The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-03-16
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
A Brooklyn Lady Talks About the Sage OF
Chelsea and the Novelist.

Chelsea and the Novelist.
Especial Correspondence
NEW York, March 4.-Living unpreten-
tiously in Brooklyn is a lady, still on the safe
side of 40. who has been on terms of intimate
friendship with men whose personal attri-
butes and pecularities dwell within the MEN,
ory of but few persons, and are only set
down in the pages of unsatisfying biogra-
phies. This lady is the niece Of a celebrated
English nobleman, whose craftsmanship as
displayed while member of an English cab
met of the early '70s, was the source of ad-
miration by the liberal men of all parties.
His niece then girl in her teens, acted as
his private secretary, and in this position she
had ample opportunity of knowing and
studying many of the brilliant men who so
distinguished that time.
When but girl of II she was on terms Of
close intimacy with Thomas Carlyle, the sage
of Chelsea, who on account of his harsh elo-
ouence and his lifelong war against ''shams
and humbugs," was for half century called
"the censor Of the English nation The
death of his wife, Jane Welsh Carlyle, a
noble and brilliant woman, who for nearly
forty years had bravely borne the brunt Of
the dyspeptic philosophers moody testiness,
fully conscious that his inconsiderate treat
ment of his wife had Swallowed and chilled a
remarkably enthusiastic and loyal nature,
and to his close friends he often gave vent to
his sorrow in gloomy regrets and passionate
grief that he had taken such poor account OF
her devotion Said the lady mentioned
above:
II used frequently to visit Carlyle at his
home in Chelsea He was evidently attracted
by my exuberant youthfulness and enthusi-
asm, and we would often converse two or
three hours at a time. 1t could hardly be
called conversation, however for he did all
the talking. He spoke as though he were ad-
dressing convocation OF learned equals
rather than girl of II who had to per-
form some pretty difficult feats OF mental
pymasticism in order to thoroughly under.
stand the drift of his erudite discourse. He
would sit in an easy chair facing an old
fashioned stove, ON which was always sing
ing and bubbling an old black kettle. He
smoked pipe constantly, refilling it several
times in the course Of an hour. He was
not SO crusty and savage as some of his
detractors claimed, and he often treated me
with singular gentleness, even when tried
his patience sorely. have a vivid recollec-
ton of one of these occasions. We were sit
ting together one rather dark afternoon, say
ing very little He was dreamily putting
away at his pipe and looking at the Goals in
the fire Some incident that had happened
to him must have brought back old associa-
lions to his mind, for he suddenly began to
talk of his dead wife. With the sanguine
self confidence Of a very young girl l said,
You're hypocrite, sir, for everybody knows
4 that you treated her badly, and now you're
bemoaning and bewailing and lamenting.
Hypocritel Hypocritev was only half
serious, but when l saw him looking at me
under his bushy eyebrows thought was in
| for a tremendous coal raking But he only
| said, IT'S not bonnie, lass, to speak SO.
| Then, after q little while, Did l treat her
| i'll. think YET Did IT have no doubt that
| had / been a man or ten years older
and spoken to him 50 l should have
been shown the door amidst food Of raging
excavations. But never had q tiff with him.
| Although am convinced that he considered
.Sartor Resartus' his greatest work, he did
| not like to talk about it or have it mentioned.
| made q note of this fact, and whenever
wished to tease him, as I am ashamed to con-
fess often did, had only to say 'Sartor Re
sartusr as hounced out Of the room, b
throw him into Q perfect rage; Although
CARLYLE could never be induced to take an
active part in English politics. he had deep
| interest in the workings of the government,
| even in the smallest details, and as had access
| to many Of these affairs through my uncle,
| CARLYLE used to ask of me great many Ques-
lions about the men and things had come
| In contact with"
This lady was also well acquainted with
| Charles Dickens, and told me many interest
| ing things about the great novelist.
She said that Dickens believed thoroughly
in Tchborne claimant. She has many inter
esting stories about Lord Beaconsfield, Car
dual Manning and many other Englishmsn
and women whom she has known, and il her
"reminiscences were put in book form they
would constitute volume of rare interest.
i CLARENCE L. CULLEN.