Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-03-01
Some Recent aut"hiographies

From Notes of a Professional Exile"
in the February Century, we quote the
following: Il have with me the autobio-
graphical works of Carlyle, edited by
Froude, which have attracted so much
attention. There are two periods in the
history of the world state of mind to-
wards almost every clever and success
full man. One of these is when he is
recognizcd; the other is when he is
found out. At the former period his
distinctions and peculiar abilities are
perceived. The world sees what he is.
He may then be said to have been re-
cognized. But along with his recogni-
ton the world is apt to bestow vague
and tacit credit for superiority in those
qualities in which he has not been tried.
There comes a time, however, when his
limitations are understood. The world
sees what he is not. He NAV then be
said to have been found out. That man
is fortunate who is recognized early and
found out late The latter period was
much deferred in Carlyle's case, owing
to the vigor of the impression he made
upon us. But when the time came for
the public to be undeceived with regard
to the character of this great and good
man, it certainly did not Judge him
fairly. The Immature of these writings
of Carlyle is not profound. Carlyle had
the presumptuous discomfort of
spoiled child. 1t was his instinct and
habit to sass right and left. And the
public itself was mainly to blame for
the spelling. The fault in such cases is
mainly the public's, on account of the
queer exemptions they accord people
who are able to sling ink particularly
well. Authors are spoiled because of
the weak supposition of the public that
they are as good as they profess to be.
The public will not insist upon remem-
bering that good authors are like other
people. Has not an author hands, Or
gans, dimensions, senses. affections,
passions; if you prick them do they not
bleed? if you tickle them do they not
laugh? Of course, the book reveals
Carlyle as an egotist. But are not near
ly all recent autobiographers cyclists? A
number of such works have appeared
during the last ten years. and the posi-
ton of the autobiographers has been in
nearly every case the same, namely,
that God did n good thing when he
made anybody else, and should have
taken an interest in the other individual
equal to that which he manifested in
the photographer, is proposition
which he cannot bring himself to con-
slider. Two books in which this view is
conspicuous are the photographers OF
John Quincy Adams and Miss Harriet
Martineau. Carlyle is a mild egotist be-
side these writers. Adams does not
speak of himself us an individual, but
as a cause which he has espoused. Oh
the two, Miss Martineau is the more
naive. She is for arranging the world
entirely from her own. point of view.
For instance, she attacked the late Lord
Lytton because he did not carry an ear
trumpet. Lord Lytton was deaf. and
preferred not to carry an ear-trumpet
Miss Martineau was deaf also, and did
carry one. She did not believe in the
immortality of the soul, and was very
hard upon any one who was OF con.
trary opinion. Her Heaven, had hel
belief permitted her to have one, would
have been place where they all sal
around with ear-trumpets and derided
the doctrine of the Immortality of the
SOUL