The Absentee | Page 3

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THE ABSENTEE by MARIA EDGEWORTH

Footnotes have been inserted in the text in square ("[]") brackets, close
to the point where they were originally.
Characters printed in italics in the original text have been written in
capital letters in this etext.
The British Pound Sterling symbol has been written 'L'.
*
NOTES ON 'THE ABSENTEE'
In August 1811, we are told, she wrote a little play about landlords and
tenants for the children of her sister, Mrs. Beddoes. Mr. Edgeworth

tried to get the play produced on the London boards. Writing to her
aunt, Mrs. Ruxton, Maria says, 'Sheridan has answered as I foresaw he
must, that in the present state of this country the Lord Chamberlain
would not license THE ABSENTEE; besides there would be a
difficulty in finding actors for so many Irish characters.' The little
drama was then turned into a story, by Mr. Edgeworth's advice.
Patronage was laid aside for the moment, and THE ABSENTEE
appeared in its place in the second part of TALES OF FASHIONABLE
LIFE. We all know Lord Macaulay's verdict upon this favourite story
of his, the last scene of which he specially admired and compared to the
ODYSSEY. [Lord Macaulay was not the only notable admirer of THE
ABSENTEE. The present writer remembers hearing Professor Ruskin
on one occasion break out in praise and admiration of the book. 'You
can learn more by reading it of Irish politics,' he said, 'than from a
thousand columns out of blue-books.'] Mrs. Edgeworth tells us that
much of it was written while Maria was suffering a misery of
toothache.
Miss Edgeworth's own letters all about this time are much more
concerned with sociabilities than with literature. We read of a pleasant
dance at Mrs. Burke's; of philosophers at sport in Connemara; of
cribbage, and company, and country houses, and Lord Longford's
merry anecdotes during her visit to him. Miss Edgeworth, who scarcely
mentions her own works, seems much interested at this time in a book
called MARY AND HER CAT, which she is reading with some of the
children.
Little scraps of news (I cannot resist quoting one or two of them) come
in oddly mixed with these personal records of work and family talk.
'There is news of the Empress (Marie Louise), who is liked not at all by
the Parisians; she is too haughty, and sits back in her carriage when she
goes through the streets. 'Of Josephine, who is living very happily,
amusing herself with her gardens and her shrubberies.' This ci-devant
Empress and Kennedy and Co., the seedsmen, are in partnership, says
Miss Edgeworth. And then among the lists of all the grand people
Maria meets in London in 1813 (Madame de Stael is mentioned as
expected), she gives an interesting account of an actual visitor, Peggy

Langan, who was grand-daughter to Thady in CASTLE RACKRENT.
Peggy went to England with Mrs. Beddoes, and was for thirty years in
the service of Mrs. Haldimand we are told, and was own sister to
Simple Susan.
The story of THE ABSENTEE is a very simple one, and concerns Irish
landlords living in England, who ignore their natural duties and station
in life, and whose chief ambition is to take their place in the English
fashionable world. The grand English ladies are talking of Lady
Clonbrony.
'"If you knew all she endures to look, speak, move, breathe like an
Englishwoman, you would pity her,' said Lady Langdale.
'"Yes, and you CAWNT conceive the PEENS she TEEKES to talk of
the TEEBLES and CHEERS, and to thank Q, and, with so much
TEESTE, to speak pure English," said Mrs. Dareville.
'"Pure cockney, you mean," said Lady Langdale.'
Lord Colambre, the son of the lady in question, here walks across the
room, not wishing to listen to any more strictures upon his mother. He
is the very most charming of