The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-03

lately taken lesson from our American COUSINS.
The occasion OF the inaugural aOdress OF MI.
Thomas Carlyle at the Ednburgh University,
has eiicited printed records OF the inner life OF
The author OF "S0rtor Resartus," which are
strangely at variance With our obsolete precon-
celved notions of etiquette and good taste. The
speech Itself has been republished IN the iorm
OF separate volume, with the ADDITION OF q
brief treatise entitled Preliminary" and
"Memor.' both forming, ss we are told, "a
very appropriate introducuon." IL ls quite
mistake 10 suppose that Carlyle Is "a gloomy
misanthrope. Like Thackeray y-and most other
sensible authOrs-he has no dieinCnation 60
accept an invitation to a good dinner" In
deed, he was quite inftely the guest OF the
fashionable young officers on guard az St, James
Palace, who were delighted at having the
great man amongst them-and in full talk, too"
And then with charming unreserve, the
author of these delightful pages informs us of
the manner IN which Leigh Hunt used to get
into pecuniary difficulties, and in which Carlyle
was always ready to give him helping hand.
Really, il is deeyly interesting to be told that
the great thinker wears "a brown coat, and
dark horn buttons, with a large slouched hat"
and that one day he found himself in an omnibus
without threepence TO pay the fare. Carlyle, il
appears, always walks at night, carrying au
enormous sticK, y on the possible services of which
the writer OF these pages cuTIously enough,
devotes a few interesting speculatiOns. In the
next place, we are told that the great man groomS
his own horse, and n few lines lower down
he Is gracefully compared Ito skeleton
guaTdsman." 1t is quite alarming to think OF
the amount OF drudgery through which the
author must have passed during the collection
of sufficient material for these preliminary
remarks. Indeed we cannot but suppose that
he has mace it his particular business to
inquire OF the little street-boys, shOpkeepers
and organ-grinders of the neighborhood, what
they have al past times known or seen OF the
celebrity OF Cheyne Row. Quite pathetic is the
lament OF the decadence of Chelsea as a
fashionable district. 1t is distressing that 80
much greatness should have chosen to dwell IN
a locality now. alas sadly fallen from its old
pnfil Nv Snh N %
very minute account OF every popularity, in
manner, character, feature, and voice, which
distinguishes Mr.. Carlyle. By the'by It seems
rather strange that the compiler of the Me
moir' should be so bewItCningly innocent as 10
quote few lines from the Latter Day Pam
phlets," IN which denunclation OF the ''yalet
or 'hunkey' world" Is contained, However,
"rumors OF the outward WORLD seldom reach
Mr. Carlyle in his back study in Upper Cheyne
Row, so that it is hardly possible Tor him TO be
disgusted or annoyed by these remarks.
Disgust is, indeed, the only sentiment which
such ohenses against deicacy and good taste
call forth. Gossip, in an ordinary way, is
little more than q mere waste OF time and If
people who have plenty of leisure do not know
what to do with themselves there is no real
reason why they should not busy themselves
little with their neighbors' affairs. But printed
collection OF tittle-tatte about an intellectual
celebrity deserves some protest. Alter all he is
man, and 1t is a little bit too bad TO treat him
as if he was a monster-some exceptional
prodigy, whose movements and habits we're in
contradiction OF the ordinary laws of nature
By all meaDs, let the world III general have its
innocent amusements, however insignificant
and despicable they may be. Let persons dis.
cuss among themselves the customs ana
characters of all who bear names great in
science, literature OF art. But when such idle
gossip is Systematically promoted by the press,
the legitimate limit of free thought and free
expression has been somewhat overstepped.
1t must be remembered that, these pub
hcatlOns excite novel and a noxlous
literary appetite, and one which, If it
spreads, VIII create an equally Objectionable
supply. 1t is the boast of an Engishman that
"a mans house is his CASTLE" and though there
is not the least ADVANTAGE to be gained in making
a mystery of the daily life OF any one, it is a
matter to provoke some little Indignation when
domestic privacy Is pried into at the will OF, and
| TO suit the humour OF, the mquisitive. There
| may, perhaps, be some to say that the interest
| which the public take IN the home life OF the
| great and good is but che loyal expression OF
| their enthusiastic admiration for their public
| characters and public writings; but even grant
ing this, the fact still remains, that it Is an en-
! thusiasm which lamentably lacks discretion.
| What possible justification can there be Tor a
| restless craving to know how man OF note lives
| what he wears, what he eats, when he walks
out, and when he goes to bed? There is not
| the least objection to Intelligent readers form
| ing their conception of a writer's character
| from the stamp OF his works; they may even
| 90 further, and conjecture whether their hero
| has light haT or dark; whether he drinks
claret or beer. But do not let them seek to find II
| have made their discovery think that it il
their duty to give their knowledge to the worlC
at large. The worship OF intellectual power
| can do no harm; but when people would Scru
tInize the habits OF intellectual men, they cease
| to reverence the mind, and degenerate into
| victims of foolish curiosity and manufacturers
! of idle gossip. A child may be excused fol
| wishing to know whether the author of his
favorite fairy tale is really nothing more than g
common man, or woman, with TWO legs, two
| arms, and head, even as his father or m Othel
has. But what is excusable, and possibly at
tractive in child, is hardly creditabe to al
adult public, or to an adult writer.
But there have been other offenders in this
matter, and not less reprehensible-the cheap
press. If there is one feature in our modern
society of which we are prouder than another
it is our daily penny newspapers, and th'
influence which they exert upon public
thought and taste it is almost impossible to
eXaggerate Within the last few years and as
perhaps, the natural accompaniment of thC
modern sensation leaders," there has beeI
introduced into these Omnipotent organs a very
Objectionable practice of attaching, in too
many instances, some popularity in manner o.
appearance, TO illustrious politicians as 3 kline
OF distinguishing feature. Thus we art
told that 1t is the custom OF some of thu
principal parliamentary speakers to assume
certain attitude, OF others to eye thu
house in a particular manner; while SOM
are in the habit of taking lozenges a
| stated intervals, and others have an awkward
| trick of falling asleep. This, however, is not
very important evil. But whatever liberty ht
may take with NJ P.'s, the journalist can hardly b.
justified i'll introducing detailed account ofth'
domestic affhction which some eminent MAJ
has sustained, simply because it is an attractive
theme for an article. And here, once again
Mr. Carlyle has been the person sinned against
AS is well known, Mrs. Carlyle died within
brief space of the delivery OF the introductor
address at inburgh; and, Notwithstanding tn
| TACT that she may have been "a woman OF NJ
ordinary mark" it really hardly seemed decen