Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1853-02-17
DESCENDANTS OF Sin WALTER ScoTr

DESCENDANTS OF Sin WALTER ScoTr
The only surviving grandson OF SIR
Walter Scott died lately, al the carly
age OF twenty eight, and unmarried -
The Descendants Of that great man now
exist only III The !tuule Inc. Twenty
yeas ago the poet himself dtceaFtd.--
At that time he Lad TWO sons living be
sides ,his graudson so that there whs
iair prospect of perpetuating his name
aud rank. Yel in a comparatively
short interval his nuife Las ecuNe cX-
Iincr in his liueaI hcis, with every pro-
bablIlty Of his blood falling ultimately
even in the female line. The Ahbotls-
lord estate, lo- which he loiled 70 Iabo
riously, and. which 1t was his darling
ambition 10 traLsInlt 10 h,s Iorierlit,
will cons cqucntly PASS into Tie hands OF
strangers, or al best fail il .rlzc 10 those
who, though claiming his blood, do n)t
bear lis name. When it is remGn ber-
ed ,hnt Scott shortened lis days. by the
ns,iduiy with which he laborcd 10 add
acre 10 acre, and 10 eXtnguIsh debt AZ
ter debt. in order that he might leave
an uuincumhefed property 10 his eldest
male descendant. and thus perpetuate
his family among the lanoed g.n,ry, we
caunot but nsk ourselves, III conttni-
plating the NJ er ruin which IN less than
generation has come over his plans
whether tins lie not one Of those insian--
ces. hy which ii wise and over-ruilng
Providence teaches the great Lesson.
VANITY Of vanities all is vanity"
For su ely, however. appropriate such
an ambition nigh nave been To IN or
dlnary man, in SIR Walter Scott II
seems strangely out of place. That n
mind AS capacious at his should fall IN
to the dclusion, that the name and posi-
ton OF landed proprietor was the best
heritage he could leave his lineal rep
resenlatlve, appears indeed almost IN
credible. Yei he actually succeeded III
persuad!ng himself, that by accumuIn-
tInu AN estate. aud eutnllug II Oh HE
hears, he was beslowlng more honor on
his family than hy all his lmmtrai
works. The great dett CT oi his charac-
ter war An almost servl.e delerencc Tor
wealth, Il nearly unmlxsd worship Tor
rank, tile and place. We tear thu, III
the eyes Of Scott millionaire was II
really greater man than ii poet. We
are very certain thata long descended
noble WAS, in lis estimation, more wur--
Thy OF respect than all the writer's Of his
generation. Consequently lie ,oIlrd,
planned and studied almost through his
whslc life, with heroic perseverance,
10 acquire property, in order that lie
might place his eldest son in me posi-
ton OF II British landed proprietor.
Once even while alive, hc was a.
most baliled. In the great bankrupt
ciea OF 1876 he became, as is wei known.
involved. But, with a courageous
heart lie sat down Immediately TO re-
pair his shattered fortunes, and eveniu.
ally succeeded ia his aim, though his
life paid the forfeit. Ia closing his eyes
on earth he had ;he satisfaction TO re-
fleet, II satisfaction it could be at such
an hour, that he LETT behind an uu,af-
nshed name, and that hi, family would
still retain his estates. Yet one alter
another Of his male descendants have
departed, aud now, in twenty years
from his demise, the great dream OF
hs lie proves empty as air. The bar
unels, descendants oil Scot Of Abbots-
ford, cease to fill place in The cala-
lerun of British gentry. In Il genera
tlon ar Two. when mel Of other nance
have possessed The estate, the iopular
mind will cease 10 remember tha; such
u place ever belonged to the great VIZ
ter. Critics. hlographers, Il d literary
men will recoilecI II but only such;
readers generally wIl know Scott as
the author of Nuverly, bot rs the lord
OF Abbotsiord. Destiny has been a
better lrlenG to the reputation OF Tie
poet than he was himself. a talIow
chandler If successful, eau leave un es-
tate to his progeny; but Scott could do
more Tor he could bequeath them an
Immortal name and therefore, 1t is
well, perhaps, that tate frustrated his
vulgar ambition.
These, AT least, arc TIC reflections that
rise 10 our mind, when we consider this
melancholy series Of deaths IN his lami.
ly, and see how his daring ambition has
failed. We have no desire TO be unjust
10 Scott or to tarnith his memory IN