New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-24
HER LIFE AND WORKS.

U.
land, in 500 Not much Is known OF her eariV h's-
~c-v IN winch she was not accustomed often TO re-
fer It is understood that she was the daughter or
Presbyterian clergyman. a graduate of Oxford ana
n man of considerable learning. For whiie ne was
In orders and a Minister of the Establishment, Dut
he found himself disinclned longer to accept It's
forms and economy, and left 1t for the presbyterian
church. He became. for a time. a preacher IN one
of the chapels of that denomination, and married
member of his congregation. When his daughter
the subject of this memoir, abont twelve years
old be received legacy which enabled mm 10 give
her liberal education. Another report states thar
she was adopted by wealthy Clergyman
who cared for her early culture. After
leaving the academy she was the associate and
perhaps the pupil of Herbert Spencer. her father
before this had personally taken great pains with
her literary training. being himself an exceiiehe
writer so that at sixteen she was able to produce
papers of no little interest and merit AT eiRh'eeh
she was contributing to newspapers and periodicals
and receiving remuneration. When she was ABOUT
twenty yesrs old, her father and mother dleu' anu
she came up to London to engage IN literary pur-
suits Her work was willingly accepted. but a great
deal Of it was printed anonymously, and she early
adopted the pserdonym OF George Eliot"
The first work of Miss Evans which attracted any
oanerol attention was her "Scenes from Clerical
Life originally published in Blackwoofs Magazine
n 1857 and in book form IN London In 1888 his
war followed by her welf-known and admirable
novel OF " Adam Bede," published IN 1859. Ihis
work at once gave her foremost position among
living English novests 1t was translated INTO
French and German. and went through seVera'
editions in this country. 1t was followed DIV Inc
Mil on the Floss a novel of equal merit,
which met with equal success. Sias Mariner, "
book of great power was published in 1861 her
Z . L .,l..V xrrfft
Cornhiu Maoazine in 1868. She published Fe'x
Halt the RADICAL in 1866, and "Middlemarch" IN
1871 Her novel of Daniel Deronda" wac pub
hshed in 1876, and her philosophical mover Oh
"TheophraStus Such" in 1879
The noetical works of George Eliot, 70 which, II
il said. she attached a higher value Than To Der
novels. we're The Spanish Gypsy" published III
1865. ana The Legend of Jubal,' when appeared
in 1871 She was for time an associate e4i'tor OF
The Westniaster RerielC. She Translated STRAUSS
DIise ot Jesns in 1916 and Feuerbach's 4" Essence
of Christianity" in 1854
IT. may be noticed that after her first literary
success the works of George Eliot IN great re-
onest and she received large sums from her pub-
lishers. though not so large had been gem
erallv supposed. She paid for Scenes
from Clerical Life" e1.O00; for Sias
Mariner Ct 500: for Adam Bede." f3,5Oo;
for The Mill on the Floss" e4.000 for "Romoia,"
$4,000; for" Felix Holt" e4500; for THE
spapish Gypsy" $500; for Mddlemarch'"
fs COO for " The Legend of Jubal," 44oO ana
for Daniel DerOnla," 10000. As she Is sad 10
have worked slowly and painfully, and as these
SUMS cover period of nearly eighteen years, per
haps the earnings of this woman Oh genus VIII Ho'
be regarded as extraordinary.
The lie of George Elot was itself romance.
Shrinking i Is said, from notoriety. her private
career mas been az much discussed as that Oh any
woman IN England. Information concerning heI
WAS not always accurate, anc what tne curlOus pun
lie could not determine in any other way, IL cohJeo
tured Her fortune was strangely linked Win tiia1
of a brilliant man of letters With whom she lVed
"A a wife for many years, and to wnom she was
notwithstanding rumocs to the contrary never mar
RED When Adam Bede" published 1t at
ICED fhs attention of Mr. George Henry Lewes,
who pronounce 1t TO be a work OF ex-
+raordjnarv genius. Thinking thus, lie
EAGERLY sought the personal acquaintance
of the author especially Rs he told that she was
a woman Of wen marked aud peculiar, but attractive
character Failing in any o.her way TO OBTAIN an
introducton he TOOK the step OF writing TO her ana
nj altering her any literary assistance IN his power
Her letter Of thanks was followed by correspond
enee and the letters of Mr.. Lewes overcoming the
reserve of George Eliot az last consented TO an
interview Mr. Lewes was In a peculiar POSITION.
He w legally married. DIS WIG. uhhNnoNO ""'
v0.vwsrd woman had some wears before eoped with
a lover. Upon her protes'ations OF repentance NE
had forgiven her this offence, and had received her
ooain 40 a wife This was a Combination OF her
or,,,a which when afterward she eloped again,
nrevented him from obtaining divorce from the
bond of matrimony. He conld not marry while his
wife lived. Under these circumstances the parues'
after some consultation OF friends, Determined 10
dispenee with the usual formaities OF the churcn
and IN ioiu their fortunes under no QUEER
sanction than that of their common love. Inc
novelist was always called after the union
NJ Loves. When the real Mrs Lewes died 1T was
thou ght that legal union would DC en'ereu i''"'
and there were rumors that it had been. These
boover were dissi pated when George Eliot. as the
sxacu.rix of MI Lewes, declared herself " SPIN
starp ard affixed to her afidavits the name OF
% Marian Evans" The pecuharity of her social
osition is bad 10 have increased her Discrimination
"a minrle in general society. Her seclnsion re-
lined "a nerssteut AN ever though she received
few OF her own and her husbands friends
Mr. Iewes died November 80 1878. and in May
last Marian Evans, 20 the surprise not 10 say the
ostonishment of every one. was married by that
name to air. John Walton Cross merchant in the
CITY Of London. BE was many years younger than
barssf and this is about all that il known of him.
Nor is much personally known OF George Fl OF.
Sh ,yas alyyavsa hard worker, sometimes spending
ga. or twelve hours of the day over her manuscripts
and failing on an average. some thirty or toriy
honrs a week. She did not care TO make much
,re In conversation. and 1T has been SAID that no
aody would suppose from her talk that she nad
.,.or written line In person she was very PLAN;
=; m.n,ers she was not particularly elegant Mr.
Iewes himself did not care much for general 40
ia,v and this feeling doubtless strengthened that
If tbs woman who morally If not legally his
Irife. Nsither wished to be hons. ana each found
:, tine others society sufficient happiness.
several of the novels Of George ELIOT viii undoubt-
. ..or4 niaca IN English htera ture