John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 18 February 1874
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 18 February 1874
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 18 February 1874
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
George Eliot
Date(s)
- 1874-02-18
Place
Edinburgh
Letter Content
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 18 February 1874
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
George Street, | Edinburgh.
February 18/74.
My Dear Mrs. Lewes
The sudden political convulsion made letter writing difficult to me, not that it is ever very easy. It is a wonderful change and I hope we are now in for a quiet steady government, able to attend to the business of the Country without being forced to count the votes of extreme sections.
I was truly glad to hear that the continued sale of Spanish Gipsy pleased you so much and it continues to move as I see in London there were 31 sold in December and 12 in January. Middlemarch holds on its course, 99 in December and 85 January. The political excitement is succeeded at home by that of a ball which we are going to give in honour of my daughter's first year. It is most amusing to see her opening the notes and registering her numbers in the most methodical way. I call it the Butterfly's Ball.
Our Cook who had been with us for 14 years recently left us and married a Home Missionary. She was a great artist and great favourite and my feelings towards the Missionary were not particularly friendly. There must however be good about him as she writes in great glee that with her husband's warm approval she is coming from Glasgow to help to cook the supper for Missie's Ball.
Mrs. Trollope came down from London last night to pay us a short visit. She is looking well and gave a very amusing account of her experiences of American and Australian travelling. Anthony seems to be flourishing and hunting. What an indefatigable fellow he is.
I hope the new work is taking form in your mind and partly on paper. I long to hear about it.
Do you read the Magazine much? I like greatly to hear what Lewes and you think of anything in it.
Willie is getting better but is still very lame. However his health is good. We are rather in the cripple line as my boy has got his collar bone broken in a foot ball match but is mending all right. After the accident he played on to the end of the match which was not a good thing, but I daresay he did not know what had happened and thought much more of the match than of his own pain.
Hoping to hear that Lewes and you are well, I am always
yours truly
John Blackwood
How do you like Lytton's Fables. If by any chance I have not given the order to send you a copy write and let me know.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
George Street, | Edinburgh.
February 18/74.
My Dear Mrs. Lewes
The sudden political convulsion made letter writing difficult to me, not that it is ever very easy. It is a wonderful change and I hope we are now in for a quiet steady government, able to attend to the business of the Country without being forced to count the votes of extreme sections.
I was truly glad to hear that the continued sale of Spanish Gipsy pleased you so much and it continues to move as I see in London there were 31 sold in December and 12 in January. Middlemarch holds on its course, 99 in December and 85 January. The political excitement is succeeded at home by that of a ball which we are going to give in honour of my daughter's first year. It is most amusing to see her opening the notes and registering her numbers in the most methodical way. I call it the Butterfly's Ball.
Our Cook who had been with us for 14 years recently left us and married a Home Missionary. She was a great artist and great favourite and my feelings towards the Missionary were not particularly friendly. There must however be good about him as she writes in great glee that with her husband's warm approval she is coming from Glasgow to help to cook the supper for Missie's Ball.
Mrs. Trollope came down from London last night to pay us a short visit. She is looking well and gave a very amusing account of her experiences of American and Australian travelling. Anthony seems to be flourishing and hunting. What an indefatigable fellow he is.
I hope the new work is taking form in your mind and partly on paper. I long to hear about it.
Do you read the Magazine much? I like greatly to hear what Lewes and you think of anything in it.
Willie is getting better but is still very lame. However his health is good. We are rather in the cripple line as my boy has got his collar bone broken in a foot ball match but is mending all right. After the accident he played on to the end of the match which was not a good thing, but I daresay he did not know what had happened and thought much more of the match than of his own pain.
Hoping to hear that Lewes and you are well, I am always
yours truly
John Blackwood
How do you like Lytton's Fables. If by any chance I have not given the order to send you a copy write and let me know.
Signature
John Blackwood
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 18 February 1874, 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/95205