New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

ar, mia. ,,,tls hook Ia written with admirable
ond judgement and with potkble self-re-
.traiot IL docs not weary the reader with criecai
S;.c.rs,veoe., nor with attempts to search OUT
biph-aown meanings aud reconcile oracies IN 'he
plan yea and nay" OF life. 1t IS graeeiui anu
unpretentious little biography, and tells III tha'
need be told concerning one oi tne grea'es' "i''''
OF the time. ..
II il deeply interesting If not fascinating
~vomon wbom Miss Blind presents. AS child, girl
and woman Marian Evans was ever original SIN
cara aud generously sympathetic. Her babltual
Gravity was irradiated now and then by lightning
flashes of wit or by the warm glow OF humor; ana
while she talked of high themes suited to the Ups
of "A philosopher, it was with manner ana Tone
full of the most winning womaniiness, she had
delicate comprehension Of and sympathy TOT Tue
sufferipgs of the most sensiycly spiritual orsanza-
tion as she had pity and tenderness for the hunted
mongrel, whether brute or human. Her knowledge
was profound, her talk marvel of depth ami
grace. vat she cared for practical work. and once
nouted ont TO friend that one Of her beautiful
hands WAS broader across than the other saying
with some prido that it was due to the quantity OF
butter and cheese she had made during the days
when abe kept honse for her father at Grill.
There Is little that is new in matters of fact IN
Miss Blinds work but she has skilfully combined
and arranged what materials were at hand lheie
is touch OF humor in the anecd0te OF ISAAC Evans
the uncultivated countty-bred brother OF the nov
elist. who was the only person who Immediately
n,netrated the disguise of George Eliot" He
could not but recognize innumerable incidents
characters and sayings in the "Scenes" and in
aAdan Beden for all had been familiar to his youth
and Marians But he kept his discovery closely
locked within his breast and tremoled lest
anyone else should find out tn, secret, tearing the
outcry of homely neighbors who might rot always
feel that the author had represented them in colors
sufficiently nattering. The first suggestion OF
novel writing came about for Mrs. Lewes III very
simpe fashion. She and Lewes had returned to
London from tho Continent and were not TOO wei
OIL One day an idea struck the vvacious versa
tile ard unsuccessful author of Ranthorpe." My
DEAR he SAID 81 think you could write a capital
storyv Soon afterward some dinner engagement
was made but as Lewes prepared to leave the
house his wife said q WON'T go out this evening"
aad when you come in don't disturb me. shall be
very busy" And thus camo into the world the
Scenes of Clerical Life"
To the genius of others George Eliot always
offered the most generous recognition, while to their
spiritual beliefs she gave the largest hospitality.
She has indeed been heard to say that :" the best
lesson Of tolerance have TO learn is to tolerate
intolerance Of her own beliefs her biographer
says:
Tn to the age Of seventeen or eighteen Marian
had been considered the most truly plous nemoeI
af nsr family being earnestly bent, as she says to
shane this anomalous English Christian lie OF ours
INTO consistency with tne spii. ana s''np a
byoupb BIT np" she informs another correspondent, !
I" in the Church of England, and have never joined
ary other religious society but have had close |
acouantance with many dIssenters of various sects
from Calvnstic Anabaptists to Unltarlans; Ter
inner life at this tune asae TyVe Marian
Evans was not one who could rest satisfied WIN |
outward observances and ll-worship; she neeueu
a faith which should give unity and sanctlUy 70 the
conception of life; when should awaken that
recognition of SOME thing to be lived for beyond the
mere satisfaction of SELF which 10 to the moral lie
what the addition of great central gangllon Is 10
animal life At one time Evsngelicalsn supplied
her with the, most essential conditions OF religious
life with all the vel emence OF an arde u nature
she fang her whole soul into passionate accept |
ance of The teacnmg of Christianity, carrying her
zeal 10 the pitch of asceticIsm.
George Eliot had the highest regard for Lewess
opinions bat hell to her own. one OF the cnleI
subjects OF difference CONSISTED h ~, 'o a ;t nco
promising opponent, she nad the greatest ~
with its various manifestations from Roman oatn'
ollie ascet icsm tn Evangelical austerlty ana meth
oa,st fervor Her reverence for every form of
worship IN which mankind has more or less con;
this unintnlgible world" increased with jhe
years She WAS deeply penetrated Dy that tend
eucy of the Positivist spirit which recognizes the
beneficial element ia yfUrm of religion and sees
the close nay indssoluble, connection between the
faith of former generations and the ideal CT our
and prations of her spiritual nature In the rellg
ION OF humanity. Ae has already been repeatedly
pointed out. there through all her works the
same persistent teacnIng of the Infinite Nature of
Duty Aud with. Comte size refers "the Obliga-
tons of duty, as we'll as all sentiments OF devotion,
toa concrete object, at once ideal and real; the
Human Race, conceived continuous whole, in
Guiding the past the present and the future
Though George Eliot drew many OF her ideas OF
moral cultivation from the doctrines of Comics
"PhOsopbe Positive" she was not q Positvlst In
the strict sense Of the word. Her MUD was lar TOO
hxy afnra Tn nj a
TO snch system as Comics. Indeed. her devotion
to the idea of mankind, conceived asa collective
whole not much characteristic of POsitivists
Leasing. BenthaIn, Shelley, Mill. Mazzn and VIC
tor Hugo. lnasmuch as Comte co-ordinated these
ideas into consistent doctrue. George Eliot found
herself greatly attracted 10 his yystem; and Mr.. |
Beesy, after an acquaintance OF eighteen years. |
considered himself justified in stating thai her |
powerful intellect bad accepted the teaching of /
Auguste Comte and that she looked forward to the |
reorganization Of belief on the lines which he had
laid down. Still her adherence, like that OF q. ii. |
Lewes was only partial, aud applied mainly to bis |
philosophy. and not to his scheme OF social policy.
concurrence. For Mr.. Lewes, speaking OF the Pol.
itique Positive" III his History or Philosophy" |
admits that bis autagOnistic attitude had been |
considerably modihed on learning from the remark |
of one very dear TO him TO regard it Utopia |
presenting hypothesis rarher than doctrioes-sug-
eestons fer future inquiries rather than dcgnas for
adopts"
On tine whole. although George Eliot did net |
agree with Cumtes later theories concerning the re-
construction of society, she regarded them with |
sympathy as the efforts Of individual to antici-
pate the work OF future generations" This sym
patiy with the general. Positvsr movement she |
showed by subscribing regularly to Positiyist OBJ
jects ospe ,ially to the fund OF the Central Organ
izati0n presided by NJ. Lafitte, but she nvar-
iaby refused all membership with the Posiy st conf
munty. In conversation with an old and valued !
friend she also repeatedly expressed her objection to
much ia Comics later specnlations, saying one |
occasion. cannot submit my intellect my soul
% the guidance q Comte." The fact ia thar. al
though George Eliot greatly influenced by the |
leading Positivist IDEAS her mind was too original
not to work ont hei own individual conception |
OF life.
In her girlhood, Miss Blind says George Eliot
bad quantity of soft pale brown hair, worn in
ringlets. Her head was massive, her features |