The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-03-30
The Truth About George BliOt's Marriage.

1u6 1TuGn ADOuL O6OIS6 bllOL MdfIldS6s
For some years George Eliot has been
the legal wife of George Henry Lewes,
the distinguished and versatile author,
and for good while previous to their
marriage she was effectually all that
she has been since. The story of their
relation has been so diversely told, and
so often misunderstood, that the correct
version, as | have reason to believe it,
deserves to be given. Lewes made the
acquaintance of Marian Evans soon
after she had written "Adam Bede,"
and was delighted with her. He had
the same opinion of her that Herbert
Spencer had expressed. It was not long
before he fell in love with her mind.
They had much in common; they had
marked similarity of tastes, views, and
feelings, and they felt they could be of
great benefit to one another intellectu-
ally and spiritually. He wanted her to
be his wife. But there was a serious
obstacle in the way, which was nothing
less than that, in the eyes of the law,
he already had wife. He had entered
into matrimony ten or twelve years be-
fore, and his spouse had run off with an
other man. She repented in due season,
and appealed to her liege, who most
generously and chivalrOusly took her
back. Being of unstable mind and
tickle heart, however, she elOped sec
ond time, and rendered restoration to
marital favor impossible. At this junet-
ure the masculine George met the femi-
nine George. Having condoned his
wife's offence, he could not get divorce;
he must wait for her death, or continue
in celibacy. He did not wish to wait,
especially as she, having robust con-
stitution, was threatened with fearful
longevity. The impediment to the
union of the two authors was really
technical, and under the circumstances
they took solemn counsel with their
friends, among them some of the most
eminent names, as to the expediency of
acting according to the higher law. The
decision was finally rendered in favor of
their doing so, and they were welded
by the rite of mutual sympathy and
mutual need. After they had lived SO
for some years, Mrs. LeWes, the eloper,
was considerate enough to die and fur
nish to Marian Evans the lOng-coveted
opportunity to bear legally the name
which the deceased had so greatly dis
| honored.
George Eliot, from the moment of
forming the connection, was called and
considered Mrs. LeWes as sincerely and
| honestly as if she had been welded by
the Archbishop of York and all his sub
ordinate prelates. But many of the
feminine friends of the couple were very
| glad when the natural prejudices of So
ciety could be cOncilitated. Lewes has
had, of late, very noticeable influence,
and not good one either, on the style
of his wife. He is very self-sufficient
and egotistic, and has imposed upon her
the idea that his intellect is fully equal,
| if not superior, to hers; but she is the
sole person, save himself, who holds
such an opinion. He is very able and
learned, but he is one of many, while
she is the only one. There is rea-
son to believe he wrote part of Ode
ronda," and caused her to change her
usually simple, terse, idiomatic diction
for one more strained, recOndite, and
elaborate, which explains why her last
is not her best work. He cOnscientiously
believes hers to be the finest intellect in
England, with single exception, which
modesty debars him from mentioning.
! She and her husband reside in a very
pleasant house, full of books, bronzes,
busts, pictures, and bric-a-brac, near
Regents Park, and their Sunday even
ing receptions are attended by number
of the most distinguished people, at
home and from abroad. One may see
from time to time Tyndall, Huxley,
Robert Browning, DIR. Carpenter, Dar-
win, TennysOn, Swinburne, William
Morris, the Rosettis, Gladstone, Tom
Hughes, Millais, Holman Hunt, Ruskin,
Wilkie Collins, Leslie Stephens, and
many others, most of them as radical in
theology (the Leweses are what might
be called scientific Hegelians, firm be-
lievers in evolution) as their host and
hostess, who entertain very nationally
and pleasantly.
The couple have no children, and lead
in the fullest sense an intellectual life.
She works very hard-harder than her
rather delicate health WaTrants-often
writing as many as seven or eight hours
a day. She has very earnest, moral
purpose in her books, in which, indeed,
her whole being and thoughts are con-
centrated. Before she begins a novel
she not only outlines and arranges it,
but so fixes it in her mind that her MS.
is often merely transcript of her elab-
crate mental preparation. Very far
from handsome, she has an intellectual
and striking face, too long and angular
for symmetry, soft, abundant hair,
streaked with gray, low, sweet voice,
a remarkably quiet, somewhat pensive,
and decidedly winning manner. Some
persons do not like her at first, though
all her friends, despite her unquestioned
piainness, regard her as charming
woman.-BOStOn Herald.