The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-04-20
WEDNESDAY MORNING, APRIL 90.
A Woman's Judgment on the Car
lv1es

The prolonged sketch of Carlyle's wife,
which almost fills one volume of his "Remin-
sciences" and more or less runs through both,
will fail to give the general reader any idea
OF very remarkable woman full of character
and genius. This memoir shares the ineffect-
iveness of the others, and labors under the
disadvantages, with this additional, that his
dearest and beautifulest' his ''litte darling"
his "bonnie little woman" continues ALWAYS
young to him, more or less surrounded with
the love halo of their youth, light which,
after the rude tear and wear of the world
which they both went through, it is hard to
understand as existing thus unmodified either
in his eyes or about her remarkable and most
individual erson. To many of those who
loved her there must be painful want of har-
mony between the woman they knew, not old
because of her force and endless energy. but
worn into the wrinkles and spareness of age,
with her swift caustic wit, her restless insight
and potent humor-and all those gentle emf
the is OF tenderness, and the pretty air of a
9omestlc idol, a wife always enshrined and
1 me- Which surrounds her in these pages
tfiat he had any intention of neglect, or that
his heart ever strayed from her, I am very lit.
tie disposed to believe; but there were circum-
stances in their life which to him, the man.
were very light, but to her not without their
him.
Here is one case for instance: "We went
pretty often, think myself far the oftener
as usual in such cases my loyal little darling
taking no manner of offense not to participate
in my lionings, but behaving like the royal
soul that she was, dulard egotist taking no
special recognition of such nobleness" She
took no manner of offense'' was far too noble
and genuine to take offense. Yet, with little
humorous twitch at the corner of her elo-
quent mouth, would tell sometimes of the fine
people who left her out in their invitations as
the great mans Insignificant wife, with a keen
mot which told of individual feeling not ex-
tinguished, though entirely repressible and un-
der her command. And Carlyle did what
most men-what almost every human crea-
ture- does when attended by such a ministry
IN life as hers; accepted the service and sacri-
nee of all her faculties which she made to him,
with, at the bottom, a real understanding and
appreciation, no donbt, but, on the surface, a
calm ease of acquiescence, as If it had been the
most natural thing in the world. She, for her
part-let us not be misunderstood in saving so
contemplated him, her great companion in
life, with a certain humorous curiosity not un-
tlnged with affectionate contempt and wonder
that creature so big should at the same time
Dc SO little, such giant and commanding
genius with all the same so many babyish
weaknesses for which she liked him all the
better! Women very often, more often than
not, do regard their heroes so-admiration
and the confidence of knowledge superior to
that Of any one else of their power and bright
qualities, permitting this tender contempt for
these vagaries OF the wise and follies of the
strong. To see what he will do next, the big
laundering male creature, unconscious entire
~ of that fine scrutiny, n.altn but tender,
which sees through and through him, is a con-
slant suppressed interest which gives piquancy
to life, and this Carlyle's wife took her full en-
ioyment of. He was never in the least con.
scious of it. 1 believe few of its subjects are
Mrs. Oliphant.