New-York daily tribune., 1862-05-02

s,cmp,s 10 opply mysef to the law out Is
a slow and tedious Undertaking iol 40 ,nr, for
yet into practice; and had uniushl ~ Ia s,nd;ed
business The gentleman with whom nsa oioa,s
sar' ,bs s,a,e of my mind. He had an ahecIIopa'e
regard for me-a IaterDal one, may Fay: ;,"S o
net,ar ~ ;nion OF my lsgal capacity than tmeiieJ
He urQed me 10 return to my studies, 70 appy ;hot
TO become well acquainted " th inc Jaw nne
in case could make mySe!i capao'' nar,ne,sblp
lrpal concerns, lie would take me Into Pa!.no,e"i9
with linn. and give me his daughter. Nothing cou,u
he ,no,a geuerous set to work win zeai 10 e'uu!
anew, aud considered myeen bouhg III hono' I'll
make further advances with the daugnie,, n'i'n i,y
shouId fe,l satisfied with my proficiency III tue ~"
II wns olI in vain had an iDsulerable repngnauee
to the study; my mind would not take hou OF VI,
rather by long spoud dency had become Tor the tne
incapable Of any Application was III M Mietaea ,Sa
state Of doubt and selfdisirust tried 10 ni iS ia
work which WIS secretly writing, hoping it would
give me re qulation and gain ne some puohc employ
msnt IN the meantime | saw Matilda every u"yt
aud that helped 10 Distract me-
In the midst Of tits struggle and anxiety she was
taken Ill with cold. Nohipg was ,pougn. , =, ~ oon.
inst but she grew rapidly worse and fell INTO con-
sumption. cannot tell you what suffered. Iue
ills that have Undergone In this lie, nave pcem zen
dealt ont to NO drop by drop, and have tasted al
q cir bitteruess. saw her fade rapidly away ptao
tful aud more beautiful, and more ange!ical 70 the
very Inst. 1 was often by ber bedslde; and IN her
wandering state of mind she would talk 10 me WIN
a sweet natural, and affecting eloquence, thst was
] L
n, nd in that d-lirous state, thsn Lad ever tnown
before Her m,lady WIS rapid IN ite career, hhd
hurried her of in two months. Her dying srntSco
were painful AID protraced. For three Gays auu
nights did not leave the house, ana schieey seP''
Was by her when she died; all Tue family were as
-embled round her, some PRAYING, oibero weeping
fol rhe wLs sdoed By them all. was We last 'hs
d 6 looked upon. / have told you as brief, NJ
cond whit il were to tell with all The in'id
nd feelings that accompanied IT, would bil volumes
= lf.f. ffseu
cnrnot tell you what a horiid state OF mind !
was in for II long tine. l feemed 10 care lor no'h,
Ing; the world WAS blank TO me. l abandoned hi
thoughts OF the law. | went into the country, bu'
coud not hear solitude yet could not ENJOY soci'y
here was "a dsnal horror continuity IN my mind,
hHt nAae nae lear TO be alone. had often 20 ge' W
IA the ig g. and seek the bedroom Of my bIotner, IA
il lie ia,i' Z huran being b. ne would relieve me
from tie irigitiul gloom Of Iny own thoughts.
Monihs elsIted Ore my nilnd would resume any
tone; bu, the o.spoudency l had suffered for lon &
timc the OF tbis eita hment, aud the anguish
that atlendt H. catastrophe, seemed 10 give nrh
90 ny whole character, and throw some CLOUDS llto
NV dirp elton which have ever since huig hton, ~
VI lcD becaue mora calm and collected. hiphcu
uys-if by way of occupation, to the finishing OF ny
wDrL. bfOI-ht il tOH cote, ae well ~ conij' ana
IuLh ted II; tnt the time md rcuWsi nee. la Woh
n WIS produced rendered me nl""ys unable 20 i",h
upon u with 5ulisiGclOn. Sl II TOOK WIN TIE puo-
lic ard gave rne celebrity, as an original work wns
solno thing rrmaf ape aud uncommon IN America
! wa no iced ci.fcss,d aud for tine e ,at,d Dy
the popularity had gained. ionIs nystu uhc2"'-
iorta e in my feelings ~ New-lorA, ana traVelel
niout a Iiitie Wheieyer went was 0y rwhelmed
wi,h at euli0ns was iuii Of youth and animation,
ar different fom the being l now ani, ana WAS
quite flushed with Ibis eGiy tesie OF puthc FAVOR
Sull, However, tie career Of gbety aud notoilc,!
soOn p,lled uIon ne. seemed 10 dfiit about srh-
out AHA Object ht The mercy o every breeze ny
lear wanted anchongr. wa naturally fnseepii-
lle aud trisd 10 ioun other attachments, Dut ny
heart would not Hoi on; II would coiuhuhlly recur
TO Whit n bad Or. ana Whenever q erc wac pause
In the hurry OF novelty anu ,Itment, l WOMB sinh
TO oi.nuf de- lrc'i,u. For years could bot t.lS on
te subject oi this hopeless rcgret; could nvt even
mention hOr name, but Ter luhge wAs cOhllaudHf
before me, and dreant of her incesssnily.
Tie iwO mouths succe eoirg the death oi hatilda,
were sreu m the retirement of the country, at the
hon,e Of bic hiend, judge William L. Van Ness, ai
kuderbook, now The residence OF IA President 'ah
BuHn.
II ia nm affecting eviienca how little Mr. Irving
was ever ~ ored 20 cultivate encourage s;dness,
or euler his - melancholy 10 ct ou broyd toat he
shopd be engaged during this period Of sorrow ana
scclusion in rcyhug aud giving additional touches
TO hi- History Of NeW-lork. or nerN"usiy fen.l-
tive nature ho felt the necessity OF combating grief
b apr,inq himself to his literary occupaii0n as tie
only one that could r,auy interest aud abserb Dis
mind. To Mr. Hoffman he wres, day l9:
Ism 40 well pleased with the balf-nons-iic life
thai Lead that l eannot endure The thoughts 9i
yINiIx Guu returning tome Dy
exorc-iug my mind never suffering 1t to Prey apon
liis,lf nd refolutey determining TO he cheerful 1
have IL "A manner worked myself INTO very en-
yinble state Of serenity and sofposses-io1 winch is
,lonol.d by the tranquility Of eyeTtl thing around
ne So time goes. IL Tot In giety, at
I.ast in useful and agreeable occupation. We are
ant o. retain an impression, in respect 10 place,
ifom 10 state OF our feelings Oh list quitting IT. ana
! sben | cil New-YoTh, l emerged from such scene
Of looin h.art-arhng distr,es, that on returning
20 il should feel like prisoner returning to his
dungeon.
'ht il LOST admire the inscriptions you wrote
she r-t ike the beet IL Is very descriptive OF sla-
tih,ar character: but Won will be disal pointed TO
hear that noihi,g OF Ina, kind can be done; her
mains are deporiled Ia tie iauily vault"
! When tue ime came Tor lis return be shrunk from
the thoughts Of mire ling again with the world lie
writes to MIR. Hon nan:
must leave tuis, ana return once more 10 the
city; but il will be necessity, mol Inclination, that
viii lead me. l feel contentod here, 30 quiet
Lille seems 10 flow ~ smoothly IN the conntry with,
out even ipl e 10 disturb the curieht, that could
almost float With the stream, and glde inseDsbly
through existence.
| AltDoueh the yoignancy Of biz grief had worn
awny when he returned 10 the city, his cOuutcnaDce
long fe ed the trace Of melanchOl ~ feelings.
logtfIt by Jarvis, taken some months aiteIward,
and conceded without dissent at that time, to be IA
fithfnl and admirable likeness If remn kable for its
/ eKpre sion of peus,ye refinement. AZ has been al
n adv observed, Mr. Irving never alluded TO this
event of is lie nor did any OF lis relatives ever
venture ia iis presence, TO introduce The name OF
Matilda | have ard Of but oBe instance ln wllch
i was ever obtruded upon him, and that Was by her
/ 'ather, Nr Holman, nearly thirty years after her
/ DEATH aud ~ bis own house. graz ddsuglter had
Lr,u REQUESTED 10 play for lin some iavo1o piece
ON tie piano, and in eXtracting her music from the
drawer, had accidentally brought forth a piece OF
- - a. aRat NJ t..it