New-York tribune., 1885-02-08
with palpitstng heart and awkward TanneIS: man. =.
people who ietest me. But don't you DO one oi

them.
She was subject to deep depressions all through
her life, and at such periods she doubted ner own
capacity tof which indeed she always entertained
humble opinion of her usefulness In the world Oh
her conclusions upon vital problems; but never VI
the love and tenderness of her friends
The third volume is occupied with the Spanish
journey undertaken preparatory to the writing OIL
The spanish Gypsy; with the writing of Mid.
dlemarchu y and Daniel Deronda" and with some
account of her brief married life with Mr. Cross. 1t
il worth while to quote from later letter on
Doronda.r to show how her mind had expanded
in relation to the Jews. She says:
As to the Jewish element in "Deronda." eI.
peoted from first to last in writing It, that it woud
create much stronger resistance and even repusion
than il has actually met with But precisely because
/ felt tbat the usual attitude of Christians toward
Jews isl hardly know whether to say more I'M
pious or more stupid when viewed IN the light OF
their professed principles therefore ieit uIged W
as my nature and knowledge could attain 10. more,
over. not only toward the Jews, but toward all
Oriental peoples with whom we Ehelsn come III ~
dictatorialness is observable which has become
national disgrace to us. There is nothing should
care more to do il il were possible, than to rouse
the imagination of men and women to vision OF
human claims IN those races OF their fellow,men
who most differ from them Ia customs and beliefs
But toward the Hebrewswe western people Wno
have been reared in Christianity, have a peculiar
debt. and whether we acknowledge it or not, q
peculiar thoroughness of fellowship In religious and
moral sentiment Can anything be more disgusting
than to hear people called educated making small
Jokes about eatiug ham, and showing themselves
empty of any real knowledge as TO the relation OF
their own social and religious life to the history
of the people they think themselves witty in insult
ingf They hardly know that Christ was a Jew.
And / find men. educated, suposlng that Chrst
smoke Greek To my feeling this deadness to the
history which has prepared half our world for us,
this inability to find interest in any form OF lie
that is not clad In the same coattais anu nounces
as our own, lies very close to the worst klnd oi
irrelpion The best that can be said of II Is, that
il is a sign of the intellectual narrowness-in PLAIN
English, the stupidity which Is still the average
mark OF our culture.
We must conclude our extracts with Mr.. Crosss
description Of George Ehots character; descrip-
ton the more interesting because the one man who
could have done 1t better died before her. and
because no other living man perhaps Is in position
to speak with anything like the same authority on
those matters the truth of which demands pro-
longed and intnate.o observation. He says that she
had a limitless persstency of application
Continuous thought did not fatigue her. She
could keep her mind the stretch hour after hour;
fbe body might give way, but the brain remained
unwearied.
reading Even OF light books her recollections were
always crisp definite and vivid On our way home
from Venice after my illness, we. were reading
French novels of Cherbul,ez', Alphoi g. DSudet.
she had read years before. and was astonished to
6nd what clear-cut, accurate impressions had been
retained not Ouly Of al the principal characters,
but also of al the subsidiary persOnages-
their names were generally remembered. But, on
the other hand. her verbal memory was not always
to be depended on. She never could trust heisel1
TO write a quotation without verifying II.
. la foreign languages George Eliot had an expert
enoe more unusual among women than among
men, With q complete literary aud scholarly
,i.l,, Of
she spoke all four languages with difficulty. though
accurately aud dramatically; Dnt the mlinetlc
power Of catching iht9natloh ald aceen9 h vas
delight 10 herseif: and Hebrew Was
favorIte study to the end of her ile In her younger
davs especially at Geneva. inspired by Professor
ested In mathematical studies AT one time she
applied herself he.rtily and with keen enjoyment TO
geometry, aud she thought that sue might nave
attained to some excellence In that branch II she
had been able TO pursue IL. In later days the map
Of the heavens lay constantly ON her tabie AZ
Whitley. and she lOnzcd for deeper astronomical
wIedge She had n passion for the stars and
Que OF the things 20 which We looked forward on
To London was possible VISIT 70 uIecn-
yich Observatory, "a she had never looked through
wild-iiowers gave % fresh interest each day 10 our
~ ,s"odctso !, those who know but she would,
/ think have disclamcd for herself real botanical
except OF an elementary sort.
This wide aud varied culture was ACCOMPANIES
with an unaffected dstrust OF her own know ledge.
With The sense of how little she really knew. com
pared with what il was possible ior her To- nave
known In the world. Her standard was always
,hnormallv high--It the standard Of an expert;
anj She believed in tho aphorism that to know any
subject well We must know the details of II.
Even the most copious extracts must fail to con-
vey tho deep charm Of these volumes. however
The editor u certainly entitled to very great praise
for the skill, Judgment and good taste he has dis
payed in the choice and arrangement Of the letters
and journals They do tell the life OF George Eliot
in her own language, and precisely because OF the
form of thought-vehcles employed. the lightly
sketched outline OF that life Is enriched and filled IN
with profusion of the most beautiful and profound
and lIghtened by abundant examples of
that delicate and subtle wit which lends such
charm TO her books. And her letters show also how
strong n tendency TO sadness her mind had. uncon-
sciously to herself Theoretically she was neither
pessimist nor an optimist but what she called
peliorlst" hoping for the best under all crcum-
stances. But that undcrcurrent OF melancholy
which Is the accompaniment of profound and penc-
trating intelligence was very marked In her
character and may BIS regarded as the dominant
influence In her writings. And in her mind mas
culine IN its vigor was combined with peculiarly
womanly temperament. She was very gentle and
by no means what is called Independent. She was
exceedingly distrustful of herself, yet thoroughly
competent to decide for herself. Her religious
feeling was not formulated. but it was none the
less operative in her life and works. Though she
was strongly influenced by tho scientific movement
OF the time she saw clearly the limitations Of
science writing on one occasion: al think we must
not take every great physcist-or other ist for
All apostle, but be ready to suspect him Of some
crudity concerning relations that lie outside his
special studies. III his exposition strands us on
results that 10 stultify the most ardent
massive experience OF mankind, and hem up tho
lest part Of our feelings in stagnation.n
Mr.. Cross has succeeded in presenting this large
and fine intelligence in genuine and faithful a
portraiture probably can ever be had. We SEQ
her in all stages of mental growth. We marx her
linlt All oil