The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-12
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George Eliot. "

George Eliot, and she tells The New
York Tribune all aboutit. Shesays she
cares supremely for only two living
writer's. One of these is an American.
and from childhood she has been ia.
miliar with his face and figure. The
writer gave her an introduction to the
Lewis family, and she was soon invit-
ed to one Of Mr.. Lewes' receptions "A
large drawing-room was revealed, she
says in her account, ''across which Mr..
Lewes was coming to meet me. 1 saw.
exactly opposite rs entered the door,
standing by the side of the fire; lady
whom l knew at once as the person
had crossed the ocean to see. Mr.Lewes
led me forward and presented me to
his Wlfe-a slender. tallish woman,
with an oval face, abundant hair,
doubtless once fair, now almost gray,
and questioning light eyes. This at
hrst; but when she put out her hand
and smiled, her face became so illumin-
ated that it was like an alabaster vace
with light behind it. And she had
been described to me as plain and en-
tlrely unprepossessing! I suppose a
woman with such face might have a
dissonant voice, but certainly Mrs.
LeWes has not, for when she greeted
me what Caleb Garth says of Dorothea
Brooke came came instantly to my
mind: SHE speaks in such plain words.
and voice like music. Bless me it re-
minds me of bits in the Messiah y
and straightway there appeared a null
titude of the heavenly host, praising
Cod an6 covinr.s II hoe q 4oro ,,,:41> =
which satisfies your ear They gave
me seat beside her, and she introduc.
ed me to some people near, who all
seemed to stop talking to listen to her.
| was in a kind of dream which quick
ened all my faculties so that I heard
and saw everything, although at the
time l was conscious only of Mrs.
I.ewes. Her talk was most charming.
Without trace of exaggeration, with
a clear and wonderful swift discern
ment of every point involved, and
when you least looked for it, an odd.
quint turn that produced the effect of
wit. While her opinions on al. the
subjects they spoke Of, were definite
and decided, there was at the same
time such a sincere Difference to those
OF others that you were drawn to talk
in spite of yourself.
81 could have bitten out my own
tongue when found was using it;
but somehow she would make you give
long answers involving individual
opinion" This lady was evidently as
modest and retiring on this memorable
occasion as she is rapturous and out.
pouring, now that she is away srom the
object of her alteration. Mrs. Lewes in
her talk objected to hunting as cruelty,
and asked many questions regarding
America. She wore q high-bodied
black velvet dress, its simple sleeve
falling back little from the graceful
hand, and again the writer thought of
Dorothea- Miss Brooke had that
kind of beauty which seems to be
thrown into relief by poor dress. Her
hand and wrist were so finely formed
that she could wear sleeves not less
bare Of style than those in which the
blessed virgin appeared to italian
painters. SIN these simple sleeves
and at the THROAT continues the de-
scription, twas some beautiful lace,
the latter, I remember, fastened by ex.
quisite cameo surrounded by pearls.
Her hair was very low on the broad
forehead, was brought down around
the ears las l have seen it in portraits
half a century old), and coiled at the
back. just ON the top of the head
bit of lace was pinned matching that
on the throat and sleeves. She seemed
to prefer standing as she talked, and
moved her head as we'll as her hands
far more than is common with English
women. The room was beautiful
enough to make a suitable picture
frame for the lovely picture through
the whole interview. An open grand
piano Mrs. Lewes told me she loved
music passionately) covered with mu-
sic stood at the remote end of the
room, over which hung an engraving of
Guido's Aurora, while water colors of
brilliant flowers cleaned from corners
of the wall. Books were numerous,
while small tables, standing on warm
hued Persian rugs, held easel pictures,
exquisite vases of still more exquisite
flowers, and small casts of eatiuue
statutes. And as it comes back to me,
the pleasantest remembrance of all,
pleasanter even than that of the almost J
reverential homage with which the
many justly celebrated men and women
there assembled regarded her, was
the proud, loving, yetnatural and easy
manner in which her husband, himself
a man of genius aud a most brilliant,
gifted tallzer, would pause and draw
closer to her so as not to loose one of
her words.''
A Mystery of Perfume.
No one yet has been able to analyze
or demonstrate the essential action of