Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-01-12
GEORGE ELIOT"
THE STORY OF HER SOCIAL RELATION

uHCC VI hunDti OF literary men (sD(
had always been shy, and had sedu
lously avoided society," among them
Herbert Spencer George Henry Lew
es, Dickens, Adolphus Trollope, Tback.
cry, Matthew, Arnold, Wilkie Collins,
Leslie Stephens and Charles Reade.
Spencer and Loves were particularly
interested in her, and close intellect.
ual friendship sprang up between them,
Spencer informally instructed her in
his system Of philosophy, and Lewes
added largely to her stock of culture
by his own diversified attainments
Spencer, albeit phiiosophic bachelor,
wished to marry her, it is said, but she
declined his proposal, Lewes was
strongly drawn TO her through intel.
lectual sympathy, far more SO than he
ever could be to any human be.
ing. He SAID that they needed one
another; that he felt he could help her
as much as she could help him that
their minds were correlated aud mutu.
ally responsive. Lewes would have
been only too happy to make her bis
wife But there was an obstacle in the
way Of their nuptials then or at any
other time. There was Mrs. Lewes
already, and what was worse, although
she and Lewcs did not live together,
she could not legally be set aside.
Why2 He had married years before
a woman who had very little in com.
mon with him, and, as be learned too
late, with whom be had still less. He,
being of stole mould, bore the misfor.
tune uncomplainingly, trying to soften
the unavoidable disharmony as much
as he could He rebelled violently
against her indlscreet acceptance.
Unable to be fond of him, she was so
much rcpelled that she drove him, by
her expression Of repugnance, well.
nigh distracted, for he, like most men
Of artistic temperament, was extremely
sensitive, and capable OF great spiritual
suffering. After two or three years of
dlscord she met another man who was
very attentive TO her she was then
handsome and had an attractive figure,
and she was so moved by his atten-
tions that she ran away with him.
Lewes was greatly relieved. II he
had been orthodox he would have
thanked the Lord for his delverance.
As he was a nationalist, he regarded
bis wiie's elopement as q happy coin
cidence Mrs. Lewes's lover presently
grew tired Of her and abandoned her
Then she repented and sought her hus.
band with pathetic contrition and plcn.
teous tears He was generous, chival.
rous, tender hearted; he had no love
for her but fearing that she might 90
to moral perdition, be nobly, and in the
face Of public prejudice, and what he
knew would be ieoring world, took
her back-replaced her in his home.
He believed that he had done his duty :;
he was truly one man in ten thousand.
He had sacrificed himself for what
seemed to be her good Before the
year had passed. Mrs Lewes, who had
resumed her old attitude Of opposition
and defiance, repeated her olfense.
She ran away again Lewes ielt he
bad enough of wedlock, that hence.
forth celibacy would be forever allur
ing and it would have been, doubtless,
under ordinary circumstances. But
meeting George Eliot was not, to his
mind, an ordinary circumstance. lie
had no passion for her, no romantic
attachment no sentimental prejudice.
He loved her intellect; be worshipet
her genius; he knolt at her shrine.
But he could not marry her, and with
out marriage society and custom for.
bade them to be close companions.
The English law will not grant
divorce under any circumstance where
disloyalty has once been condonod.
He had condoned his wiie's elopement
for her second elopement be had no
legal remedy. What could, what did
he dol He submitted the matter,
after due reflection, TO their common
friends, entirely conscious that George
Eliot would, by living with him, place
herself under ban; that she would ex.
pose herself to Misunderstanding, to
harsh comment, TO cruel criticism
that she could hope for only the rec.
ognition and esteem for the few.
Their friends were among the best and
most intellectual persons in the United
Kingdom. They discussed the ques-
tion in favor Of spiritual union which
the law, through a technicality, would
not sanction George Eliot and Geo.
Henry Loves went to reside under
the same roof, and until his death, in
1873, they were the best OF friends,
the most sympathetic Of comrades, the
most harmonious OF literary co.work-
ers. They lived in a quiet quarter of
London, near Regents Park, in a
modest but comfortable and elegant
home, full OF books, pictures and OBJ.
ects OF taste and art
She never went out socially, but she
received Sunday evenings during the
season with her friends, as they who
called were almost always people of
some kind Of distinction. 1t was deem.
ed privilege to go, and a number of
cultured and liberal Americans have
passed delightful hours there.
Lewes's death was o terrible beroave.
ment to George Eliot, and one from
which she never recovered. Mrs Hoop |
or wrote concerning the trouble of the |
novelist: "Her agony at the timo ofl
his death was uncomfortable and un.
bounded. She broke down as utterly |
as ever did the weakest woman of us |
all, and her shrieks of lrrepressib lie
anguish were heartronding to hear"
She lived in strict retirement, and |
when the news was published IN May |
last that she had married Mr. John |
Walter Cross, of London, the world of
readers were taken by a veritable sur.
prise. The marriage notice read
Marian G. Evans, spinster." Mr. |
Cross is an Englishman of highly
respectable family, who resides al
Weybridgc, in tho county of Surrey,
near London, and is the senior part.
ner of the banking firm OF Cross, Ben.
son 4 Co, in that city. His brother,
Mr. Richard 5. Gross, is a banker Of