GE to Mrs. Nassau John Senior, London, 11 December 1866
Title
GE to Mrs. Nassau John Senior, London, 11 December 1866
Title
GE to Mrs. Nassau John Senior, London, 11 December 1866
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Mrs. Nassau John Senior
Date(s)
- 1866-12-11
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to Mrs. Nassau John Senior, London, 11 December 1866
MS: Berg Collection, New York Public Library. Hitherto unpublished.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
December 11. 66.
My dear Mrs. Senior 548
How kind of you! I am sincerely grateful to you for taking so much pains on our behalf. At first it seemed the most tempting thing in the world that there should be a house waiting for us in the South of Spain, and a thing specially devised to reward me for renouncing that region, which of all others is the one I long to go to. But soon the old difficulties reappeared -- the length of the journey, the terribly cold winds on the high lands of central Spain, and the nature of the Spanish cooking etc. -- all which had previously frightened us away from a long-cherished project. Mr. Lewes would get cold in travelling from St. Sebastian to Madrid, and there would be an end of comfort, and a suggestion of oil and garlick in his food would cause him endless gastric miseries. These are the major obstacles, but apart from these it seems undesirable, since our absence may not extend beyond two months, to tie ourselves in any way to one spot. So, after a serious debate, I found that I had again to go through my renunciation, and to feel that until Mr. Lewes is in a more robust condition, we must run no risks of fatigue or of vicissitudes in food and climate.
I assure you the donkey junior, and the dogs, were details that went along with the deep sandy soil and the pine woods to deepen my sighs. On the other hand, the mention of the mosquito curtains made Mr. Lewes shudder a little. But we both thank you heartily for taking this trouble, and such an act of kindness is never a labour in vain.
We are a little better now, and remember the singing as a soothing appliance in our dyspeptic misery. Always, dear Mrs. Senior
Yours faithfully
M. E. Lewes.
MS: Berg Collection, New York Public Library. Hitherto unpublished.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
December 11. 66.
My dear Mrs. Senior 548
How kind of you! I am sincerely grateful to you for taking so much pains on our behalf. At first it seemed the most tempting thing in the world that there should be a house waiting for us in the South of Spain, and a thing specially devised to reward me for renouncing that region, which of all others is the one I long to go to. But soon the old difficulties reappeared -- the length of the journey, the terribly cold winds on the high lands of central Spain, and the nature of the Spanish cooking etc. -- all which had previously frightened us away from a long-cherished project. Mr. Lewes would get cold in travelling from St. Sebastian to Madrid, and there would be an end of comfort, and a suggestion of oil and garlick in his food would cause him endless gastric miseries. These are the major obstacles, but apart from these it seems undesirable, since our absence may not extend beyond two months, to tie ourselves in any way to one spot. So, after a serious debate, I found that I had again to go through my renunciation, and to feel that until Mr. Lewes is in a more robust condition, we must run no risks of fatigue or of vicissitudes in food and climate.
I assure you the donkey junior, and the dogs, were details that went along with the deep sandy soil and the pine woods to deepen my sighs. On the other hand, the mention of the mosquito curtains made Mr. Lewes shudder a little. But we both thank you heartily for taking this trouble, and such an act of kindness is never a labour in vain.
We are a little better now, and remember the singing as a soothing appliance in our dyspeptic misery. Always, dear Mrs. Senior
Yours faithfully
M. E. Lewes.
Signature
M. E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Mrs. Nassau John Senior, London, 11 December 1866, 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/93561