Letter to John Blackwood—Visit to Weybridge—"Daniel Deronda"—Letter to Mme. Bodichon—Meets Sir Garnet Wolseley—Vivisection—Letter to John Blackwood—Public discussion of "Deronda"—Motto from Walt Whitman—Inscription on the MS. of "Deronda"—Letter to Mrs. Stowe—Thanks for sympathy—Drawbacks to going too much abroad—Mr. Lewes's "Problems"—Letter to J. W. Cross on the effect of her writing—Three-months' trip to Continent—Letter to John Blackwood—Visit to Chambéry and Les Charmettes—Lausanne and Vevey—Ragatz—Return to London—Letter to John Blackwood—Dr. Hermann Adler—Letter to Mme. Bodichon—St. Blasien—Women's work—Visit to Six-Mile Bottom—Meets Turguenieff—Jewish appreciation of "Deronda"—Letter to Mrs. William Smith—Mrs. Ruck—Letter to Mrs. Stowe—Jewish element in "Deronda"—Letter to Miss Hennell—Miss Martineau's "Autobiography," and biography in general—Resignation—Gratitude of Jews for "Deronda"—Purchase of house at Witley, near Godalming—Dr. Hermann Adler's lectures on "Daniel Deronda"—Application to translate "Romola" into Italian—Christmas at Weybridge—Opening of year 1877—Letter to James Sully—The word "meliorism"—Letter to John Blackwood—Illustrations of cheap editions—"Romola"—Letter to William Allingham— Warwickshire dialect—Letter to Mrs. Bray—Harriet Martineau's "Autobiography"—Letter to Mme. Bodichon—Holmes and Mrs. Vernon Lushington playing—Letter to Miss Hennell—Mrs. Chapman on Harriet Martineau—Mrs. Stowe and the Byron case—Letter to Professor Kaufmann—Gratitude for his estimate of "Deronda"—Letter to F. Harrison—Sympathy incentive to production—Letter to Mme. Bodichon—Miss Thackeray's marriage—Letter to W. Allingham on his poems—Letter to Professor Kaufmann—Translation of his article by Mr. Ferrier—Letter to Mrs. Ponsonby—Reference to Stradivarius—Pity and fairness—Letter to J. W. Cross—Appreciation of Tennyson's poems and dramas—Letter to Mrs. Peter Taylor—Improvement in health at Witley—Proposal to write on Shakespeare for "Men of Letters" series—Letter to Miss Hennell—Gain of health and strength at Witley—Letter to Mrs. Burne-Jones—Christmas plans—Farewell to Journal and to year 1877—Letter to Mme. Bodichon—State of France—London University opening degrees to women—Reading Green's "History of the English People" and Lecky—The phonograph—Letter to John Blackwood—"Pascal"—"La Bruyère"—Letter to Mrs. Burne-Jones on the "Two Grenadiers"—Letter to Mrs. Bray—Meeting with Crown Prince and Princess of Germany at Mr. Goschen's—Visit to Oxford to the Master of Balliol—Letter to John Blackwood—Indian story of Lord Lytton's—Letter to Mrs. Peter Taylor—Function the æsthetic not the doctrinal teacher—Letter to John Blackwood—Mr. Lewes's ill-health—Letter to William Blackwood—Letter to Mrs. Burne-Jones complaining of health—Letter to J. W. Cross—Mr. Lewes's continued illness—Life at Witley—Effect of receptions at the Priory—Description of receptions—Letter to John Blackwood—Complaining of health—Letter to Mme. Bodichon—Delight in old friends—Letters to John Blackwood—MS. of "Theophrastus Such"—Mr. Lewes's last illness—Postponement of publication of "Theophrastus"—Mr. Lewes's death.
CHAPTER XIX.
For many weeks after Mr. Lewes's death, George Eliot saw no one except Mr. Charles Lewes, and the very few persons she was obliged to receive on necessary business. She read no letters, and wrote none, but at once began to occupy herself busily with Mr. Lewes's unfinished MSS., in which work Mr. Charles Lewes was able to assist her in the arrangement. The only entry in her diary on the 1st January, 1879, is "Here I and sorrow sit." At the end of two months this desolation had told terribly on her health and spirits; and on the last day of January she was greatly comforted by a visit from Sir James Paget—a friend for whom she had always had the highest and most cordial regard during the many years she had known him. Meantime she had begun to write a few short notes, and she mentions in her journal of 2d January, "A kind letter from Professor Michael Foster, of Cambridge, offering to help me on any physiological point;" and on the 19th January, "Ruminating on the founding of some educational instrumentality as a memorial to be called by his name." There are the following letters in January and February.
Letter to Madame Bodichon, 7th Jan. 1879.
I bless you for all your goodness to me, but I am a bruised creature, and shrink even from the tenderest touch. As soon as I feel able to see anybody I will see you. Please give my love to Bessie[35] and thank her for me—I mean, for her sweet letter. I was a long while before I read any letters, but tell her I shall read hers again and again.
Letter to John Blackwood, 13th Jan. 1879.
It was a long while before I read any letters, and as yet I have written none, except such as business required of me. You will believe that this has not been for want of gratitude to all my friends for their goodness to me. I can trust to your understanding of a sorrow which has broken my life. I write now because I ought not to allow any disproportionate expense to be incurred about my printed sheets.
To me, now, the writing seems all trivial stuff, but since he wished it to be printed, and you seem to concur, I will correct the sheets (if you will send me the remainder) gradually as I am able, and they can be struck off and laid by for a future time. I submit this proposition to your judgment, not knowing what may be most expedient for your printing-office.