The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-24

servitor named CrabstOck was chased away
from GriG because be let a miners ian
keep a turnip that had fallen from MS ca,I'
and how another old servant named JACK
son hung himself in the farm Offices behind
| Grif from sheer desperation at the hlg'
gardlinees and brutality Of Miser isaac
Evans IL YOU ever come 20 Grlff ana
Walter Evans, Esq, is sti.. it's tenant--un-
less this picture Of himsey may change ms
nature-you will be turned away, as nave
been myself and hundreds Of others, with
the brutal and sOulless sneer that IrliI -
10 place for sentiment; people must Keep
away: they bother the occupants and lessen
the value Of the rentals.
An. it was another sort OF soul whose
ewes once looked from those pleasant WIN
dows upon all who passed or came whose
heart bled for the poverty and suffering
around her: whose tender spirit sought
ont ali who were in ignorance and dolor;
who uinistered 20 the sick, relieved the
needy and taught poor miners children
until all the greed and injustice that have
blighted the spot for the past forty years
cannot enace the brightness that the one
/ gentle presence left upon 1t; and IN the
memories of gray old men ana women
near, for her sake alone, 1T IS all Dut Ior,
/ given. and Griff is still Grih with SAD ana
/ tender charm II Will not be long until
these few human crabs who bear another
deathlcss name Will have passed away and
have left for q day, az time - reckoheu'
a little shadow here. Then all may come,
with reverent blessing for George Ehots
girlhood home.
70 the literary pilgrim there are many
charming surprises in the neighDorhood Oh
Grif during a quest of identification OF
places and persons with the individuality
# the novelist IL is little more than
fifty years since George Eliot left Grin for
ever: quite forty years since sine bade tare-
well TO the lovely home at Bird Grove"
Foleshill, Coventry.
Yet there are scores Of folk remaining,
high and lowly, who knew her Intimately
as maid and woman. Some who were her
plavmates still survive. \ few OF those
whom she gathered into the cottage OF old
Dame Moore, just opposite the gates Of
Grill. and taught the way Of hope are still
here to bless her with quiyoring voice and
tear dimmed eyes.
one Of the most genial Of English gen'
tlemcn and helpers OF those who come IS
Mr. MOntagu Wilks, solicitor OF Coventry.
Through his hearty, kindly aid much
searching for these folk by stranger IN
strange land is lightened and made glad
some pleasure. Through him ! learned Of
many about Coventry who had loving rem
iniscences Of one whom all who knew had
loved. Her dearest friend of early woman
hood was Mrs. Charles Bray, who now
lives with a sister Mrs. Hamell, on the
Radford road in the suburbs Of Coventry
Probably no other person now living
could throw 50 much real light on the
noyelists early life as could Mrs Bray
Another old friend is Mrs Cash. near
nGghbor Of Mrs Bray while Mr.. Joseph
Cash, a Coventry manufacturer of RIB
bons. Owls and resides ia Bird Grove"
the house in which George Eliot wrote
Scenes Of Clerical Life" BY far the most
interesting and uncOmmunicative OF the
uOvelst's contemporaries here IS an an
cieut professor Of music, ninety-three years
old, named Simms, who resides on the
Radford road He was for upward OF
ffty-three years organist Of Coyentry's
famous St. Micbaels church, and ii was
he who taught George Eliot the mastery
of the organ and pianoforte.
My own discoveries Of those who have
lived about Grif when the members Of
George Eliot's family were all together
here include John Marston, an old wheel
wright whose smithy still stands near the
stealing; bill" Jaques, seventy-seven
years Of age, schoolmate Of Isaac Evans
and playmate Of the novelist; the old man
CrabstOck, whose generosity with single
turnip lost him his place at Grifi; Richard
Emmons. living at StOckingfOrd, now
very old man and reputed by the peasant
ry to have "hatfuls of sovereigns," who
was in turn field laborer house servant
and footman at Griff, footman at Bird
Lodge" and finally house servant back at
Griff for Isaac Evans until his death in
1880, and William Moore, now seventy
three years Of age, who lives at COllycroft,
a little miners hamlet between Bedworth
and Grif.
The latter is the son Of the veritable
Dame Moore who kept the DANES school
opposite GrifIs gates 1t was in his moth
er's cottage that George Eliot, then a
maiden of fifteen, gathered together the
children of the miners and cottiers about
Grin 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 ee, STRIP said old William
Moore, the tears trickling down his
wrinkled face, Il can see Ter hangel face
she wor plain sort o hangel, sir-this
minute afore my eyes Mary Ann teached
Z class fur nigh onto five year. She wor
great schoiard, sir, an CONAN true"
To me that old cottage where this kindly
work was done is almost the sweetest
place about Grit. If the present occu-
pants 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 picture clear and true on which
the mind loves dearly TO dwell, "An old
fashioned child, already living in a world
of her own imagination, impossible to her
finger tips" is the center Of the simple
homeside evening scene. There are the
energetic mother, knitting ever, the brother
busy as his books or keepsakes an "elder
girl prim and tidy with her work before
her" and a grave, stern, but kindly father
who is turning the pages of some picture
book, with president anxiety and bound
less love in his gray eyes, as he looks now
upon the book and now upon the rebehious
hair that tumbles over that wise young
daughters head.
And you will turn away from Grin with
e blessing for the father who made this
GIRL his inseDarable Communion until her