The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-10-29

Through life she was an ardent student.
and what she accomplished in reading
and writing seems almost appalling 10 the
ordinary mind She knew French Ger
man, Italian and Spanish accurately, so
she could not only read but could speak
and write in those languages. Greek and
Latin she read with pleasure and Hebrew
was her favorite study TO the end Of her
life. Natural science was familiar TO her,
and there was scarcely any branch Of
learning Of which she had not some know
ledge. Her faculty OF sustained intellect
ual effort was wonderful, and continuous
thought did not fatigue her. She possess
ed in the highest degree that attribute
OF genius that has always been consider
ed the chiefegt. the indefatigable quality
Of taking 'pains
For twenty years she wrote and studied
with the utmost labor and devotion. She
was naturally pessimistic and Respondent
and life had no great charm for her,
even at she best. She enjoyed much
but In all that she felt and wrote there
is an undertOne Of sadness. She was
imbued with the philosophy Of Comte
and believed IN IT'S negations. 1.-THE high
est calling and election" she wrote. is
10 do without opium and live through
all our pain with conscious, eiear-eyed
endurance. Life though a good TO men
on the whole, is a doubtful good 10 many
and 10 some not n good at all. To my
thought ii is a source Of constant mental
distortion 10 make the denial OF this
part a part Of religion-to go on pretend
ing things are better than they are.
Eight novels I'm twenty years, a few
poems and some minor writings sum the
work OF George Eliot. as compared with
the 800 volumes Of George Sand. But OF
George Sands immense production there
are probably not more than eight that will
hold a place I'm literature. Nor from the
financial point Of view did the 200 volumes
win more money than the eight. George
Sand estimated that she had gained a
million franes-S299.0o9. by her literary
labors. For Daniel Deronda" alone.
the last Of her novels George Eliot was
paid the sum OF 10000, or 500, OO0-whlle
she had almost as much for Middle
march," and after her first success all
her novels brought her large sums. When
she died I'm 1850 she was very rich
woman. Neither Scott nor Dickens was
better paid than she, considering the
amount Of production and the years OF
labor
The critics are by no means agreed as
~ NHANh ~ the greatest OF the novels.
inc exquisite finish and artistic form Of
Silas Marner' have given the palm 10
'hat superb story in the minds OF many.
ana, perhaps, n a vote We're taken among
the men Of letters that story would be
called George Eliot's best From point Of
popularity, however. the account books
snow that Adam Bede' has the greater
sale and hence must be more popular.
Romola" has a very large number Of
admirers and II has been said that il Is
The best historical novel ever written.
i am not one OF those who think so. and
Its erudition often Expresses me. In fact.
IN spite 81 the critics ana the general
readers alike. / think "R0mola" and
Daniel Der0nda" the most Inferior Of the
novels Foremost is "Mlddlemarch," the
greatest novel written in the nineteenth
century, excepting perhaps. THE New
comes" II Is a prose epic. n wonderful
picture OF English rural lie. The canvas /
Is large, but the figures are livirg MIR. /
Brooke. Casanban, Dorothea, Rosamond /
Whey, Lydeate. Caleb Garth. VIII Lads
law and a dozen others are personages as /
real as any in history The story through !
out Is one OF immense power and is most /
I'm it's breadth. No modern 1
writer has equalled IT, II is one Of the /
Of our time.
George Eliot was woman Of lofty /
and noble ambitions. Above all |