Gosh, if I had known I would need to defend LM, I would have made that my focus :)

Before the Dashwoods got involved in parties in the neighbourhood, and while Marianne was recovering, they had time for serious employment.
But once they were out and about, there was little time for such.

Imagine LM, whose life has been such ever since she got married I believe. So, Yes. This is what I mean Robbin regarding any criticism of her in not being employed seriously.

Regarding Sir John's amazement, seeing that the Dashwoods were seriously employed when he visited - I think that he is like many men who take their wives for granted, and don't notice all that she does, but notice it very readily when others do it.

What is meant by 'serious employment' is again a point of view.

I find *some* similarity between LM and Elinor.

- We don't know how LM is apart from when she is in company.
If we were to compare Elinor and LM we don't find much about what Elinor says either, except once when she mentions she spoke to Col. Brandon about East Indies. Elinor is said to be also 'cold' by Marianne.
I imagine Elinor too sits around not saying much.

But we know more about her otherwise at home and her reactions to her sister.

- Like Elinor, LM seems to have to guide her mother too. Before her marriage she must have had to do that a lot, I guess.
Till now at least twice we ahve seen that she intervenes to steer conversation into another direction.
Once as already mentioned - when she starts talking about rain (name starts with F scene).
The other when Mrs. jennings is embarassing Col. Brandon by asking intimate questions.

The words 'cold and insipid' to describe her are inadequate to give us a real picture which we could have got only by knowing something about her private life, otherwise I am ready to lump Elinor with her.

I have no example to show that Elinor was *not* being insipid at parties either.
She was too busy *not liking* Marianne's behaviour.