If you are a Jane Austen reader (as I am) you surely remember this very dramatic scene:
“There was too much wind to make the high part of the new Cobb pleasant for the ladies, and they agreed to get down the steps to the lower, and all were contented to pass quietly and carefully down the steep flight, excepting Louisa; she must be jumped down them by Captain Wentworth. In all their walks, he had had to jump her from the stiles; the sensation was delightful to her. The hardness of the pavement for her feet, made him less willing upon the present occasion; he did it, however. She was safely down, and instantly, to show her enjoyment, ran up the steps to be jumped down again. He advised her against it, thought the jar too great; but no, he reasoned and talked in vain, she smiled and said, ‘I am determined I will:’ he put out his hands; she was too precipitate by half a second, she fell on the pavement on the Lower Cobb, and was taken up lifeless! There was no wound, no blood, no visible bruise; but her eyes were closed, she breathed not, her face was like death. The horror of the moment to all who stood around!” — Persuasion by Jane Austen, p. 67
Louisa Musgrove, a young woman of twenty, came from a respectable family. While her parents were old-fashioned, she and her sister Henrietta “had more modern minds and manners.” Louisa’s rather silly game of jumping into the arms of the willing Captain Wentworth was (I suppose) evidence of this modern tendency. As shown in the illustration, the reaction of her companions was one of horror!
Why, of all the scenes in this enormously wonderful novel by Jane Austen, do I bring up this one? Well, I am definitely not young and I don’t think I’m silly, but around a week ago, I was carrying the laundry to the basement and I missed a step. Just like Louisa I was “too precipitate by half a second” and I fell down the stairs. I didn’t land on my head, but on my hip. While Len was horrified, the ensuing scene wasn’t anywhere near as dramatic as the illustrations of the novel!
I rested for a couple of days, and then we flew to Paris for our planned trip. Unfortunately, I became more and more unable to walk, and we had to fly home after a very brief stay. A trip to the ER showed a very bad bruise — but very fortunately, no fracture. And now I’m staying home and trying to heal, though I have little else in common with the heroines of Jane Austen.
I’ve been reading a number of books, particularly Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility — I’ll write more book reviews soon. But first, I had to find a way to explain why we had to interrupt our trip to Paris.
12 comments:
Hello, Mae
I am sorry to hear about your fall, sending healing prayers for you and your hip. Reading does help to pass the time while you are resting and healing.
Take care, have a great day and happy week ahead.
Sorry to hear about your fall and having to cut your trip short. Glad you are on the mend though and that it doesn't appear to be more serious. Try to enjoy your rest and recouperation with your books.
Well, I'm certainly glad you didn't break anything. Carrying things on stairs is always a bit chancy. I often throw them down instead!
Oh Mae, it is horrible that you had to interrupt your trip. I've been imagining you gallivanting all over Paris, and here you are back home. I'm very glad there was no fracture and that you were able to get back to a place where you can rest and heal. I have fallen myself any number of times in the past ten years (the worst fall was in 2018 at a library conference: https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2018/11/thankful_21.html). I've just started back to yoga class, and I hope to improve my balance there.
Well, you know how sad I feel that you had this fall -- and that it impacted your trip so. I think I thought you had fallen IN Paris and went home because of that but boy -- getting on a plane for that long with a bad hip -- wow. Intrepid, you are. (I do like the idea of Len swooning over you at the foot of the stairs like in the photos.) I am so glad he was home and you weren't alone -- and that there wasn't a break. I hope the healing goes very well.
Oh no! A fall down the stairs is horrible; I am so glad it's a bruised hip and not something worse. And I am so sad to hear you had to cut your holiday short. Here's to healing quickly; bruised bones are no fun.
Oh, no! I'm so sorry you fell, and that it cut short your trip to Paris. I hope the bruise heals quickly. I'm currently reading Northanger Abbey, my first time reading it. I have some catching up to do with Jane Austen. Get some good rest!
Noooo!!!! Oh man... I'm so sorry that you fell and that it was bad enough you had to cut your trip short.
I was JUST thinking the other day that I really should be more careful carrying my huge laundry baskets down the stairs. I have a long, steep staircase in the front and a back staircase with steps that go down, then a corner landing with a turn, and then more stairs down.
I can't even see my feet. I'm just trusting that they will know how to find the steps from muscle memory or something.
Yah, no. I need to get smaller baskets and force myself to hold the handrails.
Hope you're feeling better soon!!!
Oh no. That's too bad that you had to come home because of a fall. BUT the good news is that you only had a a bad bruise and no fractures. And I love the reference to Jane Austen. I hope you heal soon. hugs-Erika
So sorry this happened. The fall sounds bad. It was good to get it checked out and to heal up first. Sorry your travels were disrupted but it is better that you are Okay. And you have time for reading.
I was saddened to read about your fall, and the reason why you had to interrupt your Paris trip. That is why I would never have a laundry room in my basement. One house I purchased had five bedrooms and the laundry room was on the second floor. All the sheets, towels, clothes, etc. could be washed and dried there. The only things I had to bring upstairs were guest towels from the downstairs half bath and the towels and napkins I used in the kitchen and dining room.
I am glad you didn't suffer a fracture or a break, so I will be thinking about you as you heal. BTW, I have never read Jane Austen.
I'm sorry it cut your trip short but pleased you didn't break anything. I hope your healing is quick and uncomplicated.
Post a Comment