New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-08

manner was formal. her voice unsympathetic. her
conversation precise She was In bad health, poor
lady and fancy In not too al,uent circumstances.
for her whole surroundings were meagre ana shab-
by. Not long after was taken to see her Shs
passed into her rest. and left the world when shc
believed she had done 90 much 20 elevate by her
novels Women who wrote we're then few ana iar
between; and 10 those who had gained any APP
pause at all the echo OF their fame filed their own
ears with overpowering music and Translated ther
humanity into something half divine.
All OF the women whom ! remember In my early
days were thus conscious Of themselves ana their
achevements-all save Mrs. Troope. and she was IN
no sense a poseuse. but just vulgar brsk ana
good natured kind OF well-bred hen-wife. FOND OF
Joke and not troubled with squeamishness MISS
Pardoe with her pretty lite feet always 80 daintly
shod in coored satin slippers. was the drawing
room belle as we'll the literary star She dressed
to perfection; nlred discreetly; was good daugh-
ter and charming companion. She died In bitter
poverty. In top room somewhere IN or ABOUT
Baker-st deserted by the gay world for the APP
p,ause Of which she had lived.
or the two sisters Elizabeth and Agnes strck-
land. Elizabeth, homely. unsocal. devoted, was the
working bee and Agnes was the caressed and fesed
butterfly It was Elizabeth who toi.ed in the British
MUSEUM Elizabeth who collected and collated.
transcribed and verlhed-nnd Agnes who by her de-
sire took all the credit and al the fame Agnes
was the elder sisters ido. even when faded ana
elderly-the Young Beauty whose pleasures. re-
nown and applause II was her supreme delight to
minister to and subserve
How pretty Agnes looks to-day Elizabeth once
said TO me- her adorlng eyes moist with love and
admiration.
+ then IN the full freshness OF my own early
youth saw nothing but faded and se.fconsclous
person. with a complexion like Old wax, ringlets
vslby thinned and sparse dressed In many colors
and with a profusion OF roses In her bonnet-an
elderly woman doing her best to pass for young
belle. And I did not see the prettlness still fresh
and vivid to those adorlng eyes
Jane Eyre I saw nor Harriet Martineau;
Mrs GaskeI only once; and Mrs. Norton only once
in later years when her beauty more memory
than a possession. though her glorious eyes were
still ustrous and lovely. The time when met Mrs
Gaske in some sense memorable
It was on that famous evening when John Chap
MANTLE "Raraele bookseller" as he was called
had secured both Carlyle and Emerson as his central
suns A large number OF minor stars and planets
revolved around these two uminaries. and the
groups were distinct one from the other, and did
not coalesce Mrs Cali. then Mrs Henne., and
sat apart, and presently we were Joined by Froude
and Mrs Gaskell. The graciorsness and feminine
dignity Of Mrs. Gaskell powerfully impressed me.
She was sweet and yet so strong-so beautiful In
FORM II only come,y in face yet not self-consclous
Her fine arms and neck were bare and destitute OF
al ornament and remember the exquisite line OF
her throat and shoulders and the shape Of her hands
and arms. Her manner to me was perfect. was a
young beginner. and she In the zenith OF her fame;
but she neither crushed nor condescended-
snubbed patronized 1t was the fine manner OF
n woman to a girl-of a mistress to a neophyte. and
I have always owed and cherished her memory for
the graclousness OF her attitude and the kind words
she spoke to me that evening.
Lady Morgan. whom also met only once was a
AkA AaaI all
woman then but clingng to the manners OF those
DAYS when she was her own Wild Irish Girl She
was the most outrageous natterer to be seen be-
tween earth and sky, and 10 grossly overdd her
praises as to destroy embarrassment ones natural
shyness passed into disgust, and what would else
have been shamefaced modcsty grew to be ndlg-
rant revulslon
II was at John Chapman's that first met George
E.iot-then Marian Evans. having adopted neither
her pseudonyme nor her style and title OF George
Lewess wife Confession IL good for the SOUL.
they say. and will canddly confess my short
sighted prejudlces with respect to this-to be-cels-
brated person These were her undeve.oped. as well
as her insurgent days. She was known 20 be
learned. Industrious. thoughtful. noteworthy but
she was not yet the Great Genius OF her age
philosopher bracketed with Plato and Kant nor
was her personality held 10 be superior TO the Jaw
OF the land, nor was she recognized as a conven-
tlonal gent.ewoman-in those days. indeed. she
empha,ically not that She was essentially under
bred and provincial and l. In the swaddling clothes
OF early education and prepossession AS was. saw
moro OF the provincial than the genius. and was
pe;ed by the Uniformed manner rather than attracted
by the learning She held her hands and arms kan
snroo fashion was badly dressed. had an unwashsd.
unbrushed unkempt ook altogether. and she as
sumed a tone OF superiority over me which was
not then aware warranted by her undoubted
leadership From nrst to ast she put up my menta.
bristles. so that | rejected then and there what
might have become . closer acquaintance had ! not