GE to John Blackwood, Witley, 20 June 1879
Title
GE to John Blackwood, Witley, 20 June 1879
Title
GE to John Blackwood, Witley, 20 June 1879
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
John Blackwood
Date(s)
- 1879-06-20
Place
Witley
Letter Content
GE to John Blackwood, Witley, 20 June 1879
MS: National Library of Scotland. Extracts published: Cross, III, 367-368.
The Heights, Witley, | Nr. Godalming.
June 20. 79.
My dear Mr. Blackwood
I have been having my turn of illness, of rather a sharp kind. Yesterday when your letter came I was in more acute pain than I have ever known in my life before, 278 but before the morning was over I was sufficiently relieved to read your pleasant news. I am writing in bed but am in that most keenly conscious ease which comes after unusual suffering. The way in which the Public takes Theophrastus is really a comfort to me. I have had some letters, not of the complimentary but of the grateful kind which are an encouragement to believe in the use of writing. But you would be screamingly amused with one 23 pages long (from an Edinboro' man by the bye, named Kilgour) who has not read the book but has heard of it and thinks that his own case is still more worthy of presentation than Merman's.
When are we to have the prophesied days of drought? Your recovery is no doubt a little retarded by the unfriendly weather, but I am glad to hear of the epoch of coming down to lunch. Those signs of a disposition to exert onself are rather important marks of growing strength -- in my own experience, at least, I find a wide margin of inertness after any attack and an inclination to linger in habits of invalidism.
That story of the momentous telegram is worth preserving. I think a valuable series (or couple of volumes) might be made up from Maga of articles written not by travellers and military men and not otherwise republished -- Chronicles and Descriptions by Eye-witnesses -- which might be material for historians.
I suppose you will not print quite so many of the third edition of Theo[phrastus] as for the second? 279 -- Ought not Harpers to send me the promised £50? 280 I like punctuality in business matters. My life this year seems to be spent in drawing cheques and I find it a desirable variety to receive them.
What a comfort that the Afghan war is concluded! But on the back of it comes the black day of Indian finance, which means alas a great deal of hardship to poor Hindus. Let me hear more news of you before long.
Yours always truly
M. E. Lewes.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Extracts published: Cross, III, 367-368.
The Heights, Witley, | Nr. Godalming.
June 20. 79.
My dear Mr. Blackwood
I have been having my turn of illness, of rather a sharp kind. Yesterday when your letter came I was in more acute pain than I have ever known in my life before, 278 but before the morning was over I was sufficiently relieved to read your pleasant news. I am writing in bed but am in that most keenly conscious ease which comes after unusual suffering. The way in which the Public takes Theophrastus is really a comfort to me. I have had some letters, not of the complimentary but of the grateful kind which are an encouragement to believe in the use of writing. But you would be screamingly amused with one 23 pages long (from an Edinboro' man by the bye, named Kilgour) who has not read the book but has heard of it and thinks that his own case is still more worthy of presentation than Merman's.
When are we to have the prophesied days of drought? Your recovery is no doubt a little retarded by the unfriendly weather, but I am glad to hear of the epoch of coming down to lunch. Those signs of a disposition to exert onself are rather important marks of growing strength -- in my own experience, at least, I find a wide margin of inertness after any attack and an inclination to linger in habits of invalidism.
That story of the momentous telegram is worth preserving. I think a valuable series (or couple of volumes) might be made up from Maga of articles written not by travellers and military men and not otherwise republished -- Chronicles and Descriptions by Eye-witnesses -- which might be material for historians.
I suppose you will not print quite so many of the third edition of Theo[phrastus] as for the second? 279 -- Ought not Harpers to send me the promised £50? 280 I like punctuality in business matters. My life this year seems to be spent in drawing cheques and I find it a desirable variety to receive them.
What a comfort that the Afghan war is concluded! But on the back of it comes the black day of Indian finance, which means alas a great deal of hardship to poor Hindus. Let me hear more news of you before long.
Yours always truly
M. E. Lewes.
Signature
M. E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to John Blackwood, Witley, 20 June 1879, 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/92758