Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-05-12

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ring lne resentment Of English pilgrims
20 an English shrine; and during five years
iarseiy passed in wandering up and down
,ne lace OF this historic land, had never
oeiore come upon any human being who
SO thoroughly illustrated the fact that in
nuaIly every FAMILY OF good repute there
somewhere runs the currish strain of blood.
All this family who remain are rich
throngh miserliness. The hard, stern
nature was not in Robert Evans II bepan
with Isaac the novcist's brother. Who
cropped dead in his chair after all his Mig
gardly gaining. The peasant folk relate
now ne watched in the hedges lest his
ianorers might toss a potato to hungry
cottler or tramp in the highway; how a
poor old servtor named Crabstock was
chased away from Griif because he Let a
miners lad keep q turnip that had fallen
from his cart; and how another old servant
named Jackson hung himself in the farm
ounce behind Grif from sheer desperation
az the nlggardliness and brutality of miser
Isaac Evans. If you ever come TO Griff
and Walter Evans, Esq. is still its tenent
UNLESS this picture of himself may
change bis natlre-you will be turned
away, as have been myself and hundreds
q Others, with the brutal and soulless sneer
that Griff is no place for sentiment; pe.,.
pie must keep away; they bother the
occupants and lessen the value OF the
rentals.
All, it was another sort of soul whose
eyes. once looked from those pleasant
windows upon all who passed or came;
whose heart bled for the poverty and suf-
IerlnB around her whose tender spirit
sought out all who were in ignorance and
dolor; who ministered to the sick, relieved
the needy and taught poor miners chill
dren; until all the greed and injustice that
have blighted the spot for the past 40 years
cannot eiface the brightness that one
gentle presence left upon it; and in the
memories of gray old men and women
near, for her sake alone, it is all but for
given, and GriT is still Griff with sad and
tender charm. 1t will not be long until
these few hungry human crabs who bear
anothcr's deathless name will have passed
away and have lett for q day, as time is
reckoned, little shadow here. Then all
may come, with a reverent blessing for
George Eliot's girlhood home
To the literary pilgrim there are many
charming surprises in the neighborhood
Of GriH during quest of identification of
places and persons with individuality of
the novelist. 1t is n little more than SO
years since George Eliot left Griff forever;
quite 40 years since she babe farewell to
the lovely home at bird Grove" Foles-
hill, Coventry.
Yet there are scores of folk remaining
high and lowly, who knew her intimately
as maid and woman. Some who were her
playmates still survive. A few of those
whom she gathered into the cottage of old
Dame Moore, just opposite the gates of
Grifi, and taught the way of Hope, are still
here to bless her with quivering voice and
tear-dimmed eyes.
One Of the most genial of English gen
tlemen and helpers Of those who come, is
Mt Montatgu Wilks, solicitor of Coventry.
Through his hearty, kindly aid much
searching for these folks by a stranger in
a strange land is lightened and made u
gladstone pleasure. Through him | learned
OF many about Coventry who had loving
"reminiscences of one whom all who knew
had loved. Her dearest friend of early
womenhood was Mrs. Charles Bray, who
now lives with a sister, a Mrs. Hameli, on
the Radford Road, in the suburbs of Gov
entry.
Probably no other person now living
could throw so much real light on the
novelist's early life as could Mrs. BRAY.
Another old friend is a Mrs. Cash, near
neighbor OF Mrs. Bray; while Mr.. Joseph
Cash, wealthy Coventry manufacturer,
owns and resides in Birds Grove" the
house in which George Eliot wrote
Scenes of Clerical Life" BY far the
most interesting and uncommunicative of
the novelist,s contemporaries here is an
ancient professor of music, SO years old,
named Simms, who resides on the Rad
ford road. He was for upwards of SO
years organist of Coventry's famous st.
Michael's Church, and it was he who
taught George Eliot the mastery of the
organ and piano forte.
My own discoveries of those who had
lived about Grif when the members of
George Eliots family were all together
here include John Marston, an old wheel
wright whose smithy still stands near the
stealing; "BilI' Jacques, n years of age, Il
schoolmate Of Isaac Evans and playmate
OF the novelist the old man. Crabstock,
whose generosity with single turnip lost
living at Stockingford, now a very old
man and reputed by the peassntry to have
"hatfuls OF sovereigns," who was, in turn,
Held laborer, house servant and footinan
at Grill, footman at Birds Lodge" and
finally house servant back at Griff for
Isaac Evans, until his death in 1890 and
William Moore, now 73 years of age, who |
lives at Collycroft, little miners hamlet |
between Bedworth and Griff
The latter is the son of the veritable |
Dame Moore who kept the DANES School |
opposite Griff's gates. 1t was in his |
mothers cottage that George Eliot then |
maiden OF fifteen, gathered together the |
children OF the miners and cottiers about |
Grif and taught them, for several years, |
for an hour or two each Sunday morning,
and then took her ragged charges to |
Chilvers Cotton Church. In the afternoon |
they, all came together again, when she |
taught. them from the scriptures and |
some simple melodies of the time.
God bless zee, sir said old William |
Moore, the tears trickling down his
wrinkled face, II can see err hangel face |
she wor plain sort % hangel, sir-thls |
minute afore my eyes. Mary Ann |
teached t. class fur nigh onto five year. |
She wor great scholard, sir an a CONAN
truen
To me that old cottage where that kindly
work was done is almost the sweetest place
about Grif. If the present occupants will |
let You who come get AS far as the door of |
the old mansion, the two huge, tiny-paned
windows at its left will bring another pic
ttlre clear and true on which the mind |
loves to dwell: IAN old-fashioned child
already living in q world of her own
imagination, impossible to her finger
tips" is the centre of the simple homeside
evening scene. There are the energetic
mother, knitting ever, the brother busy at
his books or keepsakcs, an ''eldcr girl prim
and tidy with her work before her" and
grave, stern but kindly father who is turn
ing the pages OF some pieture-booli, with
president anxiety and boundless love in
his gray eyes. as he looks now upon the
book and now upon the rebellious hair
that tumbles over that wise young daugh-
ters head.
And you will turn away from Griff with
q blessing for the father who made this
girl his inseparable companion until her
years of womanhood had come, and
almost with blessing on Griff itself,
despite the hateful atmosphere of to-day,
for what came out of tins olden iireside
circle; circling and widening until 1t had
zoned with the fruit of one woman's
genius all our good old globe.
EDGAR l.. WAKEMAN.
-a