The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-03-15
TWO CARLYLE LETTERS.
New York Evening Pos,.l

wife to the same gentleman to whom was written the letter of Mrs. Carlyle published in the Evening Post of February He had written to Carlyle for particulars of the Literary Fund to which an old relative of his fof Greenock) wished 10 leave legacy. Mir. Earle by this time was getting on in the world, and was on intimate terms with the family. bu, from his first arrival in London they had been very kind to him.
 "CHELsEA. June a5, Is47.
 My DEAR SIR :-Beyond doubt there is a society popularly known as that of the Literary Fund.- which meets yearly in Freemasons' Tavern, and dimes and delivers speeches, and believe does Tn fact dole out some charitable sustena- tion to certain invalided sons of Grub street, though think it has not yet been known to assist any man Of real eminence, or, indeed, to act otherwise than as a kind of literary branch Of the pauper sys- tenn. l forget whether was ever asked but certainly never attended, and prob ably never shall, al any 0! their meetings and being no subscriber either, my knowledge of their affairs IS pretty much ike your own. However, have written otf this moment to ascertain what the correct address of their secretary is, and the instant get answer you shall have 1t your lawyer friend will then be able ! If the project IS. persisted in, 10 cores pond with this official in person till he be in all ways sufficiently instructed.
 As 10 this benevolent old gentleman i whose project really does him honor i in ones mind-l confess could wish him some surer method of doing spirit ual benefit 10 his fellow creatures than thls, so far as know II, promises 10 be The tendency of all manner of prurient Dlockheads to throw themselves into Literature al present. especially into :. Polite Literature and Bellies I.e,tres. ? instead of into clerking, tailoring. shoe making. at lowest into silence, IS really fhghtful. and leads, by natura! law, through a useless, explosive, and ex- ploded existence, down 10 collapse and a death of beggary, which beggay any soul that will relieve Is certainly doing an act of pity and perhaps of real mer- eyj, but Is not, 10 me, very certainly. al all forwarding any real spiritual interest of his coun,rymen in these ages. have a suspicion that with tenth part of our reading and wnting, if it were well done. we might have d chance 10 be hundred or perhaps a thousand times wiser peo- pie, However, our good gentleman shall have the secretary's name and address : and then after consideration choose for himself.
 '' Did he never think of founding Il really good library in Greenock. and leaving d small endowment to the school master fer circulating the books among all the inhabitants. In well-ehosen books lies. more than anywhere else, all the wisdom that nan yet has: as in ill- chosen books lies, most fiagrantly of all whatsoever is choices, and mos, perni- eious in his folly. To get library we'll chosen (chosen by men of insight and pfobity) in any town might require much consideration in a charitable testator. but by consideration it migh, be approx mately done. and done, this were the real building of kirk in these times.
 Yours always truly,
 T. CARLYLE
 tnEYNE Raw, Tuesday.
 " How could you, dear Mir Farle, give my friends at Seaforth the idea that had eloped with you: Your card and mine lett without one word of explanation |; Is not every woman who would have for given you as have done for the sensa- ton you produced in that imaginative family. Mrs. Paulet wrote eff iinmedi- ately to her brother in London 10 ask what on earth was the meaning of il :; she had never even heard me speak oi Mr. Fare naturally, as had never heard speak of Mir, tarie myself when Saw her last, and my silence. she said. made the matter more suspicious l. was mercy you did not like poor Pia,t- nauer, in the confusion of parting. walk of with whole pack of my visiting cards, or you might have ,oat,ered-what shall say - rumors to my disad- vantage all over Scotland. But, as have said, you are forgiven.
 What of the wife: Have you made any steps towards borrowing her yet or trial as adviseds Or are you coming back 10 London to the house l am to find you: That, don't recommend for. the moment. am just come back 10 London myself. after having hung loose on nature for five weeks. to the great ocHcut oi Ootu my Soui anu Oouy, ana ind 1t too bad for anything, as they say in Lancashire. My husband and l parted a, Leeds on Monday gone week he proceeding northward. southward. and bo:h of us reached our destinations on Friday. S,noe then 1 have not seen one glimpse of the blue sky. nor spoken one word to mortal, except my maid, and twice for ten minutes, 10 my b.other-in- law. believe there is man, or per haps two, of my acquaintance s,ili left. but feel so Inesmenzed by the silence ard the disInalness that have no power to announce my return. l spend my life chiefly in writing. letters, smoking cigari,tosi. and lovlng the desil out of a Yorkshire kitten, as eredi,able an aceoun, of oneself as my husbands, any how. who spends his life. he writes ,o me chiefly in sleeping and in drinking new inllk under various forms. Very bilious work .ha,. should say, bui every one 10 his mind In Derbyshire and Yorkshire