Morning journal and courier., 1880-08-05
George E1iot's Early Life i'm School.


 The house of which large part is now oc- cupied by Messrs. Gaze, the tourists agents, which is numbered 142, and which stands in the Strand between Somerset house and We'll ington street, was once the home of Dr. Chapman, the editor and publsher-the handsome publisher D as Leigh Hunt called him-of the Westminster Review. With Dr. Chapman and his wife lived, about twenty eight years ago, Marry Anne Evans, now known as Mrs. Cross, but most generally as George Elliot. Her position in the house was more that of near relation than friend The ways of the Chapmans were her ways, and their interests were her interests. Her ] time was occupied partly with the household duties, which she shared with Mrs. Chapman, and partly in assisting Dr. Chapman in his hterarH Hlabors. She was but little known outside her own circle of friends, her only published work being a translation of Strauss life of Jesus. Her original writing was confined to political and philosophical articles and reviews contributed to the Vest minister Review. Her method of work on these was the same as that which she en- ploys in the writings of her novels. Having thought deeply over the subject with which she intended to deal, she would retire to her room-that room at the tourist agents !- and with infinite pains put her thoughts into writing, doing so little actual written work in the course of the day, that a single article often took week or more of the most labo- rious toll.
 We are informed by one who knew her in those days when her genius ''bided it's time," that her habits were simple in the extreme and that it was during this period that her metaphysicalstudies and unremitting literary labor matured in her that distaste for general society which has never since entirely left her Her residence in Mr Chapman $ house must be regarded as one of the most impor- tant epochs in her career, for 1t was here that she met George Henry Lewes, who wrote for the Review, and who was con- stant visitor. The intimate friends of the Chapmans were few in number, but among them were to be found some of the most eel ebrated people of the day. In the drawing room over the book shop were often to be seen, amongst others, Thomas Carlyle, John Stuart Mill, Emerson, Dr. Neuberg, who translated Carlyle's Frederick the Great into German, Dr. Hodson, one of the ablest con- tributors to the Review, and Dr. Garth Will kinson Even in such company as this Mary Anne Evans was noticeable for the brilliancy of her conversation, her depth of thought, and the closeness of her reasoning
 It may be mentioned as an illustration of the practical assistance which Mr. Lewes af- forded George Eliot in the early days of her intimacy, that so modest was her opinion of her own powers she was in grave doubt, af- ter the Scenes of Clerical Life had been be- gun, whether they were good enough to be continued But MT. Iewes, whom she con suited, was, of course alive to the real value of the work. Another celebrated name is intimately associated with Dr. Chapman's house-that of Ralph Waldo Emerson. who came over to this country from America in 1649. He was one of it's inmates at the same time as George Eliot, and he also wrote for The Review. With Dr.. and Mrs Chapman and George Eliot the poet essayist and meta physician was in eongenial company and often whom in larger circles he had sat al-