Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-18
RECOLLECTION OF THE cARLYLes.
A Scotchwonan's Memories Of Pleasant
Week With Mrs. Carlyle.
frrom the New York Inaepondent.l

don. she renamed III tlhikt Va 80
house, as was her usual custom, WINE
her husbands library was In the hands
of painters and decorators. Times Were
changed since the early days whcn, III
similar circumstances. she TOOK feiuse
in her back garden from workmeh,
having put up there tent by means OF
clothes-props, with light rutpet
thrown over them. Her gypsy instincts
failed her on this occnslon ana me
erection fell to pieces upon her. NOW
theye was trusty housekeeper NJ
Cbeyne Row. so all that was incumbent
was an occasional visit TO note pro
gress. Mr. Carlyle was with his rela-
tiyes in Scotland Letters came from
him every day, and they were read
with eagerness. My place nt the
luncheon table was always beside MIS-
Carlyle, and one day a letter from her
husband being opened by her, could
not avoid seeing the first words, MY
own dearest" one OF those letters con-
tanned small pattern of tweed cloth
which she showed me- saying: lie
wants my opinion OF this. and TO know
whether / advise him to have a SUIT
made of IT. Generally. she said, such
matters We're entirely settled by her;
so much so, that when the tailor's man
came to try on frock coat, he al
ways asked for her decision. Turning
to her he would say: Should You like
velvet collar, madam
Unfortunately, long years of bad
health had left her very much an inval-
id. It was an effort to walk much, and
her hands were weakened by rheuma-
tism. so that 1t was impossible for her
to make ny return for the letters daily
received. She was wocfully thin. ana
the charm Of her early days could only
be imagined. But she dressed In rich,
quaint style and bright glowing eyes
lit up her face | never saw her enter
room without thinking that some
gracious figure had stepped out of an
old Spanish picture. one could under
stand why 1t had been said to Mr.. Car
lyle that his wife was extraragant in
dress. the more so that she was known
to employ court dressmaker. His re-
ply was. MY wife Ia the most eco-
nomcal woman In London" on such
subjects husbands are not always the
best Judges; but we may give MIN the
benefit of the doubt. As II was dtfi-
cult for her to ascend the stairs, |. then
young and active, was on the watch to
save her this trouble and to get for her
anything she had forgotten. In ack-
nowledgment of these services she
gave me her photograph when she said
good-by, kindly expressing the hope
that should ! ever become feeble like
her, / might also find willing helper.
This photo recalls her wildly DELI
cate piece OF rare lace being the charm-
ing substitute for a cap.
When speaking OF her husband, Mrs.
Carlyle never made use of his name,
but only of the pronouns, he ana him.
and very amusing were some of the
stories she told. Il Ike" she said ito
give people presents anonymously that
they may guess from whom they come;
once ! gave him an umbrella as Il
birthday gift, but he IL 80 stupid he
used II for a whole year without know
ing who was the giver."
pnthetic tale was told of "A little
dog that shared their home shortly
after their settlement In London. Car
lyle seemed TO hate this dog. and was
in the habit of showerlng epithets
on 1t, 80 much 50 that every endehvor
was made to keep 1t out of his sight
In order to insure It's having sufficient
exercise. the postman was in the habit
of taking II with him, by II 8 mis-
tress' request on his morning rounds
One day. alasl 1t was run over. and
was brought home sadly injured and
near death. The sight of 1t thus hur
affected its master so deeply, that n,
shut himself upln his rom for the re
mainder of the day, for, notwlthstand
Ing all assertions to the contrary
he had dearly loved the dog. II Carlyl,
could thus deceive his wife as to his
feelings, II was no wonder that he de
ceived others, and led them to see onlS
the affection of Indifference that GOV.
ers deep feeling. as snow often covers
the volcano. This Is characteristic o
his nation, Po betray ones inmos
pardonable and unmanly sign o.
weakness.
Having so long struggled to obtair
quiet for her husband, Mrs. Carlyi,
declared that she had become as sen
sitiye to sounds as he was. Proof NJ
this was not long lacking, y terrier
belonging TO our host. OF most pacih'
and friendly nature. happened to bari
little on the night of her arrival
Next morning she said she must re-
turn home for night In order To re
cover from the effects of slceplcssness
banished to a safe distance during tn
remainder Of her visit.
Her carriage came daily that sh
might call at Cheyne Row. on one oc
oasion l accompanied her, and thu
had an opportunity Of seeing the inter
Tor of the house. II had the cosy, old
fashioned air which Is given by Scot
fish furniture in middlc-class Enrlis
houses. everything seeming too larg
for the general proportion. Whn
struck me most was Mrs. Carlyle
bedroom on the third floor facing tn
front. on entering you saw nothin
but a large four-post bed, with scar
let curtains. II had been made for
large room with high ceiling, such a
are common in Scotland. and II SCENE
ludricously out of place in this sma
low-ceiled London room. where thef
was barely space to walk around 1
Fortunately, tiny dressing rooi
opened Off 1t, so ones mind was set 9
rest as to the space needful for CON
fort.
The brightest time for Mrs. Carlyle
talk was during dinner Day after da
she poured forth witty stories. most {
which have almost forgotten; but I
any case. 1t would be desecratlon to al
tempt to repeat almost any of then
The characteristics of living men an
women were often dashed or in fe'
Dithy words, not without satlricl
touches. George Henry Lewes wa
not one of her favortes: hut ! note
with pleasure the way in which sh
spoke of the wonderful trausformatlo
effected by the influence on him
George Eliot.
One of her experiences was whe
visiting shoemakcr's shop to max
n purchase, at the time when sandale
shoes were worn, like those represent
ed in the original illustrations OF Dicl
ems. The sandals We're Of black ril
bon, uncut until the shoes We're wor
by the purchaser at home. Mrs. ca
lyle tried on many shoes. and each tin
that shoe proved unsuitable, she VI
consciously slung II on to her le
arm. Being at last suited, and, hay
ing paid her bill, she left the shop. an
had walked n little way when she hcal
a shout behind her. Looking bacl
she saw the shopnIan running aft
her. much excited. and insisting on III
returning the stolen shoes. Lookir
down she saw. to her surprise. nun
90 ph do