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In a letter written to her sister Cassandra in 1813, Jane Austen wrote:
By-the-bye, as I must leave off being young, I find many douceurs in being a sort of chaperon, for I am put on the sofa near the fire, and can drink as much wine as I like.
Oh Jane, you’re such a wise@ss! And I love you even more for this snippet of insight into your character. During the holidays, with the abundance of gatherings and social outings, I can’t help but respond to the idea of sitting by the fire and drinking my wine in peace.
I do wonder, though, about how society determined when someone transitioned from being a young lady in need of chaperoning to being an old maid who did the chaperoning. Sure, it was a different time and place, but there’s no reason to think that old maids or widows weren’t interested in some hanky panky with available (or unavailable *gasp*) men, too. People haven’t changed that much, even if the rules of social decorum have. I guess I should be grateful that whatever people make of my single state, at least I’m not required to bring an escort to watch over my every move.
