THE II KSI' K U I AN.
m
and make laughter with as keen wit, as any happier mnti. T
the very few friends in vhom he ttuly believed, Cailyle was
a genial pleasant companion. He did not show his woise
humors in public. Irritable, auogant and veiy jroud he was
everywhere, but it was only within his own four walls that he
was a grumbling, tyrannical misanthrope. Poor Mrs. Carlyle
was the only one who really suffered from his tempestuous
fault-finding. He has been severely blamed for his treatment
of his wife, has been pictutcd as a very brute towards her. In
truth, he was only a lough, bluudciiug man who did not
understand a woman' nature, who did not know, until he was
told of it, that he had been unkind, lie was selfish in his
sufferings; it'did not occur to him tiia his wife suffered also.
The knowledge of his unconscious cruelty to her whom he
loved better than any one, except his peasant mother, came
upon him after her death as a stern terrible surprise. A piti
ful, heart-broken sorrow for what he had so unwittingly done
added so much to the misery of his lonely later years. The
domestic unhappincss in the Chelsea houshold was only
another result of the unhappy temperament of its master. lie
should not be blamed for it; he should only be pitied.
It was not ambition that made Carlyle a writer of hook?.
He did not choose a literary life; he was forced into it because
there was no other way open for him. lie studied for the
ministry, for the bar, he found that neither piofossion suited
him. He tried to obtain work in active life, but all to no pui
posc. It was not until he was almost an old mnn, that th
truth came home to him that he was not to bo an actor on any
stage of public life, but must simply be a commentator on the
acts of other men.
He was a severe critic, often an unjust one. He snvagel)
denounced the men and the methods of his time. Political!) ,
socially, morally, English life, as he saw it, seemed a faice
pretense, with little that was real or sincere about it except,
the suffering of the starving paupers. He belonged to no
political party. He simply lmikcd on, and thought the world
was all gone wrong, and felt it his stern duty to mcncli that
a just God would punish with a punishment as inevitable and
as terrible as it would be just. He told the English people
that they were sowing poverty and enforced idleness among
their mechanics and farmers, -seed that night some day cover
their whole land with the crimson blooms of a French Kevolu
tion. Perhaps lie was right, perhaps wrong, it docs not mat
ter now. Hut he believed what he said and was terribly in
earnest about it. His countrymen read his strange words,
thought and talked about them. The stately House of Lords
became agitated and a tritle alarmed, and passed leform laws
that otherwise might not have passed at all. Yet few of them
believed what the prophet had spoken.
It was not a matter of ill temper that Cailyle hated the
petty shows and vanities of Loudon life. The fnv pnilics and
balls, the frivolous callers, the fashionable late dinners, could
neither be pleasant or profitable to a simple peasant, a mnn
who felt that life was a very serious business.. He had been
born and bred among simple, unwoildly people, and he was
like them always. His sincerity was only nn intense applica.
tion of the lessons he had learned in his boyhood. His style
which had been explained ami accounted for iu diverse ways,
was in many respects like the stem mode of speech that made
the neighbors fear and admire James Carlyle.
Carlyle was an intcsc lover of nature. Yel he had in
artistic appreciation of form 01 color. His feeling was only
1 Ike that of the old Norse people he understood so well. He
saw the workings of a great divine power in everything. The
natural was always supernatural to him. He had no patience
with the scientists who were trying to explain the mystery of
world; for to him Uhatmy stery was and yst ., be
unexplamublc. Ho never stopped to think of the physical
laws that govern the using of the sun; he could only look, and
wonder,- and worship God. He belonged to no religion
eet; he scarcely ever attended church. The fixed foims, amis,
ceiemonies, and iccited prayers weie h.udly endurable to him.
Yet he was stein and devout in his belief in a living God. He
was a Puritan who had lost his creed.
The long stoimy life ended peacefully. Quietly and with
out show, the greatest man of his time was laid to rest among
his kindled in the humble Scotch kiikyard. The worldly
honor of a tomb in Westminister Abby was lefused as all
mpty honors were during his life. He knew that he had only
tried to do his duty. The only epitaph that seems fitting for
him is what he had written of his father: "He liveth to do
11 his work, and he did it manfully."
I.ttomry Xotvs.
Marie Coiclli is Queen Victoria's favorite novelist.
Thomas Haidy's characters arc studies fiom real life.
Hereafter the Arem Euglamler is to bo the Ydle Record.
Mrs. Kate Upson Clark has assumed editorial control of the
Romance. ,
The new Author's club, of London, will admit tis members
Americpii lilemiy men.
A cablegram has been soul fiom New York to Ioudou and
an answer received in four minutes.
"A statement that won't wash" can't be tmslcd to the
dampened tissue of the official letter book. Puck.
Madame Dnudet, wife of Alphonso Hamlet, is a charming
woman and an author. Her writings aie mostly delightfu
hildieu's stories.
A statue of Christopher Columbus is to be raised at New
Haven, Conn. It is to be made of bronze, eight and one-half
eel high, and cost $17,000.
A book entitled, "The Last Words of Thomas Carlyle" is
about to be published. This contains Carlylc's only novel,
"Wolton Keinfred," and some of his other unpublished works.
The discovery of how to produce organic compounds has
ed to an endless criticism and fear of science. Writers are
on stantly endeavoring to harmoniz: the two ideas. Perh ap
the Ablest work of this kind is Lc Conte's "Evolution and
Religion."
Miss Slimdiet, Here is an advertisement of "a literary
man" who wants board. Does lie say he's a literary man to
show he is a person of refinement and culture?
Mrs. Slimdiet, No; it's to show that he can not pay
much. -Tuck.
The spirit of H. W. Itoucn's volume of sonnets, "loosing
Ground," is admirable. It is an earnest appeal for a purer,
more self-sacrificing public spirit in our country. Its valuers
poetical contribution to literature is not great. "Most of it
s excellent prose, and, although the eye discerns the author's
poetical intent, the unaided car would often remain unawar
of it."
It is hoped that one of the effects of the international copy
right act will be to harmonie the English and American
methods of spelling. Now, brother Joliatlmn has no idea of
bothering hiiiielf to s-pcll honor "honour," while brother John
knows that "honour ' is the only cot reel form. It is expedient
that the spelling of honor, as well as other words, wheie a
disagtecmcnt exists, should be bi ought to some conformity
between the two countries.
'1 he following ailii.lv is taking from the Bookman, an Eng.
issli paper. "The fisrt impression that a bookman rrfivf.