Ward, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps (1844-1911)

Elizabeth Stuart Phelps was a well-known American author, early feminist, and advocate for causes like social reform, temperance, and women's rights, especially regarding marriage. She is best known for her works The Gates Ajar and The Story of Avis. Her first contact with George Eliot came in 1873, when Phelps initiated contact through a letter. Phelps also requested biographical information for a four-part lecture series she presented on Eliot's life and works at Boston University. The two never met in person, but they maintained an epistolary relationship until Eliot's death.

George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org

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