Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-01-04
A PLATONiC MARRIAGE.
The True Story of the Relations of George
Eliot and III. NJ. Le,ces.
81


Philadelphia Telegraph.
The relations of George Eliot with the
late George Henry Lewes have come in for
some share of attention since the death
of the latter. In this connection the London
correspondent of the New York Tin,es-who
at times appears to monopolize great deal
of the knowledge of the world-laments the
fact that the English papers neglected to
make any mention of George Elliot or Miss
Evans, or Mrs. Lswes, or whatever her legal
name may now be, in announcing and COM
menting upon Mr.. Lewes' DEATH According
to the times London man, the rather dis
reputable woman to whom Mr.. Lewes was
married in early life still lives.
This statement IS directly contradictory
of one made over four years ago, on quite
as good authority, to tbs effect that the
original Mrs. Lewes had kindly quilted this
world, and that the 1ong-deferred ceremony
between Mr.. Lewes and Miss Evans had
taken place ''out of respect to the preiudices
of society and the majesty of the law
When the first Mrs. Lewes abandoned her
husband for another man, the biographer of
Goethe regarded the unfortunate occurrence
like the philosopher that he professed to be,
and made no effort either to get her back or
to deprive her of the right to bear his name.
By-and-by she repeated of her folly and
came back to Mr.. Lewes with so much con-
triton on her lips, if not in her heart, that
he philosophicaily fergave her, and by living
with her thereafter condoned her offense For
time they lived together in peace and hap
piness, but the hayward wife soon tired of
this monotonous existence and again eloped.
This time she went for good, and never
thereafter troubled Mr.. Lewes. The latter,
by some crook of the English law, was de-
barred from claiming a divorce after this
second OHense because he had condoned his
wife's former waywardness. So he was COM
PEELED to bear with this second freak as
philosophically as he had done with the first.
Meanwhile Mr.. Lewes had made the &C
qualntance of Miss Evans at the house of
the editor-in-chief of the Westminster
Re0ieW, DR.. Chapman, with whom she re-
sided while acting as his assistant in
editing the ReUieW. They were attracted
toward each other from the start,
and finally care to live together
in sort of Platonio fashion, in
defiance of the world. This step, it is re-
lated, was not taken hurriedly. They sum-
moned a council of their wisest friends-or
those who passed for such-Herbert Spencer,
John otuarG Will, AlSernOn Charles SWIM
| burne, Matthew Arnold, Thomas Carlyle,
| WiIkie Collins and Gerald Massey, beng
| list of some who were probably consulted, if
we may judge by the close intimacy which
has always existed between them and the
gifted novelist. The delicate difficulties in
the way were laid before this plenary coun-
Gil, each of the contracting parties agreeing
to abide by the decision, whatever
| it might be. The decision was all
that Mr.. Lewes and Miss Evans
could ashland they were told
to ''obey their own instincts, and not permit
an empty technicality to obstruct their hap
piness.' They followed this advice and
lived together thereafter as man and wife.
Miss Evans soon became known, in her
philosophical "set'' at least, as Mrs. Lewes,
even before the death Of the original Mrs.
Lewes, and, although there was some scandal
for a time, and few acquaintances fell away
from them. their intimate friends remain
steadfast from first to last. This story of
the original Mrs. Lewes being still alive NAV
possibly be true; but if it is, it is a little
singular that the widely-circulated story of
her death in 1874 was not sooner contra
dicted.