Edith Simcox, Autobiography, 11 August 1878
Title
Edith Simcox, Autobiography, 11 August 1878
Title
Edith Simcox, Autobiography, 11 August 1878
Sender
Edith Simcox
Recipient
U
Date(s)
- 1878-08-11
Place
London
Letter Content
Edith Simcox, Autobiography, 11 August 1878
MS: Bodleian. Extracts published: McKenzie, pp. 105-106.
Sunday 11 August 1878
A wet morning; took Beccaria "Des d'e9lits et des peines" 456 to read in the train -- which was moderately punctual at first. I knew the line as far as Woking, it seemed long between that and Guildford; then by some mental confusion I began to expect Witley as the next station -- we reached that at last and lo! it was Godalming -- a very pretty place, pine woods beyond, a pretty line but the very longest 4'bd miles I ever went by rail. Witley at last! I have hardly time to look and leap out when I see Mr. Lewes, dear fellow, they have sent the carriage; as we drive round to the house he tells me I am their first visitor; and they have heard from Elma. The only drawback is that he is unwell; his face made me rather unhappy by the looks of ill-health without a shade of ill-temper, which beautifies it in a melancholy kind of way. I flew across the drawing room into her arms; then Elizabeth's successor 457 took me upstairs to take off my things and then we sat in the drawing room till luncheon.
She read me part of Elma's letter and said -- which I was heartily delighted to hear -- that on some old man's death she would have £20,000. 458 They scolded me for bringing rain, and I said there could not be two suns in one firmament; he said that was his name for her, and began seriously enumerating the points of resemblance; but he identifies the two and calls the Sun "Polly" -- which was an ingenious way of meeting any metaphysical difficulty of two suns at once for him. After luncheon, we walked round the garden, which is quite perfect, then drove round and about between fir woods and heathy commons and shady lanes with quaint tiled cottages, and I thought the country was very worthy of its happiness in harbouring her. She told me about Browning and his wife's Portuguese sonnets, 459 and she said once more that she wished my letters could be printed in the same veiled way -- "the Newest Heloise."
After dinner I talked about retiring from the shirts and she was strongly against complete retirement and the loss of such humanizing influence as we might be supposed to exercise, but agreed that such supervision as one could exercise by coming in once a week was enough. I was particularly touched by the little commonplaces of hospitality, coming from them, -- when I was going she came up with me to the bedroom, and he insisted on walking with me to the station, and in driving, though with much remonstrance I was allowed to sit opposite them at starting, he made me change afterwards that I might see the view better.
The return journey was as marvellously short as the outward one was long. I thought of her and the happy hours all the way, -- and laughed at myself for the thousand sensible things I had meant to say not one of which I had remembered.
MS: Bodleian. Extracts published: McKenzie, pp. 105-106.
Sunday 11 August 1878
A wet morning; took Beccaria "Des d'e9lits et des peines" 456 to read in the train -- which was moderately punctual at first. I knew the line as far as Woking, it seemed long between that and Guildford; then by some mental confusion I began to expect Witley as the next station -- we reached that at last and lo! it was Godalming -- a very pretty place, pine woods beyond, a pretty line but the very longest 4'bd miles I ever went by rail. Witley at last! I have hardly time to look and leap out when I see Mr. Lewes, dear fellow, they have sent the carriage; as we drive round to the house he tells me I am their first visitor; and they have heard from Elma. The only drawback is that he is unwell; his face made me rather unhappy by the looks of ill-health without a shade of ill-temper, which beautifies it in a melancholy kind of way. I flew across the drawing room into her arms; then Elizabeth's successor 457 took me upstairs to take off my things and then we sat in the drawing room till luncheon.
She read me part of Elma's letter and said -- which I was heartily delighted to hear -- that on some old man's death she would have £20,000. 458 They scolded me for bringing rain, and I said there could not be two suns in one firmament; he said that was his name for her, and began seriously enumerating the points of resemblance; but he identifies the two and calls the Sun "Polly" -- which was an ingenious way of meeting any metaphysical difficulty of two suns at once for him. After luncheon, we walked round the garden, which is quite perfect, then drove round and about between fir woods and heathy commons and shady lanes with quaint tiled cottages, and I thought the country was very worthy of its happiness in harbouring her. She told me about Browning and his wife's Portuguese sonnets, 459 and she said once more that she wished my letters could be printed in the same veiled way -- "the Newest Heloise."
After dinner I talked about retiring from the shirts and she was strongly against complete retirement and the loss of such humanizing influence as we might be supposed to exercise, but agreed that such supervision as one could exercise by coming in once a week was enough. I was particularly touched by the little commonplaces of hospitality, coming from them, -- when I was going she came up with me to the bedroom, and he insisted on walking with me to the station, and in driving, though with much remonstrance I was allowed to sit opposite them at starting, he made me change afterwards that I might see the view better.
The return journey was as marvellously short as the outward one was long. I thought of her and the happy hours all the way, -- and laughed at myself for the thousand sensible things I had meant to say not one of which I had remembered.
Citation
Edith Simcox, Edith Simcox, Autobiography, 11 August 1878, Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/91770