The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-11

learned and gifted man. am minded that
one OF his books Is even now a standard
work with cur learned men in the Califor-
MIA University, and we have George Eliots
word for II that the world is indebted TO
MIN for her highest attainment in letters
In fact he Is quite solidly enough set in the
he's TT of the world to not be shaken out by
this little incident, else j should not set it
down; but he, on that occasion at least,
WAS simply a wild beast. However, the
table only roared, as if it enjoyed and
rather expected this sort of thing from the
ferocious Lswes, and Houghton and Eliot
at the head OF the table laid their
heads together and smiled pleasantly till
the tumut was over. for of course Irving
had friends. and the stately breakfast went
on as before to the hnish.
Hought0n and TTollOpe used to be con-
tinualiy riding up ana down and out and
through curious old back streets and
byways of London on horseback and 1t
was one Of their diversions TO dismonnt and
stand on the low bridge back of Regents
Park and watch the canal-boats, horses,
mules. men, women, boys, cattle chattels
OF all kinds and sorts dive down in the gel
low darkness under the park. For, light
the long, damp tunnel as you might,
there was at best only two big, yellow
threads of blended gaslight on the humid
and dripping stone banks of the canal.
'Styx," sighed Trollope one day alter
looking down after the engulfed serpentine
line of boats and living things that would
not see light again for ten miles. ''Styx"
Houghton looked :at Trollope with that
queer. quiet smile and SAID "Fiidlesticksw
And then they went back 10 my house,
where they used TO leave their horses at
such times. and we went over 10 The
PIiory."
This is close to st. Johns Wood. you
know, an uncertain district of uncertain
repute; but how dismal and stunted and
sickly the Wood" | wonder if any one
who has never seen the black and brown
and yellow smoke and smut of London can
eomnrehend its uslineSs. its beastliness, its
absolute flthnessi Why. your hards and
face and clothes not only are blackened,
but are actually smeared ana smudged on
damp days. as was this day And we
looked like three cnalheavers after stand
ing on the bridge and watching the boats
dive down under the Zoo in Regents Park.
Al least this was the remark of George
Eliot as we entered where she sat in a knot
on sofa in the midst of work. She was on
easy terms, you see. with those who had
been ennobed by kings as well as those
who had been ennObled by the King Of
kings The thread of talk began to unwind
and spin along from the material In hand,
| as it always will with well-bred people. and
she explained that she pulled herself to-
gether physically as well MS mentally when
she tried TO write. She grew very enthusi-
astic. for her, in explaining that all the
avenues TO the nerve centers must be unob-
structed to get the best brain work. She
insisted that it would be best, were the
| thing possible, TO have the body in absolute
repose willie writing. She unwound her.
self, calling herself a mummy as she did 50 !;
unwound her lower body from many
blankets and skin OF two to show us how
she tried 10 practice what she was trying to
teach Us.
Trollope. a huge. healthy six-footer, full
OF blood and bread. laughed heartily and
proceeded 10 tell US that ne never even
troubled to sit down when he wrote. he
said he simply walked up to his desk. took
| out his watch, laid it down before him and
| began, standing on his feet all the time.
At the end of his allotted time generally
two hours, he pocketed his watch and went
about something else, ana in this way,
always on his feet, he had written more
than twenty bOOksi
HoughtOn, by far the gentler nature of
the two men. quite agreed with her as to
Keeping the lower body warm, and pro-
ceeded TO exchange cOnfidences with her as
to his own methods of work. But that
must be left till we come to him. As for
myself, you may be sure | said nothing but
listened eagerly and tried hard to learn
from THIS wise, sweet woman with the deep,
seer eyes. For she was always teaching
teaching, teaching; trying to tell US how to
avoid friction, to save the waste of forces,
and always with that quiet, deep sincerity
which took hold of you and held you for
DAYS and weeks, as her books hold you.
And here we are almost at the end IF my
SPACE and nothing yet about her books.
But they are so many. and so broad and so
deep. Let me advise you briefly 70 begin
with small book by my Boston publishers
called ''Wit and Wisdom OF George Eliot"
70 work this side of Shakespeare lends
itself so generously TO rare selections as
the deep, sincere work of George Eliot By
nature, however she is not a great story
teller. For my own part | read her books
ODiV IN a fTagmpDfaTV mir I,
daisies, leaving the grass for cattle.
.IOAOI.TN Mil