Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-03-11
George Eliot.

icepohaeil vi inc M i prh IrIbitlae,
has given striking sketch Of George
Eliot On the delica;" pojot Of tho
career Of this lady Mr.. Sm.llev savs:
Everybody knew that 81" hal lived
opciily tor years with the late George
Henry Lawes, end that she vas
not married to him. Their. voro
MANY excuses for tho irr.enlarity
OF their relations. Mrs. Lewes was
living, to be sure, but was hopeiessly
insane. Be!weeN Miss Evans aid MI,
LIsues there were very strong Intellect
ual ties and sympathies, Independently
of attachments of other sorts. Mr..
I1ewes had that kind of Influence over
Miss Evans which merely clever and
studieus man Of eager and strenuous
temperament sometimes exercises on q
sensitive nature. For Miss Evans,
though On some points firm and mascu-
line, had tho sensitiveness, the suscep-
tibility and external impressions which
is one OF the surest characteristics of
genius. She was convinced. l believe,
she often said, that her obligations on
the intellectual side to Mr.. Lewes were
very great. Others thought the obi
cation was the other way, and that
George Eliot, SO far from owing any.
thing to Loves or gaining anything
from her long association with him
was distinctly loser by the connection.
1t is certainly true that after Lewes
had established his influence ON her
mind there was marked change in
the character of her work. She was
aware of the change and took pride
in it. and thought her work had gained
by it in quality and value. Not few
of her friends ana admirers thought
it had deteriorated, and that Us Lewes'
influence became more powerful the
change in her method of writing be-
came moro pronounced and the de-
torioration more evident
Mr.. Lswes was noisy person sup
posed to have intellectual accomplish
ments, who wrote many books. read by
few persons. lie is said at the recep-
tiCus whic! he and his companions
were in the Gabit of giving on Sunday
evenings, TO pervade'the atmospheric"
That is, he was about talking. pushing,
pressing, dVciaimjng, OF George Eliot,
Smalley says:
Boldly controverting everybody
else. leading the talk, often moropo-
ilz;ng 1t, always cont lent, sometimes
1espotic, sho bowed herself before
Lcwos in n humility that on occasions
was positively distressing to her friends.
L9wcs' friends ana hers, to be sure,
were largely the same, bn. few OF them
we're under any such ariution AZ she
was about the relative superiority of
that strangely matched pair
George El!ots appearance has often
been described, but tho descriptions
do not always harmuniza. She las been
called suppose most people called
her--cxtlemely plain. A noted wit aud
writer IS reported to hlvo said of her
and Lewea that they were both so ugly
It Was impossible to believe any harm
of them. This sharp ,ougued person
AYERS that he said it lot only of, but to
them. Let us hope taat his memory in
that matter has played MIN false. About
Lewes extraordinary uglinass there
conld be no two opinions. Thsre was
not q good feature in his face, yet his
face as a whole was one which you
would look twice at, and which had, at
any rate, the merit of not being COM
monplace. George Eliot, when you
saw her in rspose, had beyond dis
pute forbidding countenance. Poo
pie who did not like her used to say
she looked like horse--a remark |
have also known made about cele-
brated living actor. 1t was tue so far
us this; that the portion below the eyes
Was Aisproportionately long and mar
roG. she ind that square fitness of
,row over the eyes which Blake had,
and 1hch led Blake to stfi I'M that the ;
shape of bis head maize hlm Republic J
can. George E(iot's radicaIism went
much further than mere Republican
ism. She never can have been beau
tiful woman, either IN face or figure.
she was tall, gaupt, angular, without
any toying ease Of motion, though
with self-possession and ir,nness of
muscle and fiber which saved her from
the sham bling awkwardnesB often the
characteristic of long and loose ointed
people. There was no want of power
in her movements, nor i'll the express
Sion of her elongstcI visage. to the
lower part Of which wen: plenty OF Jaw
and decision OF contour. She was alto
gether parsonage whom ut first sight
the hshol,ler must regard with respect,
and whom, upon further acquaintance,
it WAS perfectly possible to find at
tractive, not from her talk Cnly, which
was m&rvolOusly full, but from her
nero external Appearance, ana still
more from her expression and tho ami
nation OF her face. Her eyes were,
when she talked, luminous ard heauti-
full, dark in color and OF :ha: unfathOm-
able depth and swift-changefulness
which are seldom to be seen in the
same orbs, except in persons whose
force OF character and force of intellect
are both remarkable. They could 10
very soft, and she smiled Wit. hor eyes
as we'll IS with that larg" mouth OF
hers; and the sllilo Was iu!i of ioveli-
ness when it did not turn to mocking
or mark that contemrtrous mood which
was not vsry infrequent with her. In
conversation which die not wake this
demon az ncoruininass. born OF con-
soiUns iHie llectuni superiority, the face
was fail Of vivacity Md light, whether
Illuminated by IA smile or not.
JnwIsl COLONY IN PALEsTINE.-The
IGraclitos in Chicago are taking steps to
aid colony which has established it.
sci. In Palestine. This colony. which