There are natures in which, if they love us, we are conscious of having a sort of baptism and consecration. George Eliot More Quotes by George Eliot More Quotes From George Eliot Dear Friends all, A thousand Christmas pleasures and blessings to you -- good resolutions and bright hopes for the New Year! Amen. People who can't be witty exert themselves to be pious or affectionate. George Eliot new-year blessing witty ... one's own faults are always a heavy chain to drag through life and one can't help groaning under the weight now and then. George Eliot faults weight helping If I could only fancy myself clever, it would be better, but to be a failure of Nature and to know it is not a comfortable lot. It is the last lesson one learns, to be contented with one's inferiority -- but it must be learned. George Eliot fancy lessons clever The worst service, I fancy, that anyone can do for truth, is to set silly people writing on its behalf. George Eliot silly writing people Yes, Isaac Taylor, who has just published 'The World of Mind,' is the Isaac Taylor, author of the 'Natural History of Enthusiasm.' I dare say by this time there is a want of fatty particles in his brain. George Eliot mind want brain ... the business of life shuts us up within the environs of London and within sight of human advancement, which I should be so very glad to believe in without seeing. George Eliot london sight believe People who write finely must not expect to be left in repose; they will be molested with thanks, at least. George Eliot thanks writing people What moments of despair that life would ever be made precious to me by the consciousness that I lived to some good purpose! It was that sort of despair that sucked away the sap of half the hours which might have been filled by energetic youthful activity: and the same demon tries to get hold of me again whenever an old work is dismissed and a new one is being meditated. George Eliot sap despair trying Some people are born to make life pretty, and others to grumble that it is not pretty enough. George Eliot born enough people I have nothing to tell except travellers' stories, which are always tiresome, like the description of a play which was very exciting to those who saw it. George Eliot saws stories play ... learning to love any one is like an increase of property, -- it increases care, and brings many new fears lest precious things should come to harm. George Eliot precious-things increase care What is better than to love and live with the loved? -- But that must sometimes bring us to live with the dead; and this too turns at last into a very tranquil and sweet tie, safe from change and injury. George Eliot lasts ties sweet If people will be censors, let them weigh their words. I mean that the words were unfair by that disproportionateness of the condemnation, which everybody with some conscience must feel to be one of the great difficulties in denouncing a particular person. Every unpleasant dog is only one of many, but we kick him because he comes in our way, and there is always some want of distributive justice in the kicking. George Eliot dog justice mean ... it is one of the gains of advancing age that the good of young creatures becomes a more definite intense joy to us. With that renunciation for ourselves which age inevitably brings, we get more freedom of soul to enter into the life of others; what we can never learn they will know, and the gladness which is a departed sunlight to us is rising with the strength of morning to them. George Eliot soul joy morning ... as usual I am suffering much from doubt as to the worth of what I am doing and fear lest I may not be able to complete it so as to make it a contribution to literature and not a mere addition to the heap of books. George Eliot suffering doubt book Letter-writing I imagine is counted as 'work' from which you must abstain, and I scribble this letter simply from the self-satisfied notion that you will like to hear from me. You see, I have asked no questions, which are the torture-screws of correspondence. Hence you have nothing to answer. George Eliot self answers writing The perpetual mourner -- the grief that can never be healed -- is innocently enough felt to be wearisome by the rest of the world. And my sense of desolation increases. Each day seems a new beginning -- a new acquaintance with grief. George Eliot new-beginnings grief each-day I am feeling easy now, and you will well understand that after undergoing pain this ease is opening paradise. Invalids must be excused for being eloquent about themselves. George Eliot paradise pain feelings ... the fallibility of human brains is in nothing more obvious than in proof reading. George Eliot proof reading brain ... happy husbands and wives can hear each other say the same thing over and over again without being tired. George Eliot tired wife husband
