The farmer and mechanic., 1907-09-24
HOME OF THOMAS CARLYLE.
London People Develop u Peculiar Pro-
nunciatIon.

ana an admirer of THOMAS Carlyle.
and on my last visit to Lonuon made
& pilgrimage to Cheyne Row says
writer IN the Atlantic Monthly 1t
was long distance from my room,
IN the nelghborhood of the British
Museum; but who minds riding on the
top OF bus through London streets.
wnere every step is history" and who
doesn't like to ASK direction OF a Lon
don policeman? The policeman at
Trafalgar Square. whom l asked for
a bus to Cheyne (shayne) Row, was
at loss for moment, but when l
"Oh, you mean Chine Row" l was
bit surprised, for l had my pronun-
citation from one who had got his in
London, he said. He, too, was a Car
lylean. and had read 'Sartor" seven
teen times, carrying it around with
rider, IN the breast pocket of his coat.
doubtless to keep 1t safe from the
eyes OF his presiding elder. Anyhow.
the po1ceman put me on the right
now only to ask to be set down at the
nearest point to Chine Row, but
the guard was puzzled till i said |
was seeking Carlyle's house, then he
said, oh. Chime ROW." He let me
off at the right place. and l was soon
at my goal The matron gave me full
freedom OF house and garden. for l
seemed to be the OAly NIs.-Jr that
rainy August afternoon, and / could
inspect at my leisure the interesting
rellcS and men1entOS OF the Cal lyleS,
and rcau most interesting authentic
documents, such as Dlsrdell 5 auto
graph letter offering Cailyle the
Grand Cross of the bath. ana the lat
ter's dignlhed but grateful answer Ue-
clnlng II. ne room OF cher interest
to me was, Of course, the sound-prool
study at lne top or the mouse, wnere
Carlyle could be at peace from the
noise or Lonuon, and I,nence ne NEodId
descend when he mad read himself
full, seat himself on the moor III the
sitting room with his back against the
chimney jamb, light his pipe, ana pour
out, as 1t We're, molten Iava from a
volcano of eruption. a Hood of ideas
upon Mrs. Carlyle. 1t was a great al
ternoon-but my story was ABOUT the
street name, and l had still other ex-
periences with that.
Cheyne Row opens into Cheyne
walk, and, happily, just as / entered
the latter street postman passed, |
whom l asked about the house where
George Eliot died. He pointed it out
(No. -, and went on 10 tell me OF
other historic houses that | wanted /
10 see, the sometime abode of Dante
Gabriel Rossetti (No. 16), and the
house where Turner died (No. 11y).
Indeed, thus postman's brain was a
Nerltable storehouSe of information 4
about Chelsean antiquities and historic /
associations, and he vas as ready toI
tell II all as the Ancient Mariner He /
was pleased that had just come from /
Carlyle house, but most kindly cor I
rected my pronunciation of the strec- /
name. We call 1t Chey-ne Row, sir I
You would be interested. SIR" he aou-
times and sit on the stoop and shed
tears about Carlyle" l should indeel
have been interested to see that. and /
l wondered what Carlyle's ghost /
tnought about IT. But there Were /
other places to see; so lnventing some I
polite excuse | moved on, ana soon I
met with another delightful bit OF
London courtesy. A man VINO seemed I
TO be common laborer had pointed /
out across the street the locality OF /
Turner's house, but l could not find 1
either the number or the memorial
tablet. observing my puzzled move
ments, he crossed the wide muddy I
street. and pointed out the tablet hid I
den under the overhanging ivy.
But 1 was not yet through with the
name Cheyne Row At the dinner
table was telling my experience with
the policeman, the bus man, and the
postman, and asked, How do you call
i. Mr. Hamilton ?" He was a retired
Indian civil service official whom we
all found most agreeable and we'll in
formed. Why, l should say .Chane'
Row.. he answered. The maid, who
was waiting al the table, was evident
/! uistuT oeu, and uneasT, which was
all explained when she knocked at
my door after dinner to say, Mr.
Hamilton doesn't know, sir: he's Just
back from India; we call it .Cheene'
Row"
Mr- Hamilton's pronunciation is the
one given of the name fthough not of
his particular street) in the Century
dictionary" and the postman's is that
given by Cariyle-pronounced "Chafnie
Row" he writes to Mrs. Carlyle (see
sroude's Life" il, p. 249)-but Ger
-alniy London is not agreed on the
way to call it.
IrrcduCible Minimum