Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-28

speaking. All the strong emotions Of the
human heart--love, grief, rage-naturalll
take cadences as they find expression in
words. This universal manner Of speech il
that country illustrates the power Of thi
Scotch pulpit over the popular ear ant
heart.
A FASCINATING TALKER.
"Carlyle. who sprang from the peasant
classes of Scotland, was most fascinating
and entertaining talker. He drew around
him in intimate social relation the brightest
and best people of Great Britain. to say
nothing of other countries. Generally
speaking, literary men in England at that
time were only tolerated by what we may
term the upper classes. They were not
welcomed in society except as lions, so to
speak. On this account Carlyle often re-
fused to accept invitations from dukes and
lords. IF they want to see me let them
come to my house. he was wont to say.
He even carried this feeling SO far as to
decline an invitation from the Queen to
visit Windsor Castle.
Knowing his peculiarity in this respect
the Queen took no ofense at his refusal, but
she was so earnest in her desire to meet him
that she invoked the aid of Dean Stanley,
who was Carlyle's warm personal friend.
He arranged meeting at the deanery of
Westminster. where Carlyle was presented
to the Queen or the Queen was presented to
Carlyle, which ever way you choose to
put 1t.
MEETING VICTORIA.
CARLYLE was q commoner in the fullest
sense of the world. He had little reverence
for mere royalty-the person who wore the
crown must be worthy to command his
respect. I do not imagine that he consid-
cred it great act of condescension on the
part Of the Queen to meet him. In the
presence OF the sovereign, etiquette requires
that all remain standing until the Queen
gives the signal to take seats Let me tell
you how Mr.. Carlyle managed it. The
ladies and gentlemen of the company were
in the drawing room, the presentations had
been made and the Queen graciously ex-
pressed her pleasure at meeting one so dis
tinguished in letters.
Carlyle thanked her for her kind words
and added: "But I am getting to be an old
man now; suppose we ali sit down and talk
it over" himself setting the example. In
going. to and taking seats at dinner pre-
cedence, based upon official rank or partic-
ular grade Of nobility, is most important
and delicate question. Even General Grant,
unless a dinner was given in his special
honor, would have been compelled to sit at
the foot of the table even below the Amer
ican Minister, for when he was in England
he was only private citizen. Carlyle at
tended few dinners, but when he did accept
such an invitation he always led the march
to the dining room, was recognized as
king, and so took precedence Of everybody.
HIS UNHAPPY WIFE.
'This lionizing of Carlyle was indirectly
one of the chief causes of his wife's unhap-
piness. Lady Ashburton conceived a great
admiration for Carlyle and he became part
of the literary circle which surrounded her.
He became fascinated with Lady Ashburton.
and though am sure that he was true to
his wife and that Lady Ashburton was true
to her husband, still the fact that he was in
vited to many places where mis- wife was not
was one of the causes of her misery. Jane
Welsh Carlyle was a most extraordinary
woman. She was intellectually the peer of
any woman of her time, but the English
nobility who feted Carlyle, merely tolerated
her and she lett that her admittance to their
society was only upon sufferance.
'Mrs. Carlyle was far the superior of
Thomas Carlyle in culture and refinement
He was peasant with the ideas of "a peasant
in regard to woman. His mother whom he
esteemed was an ignorant woman who had
washed the clothes of her family and brewed
and baked for them. Mrs. CARLYLE was
brought up with plenty OF servants about
her, and was remarkably sensitive in feel
ing. After she was married she discovered
that Carlyle expected her to do the same
hings that his mother had done and she
nurmured not, but attempted to do them.
PATIENT IN HER TROUBLE.
In the days of their poverty she did all the |
york about the house, and Carlyle uncon-
ciously imposed upon her. He was yery
and his stomach was such that he |
vas often in bad humor. He would eat no |
'read but that which his wife baked, and he |
aid nc marmalade agreed with him except
hat which she made with her own hands.
lie often wounded her feelings without
moving it, and he was filled with remorse
Then his eyes were opened by iler diary,
7hich he first saw after her death. He
uthorized the publication Of the diary more
rom a wish to do justice to her memory than
nything else, and he gave it over into
Troude's hands with the Injunction to pub
ish it il he thought that justice demanded
!, but, if he published it, to put it word for
1ord and line for line as it was written.
When Mrs. Carlyle married him it was
ne of her ambitions to be able to aid him in
is literary work. The two did work for a
hort time after their marriage. They did
ome translations together, but CARLYLE
,und that he must be alone to do his best
Tork. The law of genius is solitude, and as
e went on with his literary labors the dis
ance between the two increased, and he
came to do all his work by him.
IF. FRANK G. CARPENTER,