ll I don't recollect.'

Carlyle shook the dust of London from off his feet, and by easy stages
made his way northwards. Arrived at Ecclefechan, within two miles of his
father's house, while the coach was changing horses, Carlyle noticed
through the window his little sister Jean earnestly looking up for him.
She, with Jenny, the youngest of the family, was at school in the
village, and had come out daily to inspect the coach in hope of seeing
him. 'Her bonny little blush and radiancy of look when I let down the
window and suddenly disclosed myself,' wrote Carlyle in 1867, 'are still
present to me.' On the 26th of May 1825, he established himself at
Hoddam Hill, and set about 'German Romance.' His brother Alick managed
the farm, and his mother, with one of the girls, was generally there to
look after his comforts.

During the intervening years, Carlyle's intimacy with Miss Jane Welsh
gradually increased, with occasional differences. She had promised to
marry him if he could 'achieve independence.' Carlyle's idea was that
after their marriage they should settle upon the farm of Craigenputtock,
which had been in the possession of the Welsh family for generations,
and devote himself to literary work. By and by Miss Welsh accepted his
offer of marriage, but not until she had acquainted him of the Irving
incident. The wedding took place on the 17th of October 1825, and the
young couple took up housekeeping in a quiet cottage at Comely Bank,
Edinburgh. Of his life at this period, the best description is given by
Carlyle himself, in a letter to Mrs Basil Montague, dated Christmas Day
1826:--

'In spite of ill-health I reckon myself moderately happy here, much
happier than men usually are, or than such a fool as I deserve to be. My
good wife exceeds all my hopes, and is, in truth, I believe, among the
best women that the world contains. The philosophy of the heart is far
better than that of the understanding. She loves me with her whole soul,
and this one sentiment has taught her much that I have long been vainly
at the schools to learn.... On the whole, what I chiefly want is
occupation; which, when the times grow better, or my own genius gets
more alert and thorough-going, will not fail, I suppose, to present
itself.... Some day--oh, that the day were here!--I shall surely speak
out those things that are lying in me, and give me no sleep till they
are spoken! Or else, if the Fates would be so kind as to shew me--that I
had n