New-York tribune., 1876-03-25
GEORGE ELIOT.
ONE OF HER RECEPTIONS.
E-FIGURE-MANNER-


| FACE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
To the EditOr Of The Tribune.
SIR: Caring supremcy for only two living writers.
have always considered myself fortunate that one
OF the two is American, and that from childhood
! | have been familiar with his face and figure. Some
opportunities have likewise enjoyed of listening
to his wise and kindly speech, and IN addition to the
obi cations under which each has left me- | owe it
| to him that when was in London was able to see
| George Eliot. SO entirely had her image taken
possession of my fancy that during all the prepara
tions for the tour rs the different members of the
party were talking of what they should do and
where they should go, could only go over and over
| in my mind the never-answered question, "Shal
sec George Elotr Desperate needs justify desPer-
ate remedies. Iwrote to the good wise man have
just spoken of, aud he gave me letter OF intro
| duction, which / sent to her soon as reached
London. BY the next post l received IN
| yitation from Mr. G. III. Lewos to attend
| ono of his wifcs weekly receptions. The
| house, which is in the neighborh0Od of
Regents Park. is surrounded by high brick wall,
and is so far from the street that even III Winter.
when its scltcrng trees are bare il is almost Invisible
until is inside. door in the wall bore tho name
of the house. and pulled The visitors BELL maid
admitted nc into court-y yard, which crossed then
stepped into the hall Of the low picturesque house.
This ball was furnished is the pleasant foreign
fashion, like a parlor. and was cheerful with u
| bright fire upon the hearth. Here wrappngs were
left, and then WIS shown down long, narrow pas
| sage. At the end of it door opened, and heard
| my name announced. large drawing-room was
revealed, across which Mr.. Lewes was coming to
| meet me. saw, exactly opposite rs entered the
door, standing By the side of the fire, lady, whom
knew at the person had crossed the ocean to
IL. 4 ,f..l "a,
his wife. A slender tasb woman, with an oval
face, abundant hair doubtless once fair, now
almost gray. and questioning light eyes. This at
first, but when she put ont her hand aud smiled
her face became 80 lnmined that il like ala
baster vase with light behind it. And she had
been described To ne as plain aud entirely unprcpOs
sessing! suppose a woman with such face might
have dissonant voice, but certainly Mrs. Lewes has
not, for when She greeted me what Caleb Garth
says Of Dorothca Brooke came instantly 10 my mind
She speaks in such plain words aud voe Ike music
Bless me II reminds of bits Ia the Messiah y" aud
sraht way there appeared multitude of the heavenly
LOST. praisng God and saying" 1t mas tone with 1t
which satisfies your ear
They gave me a scat beside her. and she introduced
me to some people near, who all seemed to stop talk
ing 10 listen TO her was in kind of dream which
quickcned all my faculties so that heard and saw
everything although at the time 1 was conscious
Without a trace OF exacccration, with clear and
wonderfully swift dscernment of every point n-
volved. and when you least looked for 1t, an odd
Quaint turn that produced the effect Of wit. While
her opinions all the subjects they spoke of were
definite and decided, there at the same time such
sincere difference to those of others, that you were
drawn to talk in spite of yourself l could have
bitten out my own tongue when found was using
it, but somehow she would make you give long an
swcrs involving individual opinion. Although the
company seemed very miscellaneous. so large pro-
portion Of il was English that the ordinary conycr
saion of the hunting season kept coming to the sur
face. Mrs Lewcs objected to the sport in all ito
phases, and her defense Of the hunted as well as her
vigorous presentation of the effect of unnecessary
cruelty on the character OF the hunter all said in the
most natural way. rs if IT was the only thing one
could say. aud IN that marvellous delicious voice.
had startling effect. She owned herself ignorant of
America and when | smiled little at some of her
eager questions confessed that 1t puzzled her to I'M
dcrstand much about rs.
A, the room was rapidly filling had moro oppor-
tunty to look at hcr. | noticed her hish-bodicd
black velvet dress, its simple sleeve falling back II
ttlo from the graceful hand. and again | thought
| Of DoToihea:
Miss Brooke Ind that Kind Of beauty which scem. TO he
1"o 30 aney formed ilai she could wear sleeves not
less bare style than those in which tho blessed Virgin
appeared To Italian painters.
In these simple sleeves and nj her throat was some
beautiful lace the latter, remember, fastened by
an exquisite cameo surrounded by pearls. Her hair
worn very low on the broad forehead, was brought
down around tho ears las have il in portraits
hall century oldl. and cocd at the back just on
the top of tho head bit of lace pinned match
ing that at tho throat and sleeves. She seemed to
prefer standing rs -hc talked. and moved her head
~ we'll as her bands far more than il common
with English women. The room was beau
tifnl enough to mako suitable frame
for the lovely picture she made through the whole
interview An open grand piano lNlrs Lewes told
me she loved music passOnatelyl covered with mu-
sic stood al the remote end of the room which
hung an engray ing of Guido's Aurora while water
coors of brilliant flowers CLEANED from corners OF
the wall. Books numerous, while small tables
standing on warm -hued Persian rugs, held easel
pictures exquisite vases of still more exquisite How
eIa aud small casts Of antique statues And as 1t
comes back 10 me, the pcasantcst remembrance OF
all plcasantcr even than that Of The almost rcyer
cntial homage with which the many justly celebrated
men and women there assembled regarded her, was
the proud loving yet natural and easy manner in
which her husband, himself q man of genius and
a most brilliant, gifted talker would pause and
draw closer To her so az not to lose of her words
AnGoser, Mass. March go, 1876. A. =. ID.
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THE BELKNAP IMPEACHMENT