Volume 2

Letters of George Meredith / collected and edited by his son.

  • George Meredith
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Letters of George Meredith / collected and edited by his son. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and in better condition, after a horrible voyage out. I think he goes on to New Zealand.—Ever affectionately your friend, George Meredith. To Edmund Gosse. Box Hill, Doeking, Nov. 17, 1889. Dear Mr. Gosse,—I decline many invitations to come up to the footlights. I dislike the station. It is good to leave it to the younger champions. I am besides hopeless of our public. The English have hardened me outside, and there has been a consequent process within. I do my work to the best of my ability, expecting the small result for the same, which I get. Since I began to publish, I have seen no varying in our public. My first novel dealt with your question. It was, I heard, denounced over the country by clergymen, at book-clubs, and it fell dead. They have since had their drenching of the abominable—as all do, who stand against the plea for the painting of what is natural to us. It may be shown recurring through literary history. There seems to me good hope of the Americans. But I have no time to address them out of my books.'—Over- look my non-compliance and believe me, very truly yours, George ]\Ieredith. To Frederick Greenwood. Box Hill, Doeking, Jan. 1, 1890. Dearest Greenwood,—My heart to you! warm wishes that you may always have scope for your powers. As to me, there seems a chance in America, where perhaps I may come to my end—not among our good English, to whom I am odious and nauseous (I quote them). Yesterday I was at Browning’s funeral. I thought in