GE to Mrs. Elma Stuart, Witley, 14 September [1877]
Title
GE to Mrs. Elma Stuart, Witley, 14 September [1877]
Title
GE to Mrs. Elma Stuart, Witley, 14 September [1877]
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Mrs. Elma Stuart
Date(s)
- 1877-09-14
Place
Witley
Letter Content
GE to Mrs. Elma Stuart, Witley, 14 September [1877]
MS: British Museum. Published: Stuart, pp. 94-95.
The Heights | Witley | Godalming | September 14.
Dearest Elma
The beautiful clasp arrived this morning -- a day after your dear letter. I half want to scold you for devoting too much of your time, strength and substance to creating pleasures for me. But I cannot find in my heart to say "Do otherwise than your lovingness prompts you." And I am fond of my silver clasp, which is just what I wanted. Bless you, dear, for all your tender thoughts and faithful affection, and believe that every sign you make is precious.
About Roly's destination I rejoice, taking for granted that after his training at the Military College he will be free to choose another vocation than the military, supposing his bent lay away from it.
But two points in your letter are less cheerful to us. First, that you say nothing of your coming to England (though we encourage the expectation that you must come to plant Roly at Oxford), and secondly, that you confess to being still in a poor state of health. Please remove our uneasiness on these points whenever you can. We expect to remain here until the end or nearly the end of October, and it would be a delight to Mr. Lewes to step down to the railway station and meet a triple group -- Elma, Mrs. Menzies (otherwise known as the guardian angel) and Roly, grown perhaps almost out of recognition. Let this vision of mine be a case of second sight.
All is well with us. We are better in health, perhaps from getting acclimatized. And when the weather permits we play at lawn tennis, yielding to the persuasions of an athletic friend who calls me [aunt] and has insisted on fixing up the necessary apparatus on our lawn. 739 Should you not be amazed to see your mother using the bat and running after the vagrant balls? It has done me good, however.
We are very glad to have a kiss from Mrs. Menzies, and always find our thoughts about you the happier for their inclusion of her. We look to her as the remedy and restraint of a certain "idiocy" -- a not-knowing-how-to-take-care-of-herself which belongs to one filled with the inspiration to take care of others. Mr. Lewes, though shut up in his study, is one with me as I write.
Your ever loving
Mother.
On turning over this page I was shocked to see how dirty a sheet of paper I had taken. Pray excuse it, and don't attribute the smears to my fingers.
MS: British Museum. Published: Stuart, pp. 94-95.
The Heights | Witley | Godalming | September 14.
Dearest Elma
The beautiful clasp arrived this morning -- a day after your dear letter. I half want to scold you for devoting too much of your time, strength and substance to creating pleasures for me. But I cannot find in my heart to say "Do otherwise than your lovingness prompts you." And I am fond of my silver clasp, which is just what I wanted. Bless you, dear, for all your tender thoughts and faithful affection, and believe that every sign you make is precious.
About Roly's destination I rejoice, taking for granted that after his training at the Military College he will be free to choose another vocation than the military, supposing his bent lay away from it.
But two points in your letter are less cheerful to us. First, that you say nothing of your coming to England (though we encourage the expectation that you must come to plant Roly at Oxford), and secondly, that you confess to being still in a poor state of health. Please remove our uneasiness on these points whenever you can. We expect to remain here until the end or nearly the end of October, and it would be a delight to Mr. Lewes to step down to the railway station and meet a triple group -- Elma, Mrs. Menzies (otherwise known as the guardian angel) and Roly, grown perhaps almost out of recognition. Let this vision of mine be a case of second sight.
All is well with us. We are better in health, perhaps from getting acclimatized. And when the weather permits we play at lawn tennis, yielding to the persuasions of an athletic friend who calls me [aunt] and has insisted on fixing up the necessary apparatus on our lawn. 739 Should you not be amazed to see your mother using the bat and running after the vagrant balls? It has done me good, however.
We are very glad to have a kiss from Mrs. Menzies, and always find our thoughts about you the happier for their inclusion of her. We look to her as the remedy and restraint of a certain "idiocy" -- a not-knowing-how-to-take-care-of-herself which belongs to one filled with the inspiration to take care of others. Mr. Lewes, though shut up in his study, is one with me as I write.
Your ever loving
Mother.
On turning over this page I was shocked to see how dirty a sheet of paper I had taken. Pray excuse it, and don't attribute the smears to my fingers.
Signature
Mother.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Mrs. Elma Stuart, Witley, 14 September [1877], 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/93426