As further evidence that I still have much to learn, I only found out today through a kind and informative Twitter comment that none of the original manuscripts of Jane Austen’s six novels survived. We have just two alternative Persuasion chapters written in her own hand.

The knowledge cast a shadow on my weekend, knowing we will never see such a literary treasure.

In my ignorance, I had always imagined that at least one manuscript might be found carefully stored in the archives of an aust...