Thomas Carlyle is the author of the book ‘The French Revolution’. Once, John Stuart Mill, the famous Philosopher and writer asked him, would you kindly lend me the manuscript of your work ‘The French Revolution’ ? I would like to go through the first part of your work. ‘Carlyle readily gave him the manuscript.

Portraits of Thomas Carlyle (left) & John Stuart Mill (right)

After some days Mill knocked at his door one night and entered the hall in a dazed condition, ‘What is it Mill?’ asked Carlyle.

‘My friend,’ stammered the philosopher gasping; ‘I am ….. I am ….sorry; your manuscript was swept away by the maid and destroyed except for a few torn pages.’

Carlyle was stunned!

Gathering his wits, he slowly said, ‘Why do you keep standing? Pray sit down. Well, what has happened has happened. So do not worry.’

Mill sat down with a sigh. He talked with his friend for hours, well past midnight thinking that he should console Carlyle. In the end Carlyle came closer to him and said ‘Listen, my friend! Now do not think about it any more. Take it like this; it is like a master asking a pupil who has written a bad essay to rewrite it to perfection.’