The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-04-16

sensitive. receptive. cOmpanlOnhDle SORT. ana
who appreciated the massive qualities Of Car
lyle's mind. determined. after long vacillation
and delay. to accept Carlyle as pis-aiifr. On
this subject. indeed. Miss Welsh had been per-
iectly candid. and Carlyle might have seen
from the frank expression Of her feelings that
n marriage with himself was not likely to be a
happy one for her. He had. indeed. dimy PER-
ceived for moment that the essential condition
OF married happiness was absent that she did
not love him as she felt that she could love. As
little. however. could she mako up her mind to
give him up or consent that as he at one time
said. they should go forth their several
ways" How could I, she answered. part from
the only living soul that understands mep /
would marry you tomorrow rather; our part
ng would need to be brought about by death.
or some dispensaton of Providence"
Mr.. Froude makes 1t clear also that Carlyles
feeling for his wife had nothing of devotion in it.
In curious letter addressed to his betrothed.
In which he outlines their future life. he has n
great deal 10 say about self sacrifice and self
denial Now self-sacriiice Is undoubtedly
very noble thing. but, as Mr.. Froude remarks.
sacrifice which one person might properly
make the other might have no reasonable right
TO ask or to allow. When Carlyle spoke Of self
denial. what he meant was the devotion of his
whole life to the pursuit and setting forth OF
spiritual truth. throwing aside every meaner
ambition. But apostles. in St. Pauls opinion.
were better unwedded. The cause to which
they give themselves leaves them little leis-
ure to care for the things of their wives. To his
mother Carlyle never talked about the beauty
OF self-sacrince; for her he seems to have ex-
perienced tho workable love that is lost in its
object, and thinks first and only how to guard
and foster it. His wife. on the other hand. he
expected TO rise to his own level of dlsn-
terested self-surrcnder. and 10 be content and
happy in assisting him in the development Of
his own destiny This. as Mr.. Froude points
out, was selfshness- scllshness of raro and
elevated kind. but selhshness still-and 1t fol-
lowed him throughout his married life. He
awoke only to the consciousness Of the egoism
which had made his life solitude. and in
which his wife's heart had pinned and starved
when she was In her grave-whcn the knowl-
edge would bring nothing more than unavail-
ing remorse. He admired Miss Welsh. he
loved her. in q certain sense but, like her. he
was not in love.
In a note book. written long after the mar
rage. Mr.. Froude finds the following curious
entry in her hand: What Mr.. c. execrates
loudest in Thackerays new novel. what he
finds. indeed altogether false and damnabe
itself over our whole existence, and constitut-
ing the or>o grand interest OF 1t; whereas love
the thing people cal youc--is confined to a very
few years of mans life. to. in fact a quite in
significant fraction Of il. and even then is
but ono thing TO be attended TO among
many infinitely more important things
Indeed. so far as he tMr. C) has seen
into 1t. the whole concern OF love is such a beg
carly futility that. in an heroic age Of the
world. nobody would DO at the pains to think
OF 1t, much less to open his mouth upon it."
Mr.. Froude opines that a person who had
known by experience the thing people call
love" would scarcely have addressed such
vehemently unfavorable opinion of its nature
to the woman who had been the object of his
affection. The truth is doubtless that Carlyle
admired Miss Welsh. that her mind and temper
suited him. and that for time he had allowed
her image to intertwine itself with all his
thoughts and emotions. With love. however
his feeling for her had nothing in common
with the name. There is not hint anywhere
that he had contemplated. as a remote posi-
bility. the usual consequence OF a marrage-a
family Of children. He thought OF a wife as a
companion to himself who would make life
easier and brighter to him. This was all. and
the images in which. during the period OF
courtship and betrothal he dressed out the
workings OF his mind. served only to hide
their real character from himself.
OF course. from a worldly point Of view. that
for instance. OF the social circle OF which Miss
Welsh had been the cynosure. the marriage
with Carlyle would be regarded as an extraor-
binary mesalliance. She was gentlewoman Of
excellent birth and fortune. whereas he was
the son OF poor peasant. without profession
or prospects. He actually proposed at one
4 II.
but his parents. though not he were sensible of
the total unhtness Of their household to receive
lady brought up as Miss Welsh had been.
Afterward he insisted upon carrying her TO a
small Scotch farm. where she had to make her
own and her husbands clothes build the Ares.
cook the meals. sweep and clean the house
wash the lannels and the linen. and weed the
garden when she required fresh air; where. in.
short. all her time and energy were absorbed
In mechanical drudgery. to the extinction OF
every higher ambition. Carlyle's mother had
led Just this sort Of life. and in his CO.
lossal egotism he could see no reason
why his wife should not lead it. Miss
Welsh. indeed. had recognized the sterling
worth OF his peasant family. and for her
own part she was willing to share their method
OF existence. sharply contrasted as it Was with
the elegance and relative luxury of her own
nome. But the Sacflnce Whlch cultivated
proud beautiful woman consented in her Gra-
ciousness to make. Carlyle ought not to have
accepted.
1t would have been happier and perhaps
better both for her and for him. had she
taken warning from the unconscious oH
hihition which. during the period Of their be-
trothal. he had made Of his inner nature. But
matters drlited on to their consummation.
The stern and powerful sense Of duty in these
two remarkable persons held them true
through a long and trying life together. 10 the
course Of elevated action which they had both
set before themselves. Mr.. Froudc shows
us that Carlyle never swcrved from the nigh
aims to which he had resolved to dedicate all
the powers that were in him. while, by never
failing toll and wAtchfulness. his wife made
it possible for him 70 accomplish the
work which he achieved, But con.
tinuos the hlographor, we reap as We
have sown. Those who seek for something
moro than happiness in this world must
not complain II happiness is not their portion.
Mrs. Carlyle had tile companionship Of an OK
traordlnary man. Her character was braccd
by the contact with him, and through tho in
,f,l A.. .