The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-05-18
CARLYLE.
luded.)

thing that opposed him: sour aud con
temptuous of almost every living thing
Hear his comments on few OF hi
contemporaries. OF Southey he says
His speech, for prolixity, thinness
endless dilution, excelled all other
that ever heard from mortals. Jear
Paul. for example, lneither was h'
great could have worn him in finger
ring"
OF Wordsworth, he says: ''Intrinsi
cally and extrinsically. small man
let them sing or say what they will.
And again: Il have spent an afternoon
| with his book, and come off with ONLY
a wren's nest left in my possession. D."
OF C0leridge. he says "A weak diff
fusive. well meaning, Intellectual man.
OF Macsulay "A short. fat man
mostly run to tongue. He will neithel
see nor do anv great thing. but be
poor Holland House unbeliever, will
spectacles instead of eyes, to the end o.
him.
OF Charles Lamb: "Insuperable pro
clivity to gin in poor old Lamb. Hi'
talk contemptibly small, indicating
His talk like diluted insanity"
When Montague attempted to give
him position, hear him: Montague
wishes me for his clerk. thinking the
Polar Bear, reduced to a state of dys
peptc detection, might be trusted with
rabbits"
CARLYLE thought little of his books
was only anxious to be through with
and rid of them. No man was more
courageous or tried harder to be phi
losopher in his life.
A radical IN every fibre Of him, with
contempt for gilt carriages and arIstoc-
racy, as husband he was most uncom'
Portable. His marriage in 1926 IS usu'
allv considered unfortunate, but as far
as can see it had no i'll effect upon
him. On toe contrary. 1t was benefi-
cial. His wife's ambition stimulated
him. To his wife it was, indeed. in a
domestic sense, unfortunate. Their
married life was one continued state OF
unrest, due as much, however, to the
wife as to the husband.
They worked ill in double harness,
while singly each might have been hap
pier, though neither could ever, under
INV circumstances, have been truly
nappy. Happiness was out OF the ques-
ton with either disposition, even
though left to follow its own bent.
Joined together they were wretcbed,
They were both most Of the time In
state of metaphorical delirium tremens.
Carlyle. when engaged on any work,
was entirely absorbed by it; possessed
with it as with a devil, savage, surly,
irritable, storming, growing, and
snarling at the slightest interruption.
Pulling down a portion OF his house
and rebuilding it, because the young
lady next door persisted in practicine
on the piano. Rushing through his par
tcular work under the highest intel
lectual and nervous pressure, work
ing himself up TO the verge
of insanity mentally, and al
most down TO wreck physically
spending sleepless nights ramplne
the floor. Like an engine steamed
up to perform certain task, he forged
ahead under full steam. overcoming al
obstacles and running over and crush
ing everything on its track, no won
der he should have been regardless OF
MS wifes feelings, ambition and com
forts. Believing that what he had IN
him to say was an Inspired mission
which he had to say regardless OF con
sequences, either to himself, VIE OF
| trends, provided it accomplished whal
he aimed at. some good to mankind
could we expect anything else OF hin
| than neglect and rudeness to his wife
Full of great burning thoughts, which
occupied his whole being, and which
he must pour out TO the world at al
hazards, he had little thought until af
ter her death for his wife. Possessing
only "a weak physical constitution
which was preyed on by mind Away
at furnace heat, and by dyspepsI
and poverty, and hacking tn
comforts of that religion which is -
| covert from the heat, shelter iron
the storm and as the shadow OF a grea
rock in a weary land;' 10 it to b
wondered at that he was tempestuous
| wild and unruly? conscientious to tn
pOlnt of morbidnesS in his work, Away
afraid he would fail to bring out him
self, as he felt ne was bound to do, els
| il would be lost TO mankind, al
that marvellous store Of knowledge
logic, philosophy and humor that Ia
within him. but which he seems t
have brought forth with the severes
labor, could we expect him to be sweet
| tempered and mild? Had he been "
should not have had many of his mos
wonderful works.
When his work was over reaction sc
in, and. gloomy and morose, he woul
ay to Scotland or elsewhere to seek hi
dear silence, as his wife calls II
In silence and forgetfulness he wa
as extreme as in activity. WHAT an I'll
comfortable husband Not an unloviu
husband, for he loved his wife dearly
IL is said Of him that no one was meane
TO his wife while living. and no on
ever wrote more beautifully OF a VII
after her death. Not in a certain sens
an unappreciatiye husb9nd, forremove
from his fixed idea he was good
her; good to her in all large things an
always neglectful of all small things.
| Most women would have preferre
any other man TO Carlyle as a HUSBAND
they would prefer resting at the foot {
a small hill to dwelling under vo
cano, although its eruptions poure
forth pure gold. some women woul
think otherwise. Mrs. Carlyle though
otherwise. she was almost as uncon
Portable as wife as h ewas as
husband. With her headache
her inhuerzi, her sleepless nigh
and bad digestion, she could not haS
, been much of a soothing bal
to her husband. When we think of he
rendered frantic by the barking Of he
washerwoman's dog. and franticalI
writing a letter to the woman. enclo
ing a bottle of Risky to make the dc
drunk until she could buy or provide
pension for il: when we think OF h'
endless worries over servants, fallul
10 get birthday letters aud other lit
things, we can but conclude that 81
was not in domestic sense the wife II
such tornado as Carlyle.
Mrs. Carlyle had her work. too, wrl
ing witty letters, aud was often left e
hausfad anil unreasonable by IneI