Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-10-01

folks whose parents were his youthful
companions, or his parents ''neebors.'
and who. on account OF Carlyle's subse-
quent fame left clear Testimony with
their children, from their standpoint Of
view, OF his home surroundings aud boy
hood life. II Is all Il grim, gray picture
set in f0tbidding shadows, with but one
bright. clear ray streaming through it
a brave loyal mothers endless cure and
love: of a home so little and mean that
no room in II permitted the family meals
TO be eaten by all Its member at once;
which forced young Carlyle 80 carry forth
his food of bread crumbs boiled ia milk
to be eaten ON the coping OF the wall,
while the lad gazed at the distant noun
taius; Of father irusciblc as honest,
unreasonable as sturdy, miserly as pious
in the dim old steely way; Of mother
with all her great virtue a pestilenee Of
fire and sword against all intellectual
unfolding NOT in accord with her own al
most suyagely exacting creed; aud OF
social and intellectual environment IN
winch there We're more melancholy, hope
less seriousness, petty caYiling down
right hatred and far less brightness and
sentiment than about the olden camphres
of the American Chippewas or Sioux,
It is plain that the Carlyles were not
only not beloved, but that they were
disliked with that brutal sort Of ranc0r
common In Ignorant neighborhoOds The
father WAS the best workman of the
community. Had he not possessed 4
furious temper and Il hard fist he would
have been driven FROM the hamlet. He
was feared, rather than liked or re-
SPECIFIED. The mother was held hy her
guldwife neighbors to be o'crsainlly ana
20 er.asperans,' or p0npous In manner
aud mnguage, as veins 'muckie aud
mould. as sagacious aud crafty IN dis
course. The imperious obstinacy' Of the
lgther' 50 marked Characteristic Of
the son, rather than Just pride In intelli.
gence for It's own sake. determined him
on making the boy u scholar; and this
again wldened the breach between the
stone mnson's family and the carping
villagers. The latter stood In awe of his
hsts, hut stung the brave wife's spirit
with their crafty gossip and raillery. Tile
hurt was double upon the boys de
fenseless head. The parents Ia their
prayers Illustrated to the lad what a
debt Of gratitude was being piled up
against him by the Almighty that he
was permitted to live. and by themselves
that they had sustained contumely aud
sacrifice TO give him those mighty ad-
vantages; while through his playfcilows,
on account Of the disposition Of their
parents. he was made the civtim of
every conceivable species Of sayagcry and
contempt.
From these old tales Il IL easy 10 learn
that as a babe Thomas Carlyle drew In
the very milk OF unhapplness and rancor
from his mothers breast. He was a
weakened, thin, unclnny BARN. 'snile-
snatlilng' In infancy; mournful moaning
and hnddcrlng through tic ''cutty-gearH
period: not int0 kits before lie mad
learned the unspeakablc tcrrors Of an
infanuiood where every other child about
him showed only the face Of harassing
ogre; In childhood lamentable bairn set
upon and scOurged by bullying brats.
aud all his youth-tide the quarry Of
every. illnatured little human beast Of
the ecclefechan cutters or by-lane cab
ms. Why, II seems to me that right
here Is found the true key 10 his whole
afterUlme nature. Tho royal protests,
the often almost imbecile eayilings, the
li.anic outbursis that rumble and grum-
Bile and thunder throughout his mighty
work were. after all, nn endless, IL un-
CONSCIOUS, cry of the mans heart against
the barbaritics Of his own childhood.
In she little stone cottage whore they
lived there Is but one room below stairs. |
In the upper story there Is room the |
same size as that on the first floor.
This is retained as q sort VI showroom, |
and u well enough filled with Carlisle |
relics 10 be interesting. including his |
famous coifee-pOt Ia which be WIS wont |
TO brew lis own coffee and his equally |
famous tobacto-cuiter, landmarks Of the |
Cheyue Row, Chelsea. Inspiration aud in |
separable companions Of his Feasibility |
and dyspepsia on this little chamber |
and sltting.room, in which there Is set |
quaint old Fireplace. is little long |
bedroom over the archway: and In this |
Thomas Carlyle WIS born Altogether |
the place is uninyiting, meager, hard.
austerc.
Dissociating the man Thomas Carlyle
from the heroism Of his lofty work, you |
cannot come TO one spot made warm, ten |
der and glowing for his having been part |
and glowing for bis having been a part |
Of II. Even the dreary old kirk-yard |
where he lies. but Il few steps from |
where he was born. intensihes the feel |
Ing thai something Of the human and |
was lacking. or was denied. his |
whole life. There does not seem TO be |
one soul In all the region where he was /
born aud reared who recalls the family |
name with loving kindness and respect |
TO be known AS 4 pilgrim TO the Carlyle |
home and tomb ~ 20 be regarded with |
suspicion and zneers. The rrayestone |
Is parsimOni0us and shabby; the enclos- /
ure unkept; weeds and brombles crowd /
the spot closely; the Lad that unlocks the /
gate snicters behind you; and as you \