Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1881 — Anecdotes of Carlyle. [ARTICLE]

Anecdotes of Carlyle.

It is said that having gone to spend an afternoon and dine with a newt $ • quaintance, and arriving several hours before his host, he entered the library, upon the gentleman irided himself, as it contained a num>er of rare and curious volumes. The host came and dinner was eaten. After leaving the table, he told the author that he should be happy to show him his books- “I’ve read’em,” was the laconic answer: and it proved that Carlyle had actually ab> orbed In the time before dinner all that was valuable to him in the well-chosen library.

When Charles Dickens had decided to write “A Tale of Two Cities.” knowing that Carlyle had made special studies for his “French Revolution,” he asked the latter to send him a few books that would be best worth consulting. Judge of the novelist’s surprise when a large van drove up'to the door and discharged its load of volumes, in five or six languages, to his amazement and dismay. This was Carlyle’s notion of a few books—really enough for a moderate library. A characteristic anecdote is told of the Scotch image-breaker. A ship owner, a fellow-countryman, went from Glasgow to call on him, and, entering his presence, said with fervor and feeling: “I have come to see you, Mr. Carlyle, to tell you that I admire and honor you; that I have built a ship and named it after you on account of the good you have done in the world.” Then quoth the author, with his marked accent: “I don’t balieve you, maun! I never did ony gude in the warld! There is na gude in the warld!” ' —- William Black, the novelist, once called on Carlyle, and after a little conversation the philosopher remarked : “You know Scootland very well, I see. I’ve * read your nooyels with Eleasure. They’re vary amusing, vary, tut when are ye goin’ to do some wark—when are ye goin’ to write some real books—maun?”