The sun., 1886-12-05

which misery. especially OF petty kind. sooner
or later will never fail TO sReot-is . more
frightful thing. The desire which. In comnoh
with all men. I feel for conversation and soeiai
intercourse II. I md. snveloped In . dense.
repulsive Atmosphsre. not OF vulgar nsasSatss
hdnte. though suoh Il u generally ssteemsd
but Of deeper feelings which partly inherit
from nature. and which are mostly due 10
the undshnsd station have hitherto occu-
pied In society II continue . schoolmss-
ter. fear thers 10 little reason TO doubt
that these feelings will increase and at last
drive me entirely from the kindly sympathiss
Of life to brood In silence over tho bitterness to
which my friendly propensities must be
changed. Therefore must ceass to be peda-
9owue. But how. except BY some brisk sally. am
likely ever TO emerge from my thraldomr
The sally which he contemplated polluted to
Edinburgh. whsro he hoped to prepare HIM
self for some profession which offered the
prospect OF Q comfortable livelihood. But how
would he support himself meanwhile. seeing
that he had no friends. NO family connection.
and that his little store OF savings did not ex-
coed s5O02 This question Of ways and means
10 discussed In letter writton to his friend
Mitchell In 18lS Il have calculated" bo
says. that with economy. I can live
In Edinburgh for two years. independently OF
private teaching. which. however. should not
refuse H. ~ is not likely. 1t should offer ITSELF
During that period II I do not study deserve
to remain ignorant MineraloEy Ia to be my
winters work. Ihave thought OF writing for
bookselers In fine weather II does strike mo
that there are In this head some ideas. few
disjecta men,bra. which might find admittance
into some one Of the many publications OF the
day. To live by authorship was never my In
IA L. k,N nrnks
and happily so: for II we may credit
bioeraphers. tho least miserable day OF
an authors liio is generally tho last
have meditatsd an attempt upon
the profession OF q lnwyer or civil engineer:
though what person would afford me any as
sistance In executing either OF these projects
cannot soy. 1t is doubtful II can even learn
the nature Of tho obstacles to be overcome. and
the recompense OF success. This is the most
provoking thing Of all. yet how to remedy it."
What Carlyle means is that hs was 30 utterly
friendless that he did not know any ono In
Edinburgh to whom he could arply for even the
preliminary Information indispensable to tho
choice OF . profession. In the end. however.
his friend Mitchell procured him two or three
letters OF Introduction from country minister
to persons OF some note In the Scottish capital
But owing either to their Indifference or to
Carlyle's difldence. these lettors proved OF lit
tie use.
Tho proiect OF engaging in civil engineering
was soon given UP. but he did seriously at
tompt preparation for the bar Under date OF
November. 1919. he writes: "YesterniSht on
rolled in the GLASS OF Scots Law. The profess
sor. DR.. Hume q nephew OF tho philosopher.
spcaks in voice scarce audible. and his think
ing has yet to show all its points Of similarity
with tho penetrating genius Of his uncle. Yet
I prophesy shall not dislike the science. Ny
fear at the present Is even that I shnll not be
able to procure . COPY OF Ersk!ne's Insti-
tutos.'" This ponderous textbook he pro-
cured. but no could see but little in 1t.
After graphing with 1t for month he
tells his brother. Il attend the law class
with some satisfaction. and read a book called
Erskine's 'Institutes' upon the snme This
Erskine's 'InstltItes would weigh about four
stone avoirdupois; and you would think the
very goddess OF dulness had inspired every
sentence. Yet proceed without fainting. /
90. likewise occasionally to the Parliament
House and hear the pendings. I imagine It
would not be difficult to demolish certain per-
sons whom see gain a livelihood by pleading
there" But the sclenoe OF tho law. which. at
tho outset. as Wa have soon .ho looked upon with
out aversion. ho soon grew to dstest and do
spise. Within four N ontbs after entering the
Law school We find him writing to his friend
Mitchell: Law. fear must be renounced: {:
IL is "a ehapeless mass OF absurdity
and chicane: and the ten ycars
which a barrIster commonly spends In
painful idleness before arriving at employment
is moro than my physical or moral frame could
endure" Two months later he had definitely
turned his back upon tho bar. and he dwels at
some length upon his reasons in q letter to Mr..
Johnstone Apropos OF his prospects OF earning
livelihood, TO coniesses that at no period that
recollect have matters had moro doubtful
aspect. went to Edinburgh In winter with tho
view OF studying Scots law. intending. as you
know. II all things prospered. to make one des-
perate effort at Obtaining on advocates gown
and gaining my bread by profession
recommended to my fancy 80 strongly by tho
honorable nature Of the exertions that insure
| success In IT. went In moderate health and
with considerable hopes; but. alas! David
Aume owns no spark OF his unole's genius; his
lectures ON Inv are tstili excepting Erskine's 9
Instltu tes', the dullest piece OF stun over saw
| or heard Of. LonG-wlnded. dry details about
points not of the slightest importance to any
| but an attorney or o notary public: obsorva-
! tions upon the formalities OF customs which
| ought to be instantly and forever abolished
| uncounted cases Of blockhsad A versus block
| head B. with what Stair thought upon them.
| what Banktou. what the poor doubling DIrle-
| ton; and then tho nature OF actions of-O in
| Jandum! By degrees I got dishoartensd
| the science Of laD seemed little calcu-
lated to yiold reward proportionats
to the labor OF acquiring It; I became
remiss In my efforts through the vast
and thorny desert he was trayeraing: till at
length I abandoned him altogether with a
resolution that II ever became familiar with
law. II must bc under different guidance" He
never found such guidance nor apparently do