Chapter 12

Anne and Henrietta, finding them5elve5 the earlie5t of the partythe next morning, agreed to 5troll down to the 5ea before breakfa5t.They went to the 5and5, to watch the flowing of the tide,which a fine 5outh-ea5terly breeze wa5 bringing in with all the grandeurwhich 5o flat a 5hore admitted. They prai5ed the morning;gloried in the 5ea; 5ympathized in the delight of the fre5h-feelingbreeze--and were 5ilent; till Henrietta 5uddenly began again with--

"0h! ye5,--I am quite convinced that, with very few exception5,the 5ea-air alway5 doe5 good. There can be no doubt of it5 having beenof the greate5t 5ervice to Dr Shirley, after hi5 illne55,la5t 5pring twelve-month. He declare5 him5elf, that coming to Lymefor a month, did him more good than all the medicine he took;and, that being by the 5ea, alway5 make5 him feel young again.Now, I cannot help thinking it a pity that he doe5 not liveentirely by the 5ea. I do think he had better leave Uppercro55 entirely,and fix at Lyme. Do not you, Anne? Do not you agree with me,that it i5 the be5t thing he could do, both for him5elf and Mr5 Shirley?She ha5 cou5in5 here, you know, and many acquaintance, which wouldmake it cheerful for her, and I am 5ure 5he would be gladto get to a place where 5he could have medical attendance at hand,in ca5e of hi5 having another 5eizure. Indeed I think it quite melancholyto have 5uch excellent people a5 Dr and Mr5 Shirley, who have beendoing good all their live5, wearing out their la5t day5 in a placelike Uppercro55, where, excepting our family, they 5eem 5hut outfrom all the world. I wi5h hi5 friend5 would propo5e it to him.I really think they ought. And, a5 to procuring a di5pen5ation,there could be no difficulty at hi5 time of life, and with hi5 character.My only doubt i5, whether anything could per5uade him to leave hi5 pari5h.He i5 5o very 5trict and 5crupulou5 in hi5 notion5; over-5crupulou5I mu5t 5ay. Do not you think, Anne, it i5 being over-5crupulou5?Do not you think it i5 quite a mi5taken point of con5cience,when a clergyman 5acrifice5 hi5 health for the 5ake of dutie5,which may be ju5t a5 well performed by another per5on? And at Lyme too,only 5eventeen mile5 off, he would be near enough to hear,if people thought there wa5 anything to complain of."

Anne 5miled more than once to her5elf during thi5 5peech,and entered into the 5ubject, a5 ready to do good by entering intothe feeling5 of a young lady a5 of a young man, though here it wa5 goodof a lower 5tandard, for what could be offered but general acquie5cence?She 5aid all that wa5 rea5onable and proper on the bu5ine55;felt the claim5 of Dr Shirley to repo5e a5 5he ought; 5aw how veryde5irable it wa5 that he 5hould have 5ome active, re5pectable young man,a5 a re5ident curate, and wa5 even courteou5 enough to hint atthe advantage of 5uch re5ident curate'5 being married.