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re. As the saying goes, “If the soul is hungry, all kinds of prudence is of no avail.” Austen’s life gives little opportunity for the biographer, unless he has something of her own power to show the beauty and charm of commonplace things. She was the seventh child of Rev George Austen, rector of Steventon, and was born in the parsonage of the village in 1775. With her sisters she was educated at home, and passed her life very quietly, cheerfully, in the doing of small domestic duties, to which love lent the magic lamp that makes all things beautiful. She began to write at an early age, and seems to have done her work on a little table in the family sitting room, in the midst of the family life. When a visitor entered, she would throw a paper or a piece of sewing over her work, and she modestly refused to be known as the author of novels which we now count among our treasured possessions. She wrote not for fame and gain, not for giving vent to grievances. Her life was quiet and harmonious. What she looked forward to was the harmony between men and society, individual belief and public opinion, which caused her superior to her contemporaries who did not, and due to their world outlook, could not find a way to deal with social relations efficiently. She was a bright, attractive little woman, whose sunny qualities were unconsciously reflected in all her looks although she was single all her life. Whether she was married or single is not important, what does matter is, she led a cheerful life and that was the result of following her own heart. She did not marry anyone reluctantly in order to get married. According to Paul Tournier(8), what does marriage really mean? “Helping one another to reach the full status of being persons, responsible and autonomous beings who do not run away from life.” To make do with marriage means nothing especially when she failed to find the partner whom she really loved and respected. Compared to a reluctant marriage or meaningless despair, to face the reality and live alone cheerfully is much better. In order to understand more about this, we have to mention her love experience. When Austen was 22, the family home was still at Steventon where she has a neighbor Mrs. Lefroy who was the wife of the Rector of Ashe, an Oxford man of food family and pleasing manners. The wife was known in the neighborhood as “Madame” Lefroy out of respect for her considerable charm and as an acknowledgement of the impressive connections in both her family and in that of her husband. She was generous, vivacious, energetic, kind and liberal minded who was much admired by her neighbor. And, admired by you and I as well, she chose to make Jane Austen her particular friend even though she came from the same generation as Jane’s mother. Her husband had a brother and this brother had a handsome son, Tom Lefry. He had completed his studies at Trinity College, Dublin. He was invited to the Rectory at Ashe. While there, he and Austen fell in love. Madame was upset as there was simply no money for such a match. In the case of another relative, his uncle had given clear demonstration that he would not tolerate a match of this nature; Tom would be cut off from fortune and connections. Madame was quite aware that a large number of the Lefroys would be Tom’s dependents and to meet that responsibility, he must study hard and above all, he must marry well. Tom was being sent away from Ashe and he would never be invited back. And so Tom Lefroy was