The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-05-25
GEORGE ELIOT.

From England comes the report that the
Eliot has lately committed matrimony, a GER
tain Mr.. Cross, ominous name, being the
happy man. If the report be true the present
union is the first legal marriage contracted by
the lady in question, for although called Mrs.
Lewes, through courtesy, a legal obstacle
stood in the way of rightfully bearing that
name. Lewes in early life was married to a
woman with whom, owing to "~uncongeniality
of temper ~"conflict of tastes" or some such
reason, he found it impossible to live in peace,
or perhaps to live at all. But a legal separa-
ton could not be procured, so the separated
but not divorced couple took their way, the
man for himself, The woman for herself, each
alone, through life. Lewes was a scholar of
note, as well as a writer of considerable &C.
lebrity, although not of fame so world wide
as that of the lady who afterwards bore his
name. When finally he met with this lady,
the mystic bond uniting kindred spirits drew
him so powerfully to her side that a relation,
not marriage, but as closely resembling it as
the circumstances would permit, was estab-
lished between them. The lady knew that
she could not legally become his wife but
after due reflection upon the position in which
she was placed and after consulting the
friends in whose judgment she had most i'm
plicit confidence she finally resolved upon the
decisive step of sharing Mr.. Lewes' home and
name, even though the latter could be borne
only through courtesy. Accordingly, she
lived with Lewes until his death, some three
years ago, and there is every reason to believe
that the informal union thus entered into was
in the highest degree conducive to the happi-
ness of both contracting parties. George Eliot
is the author of a large number of works Of
fiction, her fame as a writer having pretty
evenly grown from book to book, until at
length the mere announcement that she is
about to offer a new work, sends a thrill of
excitement through the polite world of bellies
lettres. Her lastbook was Daniel Deronda; Mid
dlemarch the next preceding; each remark
able for the revelation it makes of the
metaphysical cast of mind of its author for
the originality of thought displayed, and for
GIC SOuStliLlllibC ShIll ~ lin hCiS ~
there she lightly touches on the religio-scien-
titic questions, the questions of moral and So
cial philosophy with which at the present day
the minds of men are in so great a degree
preoccupied. George Eliot has won her own
success in life. By dint of the hard work,
withoHt which the light of genius itself sheds
but a sickly, Improbable glow, she won fame
and fortune, and in so doing the benefits ac-
cruing to herself through improved fortunes
were insignificant compared with the benefits
conferred upon intelligent, appreciatiye read
crs by the lessons contained in her writings.
AT the present time her age must be close on
sixty years. If the report of her late mar
riage be well founded, thousands who have
been made better as we'll as happier through
her writings will be sincere in the wish that
through that marriage her evening Of life may
be made cheerful and happy.