GE and GHL to Mr. And Mrs. Charles Lee Lewes, Petersthal, 27 June 1868
Title
GE and GHL to Mr. And Mrs. Charles Lee Lewes, Petersthal, 27 June 1868
Title
GE and GHL to Mr. And Mrs. Charles Lee Lewes, Petersthal, 27 June 1868
Sender
George Eliot, George Henry Lewes
Recipient
Mr. And Mrs. Charles Lee Lewes
Date(s)
- 1868-06-27
Place
Petersthal
Letter Content
GE and GHL to Mr. And Mrs. Charles Lee Lewes, Petersthal, 27 June 1868
MS: Yale. Extracts published: Paterson, pp. 133-135.
Petersthal June 27. 68.
Dearest Children
We suppose that hard necessity will have brought your holiday to an end on the 30th, so we send a letter to meet you. I have thought of you in every vicissitude of weather, and have thought the dampness damper because you were likely to be the worse for it. But on the whole, I am hopeful about you, for with us the wet days have been exceptional. Let us know soon how you have enjoyed yourselves, and whether our "little daughter" has become robust.
I believe Pater has written to Grandmamma a full account of our proceedings, ever since our settlement in Petersthal. But I can add that after a fortnight's stay, we love the valley and the mountains better than ever, and daily rejoice that we have found such a Cur-ort, suiting both mind and body. It would take us many more weeks to find out all the walks that wind up the little valleys and round among the firs and white-barked birches towards the summits of the hills. Through the main valley the lovely river Rench, rushing clear among grey stones, gives us its music perpetually, and wherever we go we hear and see little rills hurrying to join it. Morris's charming poem, "The Earthly Paradise" has been our companion in our shorter morning rambles, which we have been glad to break by frequent halts and readings. In the evening we walk more vigorously, and, as usual, we have the woods and hills all to ourselves, the K'fcr-g'e4ste almost without exception lingering the live-long day about the precincts of the "Bad." The ladies are in the majority, and find their paradise in round parties enlivened by fancywork and what Pater irreverently calls "cackle." We do a great deal of bowing and occasionally a little friendly small talk with our neighbours at the table d'h'f4te. Otherwise, as you imagine, our days are spent in our favourite dual solitude. We drink the waters diligently, and bathe at due intervals, and we find these K'fcr-mittel highly agreeable. The water is nectar-pearly with carbonic acid, and rich in iron and palatable salts. We are both wonderfully stronger, but poor little Pater still pays tribute to his enemy King Liver in the form of headaches that linger on to the second day. Still, he looks well, and rejoices in the ease with which he mounts the hills, feeling none of the uncomfortable palpitation which a walk up to the petty Kranzberg caused him when we were at Bonn. He is gone now to have his bath, so I have taken his place as scribe meanwhile, but he will have something to add about our future movements, and where we shall hope to find a letter giving us good news of you. And, dear Boy, if there are any letters for me written on thin paper or marked "to be forwarded," please enclose them. I hear his unmistakeable step "upon the stairs," 782 so no more, except love to all and each, including Aunt Susanna, from
Your affectionate
Mutter.
[In GHL'S hand.]
The request about letters may be thus modified. If there are any from "Coventry" marked "to be forwarded," send them; not others. We think of leaving this on Wednesday and going to St. M'e4rgen by way of Freiburg. If you write on the 2nd or 3rd a letter will be welcome -- address St. M'e4rgen | bei Freiburg | via Breisgau. | We shall probably stay there 10 days or a fortnight.
Blackwood writes that all his friends are in a state of enthusiasm about the Poem and he sends one letter as a specimen. It is from Patterson the author of several works and late editor of the "Press" who -- writing to Blackwood -- says the Spanish Gypsy "dwarfs all the poems that were ever written, it is so grand and high in its theme and scope, and so beautiful in its detail, so marvellously perfect in plan and working out." 783 This Blackwood characterizes as "about the right kind of thing" -- and I say ditto. Patterson's enthusiasm did the Mutter good -- and so did the application of the music sellers to know on what terms she would allow the songs to be set to music. If a good composer could be found they are just the thing. We have had no letters from any one except Blackwood and see no papers -- though I did see the notice in the Times -- a flaming puff but a poor article. It is quite uncertain whether we shall go to Switzerland -- all depends on the charms of St. M'e4rgen.
Give our love to the Aunts and read this to grandmamma or send it her -- and to Susanna. God bless you both.
Your loving
Pater.
MS: Yale. Extracts published: Paterson, pp. 133-135.
Petersthal June 27. 68.
Dearest Children
We suppose that hard necessity will have brought your holiday to an end on the 30th, so we send a letter to meet you. I have thought of you in every vicissitude of weather, and have thought the dampness damper because you were likely to be the worse for it. But on the whole, I am hopeful about you, for with us the wet days have been exceptional. Let us know soon how you have enjoyed yourselves, and whether our "little daughter" has become robust.
I believe Pater has written to Grandmamma a full account of our proceedings, ever since our settlement in Petersthal. But I can add that after a fortnight's stay, we love the valley and the mountains better than ever, and daily rejoice that we have found such a Cur-ort, suiting both mind and body. It would take us many more weeks to find out all the walks that wind up the little valleys and round among the firs and white-barked birches towards the summits of the hills. Through the main valley the lovely river Rench, rushing clear among grey stones, gives us its music perpetually, and wherever we go we hear and see little rills hurrying to join it. Morris's charming poem, "The Earthly Paradise" has been our companion in our shorter morning rambles, which we have been glad to break by frequent halts and readings. In the evening we walk more vigorously, and, as usual, we have the woods and hills all to ourselves, the K'fcr-g'e4ste almost without exception lingering the live-long day about the precincts of the "Bad." The ladies are in the majority, and find their paradise in round parties enlivened by fancywork and what Pater irreverently calls "cackle." We do a great deal of bowing and occasionally a little friendly small talk with our neighbours at the table d'h'f4te. Otherwise, as you imagine, our days are spent in our favourite dual solitude. We drink the waters diligently, and bathe at due intervals, and we find these K'fcr-mittel highly agreeable. The water is nectar-pearly with carbonic acid, and rich in iron and palatable salts. We are both wonderfully stronger, but poor little Pater still pays tribute to his enemy King Liver in the form of headaches that linger on to the second day. Still, he looks well, and rejoices in the ease with which he mounts the hills, feeling none of the uncomfortable palpitation which a walk up to the petty Kranzberg caused him when we were at Bonn. He is gone now to have his bath, so I have taken his place as scribe meanwhile, but he will have something to add about our future movements, and where we shall hope to find a letter giving us good news of you. And, dear Boy, if there are any letters for me written on thin paper or marked "to be forwarded," please enclose them. I hear his unmistakeable step "upon the stairs," 782 so no more, except love to all and each, including Aunt Susanna, from
Your affectionate
Mutter.
[In GHL'S hand.]
The request about letters may be thus modified. If there are any from "Coventry" marked "to be forwarded," send them; not others. We think of leaving this on Wednesday and going to St. M'e4rgen by way of Freiburg. If you write on the 2nd or 3rd a letter will be welcome -- address St. M'e4rgen | bei Freiburg | via Breisgau. | We shall probably stay there 10 days or a fortnight.
Blackwood writes that all his friends are in a state of enthusiasm about the Poem and he sends one letter as a specimen. It is from Patterson the author of several works and late editor of the "Press" who -- writing to Blackwood -- says the Spanish Gypsy "dwarfs all the poems that were ever written, it is so grand and high in its theme and scope, and so beautiful in its detail, so marvellously perfect in plan and working out." 783 This Blackwood characterizes as "about the right kind of thing" -- and I say ditto. Patterson's enthusiasm did the Mutter good -- and so did the application of the music sellers to know on what terms she would allow the songs to be set to music. If a good composer could be found they are just the thing. We have had no letters from any one except Blackwood and see no papers -- though I did see the notice in the Times -- a flaming puff but a poor article. It is quite uncertain whether we shall go to Switzerland -- all depends on the charms of St. M'e4rgen.
Give our love to the Aunts and read this to grandmamma or send it her -- and to Susanna. God bless you both.
Your loving
Pater.
Signature
Mutter.
Citation
George Eliot, George Henry Lewes, GE and GHL to Mr. And Mrs. Charles Lee Lewes, Petersthal, 27 June 1868, 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/91862