The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-11
FRIEND OF eRE.aT WRITER'S.
NsemSsscs q cansV6sll ana wurasw~StA'
Oeoae amn CmFAysP.

RSom de Louaoa CAsSaisis.
In the clokseered quiet Of the CAartsg-
house there h living to-day Q dslightful
lletls old gsneeman who n taking Q kosm
interest In the present endesvors to cello
brats tho memory OF the great pooas that
are gone. This is Mr.. Francis EsDinasss.
one Of the brethren % the famous hostel.
and In his younger days an author and
Journalist Of no mean rspuAs. Mr.. EsDin-
asss. In this hts olEhty-seyonth year. can
throw HE memory hack to days when he
talked with Wordsworth and dtnsd with
Thomas Campbell and saw SIR walter Sc0tt
driving oct from AbbOtsford.
Moreover a. the friend and helper Of
Carlyle in his earlier working yoars. Mr..
ksptnssss IL probably the last survivor
Of the real intlmatss % the famous Chslnea
circle.
A. for Mr. Espinaaas's earliest memories.
II IL hardly believable that one should md
to-day in the heart Of London almost q first
hand link with Burns. Such. however. 10
Mr.. ESpinasse when he was . boy in
Edinburgh there was slill living there an
old lady OF -. Mrs. MeLehO~e. once the
famous -C1arinda to whom Burns made
such desperate love There was alsc q GER
tain Mrs. Cumming Of Logic. q genial
old Scottish dame and friend Of tho fam
ily. This Mrs Cumming had bssn In her
young days none other than that -bonnie
Lesley who -gaed DER tho border and
took Bnrns's heart with her
IL was when was &C school &C Mslrcss..
continued Mr.. Espinasse. that saw Scott.
He was driving In carriage silver hatred
old Eentieman-with . little boy riding .
pony at his side The Mttls boy was Hugh
IIttIejohn. for whom Tales Of Q Grand
father were written. rsmsmbsr how
envied him.
Another Of my boyhood's memories-at
Edinburgh-was the poet CampbelI He
was being feted in the town and friend Of
my fathers got permission for me to be
allowed in with the dessert. He was .
dapper. Jolly little fellow-pooo too sober
toward the end Of the svsaing-and sOms
Of the Kirk ministers were very shooked at
his stories friend of my fathsF's. too.
was lord jeffrey Of the EdiNbNruA ReSi~ss
! vas presented TO him. and invited 20 break
fast at hrs beautiful house. at CraiwnOok.
! remember he had wonderfully brilliant
} pseF-inR eyes
Hut 81 those early years my most treas
/ ured memory u q visit I paid 70 Words
worth az RydaI Mount was spending my
holidays a. Kendall. After . long poet
"hai~~ Journey and walk Of fifteen or six
teen miles. sTriN 81 ~ the cottage about
du-k aud found both the poet and his wife
Siiting half usleep In the little parlor. They
had been for"s armed OF my coming by 9
relative. aud we're very kind tn me. Words
worth himself shS~ ID the round the house
and the garden
/ Ne vas nearly 20. but Q ans figure Of .
man tail. upright and stalwart stfll. Ne
J had . tIg" nose. and his face vas not nearly
- refined as I should have thought. Al
together he gave one the impression Of Q
farmer rather than Of poet
u vas through his connection with the
British Museum Library that Mr.. Espinaase
VS. Ahl" ." ne Of especial help IN Carlyle
over the from Rell letter., hut HE aoquaint-
an"c~hip with ths Sage o. Chelsea hogan
long before and continued long after. After
vard Mt Espina~-s became a constant
visitor a. Chsyne Walls.
Despite many faults and ineonslsten-
ri~~. said Mr. EspinasSs Won could mover
get away from Carl,ls- greatness and over
wh~iming enevgy nj mint 2 Uan 80 him
now in his old Known dressing gown sitting
IN toOtstool On the hearth rug. blow ing
The Sn,ose from HI clay pips -up he chiD-
ney - - - keep the room sweet-and
delivering mOnoloHue Cromwell ~
some other all absorbing subject IN that
s'vone scotch accent ~ hm Mrs Carlyle
would 81 IN silence she had heard " al
hefov~ n 10 became very fierce she would
say. D"D he angry With Mr. Esptnasas
lie T. not 10 blanc
tie had no amnsements We vas always
writing talking 0r reading With penetl TN
hsnd - y" The troubles between the patT
they rere ~ ,esst A. happy as thew oV anv
one could have exported Of course Mrs
CARLYLE wanted and deserved 20 be some
'hinE m~T~ 'han n~relv 'CariyIs's wife
She a. hrtllan' ~"nverpa,tonaltst hit
never hsd "hano~ except when he vAs
asa y Nss T~rh-ps h''ls signifies NJ
'hs' -n"~ ~hen ssL~,i Mrs Cartvle. who
had . rr~tts v"i~s =" sting Aud Rohtn
t,Ta, che fsfi~afsly refused Tor an IN
srnL~r reason