New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-31

c,nreroed THAR chief siguihcance-maae svs ~
by he normal eourse Of events. but oy tne ,uNs
oences OF slngu!arly infciclsous
the vht hey 5our upon Cariye's marital Feiaslons
s,,.,,ghont the decade illustrated We ma him OK
,res.nr the warrnesf, tendcrest Affection tho mos.
!, io,s and constant consideration, for bis WHO ~
anv chance Is suggested TO him bis INST tnougot 10
concerning her-how win II strike her, or snect nsI'
or add 10 or diminish her work. when no IS sway,
Or ana 4 Visiting friends he lamens her absence IN
tho most feeling manner and looks forward WIN neA'
felt delight 70 Tho prospect OF her return
This traces OF HIS dyspepsia indeed plain enough
tboueh Il is only when writing 10 his mother that no
expatlstes upon his physical ailments and puts on Ine
characteristics invalid egoism Elsewhere WHO no
refers occasionally to the uncertain state OF his heann
as accounting for moodiness and somorcness OF view
which he evidently felt be morbid he as evidently
nights hard against depression, and plays the Stoio
with fair measure Of plausibity. Incidentally mo
editor extingiisbes q little spark Of manufactured
caumny which has contributed not little TO the lot
nation Of the evil character attributed TO Carlyle since
his death. The phrase, HGey III to live VIZ as me
reader knows. occurs often IN Froude's Lte,' ana
has come to be regarded embodying the view taken
By Mrs. Carlyle of her husband Now, Professor Nor
ton points out that the actual phrase Is used by ana
IN regard 10 Carlye-hrst by his mother-was oey III
10 deal VIZ which is quite different matter, and Cd
viousy has reference to that rash humor which tho
great writer owed to his bodily nirmitIcs, and which
broke Out oCcd8Onhlly N Oh pccNihibSAS SnA
cibnlty There Is another significant fact In this vol
ume wo refers to tho evidence which shows how
greatly Carlys later memory deceived him respecting
the feelings which dominated his first years Of married
lIfe
Those who should read only his ultimate recollec-
TONS set down when sorrow and the decline OF lire
had dartened all bis environment and weakened his
reminiscent capacity, would carry away the impression
that his whole had been shrouded in deep mel
anchoiy. and that he had been compelled to contend
against constitutional depression tending almost 70 SUI
cIda suggestions Tho present letters indicate the IN
coreetness Of such inclusion In fact Carlyle was at
times bright and lively and enjoyed life quite heartily
and for long periods together wle NJ Cragenputtock
Notwithstanding the ISOLATION Of tho place and his wife
evidently was happy there too. At conley Bank
they were more than comfortable, and after settling
down in Chelsea they were individually satisfied ana
full Of cheerfulness OF Carlyle had his hours
Of darkness and his days OF gloom. A chronic dys
pepss may be relied upon to produce those phenomena
with disaerceable regularity But II rs clear that no
was generally quite At 10 work. and that the occasions
we're raro upon which he could net avail himself Cd
passing opportunities for enjoyment. Ho was also
always ready 10 give advice, and It was lnvacaoiy
sound advice, TO HIS brothers and whomsoevor else
sought counsel at HIS hand In ell his talk there Is
conspicuous q robust moral sense. perfectly I'M
warped Judgment, and profound conviction thai the
chief end Of human lfe Is the loyal performance Of
duty All this no doubt, Is thoroughly characteristic
but may be objected that all Of this the world knew
before
THIS consideration brings US naturally TO = ques-
ton which Is likely TO 10 many as they Jay aoVn
this thick volume Of correspondence; tho question:
nameis. whether Il was really worth while 10 pub
lsb these letters OF late years the desire 10 meet
halfway real or fanoied oageness for the least and
most intimate details Of tho lives Of famous or notor
ous people has so overrdden the canons OF taste anu
the claims Of privacy which obtained general recog-
milton before that there is ample excuse FOR the edoF
whose admiration for deceased friend leads MN INTO
exoess IN Che publication Of biographical material
Il may be said that no editor Is justified In yielding
10 the vulgar curiosity, the prevalence OF which -
made the ground OF these microscopic analyses, and
the position Is certainly strong. There u ottsn
demand for many things which It Is against good
morals and good taste to grant The dead have rights
In theory even their rights be ignored in fact; and
when such volume As this appears, hed with LISTERS
which arc almost wholly occupied with domestic and
family Affairs the intimate revelations Of related per
sons the simple records of commonplace events, tho
hourly chronicles OF an yet nmporant existence,
and the whole world taken into tho confidence Of these
homcy, unassumlng, transporting peoplc-h 10 din
celt not TO fnni sharp tw1Dgo OF doubt as 10 the
propraety of tho publication. II Is stu moro dincut
not TO experience of shame az the rude tn.
yason II sacred prvacies involved In the perusal OF
the letters.
A century hence n would have mattered nothing
Il VIII matter nothing century hence Postertty
win fudge Carlyle by hs works alone; by his works.
which as in tho case OF every author. contain tho
sole message he he'd for the world, the only expression
Of his creative intellect which hs was prepared to
publish, the only products Of his thought which he
regarded as important enough for preservation
Those who 80 eagerly read every scrap OF prvaAe
correspondence every petty detail Of domestcity every
inference conjecture and speculation about him, a.
| suredly know no more Of the mans true nature than
viii their successors who concern themselves only
with bis acknowledged works. Nay, this generation
knows really less than will the next FOR II has sub
stituted for consistent, rounded whole patchwork
creation in which the original design is obseured by
clouds OF gossip, scandal and frivolous chstter In
the present nstAnee there be no doubt a. 10 the
rendness and good intentions Of the editor but the
practice followed is the less to be deprecated
| in tho interest both OF ethics and literature.