Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-09-30
Mrs. CarlyI.

Speaking generally We know most OF
those who do least. The greatest spend
their lives in work, and are content to
be remembered in the product.
"Would you know the master; then be-
hold his work" says the monument to
Christopher Wren. A friend once con-
fided his wish to us to have inscribed
upon his tomb, Gle could skate back
wards" He prided himself upon this,
his single accomplishment, and his
notion of biography was very concise.
1t is regrettable that Carlyle had not his
content. The memory of great man
whose genius made him common
and COMPOUNDED in this record of a
little man, who showed every meanness
Of a selfishly absorbed mind that could
not rise superior to the common incon-
veniences of domestic life. Of the
life of Jane Welsh Carlyle by Mrs.
Alexander Ireland, the London Queen
says: "From the time of Carlyle's first
meeting with Jane Welsh CARLYLE, he
desired to make her his; but at no
time did his love rise superior to the
self-love with which he regarded him
self. His whole life, as accorded in his
letters, contains little but querulous
repetitions of complaint against him
ORANGES, material and physical, to his
progress in work. A love Of quiet,
which he paid for dearly in the want of
it. A love of food to his liking, which
resulted in a mere record of indiges-
ing with Jane Welsh Carlyle there is
nothing but small quarrels and inces-
SAINT plans for securing to him all the
comfort and the quiet he demanded.
Indeed he thought little of his wife as
he strOve for an environment, within
the protection of which he could work
with undisturbed mind. The difference
between the husband and wife was
this: Carlyle, when he did not rush
raging from his silent ROOM was in
cessantly occupied in great work,
whilst she, gifted as she was, led what
must have have seemed an unoccupied
life. She had little to do with her
husband but to hear complaints of in
digestion within, and uproar without,
and to the best of her ability to alleviate
his pains. She on her side had much
to bear. The life she found under his
roof was the poor reward of a relation
ship established in love, and ration
allsed by careful Encouragement into
what should have grown to be lasting
thing was wrong in compact. Carlyle
doubtedly loved his wife, and love, in
some deep way, was essential to him.
Many times, in words as beautiful as
love has spoken, he gives expression
to passion whose strength he
never knew until great words of his
own finding revealed its depth to him.
Yes; Carlyle loved his wife. AS surely
she loved him. None can read SUCH
letters as they write, and doubt that
love, from first to last, was at the bottom
of their trouble. Nothing but lovers
could exhibit such passion as appeared
In their Quarrels.
Taken as whole, one must regret
that these records Of their intimacies
have been so complete, however thay
may clarity the mysteries of marriage
as a factor in psychology. Repeatedly,
Carlyle awoke from sustained periods of
self-absOrptlon to a consciousness of his
neglect OF her; but it should be con-
coded on his side that the assurance of
her love was essential to him in his
work, and his absorption in it was much
due to contented belief that it was
safe in his heart. On a mutual recog-
milton of genius they had based their
partnership. She jealousy watched
whilst he worked, and he has told US
how many times his life was frightened
as love shone in her face and she gave
him kisses for mere pride, in that power
of, his in which she so firmly believed.
She lived to receive splendid assur-
ance of that power. Carlyle was elected
to the Rectorship of Edinburgh Uni
versity. Mrs. Carlyle was unable to 60.
But Professor Tindall telegraphed to
her three golden words, "a golden
triumph" and almost in that assurance
was her love fulfilled. She confessed
to her high belief in Carlyle's power,
and whatever his faults might be, she
courted all that life could give under
the least of his successes, and died on
his fame.-London Queen.