The record-union., 1892-05-07

lnen lew copper pence would make the
name and the religion of a Bedworth
rector stand for much that is seemly in
any minister of Christ.
Another sister is the wife of q clergy
man named Griffith. The other brother
Is walter Evans, the present tenant of
Grill and agent for Colonel Newdigate,
the present owner of the Arbury estate.
In all England / have not found any man
who has seemed so capable of Justly in
curing the resentment of English pill
gr1mS TO an English shrine, and during
i've years largely passed in wandering up
and down the face of this historic land, |
have never before come upon any human
being who so thoroughly illustrated the
tact that IN nearly every family of good
repute there somewhere runs the currish
strain of blood.
All this family who remain are rich
through mIserliness. The hard, stern ma
ture was not in Robert Evans. II began
with Isaac, the novelist's brother, who
dropped dead in his chair after all his
nlggardly gaining. The peasant folk re-
late how he watched in the hedges lest
ms laborerS might toss potato TO hum
cry cottier or tramp in the highway; how
poor old seryltor named Crabstock was
chased away from Griff because he let a
miners lad keep turnip that had fallen
from his cart; and how another old sery-
ant named Jackson hung himself in the
farm Offices behind Griff from sheer des-
peratlon at the Diggardliness and brutal
lty OF miser Isaac Evans. If you ever
come to Gritf, and Walter Evans is still
Its tenant-unless this picture of himself
may change his nature you will be
turned away, as have been myself and
hundreds OF others, with the brutal and
soulleSs sneer that Grif is no place for
sentiment; people must keep away; they
bother the occupants and lessen the value
or the rentals
All, 1t 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-
ferIng around her; whose tender spirit
sought out ali who were in ignorance and
dolor; who mlnistered 10 the sick, re-
lieved the needy and taught poor miners
children, until all the greed and Injustice
that have blighted the spot for the last
forty years cannot etface 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 forgiven, and Griff is still Gritf with
sad and tender charm. 1t will not be
long until these few hungry human
crabs who bear another's deathless name
will have passed away and have left for a
day, as time is reckoned, a little shadow
here. Then all may come, with a rever-
ent blessing, for George Eliot's girlhood
home.
To the literary pilgrim there are many
charming surprises in the neighborhood
OF Grit during quest of identification
OF places and persons with individuality
of the novelist. 1t is a little more than
fifty years since George Eliot left Griff
forever; quite forty years since she babe
farewell 10 the lovely home at Birds
Grove" Foleshill, Coventry.
Yet there are scores of folk remaining,
high and lowly, who knew her init
mately as maid and woman. Some who
were her playmateS still survive. A few
of those whom she gathered into the cot
tage OF old Dame Moore, just opposite the
gates of Griff. 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
Montagu Wilks, Solicitor of Coventry.
Through his hearty, kindly aid much
searching for these folks by stranger in
strange land is lightened and made a
gladstone pleasure. Through him L
learned of many about Coventry who had
loving "reminiscences of one whom all
who knew had loved. Her dearest friend
of early womanhood was Mrs. Charles
Bray, who now lives with sister, Mrs.
Hamell, on the Radford Road, in the su-
y
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, a near
neighbor of Mrs. Bray, while 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 uncommunicatiye
of the novelist's contemporaries here is
an ancient professor Of music, SO years
old, named Simms, who resides on the
Radford Road. He was, for upward of
tifty-three years. organist of Coventry's
famous st. MichaePs 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 Griff when the members of
George Eliots family were all together
here, include John Marston, an old Wheel
wright, whose smithy still stands near
the steading; "BilI'' Jaques, II years of
age, a schooimate of Isaac Evans, and a
playmate Of the novelist; the old man
Crabstock, whose generosity with a sin
gle turnip lost him his place at Griff:
Richard Emmons. living at Stocking,
ford, now very old man, and reputed
by the peasantry to have ''hatfuls OF SOW
ereigns," who was, in turn, field laborer.
house servant and footman at Griff. foot
man at Birds Lodge" and finally house
servant back at Crit for Isaac Evans.
until his death in 1890; and VIM. Moore.
now 70 years of age, who lives at Collv-
croft, little miners hamlet between
Bedworth and Griff
The latter is the son of the veritabIe
Dame Moore, who kept the Danes
school opposite Gritf's gates. 1t was in
his mothers cottage that George Eliot.
then maiden OF 10, gathered together the
children of the miners and cottiers about
Griff and taught them, for several years,
for an hour or two each Sunday morn
ing, and then took her ragged charges TO
Chilvers Cotton Church. In the after
noon they all came together again
when she taught them from the Script-
ures and some simple melodies of the
time.
"God bless ee, sir,'' said old William
Moore, the tears trickling down his
wrinkled face, Il can see 'er hangel face
she wor plain sort O. hangel, sir-this
afore my eyes. Mary Ann
teached t. class fur nigh onto five year.
She wor great scholard, sir, am a
'ooman true!'
To me that old cottage where that
kindly work was done is almost the
sweetest place about Griff. If the pres
ent occupants will let you who come get
as far as the door OF the cid mansion. the
two huge, tlny-paned windows at its left
will bring another picture clear and true
on which the miud loves to dwell: IAN old
fashioned child, already living in world
of her own imagination, impressible to
her tlnger-tips," is the center of the sim
pie homeside evening scene There are
the energetic mother, knitting ever, the
brother busy at his books or keepsakes
an elder girl prim and tidy with her
work before her," and grave stern, but
kindly father who is turning the pages of.
some picture book, with prescient ankle
ty 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 daughters head.
And you will turn away from Griff
with a blessing for the father who made