GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, 7 December [1865]
Title
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, 7 December [1865]
Title
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, 7 December [1865]
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Sara Sophia Hennell
Date(s)
- 1865-12-07
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, 7 December [1865]
MS: Yale. Extract published: Cross, II, 414.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
December 7.
Dear Sara
Thanks for your delightful picture of Harriet 386 with her cats and her cups and plates. George and I enjoyed it.
I don't see the Spectator, but Mr. Congreve, who does, told me of the notice, 387 which struck him as complimentary. The Spectator, though it has not a great circulation, holds so good a rank among the weekly papers that a respectful notice there is worth a great deal of slipslop from the Mr. Bludgers 388 of the "Dailies." Not that any notice is good for anything except as an advertisement. And for that purpose abuse often does better than praise.
It is worth your while to send for the last Fortnightly to read an article of Professor Tyndal's "on the Constitution of the Universe." 389 It is a splendid piece of writing on the higher Physics, which I know will interest you.
A propos of the feminine intellect, I had a bit of experience with a "superior woman" the other day which reminds me of Sydney Smith's story about his sermon on the Being of a God. He says, that after he had delivered his painstaking argument, an old parishioner said to him, "I don't agree wi' you, Mr. Smith; I think there be a God." The result of my conversation with my superior woman was a letter two days after which showed the same sort of satisfactory comprehension. Our talk had been about the Future Life and the necessarily higher character of motives that were not personal.
We are going to hear the Israel in Egypt tomorrow. 390 Best love to Cara, and keen sympathy with Mr. Bray under his pain. For shame of you to have any worries with your beautiful teeth! I have no time to write much, but am always
Your loving
P.
MS: Yale. Extract published: Cross, II, 414.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
December 7.
Dear Sara
Thanks for your delightful picture of Harriet 386 with her cats and her cups and plates. George and I enjoyed it.
I don't see the Spectator, but Mr. Congreve, who does, told me of the notice, 387 which struck him as complimentary. The Spectator, though it has not a great circulation, holds so good a rank among the weekly papers that a respectful notice there is worth a great deal of slipslop from the Mr. Bludgers 388 of the "Dailies." Not that any notice is good for anything except as an advertisement. And for that purpose abuse often does better than praise.
It is worth your while to send for the last Fortnightly to read an article of Professor Tyndal's "on the Constitution of the Universe." 389 It is a splendid piece of writing on the higher Physics, which I know will interest you.
A propos of the feminine intellect, I had a bit of experience with a "superior woman" the other day which reminds me of Sydney Smith's story about his sermon on the Being of a God. He says, that after he had delivered his painstaking argument, an old parishioner said to him, "I don't agree wi' you, Mr. Smith; I think there be a God." The result of my conversation with my superior woman was a letter two days after which showed the same sort of satisfactory comprehension. Our talk had been about the Future Life and the necessarily higher character of motives that were not personal.
We are going to hear the Israel in Egypt tomorrow. 390 Best love to Cara, and keen sympathy with Mr. Bray under his pain. For shame of you to have any worries with your beautiful teeth! I have no time to write much, but am always
Your loving
P.
Signature
P.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, 7 December [1865], 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/94057