The Yazoo Democrat., 1854-08-30


yonder, with a flag before it"
The lame laird was the key to the whole
mystery. I.never stopped to bid the fisher
man good morning, but walked rapidly to
the door of the house and rung. rs Sir
VIM. Hamilton in!" He is,'' with conside-
rable hesitation. "Please hand him my
card" was left standing in the hall but
short time, before the servant reappeared and
requested me to walk up. Lady Hamilton
soon made her appearance, and said that she
was very glad had come to see Sir William
without sending him word, for he was always
glad to be taken unawares, and did not like
to anticipate visit Sir William now enter
ell the room, supporting himself on a crutch,
moving slowly and with nervous caution.
After carefully seating himself in a large
.srm-chair, he extended his hand, & enquired
after my health, about my object in visiting
Scotland, how liked the country, etc. The
palsy had also affected his tongue. To I'm
desstand what he said was very difficult at
first, and to ask him to repeat his words SEEM
ed to annoy him much. Lady Hamilton,
whose ear was accustomed to his palsied &C
cent, watched the expression of my face, and
repeated his words when they were not un-
derstood, She was near him like good min
istering angel anticipating all his wants.
Such she has been to him during laborious
life, a life not without trials. Indeed she is
one Of the best women whose kindly face has
ever blessed my eyes, whose gentle words
have fallen sweetly on my ears. For the
past halfdozen years, since Sir William has
been partially helpless from the effects of
palsy, she has even surpassed the gentleness
of woman in ninistering to his wants, and
for this the world owes her debt Of graft
tude, inasmuch as her hand has. recorded the
thoughts of the great philosopher, whose en-
ergy of soul paralysis Of body has not been
able to reach. Without fortune and without
rank, she was. chosen by one whose heredita-
~ title, surprising manly beauty, and purity
Of life, might have enabled him to choose
among the highest in the kingdom. So the
spouse of a philosopher may be the antithe-
sis of Xantippe.
After coaversing nearly. an hour rose to.
take my leave. Sir William said that he
had not yet finished his mornings work, but
his son would go and walk with me, and l
must dine with him, or be should think that
I was tired of him. was very glad to obey.
| He thenscalled his son, Mr.. Hubert Hamil-
ton, who has also distinguished himself at
Glasgow and is now student at Oxford. A
most amiable young man he is, looking more
like his motheg than his father, and with her
acting as amanuensis to Sir William, who
can only write iaboriously with his left hand.
We had a long pleasant walk, returning in
time for dinner at FIVE o'clock. There were
at dinner a daughter-about fifteen years Of
age, noble looking young lady, the very
picture of her father-and another son, ten
or twelve years old, the brightest boy that |
have ever seen. A vacant place there was
son was in India, to whom the mother al
luded with plaintive voice-a voice inform
ed with that affection which has a fountain
in every mothers breast. Sir VIM. was
cheerful and lost nothing in dignity by re-
ceiving the kindly assistance Of Lady Hamil-
ton.
A neighboring lady and her two daughters
came after dinner to drink tea and spend the
evening. The young people proposed that
Sir William and myself should stop talking
metaphysics, and join In their sport. The
amusement required that each enc should
choose a trade or profession. One of the
young ladies then read aloud from book,
lsuspending her voice on arriving at noun,
lin the place Of which each in turn substitu-
tied word pertai ing to his trade or profess
lsion. Sir William was tailor. The young
est son was a shoemaker, and he introduced
the terms of his craft in such sprightly droll
manner, that it made the narrative read most
amusingly ridiculous. He and his father
were the last to give over. The contest be-
tween the old snip and the young snob was
vigorous and long, but either fortune or a
more lengthy vocabulary, favored the youth
lfil combatant, and the great philosopher
agreed that the needle was not match for
the awl..
, Hamilton's presence, like the reading oi
his books, gives one an impression Of power
His head, with the exception Of Webster's, is
the finest that have ever seen. His eye
. Hooks you through, and behind it is soul
whose depth can be sounded by no ordinary