Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-12-23
Written expressly for the phoh Mmplrs
A SUMNER In EUROPE.

ABnoTsFoRD-MEIhosE -sREBURon.

little village Of Melross, and ZEN by carriage
three miles over a smooth bad, through a
most delightful country Wsero pleasantly
I'' ,ppointed in the r(sidenc of the great
'iciRn Of the North J." Firm the account
~ Mr.. Prime AMI othsriI expected to
very ordinary house on avery poor site,
out found il to bo a very lage, castellated
building, not 80 grand aud itposing, to be
sure, as some Of the alb ldcs ofroyalty that I
had seen, but still ghnd mnsion for any
ones family, situated % the brad slope of q
small eminence, at tlb foot q which runs
the silver waters Of thI river Tweed. Some
have querulously askel "why idn't he build
on the top Of the hill irktead O its side"
don't believe that thai Location would have
been any better, and I'm perfectly satisfied
that Sir Walter selected the YER best spot on
his whole domain for his hose. That, at
least, is the natural Hesumptbn, and bold
must be those who Willingly put heir opinions
on that point against tlpt of theman who, as
well as any man that ker livet knew what
the points of pleasant hndscapeare.
The exterior Of the house, ms W came near
oit,seemed irregular erpugh Win Sir Walter
conformed to the rules bf architecture in the
general outline, he evidently tholght he had
a right to build gables, balconies, )utresses or
pinnacles, wherever he chose, andto work in
to the walls any fragment or relicof ancient
buildings that may have had any pleasant as
sociations for him and so here ad there ali
over the house, one seei stones, incribed with
armorial bearings and pious sentences, stuck
in at random, without rhyme or reaon. Half
way up the wall in one place is tho door of
the old Tolbooth in Edihboro, With no insorip-
ton over it: "The Lord Of armeis is nv pro.
tectoEK Kblesset are thay that trust in the Lord,
l547." In another wall there is astone, on
which sword is rudely carved, and he words
"Up with ye sutors Of Selkyrke, lR5 !" and
directly over the door, another stoneis insert
ed with an inscription running thus s.r
nBy night, by day remember aye
The goodness ofthe Lord,
And praise his name whose gloriollsIame
lsspread throughout the world" --.H
A crusty old woman, who bargaiRd like n
Yankee for the fee, admitted us to tie house,
and conducted us from room to room She
did not permit US to stop long in nay one
place TO crafty our curiosity, nor could she
be induced to repeat her descriptionsa a second
time for those who Jagged behind. Il must
be tedious business, sure enough, going over
the same story day after day, and sometimes
twenty or thirty times day, but since travel.
ers are admitted, and fee exlcted from
them, they have right to grumble at such
discourteous treatment, even though It wont
do the least particle of good ..
The whole house is a museum, and we would
gladly have given it twice the time that was
allowed us, Fine paintings, engravings and
portraits adorn the walls Of every room. -
Among the latter we noticed those Of Hogarth
the painter, Dryden and Wadsworth, the poets,
ClaverhOuse, the butcher, who had the mild
est OF blue eyes, and features the most refined
and delicate; and one of Sir Walter himself
painted by Stewart Newton, an American. the
best one, the old woman said, that was ever
made OF him, and there was also bust of Sir
Walter, by Chantry, and cast of his face and
head, taken after death-arms and armor OF
all ages and nations-a bust of Shakespeare--
Napolson's plstols--a half dozen snuff boxes
"a cabinet and piano of ebony, presents from
kings--a clock which belonged TO Marie An.
toinette--a painting of the head OF Mary
Queen Of Scots, after it was severed from her
beautiful body, and likeness OF Bailie Niool
Jarvie of the bride of Lammermoor." There
was also cAricature of "muckle mouthed
Meg, who, as the story goes, remained Al
long unmarried on her fathers hands that "a
grew tired of her, and offered Handsome
young prisoner be had taken his life and lib.
erty il he would marry her. When the yoane
man saw her, he positively refused 10 become
party TO the arrangement, and was remand
ed to his dungeon. After a few month i'm.
prsonment, however, he overoamo his avef
sion, married the girl, who, in spite of her
tremendous mouth, was not such a bad pieoe
after all, and became the progenitor Of a long
line oil worthy descendants, of whom Sir Wal
ter was one. The picture represents the Young
gentleman, Mortified at tho uglnoss OF lis M.
tended, turning from her to re enter hia dun
geon while the poor girl, trying her best 10
look pretty, exhibits an opening in her face.
which extends from ear to ear. Hst
In tho large room used as a library. aronn3
the walls of which are shelves which are said
10 bold twenty thousand volumes, is the leroa
comfortably cushioned chair in which Sir Wal,
ter sat when in the labors of composition. the
desk on which he wrote, and, in glass case.
the last suit OF clothing he ever wore The
coat is dark green, vest, drRb, pantaloons.
black and white checked shoes, stout and
heavy, with light cloth covers,
The gardens and greenhouses around the
house are extensive and we'll cared for. ana
are respIendent with rare and beautiful aow-
ers The demesne is composed Of fourteen
hundred acres of rich rolling ground, and
yields an income Of about six thousand dol.
lars year to a great granddaughter Of sir