GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Conway, 29 August [1859]
Title
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Conway, 29 August [1859]
Title
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Conway, 29 August [1859]
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Sara Sophia Hennell
Date(s)
- 1859-08-29
Place
Conway
Letter Content
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Conway, 29 August [1859]
MS: Yale. Endorsed: 1859. Corrected proofsheet enclosed. Hitherto unpublished.
Conway | August 29.
Dear Sara
I got your letter only this morning -- almost too late, I fear, for my answer to be of any use. We set off on Thursday night from London. 273
Mr. Lewes and I do not feel the strong repugnance you describe Cara as feeling to the personal references in the marked passage, 274 but we think the threefold occurrence of "to me" unnecessary. I can't see any need for the clause which I have included between pencil brackets, and, in the succeeding clause do you mean to say that the view started in this work seemed to you to strike others with the impression etc. or that it struck you with that impression? If the latter, as the concluding clause seems to imply, surely the "to me" is misleading. "Truthfulness" is a personal quality, is it not? and cannot be properly used to express the quality of being true in an impersonal object i.e. a statement or exposition. Your brother was "truthful" in the expression of his opinions, but his opinions were "true" or the contrary.
I cannot give you our permanent address at present, for we have been so unfortunate as to be obliged to take temporary lodgings here -- a sad disappointment. You did not -- could not over-rate the beauty of Penmaenmawr, but you underrated the difficulty of getting lodgings there, for we could get absolutely none. I never turned my back on a place with more regret. There is a lone house on the beach near Abergile that we are now in suspense about; if we don't get that we shall try Penmaenmawr again after the lapse of these few days.
But I don't wait a post before writing, in order to obey as nearly as possible your wish that I should write by return. In haste
Ever yours
Marian.
MS: Yale. Endorsed: 1859. Corrected proofsheet enclosed. Hitherto unpublished.
Conway | August 29.
Dear Sara
I got your letter only this morning -- almost too late, I fear, for my answer to be of any use. We set off on Thursday night from London. 273
Mr. Lewes and I do not feel the strong repugnance you describe Cara as feeling to the personal references in the marked passage, 274 but we think the threefold occurrence of "to me" unnecessary. I can't see any need for the clause which I have included between pencil brackets, and, in the succeeding clause do you mean to say that the view started in this work seemed to you to strike others with the impression etc. or that it struck you with that impression? If the latter, as the concluding clause seems to imply, surely the "to me" is misleading. "Truthfulness" is a personal quality, is it not? and cannot be properly used to express the quality of being true in an impersonal object i.e. a statement or exposition. Your brother was "truthful" in the expression of his opinions, but his opinions were "true" or the contrary.
I cannot give you our permanent address at present, for we have been so unfortunate as to be obliged to take temporary lodgings here -- a sad disappointment. You did not -- could not over-rate the beauty of Penmaenmawr, but you underrated the difficulty of getting lodgings there, for we could get absolutely none. I never turned my back on a place with more regret. There is a lone house on the beach near Abergile that we are now in suspense about; if we don't get that we shall try Penmaenmawr again after the lapse of these few days.
But I don't wait a post before writing, in order to obey as nearly as possible your wish that I should write by return. In haste
Ever yours
Marian.
Signature
Marian.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Conway, 29 August [1859], 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/93884