Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-29
George Eliot's Manuscripts.

From the Atheneum.
Her earliest work, 'Scenes Of Clerical Life, "
is, we believe in the hands of Mr.. Blackwood,
the publisher, but with this exception the
whole OF her novels are included in the collec-
ton in the British Museum, together with
Spanish Gypsy. "Jubal' and '.Theophrastus
Such all written entirely in her neat and
legible hand, just rs they were sent to press.
10 judge from its generally unsoiled condition,
the printers must have been enjoined to treat
the copy with unusual care, and. as soon as
the complete manuscript of each work was re-
turned to the author, her habit was to have 1t
bound up, and give it to George Henry Lewes,
with an inscription prefXed These inscrip-
tions, varying in terms, but all expressing the
deepest affection. have a special interest of
their own, and the ultimate destination of the
manuscripts, when. on the death of G. H.
Lewes, In 1878. they came back to the donor,
may have been determined as much by her de-
sire thus to perpetuate the memory of their
mutual devotion as by any other considera-
tions
Failing "Scenes of Clerical Life, :" the Museum
series begins with adam Bede" The inscrip-
non here, which, with some Of the others. has
been partially printed by Mr.. j. W. Cross in
George Eliots Life" is as follows:
TO my dear husband, George Henry Lewes.
give this manuscript OF a work which would
never have been written but for the happiness
which his love has conferred on my life''-
Marian Lewes. March 23, 1859.
The first volume was written at Richmond,
the second at Munich and Dresden, the third
at Richmond again. The work was begun on
the 22d October. 1857, and finished on the 10th
November. 1883 large portion of it was
written twice, though often, scarcely at all
altered in the copying, but other parts only
once, and among these a description of Dinah
between her and Seth, .Hetty's World most of
the scene in the two bed chambers, the talk
between Arthur and Adam. various parts in the
second volume, which l can recall less easily.
and in the third Hetty's journeys, her con,
fesson and the cottage scenes"
What the author remarks with regard to
Adam Bede' was. to all appearance, equally
the case In her other works. The amount Of
correction In the manuscripts is comparatively
small and unimportant. Here and there short
passages are struck out or inserted, an express
sion is modified, q sentence is differently
turned or words are transposed; but the
impression given on the whole is that of a
writer whose story, dialogue and ALL whatever
process it went through in the mind, flowed
freely from the pen, and, once set down. needed
little revision. With Mr.. Cross Life" to refer
to, 1t Is superfuous to quote the authors sue
cessive tributes to the man with whom, in spite
OF obloquy, she was content to link her fife
Room, however, may be found for two that are
typical, and the latter of which Mr. Cross does
not give. Thus in "Romola' she writes, 1863 :
10 the Husband whose perfect Love has
been the best source of her insight and strength
this Manuscript is given by his devoted wife,
the writer"
and again, II years later, in "Jubal:'
ITO my beloved husband, George Henry
Lewes, whose cherishing tenderness for 20
years has alone made my work possible to me-
And the last parting now began to send
Diffusive dread through love and welded bliss.
Thrilling them into finer tenderness.
May, 1874.