, 1881-02-12

years 1890, and 1910, and 1s4t. Tho
gentleman who IS tho fortunate owner of
these documents very prnperly looks upon
them NJ great treasures; still i,u has allowed
t1lc writer the privileges ut pcr,Islng them.
Sone Ut tho letters nrn brown with nge. and
&nucll worn ut tho cdEes md In tic folding
creases. OILERS aro III better preservation.
Tile letters. at least those dispatched In 1911,
were sent to Wirksworttl, Just n year before
Slr Rowland Ill!l's ,acl,en,e for penny
t'se: Ticyare written oil The sld-fastIonet
post PAPER, md tie address. "Mr. S.
Eyans, tllo M!lll,ol!scs, Wirkswortli," ap-
ss5is rsstio II + ts te Ssi a s;f fnI tnds tie tnt a.
t;eorRe. Eliot hnd paid for tho transmission
Most of the epist[cs ara addressed to "MY
dear uncle alnt aunt" antl all reveal George
E!tnt's KrtAt talents.
letters alx'untt III beautiful metaphor; but
thelr most striking characteristic Is the rellg-
'o!.s nns,. tlnGo n, that peryndes them AZ. Nearly
every jl'!G ,Henotes That t'eorgc Eliot was nil
especially In thu years 1xE, mil 1870,
very anxIous aboMt her spiritual condition,
IT 0ne u tiesn letters. written from Grin 10
,"Dlnnh Norris" IN ls59. esays sllris living
III dry nfN! thirsty 1n.tI, md that she Is lnpk-
Ing forward With pleasure 70 a VISIT 10 Wirks-
worth, and llkens lIcr alnt's coupanionstllp
and counsel to n spring or pure water, nccrpt-
nb!e 70 lier as Is tfo we'll dug for the traveller
tn the ;.,s desert That the most atfecsionatc
elntreit stlltlorsss AMI Mrs. El!zalmtl, Evans,
or Dinnfl l}ctte." Is apparent from this cUr.
rGsl'o'lsence. Tllc inlili'st. secrets Ut ticorge
Ellots leaft nre 1aIl bare In. thesn letters to
asking for advice and srlrItuul guidance,
ana corfesSes her faults with caluor that
Il rendered additionally attractive BY reason
eiathed. 'e''s' ~ "e" ~ %
When quite q girl George Eliot was known
as p!0us tIlu cleycr; alM IN tho letters sllo
wrote III lssl, when she was 10 years old, tlie
though slse Is not 50 sure about her ple.y.
She s,ys that unstable as wafer thou siialt
mt excel" seems to b. 4 description Of her
character, instcAd Of, the progress, fronu
to stand In tIle l,,'ss prt.sepcs ""o Of Sh S;od.
~ another. letter slle admits tat sl,o ca.tMUt
give good account Of her spiritual state,
says tat @ silf ms ilas been surrounded by worldly
9f iler 9reut stu'lIbltng-hlocks.. But In let
ter written In lB40 the uncertainty li;,s Et,tle
from ilcr mind, and sf,e writes illat she has
Tssolvetl In tue strength Of tic Lord to serve
however, s!le does not nppenr, 50 col'iitlent,
AGAINST the ambition that fills lirr heart, and
that iler tondi,cSs for worldly praise is II
inc't; Still she thinks IL ii no use sitting
Inactive with folded hands. ultt1. beIleyt,:,
ttat tue love Of Gnl is the only thing to give
real satisfaction to human beings. s'c hopes,
One Of the letters Is chiefly ,,evotc.l to tic
concern fGtt by GcOrge Eiint Mt Dinall
neHe'S",, Illness; atNl nnotlleE. written ut
tolesililI; X! betIAys some nunor nlnitl thu
!fotlble tEnt aslilctS the nHtli0reas nbunt her
future. Their outward cirennsfa'Ices. She
writes are ali st.e can desire; l'tlt slH.
is not 50 certain about her. spiritual
state. altl'o1'El, she feels TINT Il. Is u.e
gTaee racosf Of t 1l"ne TINT ca,' give tie
speak r the preacher ut fulcshitl: with
whom she Is not greatly pleased. I'VE get
Inc tr'Ith; but II Is MT recommended BY tln
Gde ,i,is ;r{, Of ts de:lyery"ls how se writes #
removes the sting by a!tdEng TINT mare gooA
1nay sometimes lie obtained from humble in
strnMienss tllnn frnm tile .higlsrst privileges,
ailti tlat sllc must examine i!er own heart
W to this period 1t Is evident that t;eoree
Ellot,S views upon religion were orthodox,
and ti!at her, lifo was passed III ceaseless
Striving for tic "pearc tint tasset!I Under
z ".Dillah 1lcie " from Sirs. is,ac Ev,,s, oi
Grtf, ~ which George Eliot is slmkcn Of,
nnd ~ The TIE cllaMEe ~ ller religious opinions
!n"ichled. Airs. ESnlls writes TINT she
the last paflIon Of e the ietisr, 'icailn. m"rc "
in!!S with the subject. Illus unfortunately got
lost or destroyed. Tic close associat!on of
George Eliot with Derhyslirr. a.. well MS her
nn.l It's upright, honest, Gotl-fearing people,
oFeAks forth IN lnnlr tllnn HtiB Ot these COLI
Hslntcations. but tho writer has oven stronger
pFnof 0f her delight IN tho society Of tho
straa des" ninl ,,, the aIestoa that EreW $,
Bede." '''N '''''''' ~'>, '''',@ ''''
Sheffield has thu llunor o I being the town in
which Mary Evans. the daughter Ut :. 1)lnah
MarIs% stdss at It Is "Ssleis n for
who Is married. a'tl las c!.nnEed her na1ne
mother at Wlrkswor,l!. particularly III ls!7,
a1'd sthaa danes thnt alary, Anu eyer went
members, however TINT George Ellnt
with l,cr mother; md notwithstanding nny
statement to the contrary, y confident tint
photographs of her ltstler, Elizabeth Evuns,
her fathef. Samuel Etvals, .am!! Ills, brother,
Robert Eynns. The Eyans family, size states,
lived Mt a1illhOllsta. about mtlu heyOlnl tho
two daughters n1ul i've brothers. rlm ln.ls
were all luiners. Robert, the "Atlan lsatr" nf
George Eltot'a story was the eldest; anu
SnmHnl, tls seth heae" Of the novel. WHO
sff!sa n Seeas D nr pr'er Tas II .s 's fSii', 'aMi
!" Lake wus erc!ltly Interested III George
Elliot, md. went on II visit to htr 1T
Fo!esl'IIl in 1919. lie Is spoken. .of ms
ws% %0srfn! is rctle a% as ts WyfHnt: WlHswot:, s IL
saI,f George ElIut Ind materially cllangc.l
her Views upon religious questions. mud that
he Ind tried [n vain ~ hiring llEr bac!s to irr
ysar 5ssnfE ai s"'IS" Sa ef s es"F Fc Il 1 MI III @ All.
macy between, tho n,tthDress md lp,r AVirks-