Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1875-03-11
AneSdotea al Sir alter SCOTT. q q =

L. > '
T.. Sonass !, Id Let tiers, rS in Scribner'g for
March, ala aecoI Iapsnied by a hitherto unpub-
liahed lifa.skesch OF Sir S9alter Scott. by the
ceiebrate arss Hilbert Stuart; Newton. In
following anecd dotes OF the author OF Z. Wa
ssAt FslS. past six we went to dine
with the Ferg sons. The doctor WAS
quite ill with q ccId. SRA dam Fereils-
son, Sira w alter Seott's intimate and
confd lent friend, dined there, our
selves, Ms. IT,, and one of her daugh.
ters. 5,s 4, !,
6 We had q very charming dinner, for
Sir Adm Sias the7fnoslt tr1arveiiouB : pow
ers of deacsiption. HE made MS laugh
heartily 8nd told us, TOO, d great many
interesting anscdotes about Sir Walter
Scott. BE is q very remarkable person
himself. se is the original Of DagaId
Dalgetty,3 This is all / find in the old
letters about the dinner, bnt I must tell
what i c8n recollect Of the account
Mrs. <. as.ye me in later years, Sir
Adam, she said, was q tall, gray haired
man, with broad Scotch accent. He
deseribed now one early morning in
Sir WalteE colts library, when he and
Sir Walter iried to make tie FIRE of peat.
burn, and sEter many efforts, succeeded
49, SSiiAO Sht-ssS "a OUG
of the dogS dripping from q plunge in
the lake, seeatched and shined nt the
window. x : last Sir Walter let the
"puir cres 4. in, who, coming up.
before the Sttle fire, shook! his shaggy
hide, sends5 q perfect shower-bath.
over the frs and over d great table of
loose manuas ipts. Sir. Walter, cycling
tho scane wii1h his usual serenity, said,
| slowly: "Qtit dear, you've done great
deal Of ihiaffs !" Tt reminds us Of
| the tale reSasted of Newton. & On this
same occasiSn of the dinner, Sir Adam
Ferguson Add of travelling with Sir.
Walter on tsA continent and going to
see the troof on donkeys, and he per-
formed both donkey s and riders with
his finger3 on the table until his audi
ence was ii, an agony of laughter.
Fergusse d passed the evening with
us, and we hid some music. asked
him, as he wAs Sc fond OF iiatening, If
heI didn't sin E. i, little himself. - I'll
toll you an enecdo ote or Sir sIya er
Scott .said li & 8 that viii answer your
question. 10 night whom was stay.
ing ut Abb0t ford 3 mi = ess;;ott Ind
been singing 10 tlie moi n, &, .aeIls spf,
her harp d s. Aicit l,al Iss wnp i foIs
TUG oIofus. Sir Walter turned to me,
saying in a strong Scotch accent:
Moo. Ferguson, gle lib n howl"
During one of my visits there
continued DIR. Ferguson, among other
guests was Hogg, "Ettrick Shepherd"
l heard horrible noise in an adjoin
ing room, and, after listening some
moments to it, became alarmed, and
said to my host: What is that roise ?"
"oh said he, its Hogg just Hogg
composing his verses. He always sings
them aB he writes them"
Though he liked some rude strains,
Scott could we'll attune his ear to softer
music, and was very fond of Moore
song X. sings, that ends:
Short as tho Persian's prayer, his prayer at
close of day,
Should be each vow of lovo's repeating.
Quick lot him worehip boautys precious ray,
l%on whi!o ho kneolH that ray is ioeting.'
Ho used TO soy, Como X, let mo
have that Persian's prayer and he
would listen with great delight to the
singing OF it.
"They recalled an amusiug story of
an old servant who had lived with Scott
for nearly lifetime, and became very
much spoiled. Sir Walter at last, ont
of patience with his sins of omission,
said
Donald, think wo must part.
Part why? Where's your honor
going?
"Of course peace was made, and
Donald remained.
"They told sadly of the dear old
man returning from Italy (where he
went for his healthy, with his memory
impaired. Mrs. Arkwright, who had
set his Pirates Farewell to Minna to
music, sang it to him. Those are very
pretty verses, said Sir Walter. who
! wrote them?'
"Charles Scott, Sir Walters second
son, is very clever, agreeable man. I
see good deal Of him Mt the Lock
harts', here and elsewhere. Sir Walter
was most proud of his eldest son Wal
ter, who is rather dull fellow, but
large and tine-looking. His father
used to say that it was enough if boy
knew how to ride and speak the truth;
those were the most important things.
"Charles Scott made me laugh about
the visitors at Sir Walters house and
Melrose Abbey. See the Abbey by
moonlight they must, because OF tho
lincg:
80 II thou would'st view fair Melrose Alright,
Go visit it by the pale moonlight"
"'And many time said Charles
Scott, when the moon was not con.
venient, took n lantern to produce the
effeos."
xr