The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-05-09
WHY IRVING WAS NEVER MARRIED

The New York correspondent of the Bos-
ton Post writes as follows:
"Much mystery has attached to the celiba-
cy of Washington Irving. While upon eve
ry other point Of peculiarly of the great wri-
ter's character and career his familiar friends
have taken pains to inform the wide circle OF
his admirers, an aggravating reticence has
always met the questionings Of those who
were curious as to why matrimony made no
part of his experience. There were OCCASION
al and very vague references to 'lang syne'
iove-so dimly distant in the past as to have
the air OF tradition and the manner OF men,
tioning which made Irving appear the model
of constancy, if not the hero Of a romance
But the circumstance of his bachelorhood re-
manned a simple uneXp pldin,d fact; the theme
OF many wonderinSs, the warp and woof of
much lmaglning-nay, more, the substructure
OF thousand sweet sympathles outgushlng
from other hearts whose loves had not been
lost but gone before. 1t is doubtful if IA Sc
cret of this sort-all things considcred-was
ever before so carefully and completely kept.
For once the impertinent were held at bay,
the prying Were baked, and the sympathetic,
even, discouraged. The time set for its dis
closure had not come, and, surely, when his
intimates and relatives were debarred from
the remotest reference to the subject in the
ha!lowed home circle Of the literary bachelor,
it was but proper that the truth should burst
forth upon the world, if at all, in Iryings own
selected time.
1t was while engaged in writing his 'lIisto-
ry of New York. that Irving, then young
man OF twenty-six, was called to mourn the
sudden death of Matilda Hoffman, whom
he had hoped to call his wife. This young
lady was the second daughter of Josiah Os-
der Hoffman, and the sister of those two tai
ented men. Charles Fenno Hoffman, the poet
and Ogden Hoffman, the eloquent jurist. In
her fathers office, Washington Irving had es-
sayed to study law, and with every prospect
if industrious and studious, of partnership
with MIR Hoffman, as we'll as a matrimonial
alliance with Matilda. These high hopes
were disappointed by the decease of the young
lady on the 2Gth of April, 1909, in the 18th
year of her age.
There is pathos about Irvns's recital Of
the circumstances of her death, and of hi:
own feelings, that is truly painful and tear
impelling. He says:
She was taken i'll with cold. Nothing
was thought of it at first; but she grew rap
idly worse and fell into consumption.
cannot tell you what suffered.
| saw her fade rapidly away-beautiful, an,
more beautiful and more angelic to the YER
last. was often by her bedside, and in he
wandering state of mind she would talk T.
me with a sweet, natural and affecting elo
quence that was overpowering. saw NOR
Of the beauty of her mind in that deliriou
J state than had ever known before lie
malady was rapid in its career, and hurrie
!, her off in two months. Her dying struggle
r were painful and protracted. For three day
r and nights did not leave the house, an
1 scarcely slept. was by her when she died
t all the family were assembled round he
n some praying, others weeping, for she was
S dored by them all. was the last one 81
t looked upon. cannot tell yo
t what horrid state of mind was in for
S long time. seemed to care for nothing
s the world was blank to me- | abandone
It all thoughts of the law. went into IL
g country, but could not bear solitude, y
|. could not enjoy society. There was dism
k horror continually in my mind, that made n
s fear to be alone. had often to get up
a. the night and seek the bedroom of my brot
y er, as if the having human being by n
would relieve me from the frightful gloom
is my own thoughts. Months elapsed befo
8. my mind would resume ANY tone; but t
in dependency had suffered for a long tir
u in the course of this attachment, and the a
s. guish that attended its catastrophe, seem
IS to give turn to my whole character, al
a. throw some clouds into my disposition whi