New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-11
GEORGE ELIOT. ss~
,nv an cppaT LITERARY LIFE.

r,,,,-yvrxprfoN OF HER RAELY WORK By
rup EDITOR OF BLACXwooDs MAGAZINE -
sprcUI ATOMS REGARDING THEIR AUTHORSHIP
MFR SKILL In REvIyISG MEDIEVAL ITALIAN Ro-
NANcE-A TRIBUTE TO HER MEMORY bf he"
PUBLISHERS.
rroD, Bloekscood's Magazine for February ...
The last sheets of the January Magazine haa Iust t
nnEsed through the press when we were hoea
the death Of the great han, and gfe ss a1 notice The
ioss Of George Eliot in the full tide OF net
fame and the ripe maturity OF 1eI ui an ,ba ~
scho ~ be ,onmous ex preston Of sorrow which
her une xpccted death has drawn froIp tne piess =.
Is nearly quarter OF cSntHy and diaident
vrter 70 strive for literary distinction IN our COZ
Tmns and the relationship which then eomme nn !"
satuc in ore Of the last letters written
by her before her fatal illness. George ELIOT mas
not long survived the Editor. whose prouoesC nv ~
crarv success was the recognition and promotOn OF
her genius and whose death she mourned with deep
and Unaffected regret. From the time that sne COLI n
.ed the little it, y6Cws i to the days
when "Theophrastus Such" was. was pasS, ac.
through the press she never c EN- Seadv coa1
LIZ "nS frank CRITICISMS; and the recollectlons OF
mast friendship and personal relations. even noie
than public esteem due to ner a S offer aa
novelist of our age, make us anxious W onoi gu o.
In Daniel Deronda" George Eliot writes thus
human life. think should be we'll rooted in some
SsSp ar ts ace Of earth for The abors forth
TO- for the sounds and accents that haunt IT, Ior
aver will ciys that early home famiiiar unmistahaoic
Sisrence amidst the future widen ing OF knowledgc
,pot where defneness Of early memories may
nj even to the dogs and donkeys may spread
aor by sentimenaI effort and reflection. but as sweet
habi OF the blood.
II was this tender love of kinship with the face
,f the earth land acquaintance with all neighbors
sven to the dogs and don keys, thaf hrst IeaVened
George Es' lie mHa edd IN our
roundings Not the depth IF her self-acqulred Gull
ture-nOt even her subsequent ASSOCIATION WIN per
IONS of the highest intellect and experience OF the
world-did for her what her country nurture IN the
Midlands had done. In Maggie OF Dorlcote MIL:
we find revealed many of the feelings and stages OF
Thought and temperament through which George
Eliot herself must undoubtedly have passed.
The imaginative girl, seeking for more re;
lined sympathy than tnat wnsn sp sIs ,o con
yenIonalites; full of love to ALL put too sensitive
to show it; happy in her own world, out sun strv;
rlimpses through the few books that come to her
band;-Maggie Tulliver must surely have been OF
kindred blood to the girl that was to be one day
George Eliot. Only an intense love for the lace OF
the COuntry-for the worka-day people, ana 1or tne
ieisurely life that was gong on about her-conId
have printed the pictures OF it so deepsy IN er
most sensible that her feelings are strreo when sue
is drawing for delight FROM the OF ner
flesh Young presslons. When she leaves the English
Niilands and its folk. we may still be impressed by
her genius but we are conscious OF an adlhiI uIe
of art which we never detect so long as she IS
within her own special province. VI ber carry
ability we can Judge for ourselves by observing how
she could take hold of the mlnulcst details on
country life, even In matters tnat lie peIonu Tue
usual ken of girls aud women. When the scenes
of Clerical Life" appeared excellent critics mann
tanned that only a clergyman could have written
line book while to our know ledge practical caD-
hetmaker who bad got an early copy OF Adam
bede" felt certain that it could be the work only OF
one who had been bred as carpenter. e.
1t was well that great genus arose 10 save lot
as pictures of state of society that has now passed
away. The MiGlands in George Eliots childhood
still retained the quiet, oid-fashioned, easy gong
newspapers had not reached the masses pohllcs
commended little general interest TIE slnrs OK
zach small community were to itself all in all and
people cared little what went on III inc next
county, and sill less what was happening
in other , fOoadrei found cD expresson in re
lgious dissent, which was then sufficiently uncom-
mon to scandaze the well-to-do among the people,
and sometimes attract persecution, as IN the case
of poor Mr.. Tryan. II the people grumbled, 1t was
at something that directly affected their own inter
esssush tt11s or 5sSes; aGa tbe ey
political position. Squires were squlres ~
those DAYS and rectOrs were rectors-great local
Tiiinv TO the people with whom they came i'll con-
tact and whose rights and privileges however arbi-
rarily they might be ex.cseu we're were not 10 Dc
had not vet tended TO e4tin9ulsh lndlYilnalty
among the working classes. aud clever handerais-
man was person of general consideration lie nm
landlord and the parish clerk were people OF social
standing and the mail-cOachman great public
character Education was conhned 10 the lew, ana
general know ledge was far from being either ac-
curate or extensive. From tue height OF our own
enlightenment, we are apt to look back With y
OF a Sst II was GR'o al and Simplicity
that fascinated George Elots MIND ana gave color
t. her SS M It SS Ss where e shS
dealing with the Older condition OF the
country she H. much more t snee cess of
and this would almost Justify
us in believing that she bad seen less that WAS
beautiful and lovable in the latter than i'll the
former stage, though her sympathles were unnlis
iakably with the newer epoch. The reality OF her
convictions altogether gets the better OF her
sentimental liking for the England OF her own early
life and she presents the singular case OF one VINO
is at an advanced advocate OF progress ana I'LL
enthusiastic laaddtor tempOrts acf
A LITERARY CAREER.
Aftera short residence on the Continent whittier she
had been aken by some OF her kind country friends,
George Eliot commenced literary work in London in
1851 At this time her strength OF intellect her
scholarship aud various Accomplishments, ana Tie
made a deep impression on all who were thrown INTO
her society Sne contributed several papers TO me
Westminster Rere,r which were chiefly potable 6 Tor
ETY. of the reading visible III then About this period
George Eliots acquaintance would probably have
predicted for her great ts h as OF
genius was apparent only to one of her friends
through whose cOunsels and agency she
S sSsn in 70 the s0 autumn Of ISIS that the late M
George Henry Lewes, who himself was a contrIb u-
tor to Maya" sent to the Editor, the late Mr.. John
i}iackwood "The Sad Fortunes of Amos Barton"
the work of an anonymous friend. The story was.
offered as the first instalment of a series; and
though the Editor pronounced that Amos would
chsnce hit and requested sight of the other tales
before coming to decision. Criticisms on the
frankly put forward. and the Editor wound mp his
letter by saving If the author is new writer beg
to congratulate him on being worthy OF the honors
him or YOU soon" At this time the remaining
"Scenes Of Clerical Life !" were nnwrtten. and the
effect upon the author which tie Editor astened to
remove as soon as lie became sensible of them, by Of
fering to accept the tale. He wrote to Mr., Lewes