The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-02-25
SOME NEr hooks.


Ca,'ivie aud Ra'ph Waldo Emerson. which OK
tonds over period OF nearly forty years. and
throws great deal Of light on tho relations
and the respective opinions. aims. and
characters Of the writer's. The control
ling impression mnde by the book Is
the great Indebtedness Of the Scotch author
TO his American friend. At n time when Car
lyle found 1t impossible to persuade any Eng.
lsh firm to publish his writings on remuner-
ntive terms. and was living in painful pc
cuniary straits. Emerson. at the cost OF
much personal Inconvenience and labor.
brought about the publication In this coun-
try OF several works by the author OF
Sartor Rcsnrtus" and forwarded rcmttances
to London. which were OF the greatest service
to the recipient. II Carlyle did not always
spcak OF Emerson to others with Kindness and
profound esteem-and It has been charged that
he did not-hc was assurcdly guilty OF rank in
gratitude. for never was ono man OF letters
under wcighticr obligations to another. And
after reading the evidence set forth in these
voiumee. we are disposed to pronounce tho i'm
putation incredible.
The relations which gave rise to this pro-
Ionged correspondence began with the visit
which Emerson. then u young man Of thirty.
paid to the little farm at Craigcnputtock.
where the Carycs. thus far beaten in their
battle with tho world. were living in solitude.
poverty. and desperate hope" Carlyle
alludes to this visit In u letter written to his
mother two days afterward. We should bear
In mind that at this date he had received
scarcely u token OF recognition from his con
temporaries. Three littlo happinesses have
befailen US. Our third happiness WAS
the arrival Of II certain young unknown friend.
named Emerson, from Boston. in tho United
States who turned aside SO far from his Brit
tsh nd IfnIi IN la IN nj,
. or course We could do no other than well
come him; the rather us he seemed to be one
OF the most lovablc creatures in himself we had
ever looked on. He stayed till next day with
us. and talked and heard talk TO his hearts
content. and left us all really sad to part with
him. Jane says it is the first journey since
Noah's delugc undertaken to Craigcnputtock
for such u purpose. In any case we had
cheerful day from 1t. and ought to be thank
full" More cordial is tho reference to this first
glimpse Of Emerson in u letter written some
what later by Jane Carlyle. who. from all We
hear Of her. seems to have been one OF tho
sweetest women that ever breathed in Scottish
air. Poor. ciinGing. tender. sclf-forgetting
heart-famished womun-one cannot but think
her lot might have been less bleak and desc
late had II been cast in Concord instead Of
Chelsea. l shall mover forget the visitor
She writes, who years ago. in tho Desert. de-
scendcd on us. out of the clouds. rs it were. and
made one day there look like enchantment for
us. and left me weeping that it was only one
day"
In a letter to q friend written ut the time
Emerson gives some account Of the same visit
found him tCarlylel one OF the most simple
and frank OF mon. and became acquainted with
him at once. We walked over several mics OF
hills and talked upon all the Rrent questions
that interest US most. The comfort Of meeting
man is that he speaks sincerely; that he feels
himself to be so rich that he is above the mean
ness OF pretending to knowledge which lie has
not; and Carlyle does not pretend to have
solved the great problems. but rather to be an
observer Of their solution rs 1t goes forward in
the world" In tho same letter Emerson says,
discriminatory and candidiy. that My own
feeling was that l had met with men of far les,
power who had got greater insight into relig-
ious TRUTH He is. you might guess
from his papers. the most catholic of phoso-
piers: he forgives and loves everybody. and
wishes each to struggle on in his own place
and arrive at his own ends. But his respect
for eminent men. or. rather, mis- scale OF emf
ncncc. is about the reverse Of the popular.
He talks finely seems to love tho broad
Scotch. and loved him very much at once. >
As might have been expected. Emerson. with
his fine insight and delicate synpathies, did
not fail to appreciate the sinsularly winsom.
character Of Mrs Curlyje Il nm afraid " he
says "he finds his entire solitude tedious. bu,
Icould not HELM courratulatinv him upon his
treasure in his wife"
From the date of this visit n CORRESPONDENCE,
began between the two friends-for such Car.
lyle and Emerson had become in single meet
ing and on the mart of tho American ,be friend
shin WAS 10 be moro generous ard hclpfui tina,
the Scotch writer WAS to elicit from any En;.
llshmon. I'm Carlvl.'s first letter wc cncountc,
tho following kindly words touching Tin. proueI
relation of the mother country TO the Unite,
Stnt,s-worls much less fremncntIy snuk.n nm,
far mora rarclv meant mt thnt timc than in on
own. And an here he writes looking Owe
the wn,or lat ma repeat once more wha
Ibclievc ia already dimlv the sentiment OF nj
Enplisbm.n Cisoc.anic and Transoccnnic. TIM
wa md Won ure mot two countries and cunno
for the M, ~ rs b.. lint only two Dn,ishes O
ON, country with such wholesome pnrisb hos
pituli,ics md dirty temnorarv uarish fcuds m