The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-04-01

When we consider the regnant position
finally attained by tho author of Middle
march" In the con,cm pornry English world OF
letters, Ii il surprising how little regarding
her private life was disclosed by the heroo
light which Is supposed 10 beat upon literary
o. well AZ social emnencc. Even they who
were thought to 10 host n,nl fled by personal
acquaintance TO review hcr books as they np-
Dcared. and those who a. her death undertook
TO give some account ~ tho woman IA well ma
NJ tho writer. possessed very mcagre aud i'm
perfect information. being often mistaken IA
TO such fundamental facts MS the authors
birthplace AMI patcn.age. and the social
sphere in which she was born. as vel IA gno-
rant OF important Incidents and influences OF
her early years. Meyer. except In tho case of
tho Waveriev Novels land then only during the
period while their authorship wns not known
with certainty have books Of similar scope
and value received such truly impersonal
criticism ~ was for many years bestowed on
the works ~ fiction written by George Eliot.
She herself pcrsistently maintained that this
sort OF criticism alone is OF amy utility to the
reader or hspfulness to art. OF all criticism.
indeed rs distinguished from the de'erential
and grateful npprcciativencs which confines It,
sclf to dwelling on tho merits Of an author.
George Eliot had poor opinion.
Whatever may be urged on behalf OF the
Saintc- Bcuvan method OF Interpreting an
artists work by his life-and much unques-
tionably. may be aaid for it from that COM
handing point OF view from which art itself Is
recognized as but n phase Of history-it Is man
fost that until very lately quite inadequate
materials for its application were forthcoming
In the case OF George Eliot. At last. however.
we havo n part Of tho information requisite
supplied in q biographical sketch entitled
George Eliot. by MATHiLpR BLIND Roberts
Brothersl. As regards the thirtynve years Of
the life Of Mary Ann Evans which preceded the
contracting OF a quasi matrimonial relation
with Mr.. q. H. Lewes. We are indebted to this
book for fuller and apparently more trust
worthy Information than Is elsewhere
attainahle. Tho writer obtained. she tells
rs. part Of her materials from the
novelists brother. Mr.. Isaac Evans. and from
old people who had boon neighbors OF her
father. Mr.. Robert Evans. Still more valuable
data were derived from srhoolfcllow Of
George Eiot's. and from her oldest and most
faithful friends Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Bray and
Miss Hennell OF Coventry. All the facts thus
collected are presented in n loving and rover
entail why. which would scarcely have given
offence even to Gle n:go Eliot's sensitive and
fastidious taste and keen repugnance to pub
licity. Indeed so -edu!ous and tender is the
writer's care IN avoid ponnin. q word which
might have wounded the novelist. that she tells
ia littlo about the last twenty-five years Of her
subjects life which covered the relationship
IN Ioves and during which nil ~ C;corve El,nt's
novels wore r.,ten Ictrs nor comnlain NJ a
.,,cnc, Jic,ntoI nv osti,n,h,s notivas hut
heartily ,b,,t IN, a,.bor n, tb;s stetcb for n
procious contribution 70 our kpowlekre ~ tho
mos, rem,rk,h,o woman y, our limo
As we have said the date and place OF George
Elio..s bir,h and ,h. voc,,,on n, bor father
have honn incorroc,,v .,.,od Al n m,ttor ~
,,c, M,rv Ann Inc, Marian, rv.ns ro, horn on
Nov % 1910 Mt south Farm =, milo from
nre,r /, ,ha ,,.i.h - cnr,nn in war,iot
sbjro Uor ra,h.r wos ~ welsh or;yi, ,nJ
began life IA n n,r,on.or hn, ho sonn lo,t his
ORIGINAL cnl,;ny Tor Tho most q, foros,sr md
conference.-the ho..u, ,ard ,oort II ,r,a In
,ho Ina, o,n,.;ty ,lo,o tho, bo ,v,. ,rou.r L.,
.W.rwiclsh;r. ~, ,yos n, opo fine auryoro,.
70 loo ostntss hi. rr;n.ina, omr,nvar hoirs, sir
Rooor N.wdi,o.o who dno,y n,,Jo a. 10 NJ
rvons.s ,Jynn,,.. 70 ,aro normnnon, oh,rno
o,h;s nronartv m G,nr,,a EIin,,a p,o,bor NO
bcnr verv ,itt,e erc.n, ,h,t bor nomo ros
pc,r.on AMI ,h,t sba wos Mr. Ev,ns,a second
wif,. Sh. ia ,as,rinaa ns ., Thin woman viii, n
be,rt NJ tonder os bar ,onoua wac shorn with
n chropic Iivor comn,,int -, nJe,otI.ab,o In
dustrv and enyr,nmn,ic snccch Accor1in,
,n cha ou,h,,r - ,his s,,o,ah shn Il, ,oi,,,n,I,.
,or,r,roJ /, NJ. IIno,i, in ,r,os par,on :,
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d,ryhtor and hv his socnnI vito t,,o o,,i,srnn
hosidna VI ,nn rho ho,s, Ia r,i,h a.,
erst tw.ntv y.,rs q, i:o,raa r;n,,s I;t' ,vor,,
.,.,, ,os az ali, ,.ah;ona, h,,u,, ri,
m,por h,I, fnr,, hons. .wo s,ori,a Min ,,,,h
roJ hricI, ,,IIs ,b;nL,, ,or,,,,l ,,.;,t IT,,
law, irt,rsnorso5 with ,roos s.ro,,haJ l.,
front toward tho o.,o A, m. h,ot w,s
ta,r, wnr1 ,,ith Io,r .,,,h,tn,, shoa, ",
.,ohos and ho,n,, ,h,, h,,,,,,Ia1 h, ,m;a,
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