New-York tribune., 1895-01-27
THE CARLYLES IN CANADA.
WRITER IN THE NEW WORLD-IN-
TERESTING FAMILY LETTERS.
Comley Bank Farm. Halton. Ont. Dec.

told that he had a half brother. Johh 'af'ye'
known as John OF Cockermouth. brother AieNah-
der and a sister Janet. There were TWO ''a'e's,
named after his fathers first wife. one VINO died
when "a few months old; the other. the youngest
child Of all the Janet Jenny and Jennie or the ie'
ters. John Carlyle came to Canada IN 1906 hieNa'
der in lSi3. Janet in 1851. John and AleXahuei eu
In Canada; Janet. hale old lady OF e's"'s o"e'
lives with daughter on this farm. the ias' 81,
vivor of the family OF which Carlyle was the HIST
born.
John of Cockermouth a farmer on the shores
of Lake Erie He died In 1872 In his eighty-second
year Carlyle corresponded with him OF anu OH
and sent hin, newspapers regularly with the sls""is
used by the family, one stroke under the ao =,
signfyng that letter was requested t"o Una ",'
was we'll three that letter had been rece''c"'
This code adopted in the days before the penny
most Is still employed by the Canadian Carlyies.
Janet saws that after his wlfes death In lS6b Gar
lyle never used the two strokes. After that S"e
says. "it was no all we'll wi him. Johh oi |o0n''
mouth had five sons. One OF them' III 'a''e' ,n' ~
lyle of Toronto. visited Carlyle al Dumlries " 1919
But long before having made up his mind to be a
school teacher he wrote Carlyle for advice ana
received the following letter Il bears date che'Se''
18th April lSj2 Froude made no attempt 10 pro-
cure letters from Canada. 50 that neither 'ns one
nor any OF those written to Janet AFTER her a''N"'
In Canada extracts from some OF the best o ""i'"
are given further on are to be found IN MS ooohS'
Norton's book contains a lew TO Janet p"' "'
later than ls31:
Dear Nephew: | am glad 10 hear. by your letter.
that you are intent upon sef-improvement' u NJ
ones knowledge Of profitable things, hn' h n
all ways cultivate ones immortal soul. L. suteH nv
duty OF every creature according to ms oppVhi
tunties II any advice OF mine IN resaru, 70 vnu 'r
methods OF acquiring knowledge could assist y"u
without doubt would very readily G'vr IL u i,u, ~
such distance. in such ignorance OF your hatu,a t,
aptitudes. present requirements and genera s,lu'
ton and outlook. IT will not be very possible.
fear | Will write you Il few "oris' such - l
in h4 fi POI
one thing is very evident since you are at The
perfect yourself more ana in al the branches
YOU are required to teach Nothing s inorc li,sa, l,s
ful than a Schoomaster who is himself gnoiLnl'
part to his scholars Beyond and befor" AL otn.r
pursuits YOU must make yourself master OF what
you teaching or likely TO be ca!led III any
time to teach. To begin with the beginning, & lpi'
Handwriting for example. tho promising am' oo,-, ,
able IL By no means good enough; the way 10 III
prove Ii. and there Is no other way, - 10
daily: write every day: trying TO 40 n.'" a., anv
rate. then take occasion for the things own sax:
teaching or In other courscs) than the writing OF u
good hand-swift. distinct. simple. and without
Then there are Arithmetic. Geography. English
Grammar-no humblcst Teacher can iaify sloW
his face without being thoroughly equp in these
respects. Many schoolmasters have seen who
we're not intelligent of Arithmetic ana rs rrn- r,
and had no knowledge OF principles. DO not YOU
Initiate these: II You are sl In that situa,Un ge,
y0"rsfh ;h s.' good nook % e 1t pre few hns
read and again read the rules and every word Of
explanation that IL givcn.-;rying all the while
every dificult arIthmeiical question that turns
up, and IN short iabourng inccssantly with your
whole strength (which IS the real secret Of sue
cess in all attempts I'm whatever direction. yod
will ultimately get TO the bottom OF THIS subject.
and be rratined 10 hnd what a HIGHT IL throws on
many things for You. In the rear Of Arithmetic.
and essential ior a schoom-ster who viii rise
above the lowest sphere of his business are Men
surailon. Geometry. Algebra and the whole neld
OF Mathematics. very noble subject. useful IN All
manner OF ways.-and subject wiihal In which a
man Of real sense can make his own way, To any
length. without help 81 q teacher Indeed there
few subjects IN which a man OF real
sense-real industry. honesty and stcadfast pcrsc-
vcrancc.-caf not make his own way. and u YOU 30
make II. II s better In many respects ana iar
more productive Tor you. than n teacher had
helped So b. not afraid OF scouraged. dihe"nt
hewing viii cut thro' IN" hardest ana biggest
rock; whatsoever thing YOU do decide on learning.
1t IS in general certain hat = YOU have Iiligcnc"
enough. pa .i'nf energy enough. Won can learn II.
For English Grammar. II you ar" not already
quite irrefrasabie IN that department. Jet me rec
ommcnd TO you tobbcits httI" Booh on IN" Hubl',t
Uho any iolcrabe Book Will do TO help y"ui. Cob
belts IL one OF the 'Icsrcst ana brFt -ani 'ob-
bctt Is other wise great example 70 YOU, NJ pr
gan his hfe here In London as wandering LAD
as privat" soldier ne TOOK 10 s'uHf "hle p''iS
were idling and drinking. and hr enaed as man
iinkertoh . ',Dgraphy. OF 'N'h 'u'.,'' ~ Hi ~ q"
most any Book you can pick up on thai Snbl"ct
will open wide field OF inquiry and Improvement
for you. | recommend that. and all the Astronomy
you acquire. AZ very useful
Foreign Language especially French (which I
advise you 10 attempt. and Latin. which is more
Schoomaster. who viii at all rise IN his profes-
sion and indeed foT any man who asplres To cuIt =
with hardly any master Except perhaps a chance
hint about the pronunciation. your own father my
acquiring Latin and is n'gcrtheless perfectly -N-
pert in q. These things whatever elsc ihey may
lead to. belong TO You a. part OF the business you
are at: these claim your hrst ana chiet care TOT
win regard TO reading for general Improvement.
I need not much enter upon giving you directions.
I calculate you Will diligently and Of your own
l.Nnf mo nf %
when severer pursuits are over. TO reading "hat
eyer good Books you can md and snpnla,e p,. oniy
wisdom. not by men Of nimsy shnm-ialen, and
folly called 'amusins etc. by ioois,;,in ,y ~nisn
good sense. growing better nearly dairy by thr
honest use OF IT,, to which one can Apply ior 'ms ne
fools Book II you can help IT: fy from iool az az
you would from IN ISs's yo have "
access TO many Books. and will be Obliged to take
prove attainable in. That Of course. is not quite
good but We cannot help II. For the resi-; !
less important to man that he read many Books
than that he read few well and with ms wh9re me-,
A very small lot OF Books will serve 10 nourish
mans mind. II he handle them well;.and ! have
known innunerable people whose minds had gone
all to ruin by reading careessly too many Books
II Is like omnivorous feeding: the rocks In Scot
land. In plentiful seasons OF the year are saii 10
"eat themselves ont OF ply'-thcy become thor
oughly uneatable by too much eating The wisest
men have known In this world were by no means
OF a few Books that were wlsc;-and having an alb
hOrrence OF all Books they found TO be foolish. n
man gathers wisdom only from his own sincere
eXertons and reflex Ions: and In this II really Is not
much that other men can do for him, nut
whatever help there Is. he will find with the wise
alone. whether as writer's or oral counsellors ana
companions. and Will get nothing but hindrance
confusion and final ruin and failure from associa-
ating with the foolish. Read well whatever
Books you get that you understand To be good
ones; try them well with your own Judgment
earnestly. but yet humbly and loyalty you VIII
get more light at every step. and see better what
country. what path is ahead OF you. II you do
this you ought
AS subjects for reading. far under these
conditions you have choice Of subjects. ] recon-
mend in general all kinds OF Books that Will give
you real information, about men and their WORKS
and ways. past and present. In this world. HIS
tory Is evidently the grand subject student VIII
take 10. II you can get Histories Of England
Scotland and other countries Olume. Robertson
Watson &c. are not uncommon Books. especially
Histories OF America or your own country, ] recon-
mend you to read them with all diligence. And
there is one precept very useful: Never read any
such Books without Map beside you: endcavor to
seek place the author namcs and get