GE to Mrs. Samuel Evans, 93 Griff, 6 February 1839
Title
GE to Mrs. Samuel Evans, 93 Griff, 6 February 1839
Title
GE to Mrs. Samuel Evans, 93 Griff, 6 February 1839
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Mrs. Samuel Evans
Date(s)
- 1839-02-06
Place
93 GRIFF
Letter Content
GE to Mrs. Samuel Evans, 93 Griff, 6 February 1839
MS: Yale. Address: Mrs. Samuel Evans Senr | Tape Manufactory | Wirksworth | near Matlock | Derbyshire. Postmark: Illegible. Extracts published: Cross, I, 45-47.
Griff February 6th 1839.
My dear Aunt,
I am so unwilling to believe that you can forget a promise, or to entertain fears respecting your health that I persuade myself I must have mistaken the terms of the agreement between us, and that I ought to have sent you a letter before I considered myself entitled to one from Wirksworth. However this may be, I feel so anxious to hear of your well-being in every way that I can no longer rest satisfied without using my only means of obtaining tidings of you. My dear Father is not at home to-night or I should probably have a message of remembrance to give you from him in addition to the good news that he is as well as he has been for the last two years, and even I think better, except that he feels more fatigue after exertion of mind or body than formerly. How are you, my dear Aunt? I venture to say, though they are rather authoritative words, that you must write and tell me, if no more, how you and Uncle do. I should like also to know how my Cousins are situated, and whether any changes have occurred amongst them since I parted from you. If you are able to fill a sheet I am sure both Uncle and you would in doing so be complying with the precept, "Lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble knees." 94 I need not tell you that this is a dry and thirsty land, 95 and I shall be as grateful to you for a draught from your fresh springs, as the traveller in the eastern deserts is to the unknown hand that digs a well for him. "Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel" 96 seems to be my character, instead of that regular progress from strength to strength that marks even in this world of mistakes the people that shall in the heavenly Zion stand before God. I shall not only suffer, but be delighted to receive the word of exhortation, 97 and I beg you not to withhold it.
I will not say I hope, for I feel confident that whatever may be the aspect of outward circumstances towards you, your trial is accurately "squared to your proportioned strength." If I did not know how little you need human help I should regret that my ignorance and want of deep feeling in spiritual things prevent me from suggesting profitable or refreshing thoughts, but I dare say I took care to tell you that my desire for correspondence with you was quite one of self-interest. I have written hastily and have made less use of my paper than I could wish to have done, but I hope, shabby as my letter is, it will suffice to draw from you an account of you and all yours.
I am thankful to tell you that my dear friends here are all well. Little Edward 98 grows more and more interesting, and is acquiring his teeth with less suffering and peevishness than is usual with infants. I have a faint hope that the pleasure and profit I have felt in your society may be repeated in the summer; there is no place I would rather visit than Wirksworth, or the inhabitants of which have a stronger hold on my affections. I should desire you to give a special message of love to my Uncle, only that I intend all I have said to you equally for him. The Lord will bless you and keep you my dear Aunt. Remember to pray for your affectionate niece
Mary Ann Evans.
MS: Yale. Address: Mrs. Samuel Evans Senr | Tape Manufactory | Wirksworth | near Matlock | Derbyshire. Postmark: Illegible. Extracts published: Cross, I, 45-47.
Griff February 6th 1839.
My dear Aunt,
I am so unwilling to believe that you can forget a promise, or to entertain fears respecting your health that I persuade myself I must have mistaken the terms of the agreement between us, and that I ought to have sent you a letter before I considered myself entitled to one from Wirksworth. However this may be, I feel so anxious to hear of your well-being in every way that I can no longer rest satisfied without using my only means of obtaining tidings of you. My dear Father is not at home to-night or I should probably have a message of remembrance to give you from him in addition to the good news that he is as well as he has been for the last two years, and even I think better, except that he feels more fatigue after exertion of mind or body than formerly. How are you, my dear Aunt? I venture to say, though they are rather authoritative words, that you must write and tell me, if no more, how you and Uncle do. I should like also to know how my Cousins are situated, and whether any changes have occurred amongst them since I parted from you. If you are able to fill a sheet I am sure both Uncle and you would in doing so be complying with the precept, "Lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble knees." 94 I need not tell you that this is a dry and thirsty land, 95 and I shall be as grateful to you for a draught from your fresh springs, as the traveller in the eastern deserts is to the unknown hand that digs a well for him. "Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel" 96 seems to be my character, instead of that regular progress from strength to strength that marks even in this world of mistakes the people that shall in the heavenly Zion stand before God. I shall not only suffer, but be delighted to receive the word of exhortation, 97 and I beg you not to withhold it.
I will not say I hope, for I feel confident that whatever may be the aspect of outward circumstances towards you, your trial is accurately "squared to your proportioned strength." If I did not know how little you need human help I should regret that my ignorance and want of deep feeling in spiritual things prevent me from suggesting profitable or refreshing thoughts, but I dare say I took care to tell you that my desire for correspondence with you was quite one of self-interest. I have written hastily and have made less use of my paper than I could wish to have done, but I hope, shabby as my letter is, it will suffice to draw from you an account of you and all yours.
I am thankful to tell you that my dear friends here are all well. Little Edward 98 grows more and more interesting, and is acquiring his teeth with less suffering and peevishness than is usual with infants. I have a faint hope that the pleasure and profit I have felt in your society may be repeated in the summer; there is no place I would rather visit than Wirksworth, or the inhabitants of which have a stronger hold on my affections. I should desire you to give a special message of love to my Uncle, only that I intend all I have said to you equally for him. The Lord will bless you and keep you my dear Aunt. Remember to pray for your affectionate niece
Mary Ann Evans.
Signature
Mary Ann Evans.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Mrs. Samuel Evans, 93 Griff, 6 February 1839, 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/93692