The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-08
IN CARLYLE,s COUNTRY.
A Tour Through that Part of Scotland Made
Famous by the Sage.

/ IN CARLYLE'S COUNTRY.
A Tour Through that Part of Scotland Made
Famous by the Sage.
| Letter in st James Gazette.
Going out of our way to take in AMMAN and
Dumfries struggling line from Ecclefechan to
bleak Craigenputtoch carried me recently
through the heart of the Carlyle country. The
birthplace of the Philosopher-an irregular row
or houses come to grief as it would seem, at the
| bottom of Hill down which they had been pre-
| clpitatey hurrying-now chiefly echoes to the
| footsteps of American pilgrims; but an occa
/ sional Carlyle was to be crossing
| the Shiny village burn, where Tam
| puddled as a laddie and it was here
that | made the acquaintance of his brother
James Foul are the streams odors, but ire
preSsible the enthusiasm of the true Carlylean.
An old woman here was made uneasy on one oc-
casion by the behaviour of mysterious
/ stranger. who slipped of the polluted waters and
wrapped up one of its dirty stones in his nice
| clean pocket handkerchief. The poor man was
4 afterward ascertained to be DR.. Joseph C,
! OF Boston. Ay, but there are many such; and
| though Ecclefechan is sorry for them, it charit
| ably pretends not to notice. handful of octo-
geparians still are. to fling back their memories
| 10y reQuest) to time when the terrible Carlyle
| family cantankerously took each other off"
| round their own inglenook. Severe were the
faces, grim the badinage. and uncanny the lapseS
into silence when the red fire cleaned on granite
| faces and the ticking clock emphasized the still
| ness. But the ''old man" was the worst of all.
| Never had he opened his mouth to those Ecce-
fech1ans without cutting some one with his sharp
| tongue. Eye need ma expeck us to go out of our
way to belaud the Carlyes." said more than one
patriarch, with glance over the left shoulder.
There was little surprise for us when. ascend
ing the narrow, precipitate stairs. we were ush-
cred into the room where Carlyle first saw the
light We had been here BEFORE and there was
evidently something wrong. 'Ay," the tenant
explained. promptly setting matters right 1--WE
fhn Ia fhp Nfh nctd Of
the passage. instead You see, this room was new
err In order" The room is connections enough,
and interesting AS containing the philosophers
writing table and favorite chair. The churchyard
is small and bare, and almost paved with tomb
stones, of which those that mark the resting
place of the Carlyles do not alone deserve atten
| tlon Here is meager stone only awaiting
| some graduate in scandal to interpret its half
obliterated inscription into SANDER on afamous
statesman for, pieceo into vague stories current
| in the village, it tells us that the great
membered in a very strange manner land quar-
| terly) an old couple in Ecclefechan who have
| long moldered in the grave. Much might be
| made of this. Not stones throw distant lies
the surgeon who attended the great Napoleon in
| exile, and was presented by him with the
| imperial snuff box A full snuff-box, too, the
contents of which were jealousy preserved,
| like bin of famous port, for grand occasions.
We have gripped the hand of villager who has
| actually snuffed from the Napoleonic box so
| that the story is we'll authenticated.
| James Carlyle. of whom Mr.. Froude makes
| frequent mention, and for whom the illustrious
| brother had to the end warm affection / met
once at Ecclefechan, and subsequently, at his
sons farm. of Priestlands. near Dumfries,
| where he now resides. A shorter man than
Thomas, the likeness between the two is
| not, perhaps, considerable, though the shrewd
Scotch face, with its keen eye, shaggy hair, and
rugged lines, has the characteristic family
marks. And when he speaks his identity is at
| once disclosed; individuality remarkable; pros
| Coo fo,, Al -
Carlyle all over Our conversation happened to
turn on education, that being the day of the
| annual inspection of the Ecclefechan school, and
our 1nterest ting acquaintance who likes his
friends to know that he is James Carlyle, and
not merely 'CarIyles brother') broke
in vehemently, Eye make q terrible
to do about edication nooadays. by what
was the case when l was young. Tae day at the
Scnnie when was nine year auld. my teacher was
Mearin Inc say my catachers, and | said he be-
leNes instead O. he believeth.' He knocked
me aoon, anu pnd my Tugs and bangt me on the
aashs; ana ran DOT AID lay at the fit o hedge
| A most entertaining origina; nan, tbonob nossi
| bly, should have listened with less reverence
| had not the shade of Thomas hopsrea near 10
talk with the brother is surely more <han to Hiss
| the hem of the great mans garment When
we met the old man again he was wanderno IN
| his sons fields taciturn and unsocable. '1aa
| son. when his hair whitens promises to be in
appearance second edition of his great uncie;
|
| ally of Craigenputtoch, which he farmed until
quite recently
Evidently the secret of getting on in the
| world" was not known to member of the
Carlyle family only, all the author of ''Sartor
Resartus'" nearest surviving relatives be-
| ing, in the Scotch phrase, exceedingly
| ''weel to do There are many pretty
villas in Dumfries. but none more charm
| ing than that where Mrs. Aitken, Car
| lyles sister. resides. Here we have seen
him of forenoon, wideawake firmly planted on
his head and a sturdy staff in his hand taking no
more notice of the passers by who uncovered
| their heads than of the irreverent who
| whstled. 1t is told in Dumfries that, taking a
solitary walk one day near his sisters house. he
encountered two disciples who thirsted to hold
communion with the master They knew that
| Carlyle loved not intercourse with such as they
| but, being men of quick invention, accosted
him as one who would, perhaps, kindly tell them
/ how far distant they were from Locharbriggs
Tam" as he is still called in Ecclefcchan. lifted
| his staff, and, referring them with it to mile
stone in the near vicinity, silently passed on
In Dumfries Carlyle was generally accompanied
| in his wanderincs by his niece, whose disap-
prevail of the manner in which Mr.. Froude has
executed his trust will probably induce her to
| enter the literary arena with a biography
| very soon. So we heard on good authority in
| Dumfries.