The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-01-14
GEORGE ELIOT.
sketch or Her Life and works-The Sc
cret or Her Love.

Sketch OF Her Life and works-Tha Sc
cret or Her Love.
Marian c. Evans was born In Warwick
shire, England. In 1920. Not much Is known
of her early history to which she was not &C
customed often to refer. It Is understood
that she was the daughter of a Presbyterian
clergyman, a graduate of Oxford, and mar
of considerable learning. For "A while he wa.
in orders, and Minister of the Establish
ment, but he found himself disinclined Ion
ger to accept Its forms and economy, and lef'
IL for the Presbyterian Church. He became
for a time, preacher in one of the chapel:
of that denomination, and married member
of his denomination. When his daughter
the subject of this memoir, was about Il
years old,he received legacy which enabled
him to give her liberal education. An
other report states that she was adopted by q
wealthy clergyman, who cared for her early
culture. After leaving the academy she was
the associate and perhaps the pupil Of Her.
bert Spencer. Her father before this had
personally taken great pains with her litera-
ry training, being himself an excellent wri-
ter, so thai at 10 she was able to produce pa
pers of no little interest and merit. At Is
she was contributing to newspapers and Pc
rodicals, and receiving remuneration. When
she was about 20 years old, her mother and
father died, and she went up to London to
engage In literary pursuits. Her work was
willingly accepted, but great deal of 1t was
printed anonymously, and she early adopted
the pseudonym of George Eliot"
HER FIRST WORK.
The first work of Miss Evans which at
tracted any general attention was her "Scenes
from Clerical Life" originally published in
Bidckpoods Magazine In 1857, and In book
form in London in 1858. This was followed
by her well-known and admirable novel of
"Adam Bede," published in 1859. This work
at once gave her foremost position among
living English novelists. 1t was translated
into French and German, and went through
several editions in this country. 1t was fol-
lowed by "The Mill OH the Floss,"a novel
of equal merit, which met with equal sue
cess. "Silas Marner," book of great pow
er, was published in 1851. Her novel of
/" Romola" was written as a serial for the
CornltiH Magazine, in 1868. She published
"Felix Holt, the Radical" in 1866, and
Middlemarch in 1871. Her novel of
"Daniel Deronda" was published In 1878,
and her philosophical novel of "Theophras-
tus Such F" In 1879.
The poetical works of George Eliot, to
which, 1t is said, she attached higher value
than 10 her novels, were /" The Spanish
Gypsy" published In 1868, and "The Leg
end of Jubal," which appeared in 1871. She
was for a time an associate editor of the
Westminster Repie,c. She translated
Strauss " Life of Jesus " In 1S46, and Feur-
bach's " Essence of Christianity 1" in 1854.
1t may be noticed that after her first liter
airy success the works Of George Eliot were
in great request, and she ....-
RECEIVED LARGE SUMS FROM HER PUB
LIsHERs,
Though not so large as had been generally
supposed. She was paid for "Scenes from
Clerical Life, f1,000; for "Silas Marner,"
f15oO; for Adam Bede," f3500; for " The
Mill on the Floss" f4000; for Romola, {"
$4,000; for "Felix Holt," .f45O0; for "The
Spanish Gypsy" f500; for Middlemarch," I"
fsOOo; for The Legend of Jubal," f40O,
and for "Daniel Deronda," 10000. As she
is said to have worked slowly and painfully,
and as these sums cover a period of nearly
eighteen years, perhaps the earnings Of this
woman of genius will not be regarded as ex-
traordinary.
The life of George Eliot was itself or
nance. Shrinking, 1t is said, from notoriety,
her private career has been as much discus
sed as that of any woman In England. In
formation concerning her was not always ac-
curate, and what the curious public could
not determine In any other way 1t conject-
ured. Her fortune was strangely linked with
that of brilliant man of letters, with whom
she lived as wife for many years, and to
whom she was, notwithstanding rumors to
the contrary, never married. When "Adam
Bede was published 1t attracted the atten-
tion of Mr.. George Henry Lewes, who pro-
nounced 1t to lie work of extraordinary ge-
MUS. Thinking thus, he eagerly sought the
personal acquaintance of the author, especi-
ally as he was told that she was woman of
well marked and peculiar, but attractive
character. Failing In any other way to OBJ
tain an introduction, he took the step OF
writing to her and of offering her any litera-
ry assistance in his power. Her letter of
thanks was followed by correspondence and
the letters of ##
MR.. LEwEs,
Overcoming the reserve Of George Eliot, she
at last consented to an interview. Mr.. Lew
es was In peculiar position. He was legal
ly married. His wife handsome but way
ward woman, had some years before eloped
with lover. Under her protestations Of
repentance, he had forgiven her this offence,
and had received her again as wife. This
was a condonation of her crime which, when
afterwards she eloped again, prevented him
from obtaining divorce from the bond Of
matrimony. He could not marry while his
wife lived. Under these circumstances. the
parties, after some consultation OF friends,
to dispense with the usual for
malities Of the church, and to join their for
tunes under no other sanction than that OF
their common love. The novelist was al
ways called after the union Mrs. Lewes.
When the real Mrs. Lewes died 1t was
thought that legal nnion wobld be entered
into, and there were rumors that IL had been.
These, however, were dissipated when
George Eliot, as the executrix of Mr.. Lewes,
declared herself . ''spinster," and affixed TO
aer atfidavits the name of "Marian Evans"
The popularity Of her social position Is said
% have increased her disinc!ination TO min
yle In general society. Her seclusion re-
NAMED . persistent as ever, though she re-
,eived few Of her own and her husbands
friends.
Mr.. Lewes died Nov. 80, 1878, and In May
ast Marian Evans, to the surprise, not TO say
lie astonishment, Of every one, was married
BY that name TO Mr.. John Walton Cross,
Z s