Human nature is so well disposed towards those who are in interesting situations, that a young person, who either marries or dies, is sure of being kindly spoken of.
Austen, Jane, and George Justice. Emma: An Authoritative Text, Contexts, Criticism. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2012. Print. 125.
I thought that this was a really funny remark to start a chapter with. It's a funny little thrust made by the narrator who is commenting on the state of the society that Austen and Emma were surrounded by. The narrator perceives that people tend to be far less critical towards those who have passed on from life into death, or from being an unwed and eligible bachelor into the bounds of marriage. It also seems to suggest that it isn't necessarily done out of any sense of respect or good-will, but the fact that it's more "interesting" or effective to gossip or slander those alive and single, than to do so for those passed on or married. It's harder to speak ill of a dead person, for many within the society would be largely offended and wouldn't stand to hear such injustice and irreverence towards the deceased. Furthermore, it's also difficult to speak ill of a married person, for the chance that they are much more well established than they were prior is very high, and people are less likely to speak ill or gossip about what most people consider to be a good match with a better life for both involved.