Year: 1873

ltwas while engaged in writing his history
Of New York that Irving then a young
man of twenty-six, was called to mourn the
somewhat sudden death of Matilda Hofi.
man, whom he had hoped to call his wife
This young lady was the second daughter
Of Josiah Ogden Hoffman, the eloquent
iurist. In her iather's office Washington
Irving had ossayed to study law, and with
every prospect, If industrious and studious,
with partnership with Mr.. Hoffman, as
well as matrimonial alliance with Matilda.
Those high hopes we're disappointed by the
decease Of the young lady on the 9th Of
April, 1909, in the eighteenth year of her
age. There is a pathos about Irvings re-
ctal of the circumstances of her death, and
Of his own feelings that is truly painful and
tear-impelling. He says She was taken
i'll with cold. Nothing was thought of il
at first, bit she grew rapidly worse, and
fell into consumption | cannot tell you
what | suffered


| saw her fade rapidly away-beautiful, and
more beautiful, and more angelic to the
very last. | was often by her bedside and
in her wandering state Of mind she would
talk to me with a sweet, natural and affect


ing eloquencc that was overpoweriug.
saw more Of the beauty of her mind in
that delirlous state than had ever known
before. Her malady was rapid in its career,
and hurried her off in two months. Her
dying struggles we're painful and protract-
ed. For three days and three nights | did
not leave the house aud scarcely slept.
was by her when she died all the family
were assembled round her, some praying,
others weeping, for she was adored by them
all. | was the last one she looked upon. |
cannot tell you what a horrid state Of mind
| was in for long time seemed to care
for nothing; the world was a blank to me.
| abandoned all thoughts OF the law.
went into the country, yet could not enjoy
society. There was dismal horror con-
tinualy in my mind that made me fear to
be alone. had often to get up in the
night and seek the bedroom of my brother,
as If the having human being by me
would relieve me from the frightful gloom
of my own thoughts Months elapsed be-
fore my mind would resume any tone but
the dependency | bad suffered for long
time in the course ofthis attachment, and the
anguish that attended its catastrophe, seemed
to give turn to my whole character, and then
throw some clouds into my disposition,
which have ever since hung about it,
seemed to drift about without aim or OBJ
ject, at the mercy of every breeze; my
heart wanted anchorage was naturally
susceptible, and tried to form other attach
ments, but my heart would not hold on; it
would continually recur to what it had lost
and whenever there was pausei in the hur-
ry Of novelty and excitement, | would not
talk on the subject Of this hopeless regret
| could not mention her name but her i'm
age was constantly before me, and dreamt
OF her necessarily"


Such was the language in which Irving
poured forth his sorrows aud sad memories
in n letter written many years ago to a
lady who wondered at his celibacy, and ex-
pressed the wish to know why ne never
married. Can words more graphically de-
scribe the shipwreck of hope, or more ten
derly depict the chivalric devotion of
faithful lover? How sweetly, too, does
Irving portray with his artist pen the lin
eamen;s Of his loved one lie says, in
The same letter; The more | saw of her,
the more had reason to admire her. Her
mind seemed to unfold ITSELF leaf by leaf,
aud every time to discover new sweetness
Nobody knew her so well as |, for she was
so timid aud silent; but |, in manner,
studied her excellence. Never did meet
with more intuitive roctitude Of mind,
more native delicacy, more exquisite pro-
priety Of thought, than in this young crea-
ture. | am not exaggerating; what say
was acknowledged by all who knew her,
Her brilliant little sister used to say that
people begun by admiring her, but ended
by loving Matilda. For my part, idol
lied her. felt at times rebuked by her
superior delicacy aud purity, and felt as it
| were coarse, unworthy beingin compar-
ison."