The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-03-09
CARLYLES ADVICE TO A
YOUNG NAN.
Letter to a TennesSean Thirty
three Years Ago.
New York TriBuna ls

Thirty years ago a young Law
student Of Paris, Tennessee, opene,
correspondence with Thomas
Carlyle, which continued for many
years. In 1887, when the young
man, afterward q United States dis
trict judge, was studying in the law
office OF the Hon. Isham G.. Harris.
now United States senator from
Tennessee, he received a very char
acteristic and earnest letter from
Mr.. Carlyle which will be read with
especial interest at this time. The
letter reads as follows:
CHELSEA, LONDON, Il Nav. 1917.
There is unfortunately no recipe
or sword that can avail YOU. The
'course Of reading or endoavor that
would be wisest of all CD I'm
Kentucky, will already not be quite
the wisest for him. at his age. I'm
1897, viii no longer altogether suit
him now when the world has cot
ten years forward on It's course
Specific direction is and remains
impossible, in such a case. You will
have, as heretofore. 20 choose Ly
what Of EEht, Of mauiulness and
iaithtulncss is in your own mind.
the Better and The Good from ont ol
the bouudleas imbrogi.o of the
Trivial, the Bad and base (Which
men ofless light are eagerly follow
ing on all hands Of YOU; and, with
your whole soul, 10 appropriate
these, and elaborate them as YOU
have faculty and experimentation |
then and now. II appears you have I
had very fair success hitherto. and /
have lifted your head and shoulders /
out of the slough. and can /
ooll about you a little hope conf
iently that the gods henceiOrth will /
'eply with like bounty the like
idelity OF effort / have observed
his truth, even in our confused
world that whatever of real human
worth a man does put into bis grand |
just about the same
quantity Of real human victory, ire
ognisable often to blocllheads. but
-ery real for all that, does he in the
nd get out Of it;-this is an uu-
peakable comfort to a brave Young
lan! But ''real" human worth
nd human victory are, as / say.
cry often not so recognizable who !
nOws, for example, whether your )
resident Polk and our King. Ilud- +
on Of you have heard of such .
IAN, who has made , millions hy ,
always here) have gained any vic .
Jry' at all-have gained anything ,
ut "a more conspicuous exhibition I
their own ugliness: which surely /
defeat and not victory? You &
lust very particularly pray the
leayens, for one thing Not 10 I'm.
,ct you with vulgar ambition litcr-
ry or other), which is fatal 20 aiI
0bieness IN man! "Seekest thou +.
reat things, seek them not Seek r
.ernal things Gfyou know them d
Oh will better and better get 10 q
now them, if you seek honestly. %
hat also is n fact
As to ''reading History it
I'D Prophecy" Gfyou understand 81
.ese wOrds): whatsoever Of truly NJ
lteresting, has beon. is, or is about .
be, in this world where you il
I'VE come to live,-all that autheu-
;ally bears ON these questions. Il
atch it wherever YOU can find il. O.
ad that with greedy heart, and on
c whole read nothing else. The Il
lgest Follies ofthis world are fly r.
g about at present in the shape of a
)oks and Book-celebrities. Adieu. d
Il. CARLYLE. 81