The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-30
A VISIT TO THOMAS CARLYLE.
WHAT HE THINKS OF GERMANS STATESMAN AND
ENGLANDs POLITICIAN.
From the independently

Down comes Thomas Carlyle from his sanctum
into the Railways gray-whiskered old man
with eyes half closed, as if bordering over some
mental abstraction and shutting out the external
world. He placed upon 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
ranchman's head. His clothing was of the coars-
est Scotch twill, and, like a Quaker's suit, was
gray and of one color. His GOAT reached below
his knees.
"Umphl Who are your" he at length said.
when his brother remarked that somebody was
standing near by.
"Sr, am one of a multitude in America who
having read few OF your works, have long had a
desire to call on you"
After the usual courtesies, explained to him
that my wish in seeing him had now been graft
fed, and that would most respectfully bid him
good afternoon. Another grunt was the only
reply. While bowling my way out he stopped
me with the remark: 81 am going to walk.
Come with me-" / went. He started off at
good, smart pace, with his hands behind him and
his head slightly inclined. When, after few
moments, ventured q question, he answered it
In the old Socrstic fashion by asking dozen.
He wished to know about the United States
our churches, our colleges, our public men. 1t
was with difficulty that could get him to talk of
himself, or get his views on questions Of the day.
Germany, he at length said, was in a state OF
theological transition. Dogma was yielding to
fact The Christian Church was changing but
the grand truths of Christianity were un alterabe.
In the hands of Bismarck, the chiefest statesman
ofthe age, its progress was certain as the rs-
ing OF to-morrow's sun. Nothing was to be
feared. With England there was more smoke
than fire in the air. He spoke somewhat slight
ingy OF Gladstone and his recently published
pamphlets. He had watched him as he changed
from high Tory to cost outspoken Radical
Gladstone's gravcst 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 a |
fact, he continued, was divine revelation and he !
who acted contrary to it sinned against God.
lis Gladstone, then, only a politician ?" |
asked. Much worse" was the answer, " for he |
always acts the politician with the wisdom of |
statesman"
Here we approached street crossing. When |
half way over. MIR, Carlyle suddenly stopped, and |
STOPPING down picked something out of the |
street at the risk of being run over by one Of the
many carriages in the street.
With his bare hands he brushed the mud off |
and placed the white substance in clean spot on |
the curbstone "That," said he, in tone as
sweet and words as beautiful as / have ever
heard, "is only crust of bread. Yet l was
taught by my mother never to waste and above
all, bread, more precious than gold, the sub
stance that is the same to the body th i the mind
is to the soul. / am sure the little sparrows or
hungry dog will get nourishment from that bit
OF bread. In a moment we arrived at the house
OF one OF the Carlyles friends We separated as
unceremoniously as we met
CLARENCE WINTHROP Bowen.