1 [ p.18 ]

A very few years ago, & it had been aquiet simple Village interesting only of no consideration inhabited by one Family of consequence, his own, of secondary pretensions; but somenatural advantages in its position & some some accidental circumstances having suggestedto himself, & the other principal Land Holder Proprietor of the Land, the probability of its'becoming beinga profitable Speculation, hethey1 had engaged in it, & planned & built, & praised & puffed,& raised it to a Something of note young Renown notoriety; and Mr . Parker could now thinkof very little besides. — The Facts, which in more direct communication, he laid before them were that he wasabout 5 & 30 — had been married, —very happily married 7 years — &had 4 sweet Children at home; —that he was of a respectable no Profeſsion Family,& easy though not large fortune; — no Profeſsion – succeeding as eldest son tothe Property which 2 or 3 Generations had been holding & accumulating be::fore him; — that he had 2 Brothers&2 Sisters – all single & all indepen::dant — the eldest of the two formerBrothers

Footnotes

1.
'they' has been written over 'he' by repurposing the ascender of 'h' to form the 't' and squeezing new 'he' into the remaining characters before adding 'y'. Back to context...
Image for page: b1-18 of manuscript: sanditon