Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-10-26
SIR WALTER SCOTT.
'rhc Last Days ofthe Writer-Interest-
ing "Reminiscences.

Mr.. John Ballantyne, RS. A., writes
thus to the London Standard AT
this time, when every one delights to
think of Scott-zto speak, write, and
read Of ScOtt-perhaps it might interest
some of your readers TO have a person
al "Reminiscences of one who dined in
Abbotsford the last time the great man
ever sat his own table there. 1t was
on the day before Sir Walter left for
the continent, from whence he returned
but to die, ] am the only one of the
Ballantyne Clan alive who has met
Sir Walter in the flesh. I was brought
up, 50 to speak, in an atmosphere of
Waverly,' have seen my father, night
after night, with locked doors, copying
the manuscripts OF the Great Tn,
known, as if he were engaged in some
thingpurely sacred. l have heard him
and every one bearing the name of Ball
antyne who knew Scott, speak OF him
with not only veneration and respect,
but with absolute love. The incident
| write, therefore, has always been
marked in my memory with white
stone. The party which assembled
round his board that day. September
%, 1881, consisted of all the members
Of his family then in Scotland, and sew
eral of his intimate friends, including
his amanuensis Laidlaw.) Sir Adam
Ferguson Wordsworth, Sir William
Allen, my father. Alexander Ballantyne,
and one or two others whom / did not
know and do not remember. as I was
only 16 years of age at the time. Sir
Walter sat st the centre of the table.
His eldest son, then major. and Lock
hart were seated at the head and foot.
| was fortunate enough TO be placed
facing Scott, and had thus an opport
unity Of hearing all be said and watch
ing every varying expression that light
ed up his countcnance. Well do | re-
member the face; but, alas, at this dis
tant date [ remember but as words in
dream the wonderful flow of CONVEX
sation, the quiet touches of humor in
the stories that came so naturally to
illustrate any subject on the table-the
occasional fash Of wit which lit up his
manly face with halo of beauty. All
this continued throughout the time of
dinner, and afterward in the library,
when his last conversation with
Wordsworth took place, and after the
party broke up remember Sir Adam
Ferguson saying to my father that he
had never heard Sir Walter more bril-
liant in his palmiest days Toward
the close of the evening Sir Walter,
with his usual Kindness toward younk-
ers, asked me if had seen his curl
osities, aud on my answering In the
negative, he led me into the little room
where his treasured relics of antiquity
were, and still, are kept; and probably
feeling he was parting from them for a
long time he pointed out, lovingly, as
1t were, to my notice afew Of his espec-
ial favorites among them--Rob Rov's
gun, the tnum bikins, the keys of the
Heart Of Midlothian, &c, and then
seating himself he told me various an
cedotes and legends called up by the
sight of aisautiquarian treasures. Well
do [ remember his appearance--seated
on q window-seat, his hands crossed on
the handle Of his stout, insepasable
walAing-stic the fading light falling
gently on his silvery locks and tower
ing forehead all relieved by the back
ground OF distant trees and swelling
uplands--now sombre and dark, save
where band of the silver Tweed gilt.
tered as it passed the abode of him who
loved its streams SO we'll. When the
the hour came FOR the departure of the
guests who We're not staying in the
house, Scott accompanied them to the
hall, and there, after receiving a kindly
pat On the shoulder en- pa, standing
among his old armor ana loving friends,
[ hid ny Lost look of SIR NaItnr Scott "