Year: 1873

to study law, and with every prospect.


if industrious and studious, of part


nership with Mr. Hoffman as well as
( matrimonial alliance with Matilda.


Those high hopes were disappointed by


the decease of the young lady on the


9th of April, 1859, in the 18th year of


her age. There is a patbos about Ir-
Wings recital of the circumstances of


her death, and of his own feelings, that


is truly painful and tear-impeIling. He


says: "She was taken III with cold.


Nothing was thought of it at first, but
she grew rapidly worse, and fell into a
consumption. I cannot tell you what
suffered. I saw her fade rapid
ly beautiful, and more beaut full
and more angelic to the very last. I


was often by her bedside, and In her
wandering state of mind she would talk


to me with sweet, natural and affect
ing eloquence that was overpowering.


saw more of the beauty of her mind


in that delirious state than I had ever


known before. Her malady was rapid


in its career, and hurried her off in two


months. Her dying struggles were


painful and protracted. For three days


and nights did not leave the house


and scarcely slept. was by her when


she died all the family were assem-


bled round her, some praying, others


weeping, for she was adOred by them


all. was the last one she looked upon.
I cannot tell you what horrid state of
mind I was in for long time. I seem


ed to care for nothing; the world was


blank to me. 1 abandoned all thoughts
of the law. went into the country,
yet could not enjoy society. Therewas
a dismal horror continually in my mind
that made me fear to be alSne. q I had
often to get up IN the night and seek
the bedroom of my brother, as if the
having human being by me would re-
lievs me from the frightful gloom of
my own thoughts Months elapsed be-
fore my mind would resume any tone
but the dependency had suffered for
a long time in the course of this attach
ment, and the anguish that attended its
catastrophe, seemed to give a turn to
my whole character, and then throw
some clouds into my disposition, which
have ever since hung about it. 1 seem
ed to drift about without aim or object,
at the mercy of every breeze; my heart
wanted anchorage. I was naturally
susceptible, and tried to form otter at
achments, but my heart would not hold
on; it would continually reeur to what
it had lost; and whenever there was
pause i'll the hurry of novelty and ex-
citement, would sink into dismal de-
lection. For years I cou d not talk on
the subiec of this hopeless regret: I
could not even mention her name, but
her image was constantly before me,
and I dreamt of her necessarily" Such
was the language in which Irving pour
ed forth his sorrows and sad memories
in letter written many years ago to q
lady who wondered at his celibacy, and
expressed the wish to know why he ne
yer married. Can words more graph
cally describe the shipwreck of hope,
or more tenderly depict the ohivalric
devotion of a faithful. lover? How
sweetly, too, does Irving portray with
his artist pen the lineame1ts of his low
ed oneI He says, in the same letter:
"The more saw of her, the more 1
had reason to admire her. Her mind
seemed to unfold itself, leaf by leaf,
and every time to discover new sweet
ness. Nobody knew her so wellIas ],
for she was so timid and silent; but ],
in a manner, studied her excellence.
Never did I meet with more intuitive
rectitude of mind, mere native delicacy,
more exquisite propriety of thought
and action, than in this young creature.
[ am not e1aggerating what I 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,
I idolized her. I felt at times rebuked
by her superior delicacy and purity,
and felt as if were a coarse, unworthy
being in comparison.