The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-17
CARLYLE AND MS WIFE

/ CARLYLE AND his WIFE
20 speak of Carlysle is to recall Mrs. \
Carlysle. one of the most brilliant
and wittiest of women. who willingly,
and knowingly what the sacrifice
meant, submerged herself in her husband.
She was ambitions and married carlysle
because she believed he would win honor
and renown. She served him faithfully and
devotedly and made 1t possible for him
to do the wor.. he nd.
Thirty years after her marriage Mrs.
Carlysle wrote: 1 married for ambition.
Carlysle has exceeded all that my widest
hopes ever imagined of him. ant. / am mis-
erable.' And to young friend, MY dear.
whatever you do, never marry man of
genius"
AS will be remembered by most readers
Mrs ~arlyle died suddenly in her carriage
when driving around Hyde rark. Carlyle
was at the time away from home-at Edn-
burgh. where he had just delivered the
address as lord rector of the university.
A1e was deeply affected and all his later
life was tinged with sadness
The following is the epitaph me wrote for
her tomb:
| In her bright existence she had more
sorrows lnan are common, but also a soft
invincibility, capacity for riscernment.
and notable loyalty of heart which are
rare. For forty years she was the true
and loving helpmate for her husband. and
by act and word unweariedly forwarded
him none else could in all or worthy
/ that he did not attempt. She died at
London, April 81. 1856, suddenly snatched
from his, and the light of Ills life as If
gone out.
| Froude says. concerning the married life
of the Carlyles:
Perhaps there has been too much stress
laid the domestic infelcities of the Car
iyles. 1t must be remembered that their
| welded life extended over period of forty
years The collected instances of their
happiness to be gathered from all the
hnn he &c he. ton, oayt lin ner1 ryrla
a space of time. Nevertheless a genius
even greater than Carlyle's. can rot ex-
cuse the hardships he thoughtlessly and
often knowingly put upon his wife.
| Jane Welsh was born July IA. 1901. Her
father was surgeon or reputation, who
made considerable fortune in his profess
sion. Jennie was his only child, and at an
early age exhibited qualities of mind as
well as beauty of person that attracted
general admiration. She was ambitious
and Intelligent school girl and mas.
tered Latin like boy. She was probably,
from all accounts, what we cali In this
country ''tomboy," for there is an au-
thentic story that one day at school, when
| a lad was impertinent to her. she doubled
up her fist and hit him hard enough on the
nose to make it bleed. When the master,
order, JEANNE acknowledged that it was
she that made the trouble; whereupon the
master said: You're little deevii,: and
sent her down to the girls room.
/
naturally enough had host of lovers.
Among these was Edward Irving. after
ward celebrated as distinguished preacher
in London, and who finally lost his mind.
Irving was her teacher for time in lit
erature, and the mutual attachment that
\ sprung up affected the lives OF both OF
TEN to the cid. Unhappily, Irving had be-
come involved in a love affair that 1t
| seemed impossible to break OF, and the re-
suit was that the real lovers were obliged
to part. Other love affairs she had as well,
but it was not until 1922, when she was q.
that she met Thomas Carlyle, then aged
p.
Their courtship extended over the next
four years and it's course did not rum
, smoothly. Never were two young people
, more incompatible in temper. habits and
training. Carlyle belonged to the peasant
: 4 GLASS; while Miss Welsh was of the higher
and better born people. He was undoubted-
; ly in love with her and she admired his
genius. They became engaged and then
offered to release each other. Here are
few specimens of their correspondence.
, She writes:
My friend, love you. I repeat 1t, though
I find the expression rash one. All the
} best feelings of my nature are concerned
. | in loving you. But were you my brother
should love you the same. No! Your
, friend will be, your truest, most devoted
r friend while breathe the breath OF Hfe
But your wife never! Never! Not though
you were as rich as Croesus. as honored
t This is Carlyle's reply:
My heart is too old by almost half a score
of years. and is made OF sterner stuff than
to break in junctures of tits kind. have
l no idea of dying in the Arcadian shepherd's
e style for the disappointment of --opes which
l never seriously entertained, or had no
l right to entertain seriously
D | Finally all Quarrels are made up and the
wedding day Is SET and then we have a let
4 ter from Carlyle laying down the law OF
4 his household that is to be.
e The man shall bear rule in the house
and not the woman. This Is an eternal
q exiom, the law of nature which no mortal
departs from unpublished. I have medi-
tated on this many years and every day
i 1t grows palmer to me-. must not and
y | can not live in a house of which am not
the head. should be miserable myself
and make all about me miserable. Think
not this comes of an imperious temper.
;, that shall be a harsh and tyrannical hus-
. band to thee. God forbid!
One can hardly aruge happiness from
= such a beginning, and of happiness there
was little.
They were married Oct. II. 1896. and after
), a painful half dozen years at Craigenput-
II tock-the Welsh homestead-where Mrs.
:, Carlyle was house drudge and maid of all
e | work, they removed to London and took
< up their residence at Cheyne row. Chel-
+ sea, now a place Of pilgrimage for all
e Carlyle wrote his chief works, and there
= it proved to be the duty of his wife to
q keep away from him all intrusions and
unnecessary noise. He was fearful mar
to live with. roaring like lion at the least
a annoyance, impatient OF any neigisborhoot
s noise or piano playing, and fretful If a cocl
d should crow at daylight. ALI this, within
d and without the house. Cline upon Mrs
'e Carlyle. and that she bore it SO bravely
Is and was finally 50 helpful to her husband
II shows how noble woman she was. Il
n she sometimes punctnred him with cpl
e, grams because Of his impatience and boy
d ish clanaorings against the inevitable sh,
J. did only according to her womanly In