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The serenity of power; the naturalness that is nature's poise and mark of genuineness; the unsleeping interest in all affairs, all fancies, all things believed or done; the catholic understanding, tolerance, enjoyment, of all classes and conditions of men; the conceiving imagination, the planning purpose, the creating thought, the wholesome, laughing humor, the quiet insight, the universal coinage of the brain are not these the marvelous gifts and qualities we mark in Shakespeare when we call him the greatest among men?
She watched Paul growing irritable, priggish, and melancholic. For this she put the blame on Miriam. Annie and all her friends joined against the girl. Miriam had no friend of her own, only Paul. But she did not suffer so much, because she despised the triviality of these other people. And Paul hated her because, somehow, she spoilt his ease and naturalness.
He told us bits of it sometimes in measured, ironic tones. He spoke Catalonian, the Italian of Corsica and the French of Provence with the same easy naturalness. Dressed in shore-togs, a white starched shirt, black jacket, and round hat, as I took him once to see Dona Rita, he was extremely presentable.
"He is like his mother, little father; their natures are the same," replied Helga. "But he is a man, and men are never so good as women." John Hardy laughed, and, as the conversation was in Danish, told his mother what Helga had said. "It is her simple naturalness that makes her say that, John," said Mrs. Hardy.
Yes, she is as beautiful as the Venus of Milo; she even surpasses the latter in many respects: she is, for instance, very much younger. The latter is dull and faded, without sonority, but soft and agreeable. The naturalness of her speaking lends it some charm. Of vocal talent she exhibits not a trace!
His naturalness is, in fact, a rather striking characteristic, in view of his lack of culture, while yet his life has been concerned with idealities and a beautiful art. What degree of taste he pretends to, he seems really to possess, nor did I hear a single idea from him that struck me as otherwise than sensible.
"You mustn't doom yourself you mustn't waste your life," he protested. "Why not, if I choose? What is it to you?" He waited a moment; then answered, simply, "I love you." The naturalness of his announcement, as the only and complete reply to her question, forbade resentment. Yet her face turned scarlet, and when she spoke, after a few moments, it was with a cold finality.
And, if further need be to show the absurdity of having called her performance 'a triumph of naturalness over the jaded spirit of modernity, let us reflect that the little mimic was not a real old-fashioned girl after all. She had none of that restless naturalness that would seem to have characterised the girl of the early Victorian days. She had no pretty ways no smiles nor blushes nor tremors.
It is because George Eliot's people are compounded with beautiful naturalness of good and bad not hopelessly bad with Hetty, nor hopelessly good with Adam that we understand them and love them. Here is an element of her effectiveness. Even her Dinah walks with her feet firmly planted upon the earth, though her mystic vision may be skyward. With "Adam Bede" she came into her own.
Some of you, it may be, do not as yet see this clearly, and when you can evade a task or dodge a difficult demand upon you, count it as so much gained. But in your heart of hearts you know better, and are dimly conscious that you are losing and not gaining by your neglect." The earnestness, the sincerity, and naturalness of the speaker acted upon Will Phelps with the effect of an electric shock.
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