The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-21

GeOTSe EllOI (mdry Ann CEOBSD WaB . writer whose chief strength lay in wonderful power of analyzing charac- ter Her novels are laboratories where the souls of the characters are placed in the crucible of her strong, clear mind and reduced to their atomic parts. No writer ever excelled her Tn this power. It is difficult for any one to read George Eltot's works and ont feel at times little twinge as if some hid den weakness or sin of his own had been touched. Instants come when the reader feels as if the author were writ ing with a probe-so clearly could she see into the souls of men and women.
 However simple the story which George Eliot tells. however common place the plot 1t appeals at once to the intellect; and 1t is among the intellec- tual that she had and has her greatest popularity. Her mind was masculine and she was masculine fin appearance, her face bearing @ wonderful resem- blance to that of Savonarola. with whose character she dealt in her novel of Romola.
 Yet with all her clear insight into character and all her masculiuity, the Loves episode in her life. though she tried to cloak it with a ronjured-up philosophy, proved that she was still a woman and woman who could err. Adam Bede. as we'll known as any os her works, was her first real novel, and affords an excellent example of her workmanship.
 That preserved, middle-aged bachelor. the Rev. Adolphus Irwin, rec tor of Broxton. vioar of Hayslope and vicar of Blythe, sat at breakfast when Joshua Ram, clerk of the parish at Hayslope, was ushered in. After pre- pairing the rector for the blow, Joshua announced in a voice of horror: That Methods young woman as is a-stayin at Martin Poyser's. Dinah Morris by name. was a-preachin' and a-prayin' on the Green last night as sure as I'm a. standin' afore your reverence"
 The rector soothed Joshua's fears as to the dangers to church and state likely to flow from the action of the young woman in question. and was about dismissing him to the kitchen for mug of beer when there came a knock at the door, and pleasant voice said: "Godson Arthur-may he some in?''
 The new arrival was Captain Arthur Donnithorne, the young squire," the people called him. He was a clear washed. high bred, white handed, and yet looking as if he could deliver well from the shoulder and floor his man. No wonder he was as popular ns his miserly old grandfather, "the old squire," whose heir he was, was un- popular.
 "IIumb1y beggin' your pardon" said Joshua. still lingering. There's one thing as I forgot to say. Thias Bede of Hayslope was found drowned in the Willow Brook this morning, and his widow sent me to say she wanted him buried under the white thorn in Hay slope churchyard, if your reverence would be so kind"
 "Poor Thias," said MT. Irwin to Ar ward. T am afraid drink helped the brook to drown him. I should have been glad if the burden could have been taken of of my friend Adams shoulders in a less painful way"
 He's a regular trump is Adam" re- sponded Arthur. T used to think when was a little fellow and Adam a strap ping boy of fifteen that if I were D rich Sultan would mako him my Grand Vizier."
 A little later the two men had mounted their horses and were riding away to the cottage of the Bedes, where the widowed Lisbeth was sitting in her querulous grief, and her two sons, the grave and sta1wart Adam and the milder and less capable Seth. were com fortinE her. But on the way Arthur must needs stop at the Hall Farm, oc- cupied by Martin Poyser.
 With Farmer Poyser was stopping his wife's niece, Dianah Morris, and with him lived permanently his own niece, the orphaned Hester SorreL Young Donnithorne stopped at tho farm to see Poyser about some bust ness, but somehow he found his way into the dairy. where Hetty was at work.
 And so, while Mir. Irwin talked with Mrs. Poyser, the farmer himself being from home (sly Arthur! he knew Mar tin was not at home when he Btopped), tho heir of Donnithorne pleased him self with the sight of the beautiful dairy maid and the sound of her me- lodious voice.
 Hetty was quite used to having peo- pie look at her and, indeed, she was well worth looking at. Her cheeks were like rose petals. and dimples played around her poutng lips; her dark hair though pushed back, re- turned in little ringlets around her white, shell-like ears. while her dark eyes hid a soft roughishness.
 Hetty had admirers R-plenty. There was Adam Bede, whom her uncle want ed her to marry. He was foreman for Burge, the carpenter and builder, Rnd might soon be taken into partnership. Rut he was A pOor man after all, and