New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-13
CARLYLE'S WIFE.
GRAPHIC PICTURE BY MRS. OLIPHANT.
xou.x ov cAusr1c .wIr-How CARLYLE WAS
ppoTrcyrp FROM rHE WORLD - HIS BABY


haired in the long vigil held in that little mouse
1t Chelsea" of which 50 much mas peeh nsaIu nho
aid in recent days, must have feftit soneInIng IN
, ner..,nal relief aud solemn satisfaction when ule
lat honds were lossenel, and the old man. so weary
and worn with living. was delivered IRON mn m,
srhiy 1rG%o,s be sad one Of TT the last tHcs saw
Iiin He said the same thing to all his visitors, AZ
he sat- gaunt and treinulous, IN the Tnaoe OIL UNI
',uiet graceful little room, with still n FAINT PCT
,me about il of his wife and her ways, stu 40 lke
himself, talking in the cadenccd and IhyIn1ihi,he
fnnes of his native dialect which suited 80 wen 'ne
natural form Of his diction. With now ana ,hen az
Ibrupt outburst of that broks laugh which ~ ~
,ft,n only another form OF weeping, wcai'eSdd onht
uttered into his soul Great weakness WAS no uoH W
one of it, chef causes: but also the loneliness VI Ia
heart the solitude Of one whose companion III" H.
,one fror, his side and who though surronDdea ~
,lr friends and loving service, had no one 81 tbt
nr;narv RELATIONSHIPS left TO him, nothing 81 MS
very own still remaining uut Of the wrecks Oh i'ie
WOMAN OF CHARACTER AND GENIUS
The prolonged sketch Of his VIE, wnn ,,ch nth
ills one volume aud mere OF less runs tnIookh
;I fail 10 give the general reader any idea OF NeI!
remarkable woman full 81 character ana ss .hs,s
This memoir shares the incfectNetess oil tbe 1'hI,
and ahors neler the same disadvantages, with ,his
additional that his dearest and beantihfs' naa
little darling bis 10 S Sm mor r or less snroupded
With the love halo of their youth, hent VIII,
after the ride and wear OF the world wniSn sn,
LII emf through il is hard 10 understand AZ sh
St;n thus unmod fed eith her In his eyesCr anout ncI
remarkable and most individual perscn, ms snt
of thes no loved her there mus BIZ painful whht
"a y, ha,,nouv between the woman they knew. not OLD
Iecamsa of her force and endless energy, nut worn
mo The wrinkles and sparrnes. Of age, with her
IN esnstie Wit her RELENTLESS insight and potent
humor-and all those gentle epiihrts Oh u sn,
and the pretty air Of domestic IDOL w,e hnr ~
these pages That he had any intention OK Neglect.
or that his heart ever srayed from her, an very
little disposed to believe ent tTre ,b wcy man wrr
very light but to her were not WITHOUT ,nel' p'''
ness. little appreciated understood by him. IT,.
Here il Que case for instance. we went pre't!
often I think myself far the oftener as usual III
such cases my loyal little darling taxing no manner
OF offence not to participate IN my n3nhg "us
taking no special recognition OF sucn houehtSS;
She look no manner of offence was far 700 hTple
and genuine Ia take offence. Yet WIN n niue hu
morous twitch at the corner of her eloquent mouth
,oull tell sometime of the fine people who lett ner
ont i'm their invitations rs the great man lnslghh
cant wife with keen mot which told OF indi'iduaI
feeling not extnguished though entlIrY rePie<Si1oa
and under her command. And Carlyle u,d MN Mn
most men--what almost every human cTeaiurenocs
when attended 10y such ministry In lie a. hets
accepted the service and sacrifice oil al htI
faculties which she iade To- Din" and Ti, nnpr
citation no doubt, but, on the shIihce, . tniIn
e, nf acquiesccnce ~ If u hal been the i'o' nasu
raj Ling i'm the world. She, for her part-let us not
Ia, misunderstood in saving so-Fontennpiafd uih'
her great companion in life with certain humorous
curiosity not untinged with aneeti"naie contempt
aud wonder thai a creature 50 big should b. nj the
SANG time ~ little, such giant ami conjnahuihR
g,uius with all the same - many nshNhh N.ah,
n.,..,-s for which she liked hiln All ths WITT,
Women very often more often than not, 90 r'g"ru
their he oes sT-admiratiOn and the conhhencs OF
knuwe.pe superior IL that of anyone else oil t.ir
power anil bright qualities. permitting ihls thier
cont mpt for these vagaries OF the WISE ann Io,ies
OF the strong. To hat lac VIII do next inr Dig
him .lerinp male creature unconscious enur,V "I
| that fine s.rriiny, mal,a but tender, Whi'h 500
through and through him, Is constant suptrvss~rd
inter n which gives plquaDcy 10 life, ana this Gar
ie's vile t,.k her full enjoyment Of lie was never
~ th least conscious of it. believe few of It's sub
| jects are ....,,,, ,.ronx, r,,,,vp
Of
Shadow of Frederick in her letters and OF how tho
r,snlts of a bad days work would become apparent
in the shape of gloomy appartlon, orow 1M W. ny;
| month shut tight, examining down upon the nr", not
n word sad-at least TIL after thls purht-rntIhs'
the blurred sheets OF unsuccessful work Never
little incident she told but the listener conld $50 ~
so graphic SO wonderful WIS her gift of narrative
| In did not matter what was the subject, whether
that gannt figure in the gray coat staIalhH si'hnS
| in TO consume on her fire the days work when dis-
| ni.ased him or the cocks and hens which "A mag
Unanimous neighbor sacrhc, to ihe rest oi ne sage
whether il was the wonderful scTy of maid-oi-nli-
work most accomplished Of waiting maidens which
kept the nearer br atlles-, or he turning OUTSIDE III
Of a famed philosopher. Scherazade was nothing 10
! this brilliant stOry-tcllcr; Tor W" SuiI;ha
! required the aid of wonderful meidcnt
| and romantic adventure, whereas this nodern
| gentle woman needed nothing but life. OF whith Hhe
! Was 10 prfonnd and unprtending student. |
have neN er known gift like b<GN except iaT ON III
the person of another SCOT gentle oman, i, WI
| ueuibered the incidents OF her youlh iAI Hofo
viviily than my own -o,o-.,a 90
| Ia
is very good illustration both OF the narrator ana
| her gift though cannot pretend " give ~ ine
high dramatic completeness me hEIIy t'tilo III,
of the original There is another incident OF "A similar
character mentioned in these "Reminiscences when
the heroic remedy of renting the house next hoor IN
order tn get rid of the fowls SERIOUSLY Thought
| of But in the which she used 10 teil, th'Ir
were serious complications. The owner, OF the p'u
| try we're wouen-alas moi Of kind 10 b. recognised
! as ncighbors How it came about that mcmbcrs OF
this unfortunate class should have donIiclled th.lh
selves next door To- the severe philosopher III VIC
/ H.. nf(fb at-,ta |
! bnt there they were in full possession nor 90 l
remember how they discovered that mr' ! atH,e
impossible by the inhabitants OF thtr hItle LoNI-
! hoiisr. When, however, night or Two OF torture
had driven the household frantic this intclngrnce
| was somehow conveyed 20 the jewellers next door :
| and the most yirtuous Of neghbOrs could not nave
| behaved more nobly. That very evening can
drove up TO the door, and. all the habitantscI1Wu
| inc IN the windows Ia see the exodus-a cackiing
| aud frightened procession OF fowls was unU t,h
coaxed, and carried into II, ana Sht away Mn NJ
! accIamations Mrs Carlyle pODdcred for some tIie
| what 10 do hut finally decided that u was nef uuly
no call and thank the author OF this magnanilnons
! sacrifice Entirely fearless OF remark by natuIr,
| ~ast the aye and never of the temperament to be
alarmed by any idea of indecorn, shc was also u
st he aIowGd t% sb sai found person noted
| among her kind, bright and capabie creature, ~
she described her, with sleeves rolled up on ner
| rnund arms making pie Almost, one womb nave
aid n voucher Of responsibility who accepted ber
thanks with simplicity, and showed no alarm AT the
sight az her Ii was characteristic that any Thought
~ missionary usefulness Of persuading the cheerful
and handsnse sinner to abandon her evil life. never
sec,us for moment 10 have suggested itself. Was
n something of that disgu with the hollow ness OIL
. the respectable and indignant sense OF the depths
that undcrlie society, and are CLOSED over by an
decorons ,hrouiclers, which appears In everything
her husband wrote, that produced this strange i'm
partiality II would be hari TO say but she wa,
= unch closer student of actual life than he, and
With a scorn beyond words for impurity' which t.
her was the most impossible thing in life had sui,c
emit experience of its existence elsewhere to give bel
sanetIng of a cynical indifference 10 this more hon
ext turpitude. She went with 10 intention OF tudg