[PW] FW: one such question...

[S M Colowick]

This document indicates that the two men were Carlyle and Emerson,
though it doesn't cite a source:

http://www.theosophical.ca/SketchOfTheosophy.html - "Emerson once
spent an evening with Carlyle during the course of which the two men
spoke nothing, but sat wrapped in thought and smoke. Yet, to both, the
evening was something very different from one spent by each alone."

Then there's this "anecdote" that gives as its source _Living
Biographies of Great Philosophers_ by H. Thomas,:

http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=8101 - "Having called upon
Carlyle one evening, Emerson was promptly given a pipe. His host then
lit one for himself and the two men sat together smoking in perfect
silence until bedtime - whereupon the men shook hands, congratulated
one another on a delightful evening, and retired to their separate
beds."

Susie

On 5/2/07, Bruce Greeley <brgreele at kcls.org> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
>
>
> I turn to you (after exhausting 'normal channels') with a toughy!
>
> -- any help or insight is much appreciated (when pressed, the only other name the patron thought it might involve is "coleridge" -- I think of Carlyle too...?!) -- I'd love if you could email me directly at brgreele at kcls.org, but will try searching the archives in awhile, too:
>
>
>
>  Story involves two early- to mid-nineteenth century thinkers.
>         One may have been Emerson, but I don't think so.  One lived inthe US, the other in the UK (Scotland, England[?]).  Briefly,the men were both widely known and respected fellows
>   who got together for supper (over in the UK, I seem to recall,
>     altho maybe here).  After  a nice meal, they sat by the fire for an hour or three.  The conversation was sparse.  Finally, when the guest noted the time and got up to go, both he and his host remarked on how delightful the evening had been: a good meal and delightful and inspirational dialogue. This even tho there had been very few words exchanged!
>         The point of this story is that people of very similar minds can share one another's company and say little to nothing; that sharing their presence is satisfying in itself.
>     It's presumably a well known story.  Can you find out more?
>
>
>
> thanks!,
>
>
>
> Bruce Greeley
>
> [brgreele at kcls.org]
>
>
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