GEORGE ELIOT.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2553, 27 May 1881, Page 2

GEORGE ELIOT.

A correspondent of “The Queen ’’ writes as follows concerning George Eliot:—“ She and I were schoolfellows at Mrs Wellington's boardingsehool, Nuneaton, at that time a, very wellknown establishment. There were about 40 pupils, and Marianne Evans joined us at the age of 13. Although two or three years the younger, I can recall many little incidents with regard to her. She was of moderate height, neither stout nor thin, with fair hair and complexion. She was decidedly not a pretty girl, but she certainly could boast of a beautiful set of white, even teeth. I am very fond of music, and soon after her arrival I was attracted towards the drawing-room where she was practising the air of Bishop’s ‘ Bid me discourse,’ which I then heard for the first time, and which, child as I was, I know was being played with the greatest taste and feeling. But what called forth my childish admiration and wonder the most was the amazing rapidity with which she mastered all her lessons, the contents of pages being made her own by simply reading them once or twice over. She was ever at the head of her class, and certainly loved learning for learning’s sake ; so devoted, indeed, was she to it that, to the astonishment and perhaps disgust of her schoolfellows, she always cried when the holida\ r s came. She learned, besides English and music, dancing and French, and was considered a good French scholar. She was of quiet studious habits, and though generally preferring book to pla}', was nevertheless a favorite among us.”