Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-10-25
SIR WALTER SCOTT.
The last Days ofthe yVriter-Interest-
ing "Reminiscences. ss

Mr.. John Ballantyne, R. s. A, writes
thus to the London Standard AT
this time, when every one delights to
think of Scott-to speak, write, and
read OF Scott-perhaps itnight interest
some OF your readers to have person
al remln1scence of one who dined in
Abbotsford the last time the great man
ever sat his own table there. It was
on the day before Sir Walter left for
the continent, from whence he returned
but to die [ am the only one of the
Baliantyne Clan alive who has met
Sir Walter in the flesh. [ was brought
up, so to speak, in an atmosphere of
| Wayerly,' [ have seen my father, night
after night, with locked doors, copying
the manuscripts of the Great Un
known, as if he were engaged in some
thing purely sacred. [ have heard him
and every one bearing the name of Ball
antyne who knew Scott, speak of him
with not only yeneration 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 Naidlaw.) 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 [ was
only 16 years of age at the time. Sir
Walter sat ST the centre of the table,.
! Il ! - Al i l.
hart were seated at the head and foot.
I was fortunate enough to be placed
facing Scott, and had thus an opport |
unily of hearing all he said and watch
ing every varying expression that light
ed up his countenance. Well do [ re-
member the face but, alas, at this dis
tant date [ remember but as words in
a dream the wonderful flow of conyer-
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 Elast 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 yolnk- |
ers, asked me IL I 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
it were, to nv notice afew of his espec-
ial favorites among them-Rob Roy's /
gun, the thumbikins, the keys of the /
Heart of Midlothian, &C., and then
seating himself he told me various an
ecdotes and legends called up by the
sight of his antiquarian treasures. Well
do I remember his appearance--seated .
on window-seat, his hands crossed on
the handle of his stout, insepasable |
walking stick, 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 well. When the
she hour came for the departure of the
guests who were not staying in the
house, Scots accompanied them to the
hall, and there, after receiving a kindly
pat on the shoulder en- 1o, standing
among his old armor and loving friends,
I had my last look of Sir Walter Scott. >