New-York tribune., 1909-04-10

TN LOVE LETTERS OF THOMAS I.I1ll.I1ende- De-
AAD JAZZ Win numerous illustraa,tioin,ss- i,s
tze' = fzre DUNES Svo pp. XIV 90 HzHFn' i'
Tie I0lsn Lane COMPANY
IT, r,b1fcatiou of these letters does no ~ ols-
.7,.,r >, +l7e memory Of the Carlyles YET Il =
s,,,,s,ftle rc read them without "ih'ias IL
..,r.---,- FOR two human creatures helplTSS !"
80 Graves against the exploitation o. lhtH
-, ,,r5,-a+a conf A5ences. One can see 'he
7o-,s,,. .na broken old man in his LONDON nome,
,.+f,f1.. t,3rning over the faded memorials u
"a. -,,,r,ssil, hating 70 destroy them get WIN
-,t,,e.ic fa--Iit7- believing that he couid le">s
,fen, behind him as relics TOO sacred loI pr
wise as he was he did not know the orhO - y
,slra, h- this dag and generation -\ol'''iis :
toe sacred for print Though these ietteI@ "si
-, ,i77es as intimate in their revelations d
they actually are they would Pro"@'iS
seen the light just The same.
1,f course they appear with the usual over
.-i,,s ..,-,,1an7ticns Nr. Alexander CarIEle'
-, ,5,..s them to the world. knows pefIe0'i'
o,r ga. ne mast make out some sort OF d "a
80 ,je action SO he leads of MS preface III '''
sublime style ,,
rvles Injunction against the publi9'on5 85 q Miss
Letters which passed os. %esl5 aLiTg been already
violated has seemed 70 me !, -, sacrElegious-
5',1r a. f5 associated and polluted. and us ,Sf,,ie
relics defaced. hesrnirc1ed and HtIN az nurr0se of
aTv further Intrusion tAt eln-1-; ;I and light
cleansing ana i,7 atrellaed IN The long run,
q -eaE 80. 80 -esrilts # entrance into me
-ss-S5 - ITT,frcts with this object, 's - a" TEsd
san sii - ii Is at worse very veria. ,,I on If
f,, no l,1evous lntrusion-no lniTaCIlGI C5s, 20
f-ari1ies inrerd:ct-i need htll 80 INDUCED me
y - f therein wlsa. would 1 iaN sl,ercj
rank sacT1ese - one ti'lls lions duty offer no
, therefore, for publishing these - stI,er
IN my JaqH 5il soiacfza for not having performed
9 oi,z-io7s Il duty long ere now
,r,z, ,,-acjo77s observations are read Win
mingled amusement and disgust As
,,o,a r-cords the extracts from the i'Ne ie''s
- r,- T-ro,lde III altogether forty pages
and the correspondence now puhiistleH l1llS
"a ,ages # there are degrees of cuipaplhtS
- ,e .l7- sort the greater sinner Is
e,siIv 10 he chosen But, in any event "i'o -
A. ,r,va-,re- tarlyle. to hold such preIoster-
-. 7.,.,,,7~. rs that used IN the foregoing
,,,,otatj.,r, against the late James AhIH'"S
Ero,d42 That loyal friend of Carlyles 5 was
man of honor and Of genius who executed M!Iii @
,,nir77t,escl7a ble good faith one OF the most UI
cult tasks ever given TO a biograpfe1- I19 <
rors into which he fell were the honest eTIoI0 u
= brilliant literary artist who never quite ioS -
7cred all the details Of what We may 'iIl eu'
,1 ,s-1ir.r,. INT who never in his life would
have given himself To vuga~ Intrusion or mean
r,,sref5rese4tation- However, we dare say that
versions Of AIr. Alexander Carlyle He may
,s,-e erred in making any use At all OF the loNe
Letters since C4rl1les expressed stipulation taI
+bs,, should not be published was known 10 hltn'
IL Il Mas known to anybody. but when you SoI'-
slider his work on his master in ITS IohEth anu
breadth his fault seems small indeed cary It
himself with his sardonic humor, would prop
ahie have laughed 70 scorn the idea that Il
could ever be cited as an excuse for the MAKING
Of the present volumes Mr- Alexander 'aFlS II
might better have printed the letters with the
simple preliminary announcement that 1t pleased
him to 90 SO StiIl II would no doubt be use
1,ess 10 argue the point. Early in the course Of
+teir relations Carlyle showed that he was not
70 he afaashed by any Of the obstacles that Jane
Welsh placed in the path Of their better ac-
cuaintance. Whereupon, in fcotnote TO one OF
her letters We are informed that had not Car
Ivle been deeply in love with Miss Welsh, and
been endowed. moreover. with large share Of
rnagnanirlity. he would have been repel!ed by
her railiery'' An editor capable Of this piece Of
pompous supererogation IS, We suppose capable
Of anything.
We make no doubt that MI. Alexander Car
iyles enterprise viii at least prove highly profit
able Since the letters have been published they
are certain TO be widely read They are good
letters. on both sides. Neither Miss Welsh nor
her lover knew how to be stupidity sentimental
Al the beginning, and fer some little time there
after they are much concerned with books.
Carlyle is the friendly tutor guiding Miss
Welsh IN her reading and appealing to her in
telligence in quite the manner Of the clever lit
erary man. Here is perfect specimen Of the
tone he ad6rts before the romantic element
takes possession
Unless some one has anticipated me IN regard
10 this Voice from 81 Helena I calculate on
furnishing you with some aInJiseT?st by intro
presents your faYorite under somewhat OF a new
aspect il has increased my respect for Napoleon
davs Of Prornetheus Einctus. ] recoliect no spec
tacle more moving and sIh!li1le tllan that OF Jhs
great man has lrearv FTieon-hoUSe- given over
70 the very scum Of The species 10 he torHleatea
BY every sort Of indignity which the heart most
~evolts aCa1nst;-captIye. sick. despised forsakeI-
yet rising above il all by The stern force Of MS
Owl uncouC Cue-ahlc spirit, and hurting back on ms
mean oppressors tie ignoriny the strove 70 load
him with ! declare could almost love the man, man
Ills native sense oI !-'!eS ~ Nt.S LCoee, seLUC
strength Of his intellect his lively fancy. his
sardonic Iiu-1or must have rendered him most
original and Interesting companion. he might have
been among tie first writer's OF is age II ne nad
.cteS az b,,I,1sr 5fTection-his simple attach
-erfs his LITTLE tastes and kindly prediIections-
which enhance the respect Of nleaner mortals by
,srsitire ID with their love I not even believe
bUt II is needless keep you from the book itself
Nith this pclab1u
There is plenty Ct his kind of talk in the
letters But it is soon subordinated to affairs
- more poignant Interest. Carlyle appears TO
have been in love with Miss Welsh even before
re knew il. and once he was aware Of what she
rsaIiy meant 70 him he laid siege her heart
with grave resolution that deeply touches the
imagination She appears 70 have responded
slowly not 50 much because she was uncertain
cf him as because, with her nature, 1t took
tine 70 develop romantic affection Abiding to
his gratitude for her letters she says; Upon my
word II is good Of You to say they give You
pleasure. ! am sure would thank any one