GE to Mrs. Mark Pattison, London, 5 September 1872
Title
GE to Mrs. Mark Pattison, London, 5 September 1872
Title
GE to Mrs. Mark Pattison, London, 5 September 1872
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Mrs. Mark Pattison
Date(s)
- 1872-09-05
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to Mrs. Mark Pattison, London, 5 September 1872
MS: British Museum. Hitherto unpublished.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
September 5. 72.
Dear Figliuolina
Your letter has come "pat betwixt too early and too late." 586 We have been en retraite, as you know, all summer, but we are now roosting for a little while here, to prepare ourselves for a journey on which we hope to start next week. Our destination is Homburg where we are not intending to gamble, but to drink the waters, in the hope that they will prove a fountain of Jouvence to us two aged dyspeptics. I am rather harrassed with finishings and preparations, and Mr. Lewes, with super-human goodness, has been writing all my notes for many weeks. But I could not let him be my secretary to you, because I want to say that we will talk over all affairs of the heart when I come back and you are in London -- I think you usually come before Christmas.
It is quite true that I was ill in the spring and unequal to showing my sympathy actively to any one. Anything beyond that as a reason for apparent change in me is too subtle to be expressed without the help of face and voice and without that possibility of immediate correction in case of a wrong word, which only t'eate 'e0 t'eate can give.
Your letter is delightfully cheerful in its account of your doings. I hope the Rector too is robust enough to enjoy work. Please offer him my kind regards.
Of course you know that our excellent Mr. Otter is going on fraternal duty to Australia. And Mrs. Congreve's sister, Mrs. Geddes, takes her voyage to India with baby and nurse on the 10th of October. Moreover, we have a little granddaughter named Blanche, but at present coloured like the pomegranate.
That is all my budget, for we have been perfect hermits and only know such news as is to be found in the papers.
Mr. Lewes gets deeper and deeper still in his psychological work and when we come back from our journey I am going to plunge after him and read all the manuscript which has been gathering itself together in the last year.
I suppose your industry has included perseverance with your violin. 587 We are yearning for more orchestral music, and for some fine acting -- anything that will occupy our outer sense and make us forget our internal spinning. Always
Yours faithfully and affectionately
M. E. Lewes.
MS: British Museum. Hitherto unpublished.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
September 5. 72.
Dear Figliuolina
Your letter has come "pat betwixt too early and too late." 586 We have been en retraite, as you know, all summer, but we are now roosting for a little while here, to prepare ourselves for a journey on which we hope to start next week. Our destination is Homburg where we are not intending to gamble, but to drink the waters, in the hope that they will prove a fountain of Jouvence to us two aged dyspeptics. I am rather harrassed with finishings and preparations, and Mr. Lewes, with super-human goodness, has been writing all my notes for many weeks. But I could not let him be my secretary to you, because I want to say that we will talk over all affairs of the heart when I come back and you are in London -- I think you usually come before Christmas.
It is quite true that I was ill in the spring and unequal to showing my sympathy actively to any one. Anything beyond that as a reason for apparent change in me is too subtle to be expressed without the help of face and voice and without that possibility of immediate correction in case of a wrong word, which only t'eate 'e0 t'eate can give.
Your letter is delightfully cheerful in its account of your doings. I hope the Rector too is robust enough to enjoy work. Please offer him my kind regards.
Of course you know that our excellent Mr. Otter is going on fraternal duty to Australia. And Mrs. Congreve's sister, Mrs. Geddes, takes her voyage to India with baby and nurse on the 10th of October. Moreover, we have a little granddaughter named Blanche, but at present coloured like the pomegranate.
That is all my budget, for we have been perfect hermits and only know such news as is to be found in the papers.
Mr. Lewes gets deeper and deeper still in his psychological work and when we come back from our journey I am going to plunge after him and read all the manuscript which has been gathering itself together in the last year.
I suppose your industry has included perseverance with your violin. 587 We are yearning for more orchestral music, and for some fine acting -- anything that will occupy our outer sense and make us forget our internal spinning. Always
Yours faithfully and affectionately
M. E. Lewes.
Signature
M. E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Mrs. Mark Pattison, London, 5 September 1872, 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/93554