The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-09-22
A Visit to Thomas Carlyle.

| DOWn comes Ihomas Carlyle from
his sanctum into the hallway-a gray
whiskered old man, with eyes half
closed, as if pondering over some ma
terial abstraction and shuttfhg out
the external world. He placedEupon
the table long clay pipe, from which
he had been raising cloud of smoke,
and took up one of half dozen felt
hats, with as broad brim as you see
on Colorado ranchmans head. His
clothing was Of the coarsesta Scotch
twill, and, like a Quaker's suit,
was gray and Of one color. His coat
reached below his knees.
"Umphl Who are you ?' he at
length said, when his brother remar-
ked that somebody was standing near
by.
"Sir am one of a multitude in
America who, having read a few of
your works, have long had desire to
call on you"
After the usual courtesies, [ explain
ed to him that my wish in seeing him
had now been gratified and that l
would most respectfully bid him good
afternoon. Another grunt was the
only reply. When bowing my way
out, he stopped me with the remark ::
II am going to walk. Come with
me-" I went. He started off at a
good smart peace, with his hands be-
bind him and his head slightly incliu.
ed, When, after q few moments, 1
ventured question, he answered it
in the old Socratic fashion by asking
dozen. H. wished to know about
the United States, our churches, our
colleges, our public men. 1t was
wish difficulty that I could get him
to talk of himself, or get his views on
question of the day. Germany, he at
length said, was in state Of theo-
logical transition. Dogma was yield
ing to fact. The Christian Church
was changing, but the grand truths
of Christianity were unalterable. In
the hands of Bismark, the chiefest
statesman of the age, it's progress was
as certain as the rising of to-morrow's
sun. Nothing was to be feared.
With England there was more smoke
than fire in the air. He spoke some
what slightingly of Gladstone and his
recently published pamphlets. He
had watched him as he changed from
high Tory to a most outspoken Rad
ical. Gladstone's gravest fault.
thought Carlyle, was that he looked
exclusively at the side issues of great
questions. He recognized the
bearings and appearances, not the
underlying fact; and fact, he con-
tinucd, was a divine revelation, and
he who acted contrary to it sinned
against God.
is Gladstone. then, only politi-
clan ?" l asked. "Much worse" was
The answer; for he always acts the
politician with the wisdom Of states
man."
Here we approached a street cross
ing. When half way over Mr.. Car
lyle suddenly stopped, and STOPPING
down kicked something out Of the
mud, by the risk Of being run over
by the many carriages 10 the street.
With his bare hands he brushed the
mud off and placed the white sub
stance in clean spot on the curb
stone. "That," said nc, in tone as
sweet and in words as beautiful as l
have ever heard, "is only q crust of
bread. Yet I was taught by my
mother mover to waste, and, above all
bread, more precious than gold, the
substance that is the same to the bo-
dy that the mind is to the soul. l
am sure the little sparrows or hung
ry dog will get nourishment from
that bit of bread" In a moment we
arrived at the house Of one Of Car
Iyle's friends. We separated as un-
tremendously as we met.-Iadepend'
ant.