Professor Lorentzen's presentation was "Jane Austen's Revolutionary Peragogy:  Subverting the Catechistic Method in Pride and Prejudice." He extended his dissertation on the "Nineteenth-Century British Novel" to Pride and Prejudice and gave us a close look at Elizabeth Bennet's failure to give the accepted answer to the Catechistic Method because of her lack of standard "Governess provided" education.

Our evening in the Red Room began with greetings all around for old friends and new friends.

First, we gathered around the Wassail Bowl to raise a Toast to our Jane!

Then, Dr. Marie McAllister, Associate Professor of English, Mary Washington College, presented: "Only to Sink Further: Venereal Desease in Sense and Sensibility." We reread Sense and Sensibility in preparation for Dr. Mcallister's theory about what is happening between the lines as Colonel Brandon tells Elinor the story of the two Elizas.

There was general agreement that Dr. McAllister had presented an intelligent convincing arguement that Jane Austen had applied the 19th century euphemism "consumption" for venereal disease in Sense and Sensibility.  While the uncertain weather had a hand in slightly reducing our numbers, one Janeite commented, "Nothing could keep her from a lecture on Jane Austen writing about venereal disease."

Our private tour of the Rare Book Room, Julia Rogers Library was a great success. Even a "gully-washer" rain storm did not dampen our outing!   Nancy Magnuson, Goucher Librarian, presented A Collector's Love Story about Alberta Hirshheimer Burke's terrific collection of Jane Austen first editions, personal diaries and other memorabilia. Then we had a look at the exceptional rare book collection (featuring books about Jane Austen and her times) lead by Sydney Toby, Special Collections Librarian. We were also introduced to the Winn Family Collection. While not as extensive as the Burke collection, it has a number of items which proved facinating to us visiting Virginia and North Carolina Janeites.

Our special Harbor Court Hotel tea overlooking the beautiful Baltimore Inner Harbor was a fitting end to our "English" Day with Jane Austen and the welcoming staff of Goucher College.

Our evening in the Red Room started with greetings all around for old friends and new friends. Memories of the Toronto AGM were relived — especially with regard to our favorite breakout session(s). Dinner from Jane's era was a treat, butternut soup, chicken and all the fixin' from the 19th century. Then, there was a special birthday cake and the following "Toast to Jane":

TOAST TO JANE:  "Some few of us were fortunate — early this morning — to hear Garrison Keiller recite the most famous sentence Jane ever wrote, It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man with a good fortune is in want of a wife as he recognized her birthday along with the birthdays of Margaret Mead and George Santayana among others.

"They had a very fine day for Box Hill; and all the other outward circumstances of arrangement, accommodation, and punctuality, were in favour of a pleasant party."
EMMA, vol. III, chapter VII

We experienced the same circumstances at Raphine, Virginia, a beautiful country spot in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia halfway between Staunton and Lexington.

We visited the Cyrus McCormick Farm, toured Wade's Mill (a working water powered flourmill) and visited Buffalo Springs Herb Farm. Some of us had never seen so many varieties of thyme before! All the needle-workers visited the Yarn Shop, with all of its wonders. Finally, we enjoyed our Box Hill picnic in the meadow across the road from the herb farm. We ate our lunch at picnic tables with table cloths — more comfortable than the Box Hill at Donwell Abbey — and everyone was in good humor