The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1892-11-23
LIFELONG FRIENDS.
THE STRANGE FRIENDSHIP OF EN-
ERSON AND CARLYLE.

The friendship Goethe and Schiller,
of Beaumont and Fletcher, of Irving
and Paulding, of Socrates and Plato,
have often been noticed as among the
friendships of literary or philosophical
minds.
But perhaps one Of the strangest lit
erary friendships was the lifelong init
macy between Emerson and Carlyle.
This intimacy was not fostered by per
sonal contact, for Emerson and Carlyle
met each other only upon two or three
occasions. All their lives a wide Oceanl
of space divided them, and wide ocean
of tastes and temperament. 1t would
be hard to find two men who were more
totally unlike. Carlyle was fierce, tu-
multuous, the most terrific scold in all
history. Emerson was mild and benlg-
nant as an afternoon in September. Car
lyle frowned like thunder cloud, and
Emerson glowed like sunburst.
CARLYLE seemed to despair of the fu-
ture of the race and believe that the
crazy old world was rafting on the
down grade to destruction Emerson
was one of the most persistent optimists
in all history. The past looked great to
him, the present looked grand and the
future looked grander. Carlyle's style
was jerky, explosive and smashed to-
gether like railroad wreck. Emerson's
style was compact, smooth and epigram-
matte. Carlyle wrote long histories like
'Frederick the Great" and the French
Revolution" which read like a long
drawn out series Of spasms, as if their
authors pen was afflicted with the st.
Vitus dance. Emerson wrote short, COM
pact essays, in which every thought was
packed in the smallest possible compass.
The views Of these two men were al
most dramatically opposed. Carlyle, es-
pecially in his later days, seemed to
believe in an absolute monarchy. He ad-
mired the czar Of Russia. His great his
torical heroes were men who had ruled
men with hand of iron. Emerson was
firm champion of republican institu-
tons.
Both Emerson and Carlyle were semi
invalids all their lives. But Emerson's
invalidism only served to draw out the
latent sunshine of his nature. The more
he was chastened by disease the sweeter
grew his disposition. Carlyle's invalid
ism made him rage like Gagged tiger
AL his life long he thundered lurid de-
nunciations at his own stomach. Emer-
son wished to be known as lover OF
men; Carlyle called the public ''mostly
fools"
Yet these two men, SO dissimilar in
their tastes and temperaments, main
tanned lifelong friendship, and in fact
Emerson and Edward Irving were about
the only men of this generation that
Carlyle ever spoke of with respect
s'Sartor Resartus," Carlyle's first
lengthy work and probably his master
piece, was first brought out, in book
form, in America by Emerson. The
first words of warm appreciation that
the book received came from this side
of the Atlantic. In England it was re-
,ceived with gibes and sneers and con-
tempt. 1t was, and still remains, one Of
the strangest books that was ever writ
ten, but it is full charged with Carlyle's
volcanic and dynamic genius. Emerson
was one of the first to appreciate this
genius and help to find it public.
All of Carlyles successive books as
they appeared found warm admirer Ill
Emerson, though he must have violent
ly disagreed with many of their senti-
ments.
A perpetual correspondence was kept
up between the two men. In this CORE
spondence Emerson was at his best, and
CARLYLE never was more characteristic
than in his letters to Emerson. He must
have. in his inmost heart, despised the
theories and thoughts expressed in En-
erson's books, for his whole life was a
battle against these theories and
thoughts. But in spite of this radical
difference of ideas there was something
about the man he liked. Emerson must
have abominated many of the expressed
opinions of Carlyle, and yet he was pow
yerfully impressed by Carlyle's person
atty.
They both hated each other as think
,ers, but loved each other as men.
This friendship ought to demonstrate
that the strongest attachments grow up
someone's between ueu VI outuoIy III
vergent tendencies of thought. Men
seek their opposites for friends as they
seek their opposites for wives. It is
ssasy for one man to like and respect
another man without agreeing with
him. 1t is possible, however, that if
Emerson and Carlyle had been thrown
into closer intimacy they would not
have continued their friendship SO long.
Carlyle was not an easy man to live
with, as his own wife discovered to her
sorrow. He became chronic scold.
He found fault with his food. He scold-
ed if draft of air blew too rudely upon