The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-14
GEORGE ELIOT.



and Daniel Deronda
In her girlhood. Miss Blind says, George
Eliot had quantity of soft pale brown hair,
worn in ringlets. Her head was massive,
her features powerful and rugged, her mouth
large but shapey, the jaw singularly square
for woman, yet having certain delicacy OF
outline. A neutral tone of coloring did not
help to relieve this general heaviness OF
structure, the complexion being pale, but
not fair" Nevertheless, the play of expires
sion and the wonderful mobility of the
mouth, which increased with age, gave q
womanly softness to the countensnce, in Gu
rious contrast with its framework Her eyes,
of gray-blue, constantly varying in color,
striking some as intensely blue, others as of
pale, washed-out gray, were small and not
beautiful in themselves, but when she grew
animated in conversation those eyes
lit up the whole face, seem
ing in manner to transfgure it.
So much was this the case that young lady
who had once enjoyed an hours CONVERSE
ton with her came away under its spell with
the i'm preston that she was beautiful, but
afterward, on seeing George Eliot again when
she was not talking, she could hardly believe
her to be the same person. The charm of her
nature disclosed itself in her manner and in
her voice, the latter recalling that OF
Dorothea, in being "like the voice of soul
that has once lived in an Eolian harp" 1t
was low and deep, vibrating with sympathy.
Mr.. Bray, an enthusiastic believer in
phrenology, was so much struck with the
grand proportions of her head that he took
made. He thinks that, after that of Ma
poleon, her head showed the largest develop
ment from brow to ear of any persons re-
corded. The similarity of type between
George Eliot's face and Savonarola's has
been frequently pointed out. Some affinity
ii their natures may have led her. if uncon-
sciously, to select that epoch of Florentine
life in which he played so prominent part.
Though NOT above the middle hight,
Marian gave people the impression of being
much taller than she really was, her figure,
although thin and slight, being well poised
and not without certain sturdiness of make.
She was never robust in health, being deli
cately strung aud of highly nervous tenn
permanent. In youth the keen eXcitability of
her nature often made her wayway and hys-
tercal
In fact, her extraordinary intellectual vigor
did not exclude the susceptibilities and
weaknesses of a peculiarly feminine organiza-
ton. With all her mental activity she yet
led an intensely emotional life as in those
days she was known by her friends ito weep
bucketfuls of tears"
Her long pale face. with its strongly
marked features, was less rugged in the ma
ture prime of life than In youth, the inner
meanings of her nature having worked them
selves more and more to the surface, the
mouth, with its benignant suavity of ex-
preston, especially softening the too promi-
nant under-lip and massive jaw Her abun-
dant hair, untinged with gray, whose
smooth bands made a kind of frame
to the face, was covered by lace or muslin
cap, with lappets of rich point or Valen-
ciennes lace fastened under her chin. Her
gray-blue eyes, under noticeable eyelashes,
expressed the same acute sensitiveness as her
long, thin, beautifully shaped hands. She
had pleasant laugh and smile, her voice be-
ing low, distinct and intensely sympathetic
in quality; it was contraito in singing, but
she seldom sang or played before more than
one or two friends. Though her conversa-
ton was perfectly easy, each sentence was as
finished, as perfectly formed, as the style of
her published works. Indeed, she laid great
stress on the value of correct speaking and
clearness of enunciation; and in ''rheophras-
tus Such" she laments 1.-The general ambition
to speak every language except our mother
English, which persons of style are not
ashamed of corrupting with slang, false
foreign equivalents and pronunciation that
brushes out all color from the vowels and
jams them between iostling consonants."