spring of 1837 (she lost her husband in 1852, and died 15 March 1859). Mary Ann took charge of her father's household, became an accomplished manager, and spent much time in organising clothing clubs and other charitable works. She learnt Italian and German from a teacher who came over from Coventry, and read Greek and Latin with the headmaster of the Coventry grammar school. Her correspondence with Miss Lewis shows her strong religious feeling at this time. She even doubts whether it can be right to use music except in ‘strict worship.’ Her aunt Elizabeth, a methodist preacher, and wife of Samuel, younger brother of Robert Evans, visited Griff in 1839 or 1840, and told a story to Mary Ann which became the germ of ‘Adam Bede.’ Mrs. Samuel Evans suggested to some undefined extent the Dinah Morris of that story. Mrs. Evans died in 1849, and on a tablet to her memory in the methodist chapel at Wirksworth it is said that she was ‘known to the world as “Dinah Bede”’ (for an account of her see ‘George Eliot in Derbyshire,’ by Guy Roslyn, 1876).
Miss Evans had already tried verse. A religious poem, her first published writing, signed M. A. E., appeared in the ‘Christian Observer’ for January 1840. She was reading in many directions, and absorbing all knowledge which came in her way. Her brother Isaac now married, and took over the establishment at Griff; and in March 1841 Robert Evans and his daughter moved to a house in Foleshill Road, Coventry. About the end of that year she formed an intimacy with the Brays. Charles Bray [q. v.] was at this time a prosperous ribbon manufacturer, living at Rosehill, Coventry. His wife, Caroline, was the sister of Charles Hennell, who had published in 1838 an ‘Inquiry concerning the Origin of Christianity,’ which was translated into German, with a preface by Strauss. Bray was himself writing books of freethinking tendency. Miss Sarah Hennell visited her sister, Mrs. Bray, at Rosehill in 1842. An intimate and lasting friendship sprang up between Miss Evans, ‘Sara’ (Miss Hennell), ‘Cara’ (Mrs. Bray), and Charles Bray. The friendship had an important influence in modifying Miss Evans's religious beliefs. Mr. and Mrs. Sibree of Coventry, who became known to her through Miss Franklin, the schoolmistress, were interested by her state of mind, and tried to remove her doubts by argument, and by placing her in communication with various orthodox persons, Mr. Sibree himself being a nonconformist minister. Miss Evans gave some German lessons to their daughter, now Mrs. John Cash of Coventry, whose recollections of the period are of much interest (see cabinet edition of George Eliot's Life, i. 125, and Appendix). Various circumstances are mentioned as occasioning this change of creed. Doubts had been suggested by a reading of Isaac Taylor's ‘Ancient Christianity.’ She had been shocked by the union of a low moral tone with strong religious feelings among the poor methodists whom she visited. Scott's novels had suggested to her the possibility of good lives being led by persons outside of her own sects. Hints came from every quarter to a mind preoccupied with a great question. Miss Evans's increasing culture was making her unwilling to believe in the exclusive claims of any sect. The connection with the Brays introduced her to wider spheres of thought, and hastened the result. For a time the antagonism produced some bitterness; though in later years no quality was more striking than her sympathetic regard for the religious sentiments of all genuine believers, and especially for the churches of her childhood. The reading of Hennell's book led to an overt breach in the spring of 1842. She determined not to go to church. Her father, greatly offended, prepared to settle with his married daughter, and Miss Evans thought of establishing herself as a teacher at Leamington. She stayed for three weeks with her brother at Griff, but after the intervention of various friends returned to her father and agreed to go to church, when they settled down as before. She soon came to think that she had been over-rigid in her desire to avoid insincerity.
The intimacy with the Brays continued, and Miss Evans took some little tours with them. On one of these they were accompanied by Miss Brabant, daughter of Dr. Brabant of Devizes, who had undertaken a translation of Strauss's ‘Life of Jesus’ at the suggestion of Joseph Parkes of Birmingham and the Hennells. Miss Brabant married Charles Hennell on 1 Nov. 1843, and in the beginning of 1844 handed over the translation to Miss Evans. She laboured under many discouragements. A money difficulty was surmounted in 1845 by a subscription of 300l., promoted by Charles Hennell and Joseph Parkes. The task was very laborious. She was not strong, and her father's health was beginning to fail. The book was finished, however, with conscientious thoroughness, and appeared on 15 June 1846. During the following years she was much occupied by attendance upon her father, who died on 31 May 1849. She inherited a small income for life.
She sought change of scene by joining the Brays in a visit to the continent, and on their return in July settled for some months at
