GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, 20 November 1875
Title
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, 20 November 1875
Title
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, 20 November 1875
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Sara Sophia Hennell
Date(s)
- 1875-11-20
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, 20 November 1875
MS: Yale. Extracts published: Cross, III, 267.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
November 20. 75.
My dear Sara
I get my head from under the pressure of other matters, like a frog from under the water, to send you my November greeting. My silence through the rest of the months makes you esteem me the more, I hope, seeing that you yourself hate letter-writing -- a remarkable exception to the rule that people like doing what they can do well, if one can call that a rule of which the reverse seems more frequent, namely, that they like doing what they do ill.
All the intimations I have gathered about you this year have made me imagine you able to share in much active enjoyment, and I trust that you have been one of those who have escaped bodily suffering from the inflictions of weather-changeableness. Since I saw Cara in the late Spring I have heard nothing about any of you, so that the least little bulletin will be acceptable.
We have gone through much since that time. Our son Bertie -- a sweet-natured fellow, who had married very happily in Natal -- has died of bronchitis superadded to a return of the glandular disease which he had been subject to as a child, but which he appeared long ago to have outgrown, having become an athletic young man. His widow has her second child, still an infant. It is our comfort that we are able to provide for them. We are naturally the more solicitous about Charles, the only one left. He is now thoroughly well, but the boys seem all to have inherited an untrustworthy physique.
We stayed till nearly the end of September at the house we had taken in Hertfordshire: after that we went into Wales for a fortnight and were under umbrellas nearly the whole time. Mr. Lewes has been suffering from lack of nervous energy, but he is recovering his usual power of work and enjoyment of work, having had an excursion to Cambridge to make physiological experiments with Prof. Michael Foster as a crowning means of invigoration after iron and phosphorus and pancreatic emulsion.
Mr. Lewes had a letter from Mr. Call the other day which told us the sad news that poor Mrs. Call remains as much as ever a sufferer from rheumatism after a long course of treatment at Aix. The letter did not tell us what we hear from other sources -- that Frank is going to be married. Is that true? 345
And how is Harriet under advancing age? 346 I should like much to know that you have no painfully increasing cares on her behalf. Indeed, if you will take the kind trouble to tell me, I should like to know of everything in which your health and comfort are concerned.
I wonder if you all remember an old governess of mine who used to visit me at Foleshill -- a Miss Lewis? I have found her out; she is living at Leamington, very poor as well as old, but cheerful -- and so delighted to be remembered with gratitude. 347 How very old we are all getting! But I hope you don't mind it any more than I do. One sees so many contemporaries, that one is well in the fashion. The approach of parting is the bitterness of age.
It would sweeten this birthday very much dear Sara, to be assured that it finds you in serenity -- undisturbed by illness or care.
Please give my love to Cara and Mr. Bray.
Always your affectionate
Pollian.
MS: Yale. Extracts published: Cross, III, 267.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
November 20. 75.
My dear Sara
I get my head from under the pressure of other matters, like a frog from under the water, to send you my November greeting. My silence through the rest of the months makes you esteem me the more, I hope, seeing that you yourself hate letter-writing -- a remarkable exception to the rule that people like doing what they can do well, if one can call that a rule of which the reverse seems more frequent, namely, that they like doing what they do ill.
All the intimations I have gathered about you this year have made me imagine you able to share in much active enjoyment, and I trust that you have been one of those who have escaped bodily suffering from the inflictions of weather-changeableness. Since I saw Cara in the late Spring I have heard nothing about any of you, so that the least little bulletin will be acceptable.
We have gone through much since that time. Our son Bertie -- a sweet-natured fellow, who had married very happily in Natal -- has died of bronchitis superadded to a return of the glandular disease which he had been subject to as a child, but which he appeared long ago to have outgrown, having become an athletic young man. His widow has her second child, still an infant. It is our comfort that we are able to provide for them. We are naturally the more solicitous about Charles, the only one left. He is now thoroughly well, but the boys seem all to have inherited an untrustworthy physique.
We stayed till nearly the end of September at the house we had taken in Hertfordshire: after that we went into Wales for a fortnight and were under umbrellas nearly the whole time. Mr. Lewes has been suffering from lack of nervous energy, but he is recovering his usual power of work and enjoyment of work, having had an excursion to Cambridge to make physiological experiments with Prof. Michael Foster as a crowning means of invigoration after iron and phosphorus and pancreatic emulsion.
Mr. Lewes had a letter from Mr. Call the other day which told us the sad news that poor Mrs. Call remains as much as ever a sufferer from rheumatism after a long course of treatment at Aix. The letter did not tell us what we hear from other sources -- that Frank is going to be married. Is that true? 345
And how is Harriet under advancing age? 346 I should like much to know that you have no painfully increasing cares on her behalf. Indeed, if you will take the kind trouble to tell me, I should like to know of everything in which your health and comfort are concerned.
I wonder if you all remember an old governess of mine who used to visit me at Foleshill -- a Miss Lewis? I have found her out; she is living at Leamington, very poor as well as old, but cheerful -- and so delighted to be remembered with gratitude. 347 How very old we are all getting! But I hope you don't mind it any more than I do. One sees so many contemporaries, that one is well in the fashion. The approach of parting is the bitterness of age.
It would sweeten this birthday very much dear Sara, to be assured that it finds you in serenity -- undisturbed by illness or care.
Please give my love to Cara and Mr. Bray.
Always your affectionate
Pollian.
Signature
Pollian.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, 20 November 1875, 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/94019