GE to Mrs. Elma Stuart, London, 23 April 1880
Title
GE to Mrs. Elma Stuart, London, 23 April 1880
Title
GE to Mrs. Elma Stuart, London, 23 April 1880
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Mrs. Elma Stuart
Date(s)
- 1880-04-23
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to Mrs. Elma Stuart, London, 23 April 1880
MS: British Museum. Envelope: Mrs. Stuart | 43 Holland Road | W. Postmark: ST. JOHNS-WOOD | C2 | AP 23 | 80 | N.W. Published: Stuart, pp. 145-146.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
April 23. 80.
Dear-good-naughty Elma
What can I say of the 6 beautiful handkerchiefs but that they are ten times too nice for me? -- I will not repeat the ungracious (seemingly ungracious) lecture I gave you the other day. 390 I will only beseech you not to imagine me ungrateful for any love or sign of love. The pains of my friends -- the pains they take to sweeten my life -- are really "registered where every day I turn the leaf to read them." 391 Try to understand what I meant, and do not let me have the grief of thinking that in wishing you to serve me only through serving others, I appeared to you to be repelling your affection.
Why should you compel yourself to cultivate Gertrude's society in order to hear of me, since I am as likely to write to you as to her? And
I hope to see you again before I go away. What I would ask of you is, whether your love and trust in me will suffice to satisfy you that, when I act in a way which is thoroughly unexpected there are reasons which justify my action, though the reasons may not be evident to you. 392
Keep getting better till I see you, and believe in me as always
Your faithfully affectionate
M. E. L.
MS: British Museum. Envelope: Mrs. Stuart | 43 Holland Road | W. Postmark: ST. JOHNS-WOOD | C2 | AP 23 | 80 | N.W. Published: Stuart, pp. 145-146.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
April 23. 80.
Dear-good-naughty Elma
What can I say of the 6 beautiful handkerchiefs but that they are ten times too nice for me? -- I will not repeat the ungracious (seemingly ungracious) lecture I gave you the other day. 390 I will only beseech you not to imagine me ungrateful for any love or sign of love. The pains of my friends -- the pains they take to sweeten my life -- are really "registered where every day I turn the leaf to read them." 391 Try to understand what I meant, and do not let me have the grief of thinking that in wishing you to serve me only through serving others, I appeared to you to be repelling your affection.
Why should you compel yourself to cultivate Gertrude's society in order to hear of me, since I am as likely to write to you as to her? And
I hope to see you again before I go away. What I would ask of you is, whether your love and trust in me will suffice to satisfy you that, when I act in a way which is thoroughly unexpected there are reasons which justify my action, though the reasons may not be evident to you. 392
Keep getting better till I see you, and believe in me as always
Your faithfully affectionate
M. E. L.
Signature
M. E. L.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Mrs. Elma Stuart, London, 23 April 1880, 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/93399