Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-11-20
AS MAN To MAN
THEIR VIEWS WERE ALMOST
pssmsuicaiiy Opposed = pissimilar Ia
TsmPsamsns and Tsssas-Esch
Lowed tins Oshes.


of Beaumont and Fletcher, Of Irving
and Pzuldins. of SoJssss and Plato.
have often ben no<icsA = among the
friendships Of literary or philosophical
minds.
But perhaps one Of the strongest lit
0asy Friendships was the lifelong inti-
macy between Emerson and Carlyle.
This intimacy was not fostersd by pr
ponal contact. for Emerson and Carlyle
met each other only upon two or three
occasions. All their lives wide ocean
Of space divided them. and . wido ocean
Of tastes and temperament IL would
be hard % find two men who were more
totally unlike. Carlyle was farce, tu-
multuons, the most terrific scold In all
history. Emerson was mild and beuig-
nant as an afternoon in September. Car
lyle frowned like thunder cloud. and
Emerson glowed hike 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 10 destruction. Emerson
was one Of the moss 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 q railroad wreck Emersons
style was compact, smooth and epigrsm-
matte. Carlyle wrote long histories like
Frederick the Great" and the French
Revolution which read like . long
drawn out series Of spasms. as IL their
authors pen was afflicted with the ST.
yitus 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 Numerically opposed. Carlyle. es-
pecially in his later days, seemed to
believe in an absolute monarchy. He ad-
mired the car OF Russia His great his
torical heroes were men VINO had ruled
men with hand Of iron. Emerson was
y firm champion OF republican institu-
tions.
Both Emerson and Carlyle were semi
invaiids all their lives. But Emersons
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.
All his life long he Numbered lurid de-
nunciations at his own stomach Emer-
SON wished to be known a. = lover Of
men: Carlyle called the public mostly
fools"
Yet these two men. so dissimilnr 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
''5artor Reeartus," Carlyles 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. Il was, and still remains, one Of
the strangest books that was ever writ
ten, but 1t 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 Carlyle's successive books as
they appeared found a-warm sdmirer in
Emerson. though he must have violent
ly disagreed with many Of their senti-
meuts.
A perpetual correspondence was kept
up between the two men. In this CORE
spondencs Emerson vas at his best, and
Carlyle never was moro 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 abominsted many Of the expressed
opinions OF Carlyle, and yet he was pow
srfuIly impressed by Carlyle's person
ahty.
They both hated each other - think
rs, but loved each other - mea-
This friendship ought TO demonstrate
That the strongest attachments grow mp
sometimes between men Of entirely di-
vsrgsns tendencies OF thought. Men
seek their opposites for friends - they
Geek their opposites for wives 70 II
easy fov one man TO like and respect
another man without agreeing with
ham. ft h possible. however, that II
Emerson and Carlyle had been thrown
into closer intimacy they would not
have cousinusd their fsssndship 20 long
Carlyle was not An easy man 10 i've
with. a. his own wife discovered to her
sorrow. He became . chronic scold.
He found fauls With his food. He scold-
ed II . drst OF siv blsw too ruieiy upon
his cheek. He vss mad If . dog bsrked.
cat meved % ben caskSed. He hated
sI1 hss nesghoors invevseiy a. be loved
himself. And genius as he was, bis
style seems to indicate that he loved
himself very Intensely. Emerson. on
the other hand may Be written ~ one
who loved his fellow man. Humanity
bad 80 isrge . place in his universe that
thsrs was no room for self.
Not pleasant man 10 live With for =
tim Of years was Thomas CARLYLE. Il
= doubtful II tue sunny temperament Of
Emerson could have maintained ia <un-
nfue-ss If brought In constant contact
wfsh ~nch = human bears. wattersou
Ford In Yankee Blade.
ELECTRICITY CURES NEURALGIA