing with her their
  eldest child, a fine little boy about six years old, by which means
  there was one subject always to be recurred to by the ladies in case of
  extremity, for they had to enquire his name and age, admire his beauty,
  and ask him questions which his mother answered for him, while he hung
  about her and held down his head, to the great surprise of her
  ladyship, who wondered at his being so shy before company, as he could
  make noise enough at home.  On every formal visit a child ought to be
  of the party, by way of provision for discourse.  In the present case
  it took up ten minutes to determine whether the boy were most like his
  father or mother, and in what particular he resembled either, for of
  course every body differed, and every body was astonished at the
  opinion of the others.
  
  An opportunity was soon to be given to the Dashwoods of debating on the
  rest of the children, as Sir John would not leave the house without
  securing their promise of dining at the park the next day.
  
  
  
feat_summary_name: Chapter VI
target: The Dashwood women arrive at Barton Cottage, and find it pleasant but small. Mrs. Dashwood has plans for extending it, though does not consider how she will afford to do so, considering that she has never saved money in her life. Sir John Middleton arrives to greet them. He warmly invites them to dine at his house, Barton Park, until they have settled in. He also sends over a basket of fruit, vegetables, and meat. The next day, Lady Middleton, Sir John's wife, visits the Dashwood women with her six-year-old son. She is elegant but lacks her husband's warmth. Lady Middleton is only interested in her children, who are her sole topic of conversation