Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-06-17
A VISIT TO THOMAS CARLYLE

paper the 1OllOWlnS Interesting aOOVuHI "
a visit to THOMAS CARLYLE
In modest old mansion, apart from the
great whirl of fashion, resides the man TO
whose wonderful genius, more than to thar
of anv other is to be attributed the Intel
lectual and spiritual activity of the current
oanerstiop. The very house he inhabiis
Is significant to him. He points to the
bricks and mortar, piled up IN the time OF
Queen Anne, and breaks out IN a strain
like this: Look at these bricks, slr,-not
one of them is g lie. Let brick be once
honestly burned and the cement good, aud
vour wall will stand till the trump OF
doom blows it down. These bricks are
as sharp as the day they were put up, and
the mortar is now limestone. The houses
al, around us crumble, the bricks In them
were made to crumbls after sixty years
that being the extent of most OF the leases.
They are of piece with the general rot
tenness and talsehood OF the time"
a strange thrill passed over me when
first stood face 10 face with these graud
features, so heavily marked with Time and
Fate. He met me, pipe IN mouth, and
very cordially. For a few moments | was
lett with Mrs. Carlyle, and had reason to
remember what Margaret Fuller had writ
ten OF her large earnest eyes years ago.
She is indeed help meet for Carlyle
Cheerful, kindly, witty and frank, she con-
versed most pleasantly of the habits and
labors of MIR. q. She thought the Life OF
Frederick terrible piece OF work, and
ardently wished that Frederick had died
when a baby. Her wisdom, which saw
all this unwrapping OF the mouldy forms,
even of Kings, to be all tor Hecuba, +"
pleased me much. During all tie heated
and noisy argument OF the evening she
Did not suffer the sun of her genial nature
TO go down on our wrath; tor z Oistln-
gulshed American, our Minister at the
Hague, was present at the table, who was
even more determined 10 defend that
ballot boxing" theory, which has the
same effect npon Carlyle that red flag
does upon fierce bull.
But | must not go too fast. Whilst he
engaged Mr.. i. in conversation, had a
good opportunity tor studying the charac-
teristics of this remarkable man. Tall
and almost slender. contrary to my expec-
tations, with longish head, bent tor
ward from somewhat stopping shoulders,
with magnificent brow Overlapping d
blue eye that suggests a tenderness which
nowhere else appears IN his nannes or
Uub "iiICl ODt can lUhgiu6
were in the ascendant when the Lie OF
Sterling was writer; with short beard
and moustache giving al impression OF
granite on the lower face; with a light
and rudy color which overspread the
face with deep fushes during converse
ton; with voice which began aud gen
tly rose 10 a moment TO a tornado; with a
habit of bursting out into loud and al.
pnnVpiSlrp ttpr Inch 81 aTH
ed in q 1T OF coughing; with nervous
movements of fingers and shoulders, hint
ing strongly OF ove1stndy; with d terrible
undertone TO all these-most OF all to the
laughter-of pain and grief; Carlyle
seemed to me the most fearful and tasc-
mating of all the men | have ever seen,
and whilst in his presence, | remembered
the weird impressions of mingled beauty
and awe which | had when iUurneying
through the Mammoth Gave.
He seemed deeply interested to know
all | could tell him about Mr.. Emerson,
and brought out photograph he had re-
Gently obtained from some one here, de-
string to know if he looked Just like that
now. | was glad to be able to show him
what | consider much better photograph
All that he said about Mr.. E., indicated
the strongest personal attachment and
he seemed TO think of him as a King pre-
olseiy because 1t was true OF him a. Paul
Louis Courier said of himself-"rhe dit
terence between me and all my contem-
poraries is that l am not aspiring TO be
King" sentence he quoted as applicable
10 Emerson in his early edition OF our
first sathor's Essays.
lt Is impossible with this great frank
outspoken man, not TO enter at once upoD
the great social problems of the hour:
though he selzes upon them and goes on
from hour To hour in wonderful mon
ologue,-with as foil and high pres
sure going with as against the current of
the sentiment around him. 1t certainly
was formidable TO come face 10 face with
apowertul Pessimist; aud whilst ne spoke
i Ielt dresry skepticism chilling me. and
seemed TO hear cries OF despair coming
out OF the heart of nature. All was going
wrong, our ballot bookings, our negro
emanc1pations, our cries for liberty, all
showed nothing but that the nations were,
given over 10 believe a lie and ne
damned. Possibly, indeed, the only way
to Paradise lay thus through hell; bat
what the people Were seeking thus they
would never obtain. Society was all
wrong, and would go on getting worse
ror such men as alI this Liberty is pro-
ducing, one may well be thankful that a
good supply OF powder and shot is pre-
paring.
:" Ballot-boxingi Why we have tried
that In England once or twice. Not long
ago there was 4 certain Russell here, who
managed TO get hold OF some land which
properly belonged 10 others was sun
posed TO have no end to sovereiens; was
at once adored; got easily iuto Parlia
menG Presently II turns ont that he has
no money a. ali. He comes out and con-
fesses that none OF the land he has is his
ovn-that he had forged will TO Get II
And when the matter Is looked into II i
found again that the will Is genuine. that
he did not forge II at al, bat confessed
himself q scouDdrel in order 10 make some
money sna save some land by it.
" Then there was Hudson, who cut m
vast deal OF good land with railroads
which ran here and everywhere, whether
they were wanted or not. The people got
around hlm-voted that Hudson was the
fountain OF living waters. Every man
came with his sabscription-gaye his So
or 4lU0 TO Hudson | remember well
how be used to strut about with fsps ike
hns on his dress. Bishops preached about