The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-05-10
Why Irving Never Married.

1t was while engaged in writing his
history of New York, that Irving, then
a young man of 26, was called to mourn
the somewhat sudden death of Matilda
Hoffman, whom he had hoped to call
his wife. This young lady was the
second daughter of Josiah Ogden Hoff-
man, the eloquent jurist. In her ia
theirs office Washington Irving had
essayed to study law, and with every
prospect, if industrious and studious,
of partnership with Mr.. Hoffman as
well as a matrimonial alliance with
Matilda. Those high hopes were dis
appointed by the decease of the young
lady on the 9th of April, 1909, in the
18th year of her age. There is a pathos
about Irving's recital of the circum-
stances of her death, and of his own
feelings, that is truly painful and tear
Impelling. He says: "She was taken
ill with a cold Nothing was thought
of it at first, but she grew rapidly
worse, and fell into consumption. /
cannot tell you what suffered, X
I saw her fade rapidly away-beauiful,
and more beautiful; and more angelic
to the very last. l was often by her
bedside, and in her wandering state of
mind she would talk to me with a
sweet, natural and affecting eloquence
that was overpowering | saw more
o. the beauty OF her mind in that deli
rious state than / had ever known be-
fore. Her malady was rapid in its
career, and hurried her off in two
months. Her dying struggles were
painful and protracted. For three days
and three nights l did not leave the
house and scarcely slept. I was by
her when she died ;..all the family were
assembled round her, some praying,
others weeping, for she was adored by
them all. was the last one she looked
upon. [ cannot tell you whats horrid
state of mind was in for long tins.
l seemed to care for nothing; the
world was blank to me- Iabandoned
all thoughts of the law. went into
the country, yet could not enjoy So
ciety. There was a dismal horror
continually in my mind that made me
fear to be alone. l had often to get
up IN the night and seek the bedroom
of my brother, as if life having a hu.
man being by me would relieve me
from the frightful gloom of my own
thoughts. Months elasped before my
mind would resume any tone but the
dependency I had suffered for a long
time in the course of this attachment,
and the anguish that attended its
catastrophe, seemed to give a turn to
my whole character, and then throw
some clouds into my disposition, which
have ever since hung about it. I
seemed to drift about without aim or
object, at the mercy of every breeze
my heart wanting anchorage. I was
naturally susceptible, and tired to form
other attachments, but my heart would
not hold on it would continually
recur to what it had lost and when
novelty and excitement, ! would not
talk on the subject of this hopeless re-
greet / could not mention her name,
but her image was constantly before
me, and 1 dreamt of her necessarily. -
Such was the language III which Irving
poured forth his SORROWS and sad
memories in letter written many
years ago TO lady who wondered at
his celibacy, and expressed the witch
to know why he never married. Can
words more graphically describe the
shlpwreck of hope, or more tenderly
depict the chivalric devotion of a faith
full lover How sweetly, toe, does
Irving portray with his artist pen the
lineaments of his loved onel He saws,
in the same letter; 1.-The more / saw
of her the more l had reason to admire
her. Her mind seemed to unfold itself,
leaf by leaf, and every time to discover
new sweetness. Nobody knew her so
well as /, for she was so timid and ST.
lent but |, in manner. studied her
excellence. Never did [ meet with
more intuitive rectitude of mind, more
native dehcacy, more exquisite pro-
prIety of thought, than in this young
creature. [ am not exaggerating
what [ say was acknowledged by all
who knew her. Her brilliant little
sister used to say that people begun
by admiring her, but ended by loving
Matilda. For my part, idolized her
l felt at times rebuked by her superior
delicacy and purity, and felt as if I
were a coarse, unworthy being in com
harrison -