Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-01-30
you to guess my emotions, for could not de-
A DINNER AT LoCkHARr'S

hart's will bear repeating:
On Wednesday, June 2, dined with Mr.
Lockhart, No. 25 Northumberland street. Re-
side the host and hostess, there were present
Sir Walter Scott, his son, Charles Scott. Mr.
Blackwood, Mr. Robinson, and three or fou r
other persons At dinner, sat next to Sir
Walter-an arrangement made, believe, in
compliment to myself. Every thing went of
pleasantly, with the usual ease, hospitality
and heartiness Of an English dinner. The
house and furniture were plain aud handsome,
such as were common TO people Of good cor
iition and good trade.
The meal was discussed with the usual rel
ish, and with the usual garnish # Wit and
pleasantly. After the ladies had retired, the
conversation became general and animated.
Byron was the engrossiDg topic. Sir Walter
spoke Of him with the deepest feelings Of ad-
miration and regret. A few weeks before, on
the receipt of the news Of his death, he bad
written an obituary notice Of bin in which
he compared him to the sun, withdrawn from
the heavens at the very moment when every
telescope was levelled to discover either his
glory or his spots. He expressed the opinion
that Byron was dying of home-sickness''-
that being his phrase. For long time be
had fOuted England, and seemed TO glcry
alike in his exile and his shame. Yet ali this
tina his heart was devoured with the fend
ennue " Ho went to Greece, in the hope of
doing some gallant deed that would wipe out
| his disgrace, and create for him such syrnp?-
thy in the breasts Of his countrynen as would
enable him to return-his "faults forgiven
and his sins forgot"
Lockhart and Blackwood both told stories,
and we passed pleasant half hour The wine
was at last rather low, ard cur host ordered
| the servant to bring more. Upon which SoOtt
said No, no, Lokert" was his pro-
nunciation Of his son in-law's name" we
nave had enough let us 60 and see the Ia
dies " And so We gathered to the parlor
Mrs Lockhart was now apparently about
twc-and twenty years old, small in person and
girl like in manner Her hair was light
brown, cut short, and curled in her neck and
around her face Her cheeks were blooming,
and her countensnce full Of cheerfulness.
Her address was at once graceful and gra-
CONTEMPLATING lively, appreclative ma
ture and the finest breeding She had a son
four years old, and at my request be was
brought in. He was a fine boy, /" very like
his father" but alas. doomed TO an early
| death.
Mrs Lockhart spoke with great interest of
| Mr.. Irving, who had visited the family at All
botsford She said that he slept in room
which looked out on the Tweed. In the
morning, as he camo down to breakfast, he
was very pale, and being asked the reason,
confessed that he had not been able to sleep
The sight of the Tweed from from lis window
and the consciousness of being at tAbbottsford,
so filled his imagination, so excited bis feel
| ings, as to deprive him CT slumber. She also
| spoke Of Professor Ticknor-laying the ar
! cent on the last syllable-as having been at
Abbotsford, and leaving behind him the most
/ agreeable impressions.
| Our lively hostess was requested 10 give US
some music, and Instantly cpmplied-the harp
being her instrument. She sang Scotch airs,
and played several pibrocbs-ail with taste
! and feeling Fer range Of tunes seemed in.
exhaustible. Her father sat by, and entered
heartily into the performances He beat time
| vigorously with his lame leg, and frequently
helped out a chorus, the heartiness Of bis
| tones making up for some delinquencies in
| tune and time Often he made remarks upon
the songs, and told anecdotesr specting them.
| When certain pibroch bad been played, he
| said 1t reminded him of the first time be ever
saw Miss Edgewerth. There had come to Alb.
botsford wild Gaelic peasant from the neigh
| borhood Of STATE, and il was proposed to him
| TO sing pibroch, common in that region He
had consented, but required the whole party
| present to sit in circle on the floor while he
should sing the song, and perform a certain
pantemimic accompaniment, in the centre
All was accordingly arranged in the great
hail, and the performer had Just begun his
| wild chant. when in walked tall stately
lady, and announced herself as Miss Edge
worth
| Mrs Lockhart asked me about the. Amsri-
can Indians-expressingg grea. curiosity con
corning them L told the story of one who
was tempted to 60 into the rapids Of the Nj.
| aglTa River, just above the Falls, for a bottle
of rum. This he took with him, and having
swan out to the point agreed upon, he turned
back and attempted to regain ire land For
long tino he result was doubtful he strug-
gled powerfully, but in vain Inch by irch
De receded from the shore, and at last, finding
his doom sealed, he raised himself above the
water, Trenched the cork from the bottle, and
putting the latter TO his lips, yielded TO the
| current and thus went down TO his DOOM
Mrs Lockhart made Soms EXPLANATIONS of
mingled admiration and horror. Sir Walter
| then said that he had read an account Of an
Indian, who was IN boat, approaching a
| cataract; By some accident it was drawn into
the current, and the savage saw that his escape
was impossible. Upon this he arose, wrapped
his robe of skirs around him, seated himself
erect, and with an air Of imperturbable gravi-
ty, went over the falls
That is sublime" said Mrs Lockhart:
= as II he were preparing to meet the Great
Spirit, and ne thought il proper to enter his
presence with diguiIy!"
The most remarkable thing about the
American Indians, said BlaekwOod. "is their
| being able TO follow in the trail of their enc
II
the grass, and even upon the moss Of the
rocks. The accounts given Of this seem hard
ly credible"
can readily believe it, however" said
Sir Walter. "YOu must remember that this
is part of their education. l have learned
at AbbO:Sford to discriminate between the
hoof marks of all our neighbors' horses, and l
taught the same thing to Mrs LOckhart 1t
| is, after all, not so difficult as you might
think. Every horses foot has some peculiar
ity-either of size, shOeing, or manner of stri.
king the earth l was once walking with
Souihey-a mile or more from home-across
the fields At last we came to bridle-path
leading toward Abbotsford, and here 1 noticed
fresh footprints OF this said nothing, but,
pausing and looking up with an inspired ex.
preston, said to SOuthey IL have a Gift of
second sight, we shall have stranger to din
| ner ~
And what may be his name ?" was the re-
| ply.
"Scott," said I.
| ''Ah, 1t is somo relation of yours" be said,
"you have invited him; you would pass of as
an example OF your Scottish gift of prophecy,
| a matter previously opreed unop