The eternal question
An article in the Guardian about a literary festival in Wells poses a question that many Janeites have had:
Over lunch the present warden, Geoffrey Crossick, an urban historian by trade, described giving a talk to a school in Essex about the story of towns and cities. At the end, he asked for questions, and a young girl asked, apropos nothing, “What did they wipe their bums with?”
Geoff didn’t know the answer then, and still doesn’t. As my brother pointed out, Jane Austen is silent on the subject. It is hard to imagine Elizabeth Bennet going to the privy with a handful of wet moss, but that may be what happened. Perhaps readers could help?
We think you have your pick of two answers: the first being rational and Janeish, the second for history wonks.
1. Fictional characters don’t pee.
2. Most likely, yes.
