Edith Simcox, Autobiography, 7-16 January 1878
Title
Edith Simcox, Autobiography, 7-16 January 1878
Title
Edith Simcox, Autobiography, 7-16 January 1878
Sender
Edith Simcox
Recipient
U
Date(s)
- 1878-01-07–<br /> 1878-01-16
Place
London
Letter Content
Edith Simcox, Autobiography, 7-16 January 1878
MS: Bodleian. Brief extract published: McKenzie, p. 90.
Monday 7 January 1878
January 7. Went today to see her -- after looking again at certain of her letters last night. Arrived about 5, stooped and only kissed her hand. Lewes stooped to kiss me, and I said I wasn't to kiss any one because I had kissed Mary 402 who thought she was going to have the mumps. He said they weren't catching, and she that it was an awful complaint but she must risk it. She asked what news? if my people 403 had come back? said they had expected me to come and wish them a happy new year -- in a sceptical way --; she had lost her cold, he had had a headache, but both were in a tolerable state of preservation. She said, apropos of the shop that she kept hearing fresh people say in a matter of course way that they were going to "Hamiltons," and mentioned somebody who was coming to us in the wake of a certain Hennell, of whom I knew nothing but wondered if he might be a relative of Sara. Mention of Oxford men who wear shirts brought up the Pattisons; they said he was so interesting in conversation if he once got launched; and Mrs. Lewes thought she had been getting up her book ever since she had known her. 404
All this took but a few minutes, and I had hardly begun to despair of reaching more interesting topics when the fatal Johnny 405 came in, he had missed his train yesterday and had a book to return by way of pretext. Mrs. Cross 406 was mending; apropos of a sister going to see a married sister, something was said concerning the comparative wickedness of husbands and wives to each other. They thought there were extenuating circumstances for Dickens because his sister-in-law did everything for the family and for him, and his wife did nothing. From such conjugal trials it was a step to an absurdly circumstantial dream of Lewes', -- that the archangel was in love with a humpbacked nobleman in holy orders -- which he persisted was a most plausible combination of her three weak points! He was exercised how to make her realize the extent of her delinquencies against him, and thought of going away for a night -- again in reference to her real dread of such an event, but he decided that would be so great a punishment to him that he would try the effect of a reproachful scene instead -- at which point he woke. This she capped with a rather ludicrous dream of Stanleys -- who thought he was elected Pope; then they talked of FitzJames Stephen on Bright about Indian irrigation -- I not remembering till I was on my way home the objections to the former's answer which had occurred to me. I stayed about half an hour all told and left the field for Johnny. . . .
MS: Bodleian. Brief extract published: McKenzie, p. 90.
Monday 7 January 1878
January 7. Went today to see her -- after looking again at certain of her letters last night. Arrived about 5, stooped and only kissed her hand. Lewes stooped to kiss me, and I said I wasn't to kiss any one because I had kissed Mary 402 who thought she was going to have the mumps. He said they weren't catching, and she that it was an awful complaint but she must risk it. She asked what news? if my people 403 had come back? said they had expected me to come and wish them a happy new year -- in a sceptical way --; she had lost her cold, he had had a headache, but both were in a tolerable state of preservation. She said, apropos of the shop that she kept hearing fresh people say in a matter of course way that they were going to "Hamiltons," and mentioned somebody who was coming to us in the wake of a certain Hennell, of whom I knew nothing but wondered if he might be a relative of Sara. Mention of Oxford men who wear shirts brought up the Pattisons; they said he was so interesting in conversation if he once got launched; and Mrs. Lewes thought she had been getting up her book ever since she had known her. 404
All this took but a few minutes, and I had hardly begun to despair of reaching more interesting topics when the fatal Johnny 405 came in, he had missed his train yesterday and had a book to return by way of pretext. Mrs. Cross 406 was mending; apropos of a sister going to see a married sister, something was said concerning the comparative wickedness of husbands and wives to each other. They thought there were extenuating circumstances for Dickens because his sister-in-law did everything for the family and for him, and his wife did nothing. From such conjugal trials it was a step to an absurdly circumstantial dream of Lewes', -- that the archangel was in love with a humpbacked nobleman in holy orders -- which he persisted was a most plausible combination of her three weak points! He was exercised how to make her realize the extent of her delinquencies against him, and thought of going away for a night -- again in reference to her real dread of such an event, but he decided that would be so great a punishment to him that he would try the effect of a reproachful scene instead -- at which point he woke. This she capped with a rather ludicrous dream of Stanleys -- who thought he was elected Pope; then they talked of FitzJames Stephen on Bright about Indian irrigation -- I not remembering till I was on my way home the objections to the former's answer which had occurred to me. I stayed about half an hour all told and left the field for Johnny. . . .
Citation
Edith Simcox, Edith Simcox, Autobiography, 7-16 January 1878, Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/91812