Year: 1862

was dismal horror continually in my mind
that made me fear to be alone. I had often
to get up in the night and seek the bedroom
OF my brother, as if the having human be-
ing by me would relieve me from the fright.
ful gloom of my own thoughts. Months
elapsed before my mind would resume any
tone; but the dependency I had suffered for
long time in the course of this attachment
and the anguish that attended its catas.
trophe, seemed to give new turn to my
whole character and throw some clouds in
to my disposition which have ever since
hung about it.. x x X seemed to
drift about without either aim or object, at
the mercy ofevery breeze; my heart wanted
anchorage. I was naturally susceptible
and tried to form other attachments but
my heart would not hold on; it would con
tinually recur to what it had lost; and
whenever there was pause in the hurry 0l
novelty and excitement would sink into
dismal detection. For years 1 could not
talk on the subject of this hopeless regret
could not even mention her name; but her
image was continually before me and 1
dreamt of her incessantly."


Such was the language in which Irvirg
poured forth bis sorrows and sad memo,
ries, in letter written many years ago to
lady who wondered at his celbacy and
expressed the wish to know why be had
never married. Can words more graphical
ly describe the shipwreck of hope, or more
tenderly depict the chivalric devotion of a
faithful lover? How sweetly, too, does IT.
wing portray with his artist pen the linea.
ments of his loved one. He says, in the
same letter: |" the more l saw of her the
more | had reason to admire her. Her
mind seemed to unfold itself leaf by leaf,
and every time to discover new sweetness.
Nobody knew her so we'll as |, for she was
generally timid and silent but in man.
ner studied for excellence. Never did
meet with more intuitve rectitude of mind,
more native delicacy, more exquisite pro-
priety in word, thought and action, than
this young creature. l am not exaggerat-
ing what say was acknowledged by all
that new her. Her brilliant little sister
used to say that people began by admiring
her, but ended by loving Matilda. For
my part 1 idoized her. felt at times re.
buked by her superior delcacy and purity,
and as if i was coarse, unworthy being in
comparison"


Irving seldom or never alluded to this
sad event, nor was the name of Matilda
ever spoken in his presence. Thirty years
after her death Irving was visiting Mr..
Hoffman, and grand daughter in drawing
out some sheets ofmusic to be performed
upon the piano, accidentally brought with
them piece of embroidery which dropped
upon the floor. "WashiDgton," said Mr..
Hoffman, "this is piece of poor Matildas
workmanship" His biographer describes
the effect as electric. "He had been cen.
versing in the sprIghtliest mood before, F."
says Pierre M. Irving, "and be sunk at
once into utter silence, and in few min
utes got up and left the house." Do any of
the pages that record the Gloves of the po-
cts" glisten with purer, brighter halo than
is thrown around the name and character
and memory of Matilda Hoffman by the life
long constancy and the graceful tributes Of
one whose name, destined to deathless re-
nOwn, may not henceforth be discovered
from that of the early lost and dearly loved,
whose death made Washington irving what
he was and what the world admires +?