GE to Mrs. Mark Pattison, London, 18-19 February 1877
Title
GE to Mrs. Mark Pattison, London, 18-19 February 1877
Title
GE to Mrs. Mark Pattison, London, 18-19 February 1877
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Mrs. Mark Pattison
Date(s)
- 1877-02-18–<br /> 1877-02-19
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to Mrs. Mark Pattison, London, 18-19 February 1877
MS: British Museum. Extracts published: Sir Charles W. Dilke, The Book of the Spiritual Life, 1905, pp. 51-52.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
February 18. 77.
My dear Goddaughter
The last three weeks have been educating us into more complete sympathy with your sufferings, for Mr. Lewes has been under a sharp attack of rheumatic gout which has quite lamed him for walking. If you happen to remember how very quick and light his step was by nature, you will imagine something of my acute distress at seeing him unable to put his foot to the ground, and, when he rose from his bed, only able to walk by dint of using two sticks. He is not able yet to take walking exercise out of doors. 609 Oh, how many nights and days you have had of such acute and disabling pain as I have been witnessing for a little while in him! Ever since you came to see me with your white face and lips I have been haunted by the sense that the opportunity had been wanting to me of saying or doing anything that expressed how far I felt with you -- felt at least as one who can only imperfectly imagine what she grieves for.
But now your account of yourself is as cheerful as can be in one respect. I mean in the proof it gives that you have kept your mental energy. The loss of that is often the most dreadful part of a bodily suffering which is intermittent. As long as severe pain lasts I don't suppose anybody can care about such loss, but to get up from the rack and find oneself half imbecile -- the chief sign of any intellect left being the consciousness that one's intellect is almost gone, is a horrible lot which I have seen a little in quite young sufferers. Let us be thankful that your mind is as vivacious as ever.
What a paradise of country you paint where [only man is vile.] It made me uncomfortable for a day or two after I read your account of your rural neighbors, to think that I could find no good reason why your bit of country should be exceptionally unfortunate in its inhabitants. But surely something may be set down to the fact that Grasse is under the same sort of influence from being a place of foreign resort as Switzerland and other regions where strangers get the aspect of lawful prey. Certainly what you tell me of your Southern peasants is sadly unlike what I have learned of the French country people in other parts. And one knows society could not hold together if it were all of such rottenness.
You know quite well how the world is going on here -- the Grosvenor gallery built, for one thing, and everybody darkening counsel by words without knowledge 610 on the terrible Eastern question, and the rain only just beginning to cease raining every day. Without wanting to find fault, I cannot help being impressed with the bad figure the Opposition makes with its readiness to impeach and its barrenness of any definite recommendations as to a policy to be pursued. It is piteous to see men talking diffusely and to no purpose about what has been or what ought to have been when the only object of statesmanship should be to find the best course that can be.
But we small people have to go on minding our own small affairs, and so we have bought a house in Surrey -- in a lovely position -- and now are beginning to wish we had not bought it because of the trouble of thinking about it. Mr. Lewes is as disinclined as I am to think much about the outsides of our life. I like others to have pretty things, but I don't like having to procure them for myself, and would rather put up with imperfections of all sorts in my garments and house than go through transactions with tradespeople in the effort after more (or less) perfection. You who have a genius for getting all these things to your mind will hardly understand this contemptible cowardice and laziness.
Our Saturdays had been for three weeks blank of concerts until yesterday, when I saw some unknown face extremely unlike yours, looking frequently over the balcony at me from your wonted place. I wish you could entertain the prospect of being able in future years to take that place again in February. That would mean that you were strong and active again and could defy the climate of damp and gloom.
The Rector told me that your good Madame Morran -- I had got so far in my letter yesterday before being called away, and this morning I am kept in bed by the troublesome pain which the doctor declares to be renal. 611 I finish my letter and send it off lest I should get worse.
Farewell. Believe always that I care much to know of your having more ease either of body or of mind.
Your affectionate
M. E. Lewes.
MS: British Museum. Extracts published: Sir Charles W. Dilke, The Book of the Spiritual Life, 1905, pp. 51-52.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
February 18. 77.
My dear Goddaughter
The last three weeks have been educating us into more complete sympathy with your sufferings, for Mr. Lewes has been under a sharp attack of rheumatic gout which has quite lamed him for walking. If you happen to remember how very quick and light his step was by nature, you will imagine something of my acute distress at seeing him unable to put his foot to the ground, and, when he rose from his bed, only able to walk by dint of using two sticks. He is not able yet to take walking exercise out of doors. 609 Oh, how many nights and days you have had of such acute and disabling pain as I have been witnessing for a little while in him! Ever since you came to see me with your white face and lips I have been haunted by the sense that the opportunity had been wanting to me of saying or doing anything that expressed how far I felt with you -- felt at least as one who can only imperfectly imagine what she grieves for.
But now your account of yourself is as cheerful as can be in one respect. I mean in the proof it gives that you have kept your mental energy. The loss of that is often the most dreadful part of a bodily suffering which is intermittent. As long as severe pain lasts I don't suppose anybody can care about such loss, but to get up from the rack and find oneself half imbecile -- the chief sign of any intellect left being the consciousness that one's intellect is almost gone, is a horrible lot which I have seen a little in quite young sufferers. Let us be thankful that your mind is as vivacious as ever.
What a paradise of country you paint where [only man is vile.] It made me uncomfortable for a day or two after I read your account of your rural neighbors, to think that I could find no good reason why your bit of country should be exceptionally unfortunate in its inhabitants. But surely something may be set down to the fact that Grasse is under the same sort of influence from being a place of foreign resort as Switzerland and other regions where strangers get the aspect of lawful prey. Certainly what you tell me of your Southern peasants is sadly unlike what I have learned of the French country people in other parts. And one knows society could not hold together if it were all of such rottenness.
You know quite well how the world is going on here -- the Grosvenor gallery built, for one thing, and everybody darkening counsel by words without knowledge 610 on the terrible Eastern question, and the rain only just beginning to cease raining every day. Without wanting to find fault, I cannot help being impressed with the bad figure the Opposition makes with its readiness to impeach and its barrenness of any definite recommendations as to a policy to be pursued. It is piteous to see men talking diffusely and to no purpose about what has been or what ought to have been when the only object of statesmanship should be to find the best course that can be.
But we small people have to go on minding our own small affairs, and so we have bought a house in Surrey -- in a lovely position -- and now are beginning to wish we had not bought it because of the trouble of thinking about it. Mr. Lewes is as disinclined as I am to think much about the outsides of our life. I like others to have pretty things, but I don't like having to procure them for myself, and would rather put up with imperfections of all sorts in my garments and house than go through transactions with tradespeople in the effort after more (or less) perfection. You who have a genius for getting all these things to your mind will hardly understand this contemptible cowardice and laziness.
Our Saturdays had been for three weeks blank of concerts until yesterday, when I saw some unknown face extremely unlike yours, looking frequently over the balcony at me from your wonted place. I wish you could entertain the prospect of being able in future years to take that place again in February. That would mean that you were strong and active again and could defy the climate of damp and gloom.
The Rector told me that your good Madame Morran -- I had got so far in my letter yesterday before being called away, and this morning I am kept in bed by the troublesome pain which the doctor declares to be renal. 611 I finish my letter and send it off lest I should get worse.
Farewell. Believe always that I care much to know of your having more ease either of body or of mind.
Your affectionate
M. E. Lewes.
Signature
M. E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Mrs. Mark Pattison, London, 18-19 February 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/93538