The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-08-29
Why Irving Never Married.

MUCH mystery has been attached to
the celibacy Of Washington Irving.
While upon every other point of pecul-
iarity of the great writer's character or
career his familiar friends have taken
pains to inform the wide circle of his
admirers, an aggravating reticence has
always met the questionings of those
who were curious as to why matrimony
made no part in his experience. There
we're occasional and very vague
references made to a "lang syne" love
the air of traditiOn-and the manner of
mentioning, which made Irving appear
the model of consistency, if not the hero
of romance. But the circumstance of
his bachelorhood remained simple,
patent, unexplained fact; the theme of
many wonderings, the warp and wool of
much imagining nay, more, the sub
structure of thousand sweet sympathies
outgushing from other hearts whose loves
had not been lost but gone before. 1t is
doubtful if secret of the sort-all things
considered ever before so carefully
and completely kept. For once the ini-
pertinent were held at bay, the prying
were baked and the sympathetic, even,
discouraged. The time for its disclosure
had not come, and surely, when his in
Inmates and relatives were debarred
from the remotest reference to the sub
ject in the hallowcd home circle of the
literary bachelor, it was but proper that
the truth should burst forth upon the
world, if at all, in lrving's own selected
time and in his own pathetic language.
1t was while engaged in writing his
History of New York" that Irving, then
ayOung 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, and sister of those two tai
ented men, Charles Feno Hoffman, the
poet, and Ogden Hoffman, the eloq uent
jurist. In her fathers Office Washington
Irving had essayed to study law, and
with every prospect, if industrious and
studious, of partnership with Mr.. Hotf-
man as we'll as a matrimonial ALLAN &c
with Matilda. These high hopes were
disappointed by the deceasc of the young
lady on the 9th of April, 1909, in the
eighteenth year of her age.
There is pathos about Irvings re-
cital OF the circumstances of her death
and of his own feelings that is truly pain
full and tear-impelling. He says: She
w do IHhCA Ill Will u COlu NOIuluS was
thought of it at first, but she grew rapid
ly worse, and fell into consumption.
cannot tell you what l suffered. I saw
her fade rapidly away; beautiful and
more beautiful, and more angelic to the
very last. was often at her bedside
and in her wandering state of mind she
would talk to me with a sweet, natural
and affecting eloqucnce that was over
towering. l saw more of the beauty of
her mind in that delirious state than I
had ever known before Her malady
was rapid in it's career, and hurried her
oft in two months. Her dying strug-
giles were painful and protracted.
For three days and nights l did
not leave the house, and scarce
ly slept. l was by her when she
died; all the family were assembled
round her, some praying, others weeping,
for she was adorcd by them all. | was
the last one she looked upon. l cannot
tell you what horrid state of mind I
was in for a long time Iseemed to care
for nothing; the world was blank to
ME. ! abandoned all thoughts of the
law: l went into the country but could
not bear solitude, yet could not enjoy
society. There was dismal horror con
tinually in my mind, that made me fear
to he alone. had often to get up in the
night and seek the bedroom of my
brothers, as if the having human being
near me would relieve me of the fright
tul gloom of my own thoughts Months
elapsed before my mind would re-
sumo any tone; but the dependency I
had suffered for a long time in the course
OF this attachment, and the anguish that
attended the catastrophe, seemed to give
turn to my whole character, and threw
some clouds into my disposition which
nave ever since hung about it. |
seemed to drift about without aim or OBJ
Ject' at the mercy Of every breeze; my
heart wanted anchorage Twas naturally
susceptible, and tried to form other at
Mchments, but my heart would not hold
on; it would continually rccur to what I
had lost; and whenever there was a
pause in the hurry of novelty and excite
ment I would sink into dismal detection.
For years / could not talk on the subject
OF this hopeless regret; could not even
mention her name; but her image was
continually before me, and | drcamt of
her incessantly."
Such was the language in which Irving
poured forth his SORROWS and sad memo
rles, III a letter written many years ago
to lady who wondered at his celibacy
and expressed a wish to know why he
never married. Can words more graph
lcally describe the shipwreck of hope, or
more tcnderlY depict the chivalric dcyo-
ton of faithful lover? How swectly.
too, does Irving portray with his artist
pen the lineamcnts of his loved one! He
says, in the same letter: "The more 7
saw OF her the more had reason to adj
mlre her. Her mind unfolded itself leaf
by leaf, and every time to discover new
sweetness. Nobody knew her so we'll as
l, for she was so timid and silent; but I.
IN manner, studied her excellence.
Never did meet with more intuitive
rectitudc of mind, more native delicacy.
more exquisite propriety in word,
thought and action, than in this Young
creature. am not cxaggerating; what
l say was acknowledged by all who knew
her. Her brilliant little sister used to
say that people began by admiring her.
but ended by loving Matilda. For nv
part, ldolized her. felt at times re-
ouked ny her superior delicacy and
purity, and as if l were a coarse, un-
worthy being in comparison"
Irving seldom or never mentioned this
SAD event nor was the name of Matilda
ever spoken in his presence. Thirty
years after her death Irving was visiting
Mr. Hoffman, and grand daughter, in
drawing out some sheets OF music to be
performed on the piano, accidentally
brought with them piece of embroidery
which dropped upon the floor "Wash-
lngton,. said Mr.. Hoffman, "this is a
piece Of poor Matilda's workmanship !"
His biographer describes the effect a.
electric. He had been conversing in
Inc sprlghtiiest mood before, says Pierre