Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-01-25
whx Irrinr Never married.

It was while engaged in writing his
=" History of New York" that Irving
then a young man of twenty-six, 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 heI
fathers office Washington. Irving had
essayed to study law, and with every
prospect, ifindustrious and studious, ol
partnership with Mr.. Hoffman, as well
as a matrimonial alliance with Matilda.
Those high hopes were disappointed by
the decease of the young lady, April II,
1909, in her eighteenth year.
There is a pathos about lrving's re-
cital of the circumstances OF her death,
and of his own feelings, that is truly
painful and tear impelling. He says:
I" She was taken i'll with cold. Moth
ing was thought of it at first, but she
grew rapidly worse, and was taken with
consumption. | cannot tell you what |
suffered. | saw her fade rap
idly away-beautiful and more beautiful
and more angelic to the very last. |
was often by her bedside; and in her
wandering state Of mind she would talk
to me with a sweet, natural and affect
ing elouuence that was overpowering.
/ saw more of the beauty of her mind
in that delirious state than ! had ever
known before. Her malady was rapid
in its career, and hurried her off in two
months. Her dying struggles we're
painful and protFacted. For three
days and nights / did not leave
the house and scarcely slept.
was by her when she died; all the
family were assembled round her, somt
praying, some weeping, for she was
adored by them ALL l was the last one
sue looked upon. / cannot tell you what
horrid state of mind / was in for {
long time. / seemed to care for nothing
the world was blank to me. | aban
doued all thoughts of the law. wen
into the country, yet could not en- 10y so
ciety. There was dismal horror con
tinually in my mind that made me teal
to be alone. ] had often to get up IL
the afternoon and seek the bedroom o
nv brother, as if the having a human
being by my side would relieve me from
the frightful gloom of my own thoughts
Months elapsed before my mind woulC
resume any tone; but the dependency
had suffered for long time in the cours'
of this attachment, and the anguish tina
attended its catastrophe, seemed Y
give turn to the whole character, anc
then throw some clouds into my disposl
ton, which has ever since hung abou
IL / seemed to drift about without am
aim or object, at the mercy OF ever,
breeze; my heart wanted anchorage,
was naturally susceptible, and tried t
form other attachments, but my hear
would not hold on; it would continual.
recur TO what it had lost, and wheneve
there was pause in the hurry OF nov
elty and excitement, / would sink int
dismal detection. For years ! could no
talk on the subject Of this hopeless re
gret; / could not even mention he
name, but her image was constantly be
fore me, and dreamed Of her inee'
sanity.
Such was the language in which Irwin
poured forth his sorrows and sad meme
mes in a letter written many years ag
lto a lady who wondered at his oellbael
and expressed the wish TO know why h
never married. Can words more graph
icallv describe the shipwreck Of hope, o
more tenderly depict the chivalric dew
ton Of a faithful loverl How sWeetll
too, does Irving portray with his ar,l.
pen the lineaments Of his loved one ID
says, in the same letter: The more
saw Of her. the more reason 1 had !
admire her. Her mind seemed 70 uniol
itself leaf By leaf, and every time 70 di
cover new sweetness Nobody knew b
90 we'll as ], for she was 90 timid a.
silent. but j, in a manner, studied b
excellence. Never did meet With mol
intuitive rectitude sf mind, more nati'
n deiicacy, more exquisite prophet
thought and action, than in this youn