MEASURE
“Ah, my dear, as Perry says, where health is at stake, nothing else should be considered; and if one is to travel, there is not much to chuse between forty miles and an hundred. Better not move at all, better stay in London altogether than travel forty miles to get into a worse air. This is just what Perry said. It seemed to him a very ill-judged measure.” Mr. Woodhouse, Emma, Chapter 12
Mr. Woodhouse, that beacon of hope and optimism! If there is a ounce of concern to be discovered, he will root it out and endlessly obsess about it. Ha!
Opinions on Mr. Woodhouse run hot and cold. But what is the measure of a man? Was he hypochondriac or valetudinarian? Is he a pet or menace to Emma? Did he neglect his parenting skills? These are troubling issues indeed, which have all been investigated with thorough study and expert evaluation by The Benevolent Society for the Preservation of the Good Name of Mr. Woodhouse (a.k.a. The Woodhouse Defence League). Who are the members you ask? They are ladies and gentleman of information who have created an informative web site dedicated to all things Mr. Woodhouse. Read on. You may be both amazed and amused!
*Illustration by Fritz Kredel, “The evening was quiet and conversable”, page 89, Emma, published by The Heritage Press (1964)
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And I thank you very much for this link. In listening to Emma on my ipod, I found Mr. Woodhouse’s strictures very tiresome. Perhaps the Woodhouse Defence League will have me liking him again.
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You may not like him again, but it will certainly make you laugh! Thanks for joining it. Cheers, Laurel Ann
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This made me smile. As you knew it would!
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DJ glad to see you enjoyed it! You deserve all the credit, as you know. Cheers, Laurel Ann
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