The Woman of Colour: A Tale

Olivia is now writing from New Park, the country estate in Devonshire where she lives with Augustus. Three weeks have passed since her last letter to Mrs. Milbanke. She describes the beautiful landscape, noting the diversity of its features—forests, cultivated laws, and wild downs—and adds that even though it is rural, many wealthy people live nearby. Their house is less ostentatious than the Mertons’ home in London and intended for receiving guests rather than displaying wealth. Dido is thrilled with New Park and has happily embraced her duties as housekeeper. Olivia adds that, although she has heard about the people who live nearby, she has not yet met any of them.

Olivia says that Augustus clearly enjoys life in the country much more than life in London and that it suits his quiet, studious disposition. She quotes a passage from a popular newspaper, the Tatler, in which the writer argues that melancholy is “the proper delight of men of knowledge and virtue” and that melancholy people are more likely to appreciate ordinary aspects of life (106). Olivia believes that Augustus embodies the personality this writer is describing. She describes the walks they take together through the countryside, emphasizing Augustus’s genuine interest in the simple lives of nearby villagers and his patience with Olivia’s more passionate, energetic personality.