Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1890-08-24


bors. 20 on. Oae hiutea st their prs {
"ltn, They thOcht theirsels Lac sheep
sh&nks' Another. OF Their thrift, WITH
They ne'er sell I the.T hens On rainy
day Another, OF missIlIness, Nith
/ They gae their hanes 10 nae dogs.
Another, or Their zasleFity, VIII
They warua gnd % ueeboF NJ.
Aud another bent iii body summed up
hat any one Nil at once md 10 be tie
unlye 81 feeling IA the tssly little
village With the crisp epitome, lhey
were ia 70 thole," That i, it was hard
10 get along with tie Czrlyles- IL 5
historic that Others besides these dim
old souls, some who lived IN the same
houses Nth them. found i Just that
way
Ine tramps got nothing for their
OIertory, and, alter a lea VICIOUS
kicks attne door, dep irted giving ne AIl
opportunity - reach the house lusl A.
the huge form aud red. yelnOus face OF
Mrs. John GOurley, caTetaker, appeared
At tie door. Shaking nne bludgeOn
after the vanishing Migrants she rs :
lleyed her ind gnsnon with: "HOO :.
It's weary day fOrauld Scotland " IN
there's nae body 4 fend hOOse Tx
this tTae tina low English beggars" and
then, IN radiant expectancy OF low
English 'saxpences, !" babe me enter.
There Is bat one room below stairs.
In the upper story there is room the
same SIZE as that on the iirst hoor.
This IS retained as sort OF showroom,
and Is well enough tIlled 10 be interest
lng with Carlyle relics, including MS
famous cOifee-pOt IN which he was wont
10 brew ms own coffee and his equally
famous tObaccO-cutter - landmarks
OF the Cheyne Row, Chelsea, IN
splraton, and Inseparable COM
paniOns OF his irasciblLty and
dyspepsia. OF this little cham
Der and sitting room, IN winch Is set Il
quaint old fireplace, IS a little, long,
low bedroom over the archway; and IN
this Thomas Carlyle was born. Al
together the place is unlnylung,
meagcr, hard, austere. The father
who bulit ii was godly, stubborn,
ira scb!c; tlinty as the Scotch granite IN
which he wrought as stone-nason,
truly ell u tho!e," as the bent
backed old guidwlfe, who knew HIM,
20 aptly described the family. DIsasso-
eating the man Thomas Carlyle from
y
not come TO one spot made warm, ten
der and glowing Tor his having been Il
part OF it; and the dreary old krk-yard
where he lies, but a few steps from
where he was born, Intenslfies the feel
ing that something OF the human and
humane was lacking. or was denied, ms
whole line. There does not seem to he
one soul IN all the region where ne was
born and reared who recalls the family
name with loving kindness and respect.
To be known as Il pilgrim to the Carlyle
home and tomb IS to be regarded with
Suspicion and sneers. The very grave
stone is parslmOnlous and shabby; the
enclosure unkempt; weeds and bramblcs
crowd the spot closely; the lad that un-
locks the gate smokers behind you;
and as | stood for little time leaning
upon the iron railing IN contemplation
| of the lonely, neglected grave OF this
rare old warrior IN the field of letters,
wondering, after all, If any true great
ness can ever exist so far above the
heads and hearts of the lowly that they
are not reached, aided and encompass
ed by 1t. A bevy of rosy-cheeked
rougish-eyed Scotch lasses passed, and
regarding me with hilarious scorn for
overlooking the merits of Ecclefechan
itself for dismal lettering where the
hearts of none here turned, one fair
maiden applied to a certain disciple OF
Carlyle such sturdy words of badinage
rs might well bewllder the bravest
pilgrim TO shrlnes in foreign lands.
AT ECcLEFECHAN.
missing lone one summer morning
IN an ancient Scottish kirk yard
BY the grave OF rare old Carlyle.
Reverent bowed and deep IN dreaming
suddenly there passed = maiden;
Passed Tut paused. Then. smiling. quoth she
There's no yon but stanes an brOmbles
Muckle MAR 5 in Ecciefechan."
Then the rOgush maiden vanished
From the place OF stones and brambles,
And left the dank old kirk yard
With the lesson OF her scOrning:
Keen thy soul from out the shadows;
Turn thy lie from Graves to gladncSsl
IN though bot hint in living,
This learned at E-clefechan.
EDGAR l.. WAKEMAN.