GE to John Walter Cross, Witley, [16 October 1879]
Title
GE to John Walter Cross, Witley, [16 October 1879]
Title
GE to John Walter Cross, Witley, [16 October 1879]
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
John Walter Cross
Date(s)
- 1879-10-16
Place
Witley
Letter Content
GE to John Walter Cross, Witley, [16 October 1879]
MS: Yale. Envelope: J. W. Cross Esq. | City Liberal Club | Walbrook | London | E.C. Postmarks: GODALMING | B | OC 16 | 79; LONDON E.C | 16 OC | 79. Hitherto unpublished.
The Heights, Witley, | Nr. Godalming.
Thursday.
Best loved and loving one -- the sun it shines so cold, so cold, when there are no eyes to look love on me. I cannot bear to sadden one moment when we are together, but wenn Du bist nicht da I have often a bad time. It is a solemn time, dearest. And why should I complain if it is a painful time? What I call my pain is almost a joy seen in the wide array of the world's cruel suffering. Thou seest I am grumbling today -- got a chill yesterday and have a headache. All which, as a wise doctor would say, is not of the least consequence, my dear Madam.
Through everything else, dear tender one, there is the blessing of trusting in thy goodness. Thou dost not know anything of verbs in Hiphil and Hophal or the history of metaphysics or the position of Kepler in science, but thou knowest best things of another sort, such as belong to the manly heart -- secrets of lovingness and rectitude. O I am flattering. Consider what thou wast a little time ago in pantaloons and back hair.
Triumph over me. After all, I have not the second copy of the deed. What I took for it was only Foster's original draft and my copy of it. The article by Sully in the New Quarterly is very well done.
I shall think of thee this afternoon getting health at Lawn Tennis, and I shall reckon on having a letter by tomorrow's post.
Why should I compliment myself at the end of my letter and say that I am faithful, loving, more anxious for thy life than mine? I will run no risks of being [inexact] -- so I will only say [varium et mutabile semper] 329 but at this particular moment thy tender
Beatrice. 330
MS: Yale. Envelope: J. W. Cross Esq. | City Liberal Club | Walbrook | London | E.C. Postmarks: GODALMING | B | OC 16 | 79; LONDON E.C | 16 OC | 79. Hitherto unpublished.
The Heights, Witley, | Nr. Godalming.
Thursday.
Best loved and loving one -- the sun it shines so cold, so cold, when there are no eyes to look love on me. I cannot bear to sadden one moment when we are together, but wenn Du bist nicht da I have often a bad time. It is a solemn time, dearest. And why should I complain if it is a painful time? What I call my pain is almost a joy seen in the wide array of the world's cruel suffering. Thou seest I am grumbling today -- got a chill yesterday and have a headache. All which, as a wise doctor would say, is not of the least consequence, my dear Madam.
Through everything else, dear tender one, there is the blessing of trusting in thy goodness. Thou dost not know anything of verbs in Hiphil and Hophal or the history of metaphysics or the position of Kepler in science, but thou knowest best things of another sort, such as belong to the manly heart -- secrets of lovingness and rectitude. O I am flattering. Consider what thou wast a little time ago in pantaloons and back hair.
Triumph over me. After all, I have not the second copy of the deed. What I took for it was only Foster's original draft and my copy of it. The article by Sully in the New Quarterly is very well done.
I shall think of thee this afternoon getting health at Lawn Tennis, and I shall reckon on having a letter by tomorrow's post.
Why should I compliment myself at the end of my letter and say that I am faithful, loving, more anxious for thy life than mine? I will run no risks of being [inexact] -- so I will only say [varium et mutabile semper] 329 but at this particular moment thy tender
Beatrice. 330
Signature
Beatrice
Citation
George Eliot, GE to John Walter Cross, Witley, [16 October 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/92838