The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-02
Gossip About Carlyle and Tennyson.
London Letter to the Boston Post.


CARLYLE goes on the even and rather morose
tenor of his way in the very commonplace and
unp:ctureeaue suburb OF Chelsea. He has lived
for many years in very plain house, on small
side street. called Cheyne walk, the interior OF
his home being plain to almost drear'ness. since
Mary Carlyle Aiken, has 10 ked over the grim
Old philosopher creature comforts which are few,
for he lives with PurtAn-ike, not to say Spartan
simplicity. have often seen him taking his reg
ular afternoon walk through the chelsea streets,
sometimes with friend, like Froude, Ruskin
or our own countryman, Moncure Conway. but
usually alone, with very old felt hat askew on
his thick, STUDY gray head; and more gloomy,
unsocial, cynical-lOoking Olo man Is seldom to be
seen.
No one could pass him without taking note of
him his face would attract the attention OF a
street urchin so eingularly expressive OF wholly
unusual character is it. He is very sallow and
hollow-cheeked !; his eyes, dull and CLASSY, are
short, tangled beard and moustache, white, all
but here and there stray streak OF brown; his
form is bent, and he stalks on in the gloomiest
apparent Indifference to the world about him.
At home he occupies a harum ecarum study al
the top OF the house most OF the day OF this.
sometimes, when closeted with friend, he
makes bear garden, with his hurried pacing OF
the floor and his bitter and voluble homilies about
the littleness Of mankind. The poet laureate Is
by no means SO Indifferent to the comforts and
eegances OF this life as the hermit OF CheJne
walk.
He lives in great luxury, in a POLITICALLY pictu-
rescue country mansion, rich III its architecture
and lavish and tasteful in it's adornments and
knick- knacks. There are about it terraces and
fountains greeneries and flower parterres, ave-
nues and awns; it is the mansion OF rich man
of high taste and culture. Here, for the most
part, summer and winter, the most eminent OF
Engand's poets passes his time 1t is rarely
that he appears in London streets, and more
rarely that his presence is obtained in the hospi-
table houses of the West End. But l have caught
occasional glmpses of him in the ''city" and
book store quarter Of PaternOster row. he is
tall, gaunt, shaggy haired, with ragged-looking
beard and long, Struggling locks Of q iSht-brown,
very much tinged with gray.
He wore big SLOUGH hat and cloak when saw
him, and. were it not for a pair OF
deep, large, dreamy eyes there would
be nothing in the least poetic IN his
appearance. Indeed, he is almost shabby
to the outward eye, his manner shy, and his ap-
parent endeavor is TO pass hither and thither
quite unnoticed. learn that he is greatly bored
by people, in large degree Americans, l am
sorry to say, who go down to his country house
and insist ON seeing him. much as they would
Tom Thumb CT the crown jewels. He gets
bushels Of letters begging for autographs, which
he never by any chance answers; and is said to
have remarked that enough stamps were inclosed
in these to give him practical franking priv
lege. Those who, few in number, are received at
tho poets fireside his friends, speak in glowing
terms Of his kindly and genial hospitality, and
his sometimes almost childllke playfulness.