Miss Mary in Pride and Prejudice

Christmas at Pemberley exemplifies Elizabeth's wonderful talents as a competent hostess, her blend of elegance, fun, togetherness, charity and joy makes this first Christmas of her marriage wonderful. After many years, I have no doubts and praises.

In particular, Elizabeth invited Uncle Gardner's family to Pemberley for Christmas, which made people even more happy. Kitty originally lived in Uncle Gardner's London home, but she was very afraid of Mr. Darcy's unsmiling, so So I went to Howard Endors, went to reunite with my parents and eldest sister, so that the people who stayed were all good-tempered and elegant people, and even Mary didn't stay in the huge and deep library all the time, but from time to time Come out to chat with everyone, and help Elizabeth do some preparations within her ability.

If there was anything to upset everyone, it could only be said to be a visit from Mr. Collins.He, at the favor of the Earl of Monest, was very pleased with the vicarage of an archdiocese near the Emerald Vale, which was only twenty miles from Pemberley, and it was difficult for Elizabeth to refuse this courteous cousin. visit.

It seemed to Mary that Cousin Collins's temper had not changed at all, that he was still so formal, full of stale ideas, and full of flattery, but that now his grateful benefactor had changed from Mrs. de Bourgh As Earl of Leicester, he seemed to see the day when he would be made Archbishop under the shadow of the Earl of Leicester, so whenever he came to visit, Mary could not avoid listening to every ten words he said. The Earl of Leicester had to be mentioned at least five times, which not only disturbed her, but caused pain to one of the hosts, so that often when he came Mary went to the library and Georgiana went to the library. the studio.

It was only when Mrs. Collins came with her husband and brought her new-born little daughter that Mr. Collins' treatment improved a little, and everyone treated him with kindness for the sake of Charlotte and the sweet little baby. better.Speaking of Charlotte, Elizabeth found that her former friend was very satisfied with her current situation. No matter how indecent words Mr. Collins said, she could be calm, or she was very smart to pretend not to hear, child Occupy all her attention and love.

Elizabeth felt that she understood her well, but although she had always valued her friendship with Charlotte, she still did not invite the Collins family to Pemberley for Christmas, which was somewhat disappointing to the complacent cousin.Because in his parish, the Earl of Leicester had no plans to spend Christmas at Emerald Valley Manor, and the only decent family nearby was Howard Manor.Howard Manor is certainly not as grand as Pemberley Manor, but Mr. Collins did not attribute the responsibility to the owners of Pemberley. He would never be so ungrateful. On the contrary, he found a scapegoat. The neglect was entirely due to Mr. Austen Jr., and since then he has frequently let out gossip about Mr. Austen Jr.'s sermons.

However, Mr. Collins’ accusation is not entirely groundless. After coming to Pemberley, Mary will follow the Darcy family to church every Sunday. From listening to Mr. Austin Jr.’s first sermon, Mary discovered his A nasty flaw—too pedantic.Mary herself knew that Mr. Austin Jr. was well-read and knowledgeable, but when faced with the vast majority of the congregation being illiterate villagers, whether it is necessary to quote extensively is a question that needs to be considered.

Every time Mr. Austin Jr. preached a certain doctrine, in order to prove that his point of view was correct, he always quoted a large group of saints, pastors and other authoritative figures to strengthen the strength of the argument. The pastor disagreed with his point of view, but he spoke passionately as if he was going to argue with a large group of imaginary enemies. At first, he frightened the villagers who were not used to big scenes. snickered at him.Mary felt a little at a loss as to whether it was necessary and appropriate for Mr. Austin Jr. to do such a thing.

But out of respect for Mr. Austin Jr., everyone kept this secret, and the villagers, out of respect for the pastor and Master Pemberley, certainly did not dare to openly question it.Even so, Mr. Austin Jr. was not unaware that he did not seem to be as popular among the villagers as his uncle, and even among the poor villagers, he was not as popular as Mr. Collins, and he felt pain and shame for this.

Other than that, the period leading up to Christmas is very comfortable and beautiful.Although the winter morning was very cold, as long as the weather was fine, Mary and the others always went to church on foot. Under Elizabeth's influence and leadership, the relationship between the owner of Pemberley and the nearby residents became more harmonious.If it is not a special day, they always wear simple and simple clothes, walk like a car, often stop, talk to the villagers in the most cordial manner, caress the tops of the children's heads, listen to the grievances of the humble people, and talk about planting in the countryside Matters related to harvesting.

Mr. Darcy's manner is easy-going and natural, he is always strict and decent, but without the slightest pretentiousness and dandy flashiness, his words and deeds show a kind of noble elegance and frankness, while Elizabeth and Georgiana are so cheerful and moving , exuding frank joy and charming geniality.In the process of their interactions with the villagers, neither the arrogance of one side nor the cowardice of the other can be seen. It is only because of the habitual respect attitude of the villagers that people perceive the difference in their status.Mary really benefited a lot from being with these people often, and gradually, she often heard others praise her as an elegant and kind lady.

At this time, Mary would think of the time at Rosings Manor, where she would follow the mother and daughter of De Bauer to church every Sunday in a four-horse cart. Decorated with the family coat of arms, the silver-plated place on the harness radiates dazzling light, the manservant in luxurious uniform holds a huge gold-topped staff, shouts and drives away the villagers who block the way, the horses' hoofs are blown by the wind, and they hit The gravel on the road was splashed everywhere, and the villagers who were strolling to the church hurriedly dodged to both sides of the road, and watched dumbfoundedly as the mother and daughter of De Bauer got down from the carriage in gorgeous costumes, and the pastor of the church was already waiting at the bottom of the steps It's been a long time...

Through this comparison, Mary sincerely admires her second sister Elizabeth: Although she was not born in an aristocratic family, she has a natural noble character.Mary thought, if she were allowed to become the hostess of such a large property, she would be at a loss, right?Sometimes, she would laugh at herself thinking that if she didn't know that Mr. Austen was obsessed with Miss Darcy, she would think that Mr. Austen was really suitable for her.No matter in terms of habits and hobbies, or the status and status of the two parties, they can be said to be well-matched. Perhaps with my own intelligence and temperament, it is perfect to be the pastor's wife of a country church.

At present, Mr. Austin Jr. has a fixed and decent income. His vicarage is adjacent to the church. The lovely diamond-shaped windows, since the little Mr. Austin moved in, the entire second floor has been turned into a library, attracting Mary to visit frequently, so people nearby have rumored that maybe the young Mr. Pastor will soon hear the good news of his marriage up.

Perhaps Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth thought so too, so they kept inviting Mr. Austen to Pemberley for dinner and as a guest. Even Miss Darcy became acquainted with Mr. Austen. Sometimes, when Mary was taken from the library by Elizabeth When I called out, I often saw Miss Darcy talking happily with little Mr. Austen. Whenever this time, little Mr. Austen's eyes lit up with joy, and his face looked radiant.

Uncle Gardner's family arrived in Pemberley just the day before Christmas. A thin layer of snow had just fallen that morning, and the whole manor was covered in silver. They all came to greet them at the door, and the joy when they met cannot be described. Uncle Gardner's carriage was loaded with baskets of game and boxes of famous delicacies, and there were five children of the Gardner family on board. , from the ages of 5 to 12, are rosy-cheeked, likable boys and girls who are delighted to be out and about.They laughed and shouted as soon as they got out of the car, kissed their cousins, and greeted Mr. Darcy shyly as an adult, which was really cute.

Pemberley has been decorated with a new look. A huge Christmas tree has been erected in the hall. It is full of lights, garlands and gifts. The tree is also full of large and small gift boxes. The mansion is decorated everywhere. Holly branches, and in some corners, there were a few mistletoes hanging, which attracted some pretty maids to stay there deliberately, and Mary thought it was funny, and at the same time reminded herself to be careful of those mistletoes.

Countless relatives and friends were invited to spend Christmas Eve in Pemberley on that day. Only then did Mary realize that there were so many uncles, aunts, cousins, and cousins ​​in the Darcy family. Aunts with good character but old and lustful, and poor relatives with beautiful faces but poor food and clothing, all gathered in Pemberley House on Christmas Eve, and rejoiced and indulged.Miss Darcy and Mary took turns to play the piano for everyone very conscientiously, and Christmas songs made the atmosphere lively again and again.Near midnight, wooden horses, playing cards, dolls, etc. were scattered on the floor. The children had already been sent to bed, and a group of young people were dancing. The older ones either took a nap by the fire or played cards around the table. Mary was very sleepy, and after shaking hands with Aunt Gardner, Elizabeth, Georgiana, and the others as was the custom, she quietly left the hall and went upstairs to her bedroom to rest.

When she passed the door of the servant hall, she heard bursts of laughter from inside. It was the servants gathering to play games for fun. After walking a long way, she could still hear the singing from below:

"Silent night, holy night,

Peace and splendor envelop the Virgin and Child,

How kind, how warm,

The Holy Child sleeps peacefully in God's peace..."

She returned to her room. Although she was very sleepy physically, her mental excitement could not stop for a long time. She walked to the window and looked out. The soft, misty music seems to blend with the quiet atmosphere and the bright moonlight. She thought, it must be that the people in the village are celebrating the festival.Mary didn't draw the curtains, and fell asleep soundly under the moonlight and the fading Christmas music.

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