MRS AUGUSTA ELTON Acrostic from Emma

Acrostic on Mrs Augusta Elton's Name

In Jane Austen's "Emma", at the Box Hill excursion (chapter 43), Mrs Elton says
"I had an acrostic once sent to me upon my own name which I was not at all pleased with. I knew who it came from. An abominable puppy! You know who I mean" (nodding to her husband).

What was this acrostic? Mrs Elton was Augusta Hawkins before her marriage to Mr Elton, so the acrostic might be from any of the following forms of her name: AUGUSTA HAWKINS, MISS HAWKINS, MISS AUGUSTA HAWKINS, MRS ELTON, AUGUSTA ELTON, MRS AUGUSTA ELTON. My own belief is that the acrostic is based upon her married name. Since she was not pleased and she is a proud woman, she would likely never have mentioned it to Mr Elton had it occurred before their marriage. Also, her change of name upon marriage would have prompted those who knew her to play with acrostics on her new name. The acrostic was probably uncomplimentary, since it was anonymous.

You can e-mail your answer to Ken Roberts at ken2@mirror.org