The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-05-22
Why Irving Never Married.

'0S A'S'NA NAaAl lACus
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 Hoffman, the
eloquent jurist. In her fathers Office
Washington Irving had essayed to study
law, and with every prospect if indus
trious and studious, of partnership with
Mr.. Hoffman as well as matrimonial
alliance with Matilda. Those high
hopes were disappointed by the decease
OF the young lady on the 9th of April,
lS09, in the 18th year of her age. There
is pathos about Irving's recital of the
circumstances of her death. and of his
own feelings, that is truly painful and
tear-lmpelling. 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.
l cannot tell you what 1 suffered. 4
L saw her fade rapidly away-beautiful.
and more beautiful, and more angelic to
the very last. was often by her bed
side, and III her wandering state of mind
she would talk to me with sweet, nat
ural affecting eloquence that was over
poWerlng. L saw more of the beauty of
her mind in that delirious state than 1
had ever known before. 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. was by
her when she died all the family were
assembled round her, some praying.
others weeping, for she was adored by
them all. l was the last one she looked
upon.
Il cannot tell you what horrid state
OF mind 1 was in for a long time. I
seemed to care for nothing the world
was blank to me. 1 abandoned all
thoughts of the law. l went into the
country, yet could not enjoy society.
There was a dismal horrer 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 nv
brother, as if having human being by
me would relieve me from the frightful
gloom of my own thoughts Months
elapsed before my mind would resume
any tones but the dependency 1 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.
seemed to drift about without aim or
object, at the mercy of every breeze
my heart wanting anchorage. l was
naturally susceptible, and tried to form
other attachments, but my heart would
not hold OH it would continually recur
to what it had lost and whenever there
was pause in the hurry Of novelty and
excitement, [ would not talk on the
subject of this hopeless regret 1 could
not mention her name, but her image
was constantly before me, and dreamt
of her incessantly."
Such was the language in which Ir-
wing poured forth Lis sorrows and sad
memories in letter written many years
ago to a lady who wondered at his
celibacy, and expressed the wish to
know why he never married. Can words
more graphically describe the shipwreck
of hope, or more tenderly depict the
chivalric devotion of faithful lover
How sweetly, too. does irving portray
with his artist penth lineaments of his
loved one He says, in the same letter:
"The more l saw of her the more l had
reason to admire her Her mind seem
ed to unfold itself, leaf by leaf, and
every time to discover new sweetness.
Nobody knew her so well as 1, for she
was so timid and silent but 1, in
manner, studied her excellence. Never
did 1 meet with a more intuitive recti-
tude' of mind, more native delicacy,
more exquisite propriety of thought,
than in this young creature. [ am not
exaggerating what say was acknowl-
edged by all who knew her. Her bril-
liant little sister used to say that peo-
pie begun by admiring her, but ended
by loving Matilda. For my part, 1
idolized her. l felt at times rebuked
by her superior delicacy and purity, and
felt as if L were a coarse, unworthy be-
ing in comparison"