The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-21
LITERARY LEAVES.
GEORGE ELIOT AS a REPRESEk
TATIvE AUTHOR.

Novels the Popular Form of Literature
Dickens and Thackeray- Conseryatism
of George EIIot--Her Love OF Home
Child OF the Middle Glass.
The popular exponent of the first
part OF the nineteenth century, OF the
first French revolutionary period, was
Byron. Shelly was more ETHEREAL en-
bodiment Of the best Of these reyolu-
tionary impulses, but in both. the symp-
toms of the first outburst Of belief in
humanity were that it believed in inn
pulses. rather than customary restraint
or ddty. Whatever is natural to hui
manly is right, and impul 3es are natu-
raj, therefore right, was their crude
syllogism. The age has not yet learnt
the philosophy of self-control. Bu. the
wild enthusiasm of the revolutionary
period having spent itself, the young
nineteenth century settled down
to business in the form Of science.
Scientists crowded out the poets
in popular esteem: and why
not, when they had more in
teresting stories to tellf Spencer
Lewes, Huxley, Miller, and Darwin
were the eminent men IN literary
circles. The poets were of the conser-
vative philosophical type. Tennyson
and Matthew Arnold pre- emiuently.
Novels became the popular form Of ut
erature, because they presented hui
mainly in all Its phases, and man ana
nature were the principal studies OF
men. To the enthusiastic, Dickens be-
came the great eXpositOr, and his works
almost their Bible to the cynical, the
realistic-whO could not help seeing
how far short man came of his ideal
standard, and who yet had lost faith III
Supreme Power that should raise him
-Thackeray became the eulightener,
aud his books their manual.
To this period. skepiical in religion
scientific in method, philosophical I'D
thought, fond of prose drama aud the
novel, in literature, belongs George
Eliot. now wish TO show that IN an
tecedents. education. temperament, and
IN her writings. she isa type Of her era.
The average Englishman OF the mid
die of the century had his origin IN
such communities as those described M
Adam Bede. Siias Mariner. Felix Holt.
and Mill on the Floss. Her father was
a Tory of the best type. conscientious M
his business, thorough in his work, and
naturally conservative. She has
sketched him in Adam Bede aud Caleb
Garth. Her mother was shrewd.
practical woman, Of much natural force,
and dash OF Mrs. Poyser 5 Wiz IN all
her works we find abundant evidence
Of that love Of he old, aud aversion TO
change which links her with her cOun-
trymen.
To fully understand the average man
Of the period. it Is necessary TO know
not only the French influence that
worked upon him, but the good Fog
lish soil from which he -prang Both
the beauty and the narrowness of tins
life OF our grandfathers is reflected |
from her novels: the beauty especially |
in Adam Bede, the DarrOwue,s m Mil |
on the loss.
Another fine old Euglish trait inner |
ent in George Eliot is love of nome. Ia |
one of her letters 90 Sara Henuei She |
says: II must have a home, not yis-
ting place Even the mistakes of her |
life do not contradict this, for in her |
union with Mr. Lewes she made new |
home without violating any former /
one.
Her middle class birth also makes her
representative al numerous class of
Engilshmen. TIE well 10 do farmer.
the intelligent artisan and tradesman
form the bulk Of her characters The
alistOcratIc or the very poor enter on
her pages only as supernumeraries. In
this she is in perfect sympathy with
her age. The great strug. les of the
century have been engaged in by this
middle class for its own elevation.
In looking at her life, we see then "A
child of middle.cldss parents. born and
bred in middle England among rural
peOCle, and surrounded by conservative
influences. Upon this foundation Of
conservatism is engrafted a capabllity
Of intense feeling. This capabllity of
feeling is the main element of q reli-
gious character if, as Adam Bede says
religion 5 something else besides no
tiOns and doctrines. IL isn'C notions
sets people doing the right thing S
feelings.
With this emotion there was IN her
mind. as in D)rOthea 5. "a current into
which all thought and feeling were apt
sooner or later 10 flOw-the reaching
forward of the whole Consciousness to-
wards the fullest truth the least partial
good"
She yearned toward the perfect right
that il might make a throne within her,
and rule her Grant will. But her
mind was logical aud her spirit fear
less.
TO fear. - she says. THE examina-
ton of any proposition appears to me
an intellectual and moral palsy. For
my part. / wish 10 be among the ranks
of that glorious crusade that il seeking
to set Truths Holy Sepulchre free
from usurped domination But
like all the great thinkers Of her age
who dared defy the Powers Of Dark
ness in quest Of truth, the latter half Of
her life was one intense struggle be-
tween religious feeling and intellectual
Yale Review, August.
Distinguished Authors.