The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-26
JANET CARLYLE.
a Younger Sister of Observation-Disclosures
of the nIustciOus Grumbler.

lived about thirty years. She was born in
Scotsbric, and Is the youngest of the family
Her age is about sixty Eight, but she is very
active, seemingly as strong as the average
woman OF fifty, and has not the appearance
of greater than that age.
On the subject of her brother the follow
ing conversation occurred:
Reporter-You know. Mrs. Hanning that
everything concerning Mr.. Carlyle's profess
sional career is known to all the world.
Much of his domestic life is also made
known through the medium of recent pub
LEGATION, but there is a good deal, doubtless,
that you could tell the public which would
be peculiarly interesting. For instance
what was your brothers habit in writing?
Was he laborious writer or faci!e? Did he
do his work with a rush or by slow stages?
In short; how did he go about his books?
Mrs. Hanmng-Well, at Chelsea, where he
lived so long and did the larger share of his
work, he had an upper room-a garret-room
we called it-nicely fitted up to be sure,
where he wrote, There he worked early and
late, rarely coming into view except to his
meals and to greet a few old friends. When
at Scotsbrig he saw perhaps a little more
company, but he preferred secluson, simply
because he was too busy TO mingle with the
world. l remember one time an old school
mate and his wife called to see him. l
thought certain he would not object
to coming down, so L went through
the house hunting him. At last |
found him in his bedroom whittier he
had betaken himself in hiding. / said to
him, Come Tom brush your hair and tidy
up bit and go down to your old friend, who
has brought his wife to see you" After
good deal of persuasion he did as told him.
and for two hours, | think he Entertained
his callers. l remember well hearing roars
of laughter in the room where they were sit
ting and knew that Tom was in his best
mood. As to his habit of thought a good
deal has been said that was the utterance of
mere ignorance. The most noteworthy fact
l remember IN that connection was his prac-
tiCe of horseback riding. He was excessively
fond of it, and it was on horseback that most
OF his thinking was doae-out of his long
rides came much that was best in his books
Reporter-Had he any amusements?
Mrs. Hannng-Not in the ordinary sense.
Once in while ne would go to the theater
or the opera, but he used to say that there
was too much work to do 10 permit waste
of time.
Reperter-What was his treatment of
children?
Mrs. Hanning-Although he never had any
of his own, ne was a great lover of children.
Nothing seemed to brighten him so much as
the little ones. Why, l mind Just now being
at mothers one time when brother Tom was
there. / had two of my children with me.
Like all children, they went romping and
gathering through the house. l was very
fearful that they would annoy Tom, and so L
tried to still them. Tom heard me talking
to them, came out of his room and said:
Hey, jimmie, never mind the BARNS. Let
them talk as loud and run mad as they
like. They'll not interfere with me; never
fear that" And so | just know perfectly well
that no man could love children better than
Tom loved them ALWAYS.
Reporter-He was never much given to
travelling?
Mrs. Hanning-No: he just hated it.
Nothing ever annoyed him quite so much as
the thought of going somewhere-or as he
would have said Somewhither. OF course he
visited Germany when he was writing his
Life of Frederick, and spent good deal of
time in Paris when he was preparing to write
his French Revolution" I've at home now
beautiful little needle-case he brought to
me from Paris.
Reporter-After you came to America did
you correspond with him?
Mrs. Hanning-Oh, yes; as long as he
lived. When he was no longer able to write,
his amauuensIs, Mary Aiken NOW Mrs. Alex.
Carlyle) wrote for him, though he nearly al
ways penned the salutation at the beginning
of his letters. The last letter he wrote me,
all in his own hand, was in blue pencil. l
have it yet, together with many others,
which the world may possibly one day see,
Some of them are very beautiful, and most
all of them are pathetic
Reporter-hlad your brother any fondness
for music2
Mrs. Hanning-Decidedly. He was especi-
ally fond of his wife's playing on the piano,
and used to ask her to play whenever he
came from his work. At supper particu-
larly, it was his delight TO sit while Mrs.
Carlyle played some simple air. Oh yes,
music softened him and rested him. I'm
sure he was very fond of it.
Reporter-Had he any familiar and init
mate friend-any real bosom companion of
his own sex?
Mrs. Hanning-I think not, in the sense
your question implies. He liked Edward IT.
wing, who afterward became a preacher.
Somehow they drifted apart and never seem
ed to renew their old intimacy. l believe
that he never opened his Utmost heart and
gave his unreserved confidence to any man
except Ralph Waldo Emerson, unless 1t
was Goethe, to whom he was much at
tached. Goethe gave him q great deal of
help in one way or another when he was
writing the Life of Frederick and the
French Revolution" and when Goethe died
Tom wrote us that he felt as if he had lost
another earthly father. Our own father had
died in January, and Goethes death occurred
in March of the same year.
Reporter-Nhat was your brother like
when q boy?
Mrs Hanning-Very grave-very much alb
sorbed in study and not at all given to ordi-
nary tricks of boys. He promised mother
that he would never fight, and so one OF our
brothers (who liked fishtng) used to fight all
of Toms battles Tom was a slender saplng
of fellow, but very manly. There was one
bully in school, however, who irritated HIM
beyond endurance; and one day he broke
out and gave his tormeutor a terrible thrash
ing. After that, believe. he never fought,
though, as you are doubtless aware, his CON
troversial disposition chung to him through
life.
Reporter-Do you know anything of the
burned manuscript of the French Reyolu-
tionP"
Mrs Hanning-That was a sad blow. but
he felt the force of it only few days He
was not the man to spend time and breath in
repinings and after the first shock subsidized