Evening journal., 1892-11-18
LIFELONG FRIENDS
THE STRANGE FRIENDSHIP or Em-
ERSoN AND CARLYLE.

Opposed-DissimiIar In Temperament
and Tastes-Disliked Each other as
Thinkers, but Loved as Men.
The friendshipof 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 inti-
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 wide ocean
of space divided them, and wide ocean
Of tastes and temperament. 1t would
be hard to find two wen who were more
totally unlike. Carlyle was fierce, tu-
multuous, the most terrific scold in all
history. Emerson was mild and benig-
nant as an afternoon in September Car
lyle frowned like thunder cloud, and
Emerson glowed like q sunbarst.
Carlyle seemed to despair of the fu-
ture Of the race and believe that the
crazy old world was rattling 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 Numerically 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-
tions.
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 sweeteI
grew his disposition. Carlyle's invalid
ism made him rage like Gagged tiger.
All his life long he thundered lurid de-
nunciations at his own stomach. iEmer.
son wished to be known as lover OF
men; Carlyle called the public "mostls
fools"
Yet these two men, so dissimilar il
their tastes and temperaments, main
tanned a lifelong friendship, and in fact
Emerson and Edward Irving were about
the only men Of this generation thai
Carlyle ever spoke of with respect.
"Sartor Resartus," Carlyle's frs
lengthy work and probably his master
piece, was first brought ont, in bool
form, in America by Emerson. Tit
first words Of warm appreciation tina
the book received came from this sidl
Of the Atlantic. In England it was re
ceived with gibes and sneers and con
tempt. 1t was, and still remains, one o
the strangest books that was ever writ
ten, but it is full charged with Carlyle
volcanic and dynamic genius. Emerson
was one Of the first to appreciate thi
genius and help to find it a public.
All Of Carlyle's successive books a
they appeared found warm admirer il
Emerson, though he must have violent
ly disagreed with many Of their senti
ments.
,,a,,,ot,,ol corroenon5a,,oa x,ras l-er,
ND between the two men. In this CORE
spondence Emerson waslat his best, anl
Carlyle never was more characteristic
than in his letters to Emerson. Ho mus
have, in his inmost heart, despised tn
theories and thoughts expressed in En-
erson's books, for his whole life was
battle against these theories am
thoughts. But in spite of This radica
difference Of ideas there was somethin
about the man he liked. Emerson mus
have abominated many Of the expresse
opinions OF Carlyle, and yet he was pow
erfully impressed by Carlyle's person
Atty.
They both hated each other as thinh
ers. but loved each other as men.
This friendship ought to demonstrat
that the strongest attachments grow a
sometimes between men OF entirely u
yergent tendencies Of thought. he
seek their opposites for friends as the
seek their opposites for wives. It
easy for one man TO like and respec
another man without agreeing wit
him. It is possible, however, that
Emerson and Carlyle had been throw
into closer intimacy they would nc
have continued their friendship so lona
Carlyle was not an easy man to liy
with, as his own wife discovered 10 he
sorrow. He became a chronic scol,
He found fault with his food. He scol,
ed if q draft of air blew too rpdely upo
his cheek He was mad if a dog barke,
q cat mewed or a hen cackled. He hate
all his neighbors inversely as he love
himself And genius as he was, h
style seems to indicate that he love
himself very intensely. Emerson, G
the other hand. may be written as o.
who loved his fellow man. Humanil
had so largo a place in his universe thu
there was no room for self.
4 4 II. r..