GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Richmond, 25 February [1856]
Title
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Richmond, 25 February [1856]
Title
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Richmond, 25 February [1856]
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Sara Sophia Hennell
Date(s)
- 1856-02-25
Place
Richmond
Letter Content
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Richmond, 25 February [1856]
MS: Yale. Endorsed: 1856. Extract published: Cross, I, 391-392.
Richmond | February 25.
Dear Sara
You are indeed a valuable coadjutor. I have sent your sheets 676 to Miss Barbara Smith and asked her to write to you.
What you tell me of Harriet Martineau interests me very much. I feel for her terrible bodily suffering, and think of her with deep respect and admiration. Whatever may have been her mistakes and weaknesses, the great and good things she has done far outweigh them, and I should be grieved if anything in her memoir 677 should cast a momentary shadow over the agreeable image of her that the world will ultimately keep in its memory. I wish less of our piety were spent on imaginary perfect goodness, and more given to real imperfect goodness.
You seem to be under a little misapprehension about the Leader. There has been no change in Mr. Lewes's relation to it since we came from Germany. He has never, since then, had anything to do with the editorship and the majority of the literary articles have always been written by other hands. 678 I merely mentioned the matter because we wish it to be generally known. Responsibility for other people's writing is an undesirable dignity or indignity. For example, Mr. Robert Chambers wrote to complain of an allusion to him and his brother in the article on Miss Murray's book 679 -- an article which we both disliked extremely. However, R. Chambers had perceived that Mr. Lewes was not the writer.
An uninteresting explanation this, but accuracy is a good thing. Mr. Lewes does not remember Mr. Coleman. In haste
Ever yours
Marian.
MS: Yale. Endorsed: 1856. Extract published: Cross, I, 391-392.
Richmond | February 25.
Dear Sara
You are indeed a valuable coadjutor. I have sent your sheets 676 to Miss Barbara Smith and asked her to write to you.
What you tell me of Harriet Martineau interests me very much. I feel for her terrible bodily suffering, and think of her with deep respect and admiration. Whatever may have been her mistakes and weaknesses, the great and good things she has done far outweigh them, and I should be grieved if anything in her memoir 677 should cast a momentary shadow over the agreeable image of her that the world will ultimately keep in its memory. I wish less of our piety were spent on imaginary perfect goodness, and more given to real imperfect goodness.
You seem to be under a little misapprehension about the Leader. There has been no change in Mr. Lewes's relation to it since we came from Germany. He has never, since then, had anything to do with the editorship and the majority of the literary articles have always been written by other hands. 678 I merely mentioned the matter because we wish it to be generally known. Responsibility for other people's writing is an undesirable dignity or indignity. For example, Mr. Robert Chambers wrote to complain of an allusion to him and his brother in the article on Miss Murray's book 679 -- an article which we both disliked extremely. However, R. Chambers had perceived that Mr. Lewes was not the writer.
An uninteresting explanation this, but accuracy is a good thing. Mr. Lewes does not remember Mr. Coleman. In haste
Ever yours
Marian.
Signature
Marian.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Richmond, 25 February [1856], 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/94100