Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-11-19
For the SPECTATOR
MRS. RAMSAY.
WITH OUR COMPLIMENTS

COI bu0 6EECTATORs
+ MRS. RAMSAY. r
:. WITH OUR COMPLIMENTS.
'.The dearest friend to me. the kindest woman
: The best condition'd and unwearied spirit =
d In doing courtesies; and one in whom
9 The ancient Roman honor more appear
1 Than any that draws breath in Italy.,, rf
Q s-, -Shakspeare's Merchant Of Venic.
Mrs. Ramsay is an excellent Scotch
lady, and an old, tried, friend of mine
, Our friendship began with an oceal
!, acquaintance, something more than VI
.. years ago. This friendship is lasting
: the old maxim that "A friend in nest
is friend indeed" This il the natur,
and the incipiency of our friendly rela-
tions on my part: and on Mrs. Ram
! says side it is attributable to her kind
Christian heart-her gentle, sympathet4
Il 10 u1S4fe The first time we met was
in the month of May, 1873, on the deck
of the ocean steamship Europa. l had
taken passage on this steamer from New
York to Glasgow. The subject Of this
sketch was the tstewardess of the Eu-
ropa, and she was peculiarly suited for
the office she filled in manner so satis-
factory to all. 1t ia true her official re-
lations should have been confined to
the lady passengers, but I proved an ex-
ception to this rule, ignoring the stew
ard and receiving devoted attention,
and the kindest confederation in various
ways from this stewardess, that was SO
acceptable in those terrible days of sea
sickness, that kept me in my state
room and in my bunk, one, two, three,
dQV9 a npa anolt r ~ al,
ed sick sick !! sick -! Dear Mrs.
Ramsay waited on me closely and pa
tiently; piled ME with tempting deli
cacies. and tea and toast, and toast and
tea. could not eat; only replied to all
entreaties to do SO with grunts and
groans, and gr0ans and grunts. Her
good Scotch heart welled over with
sympathy for me in all those hours of
wretchedness.
After two such spells on this trip, the
well days came, and, at times, I ap-
peared on the deck and in the saloon,
the pale invalid, creeping about and
wearing an overc0at all buttoned up
On the deck,I would look at the we'll
men and wonder how they could laugh
so heartily, and in the saloon. at meal
time, would be surprised at the ouan-
| tlty of food they would eat, while had
no appetite. But my friend Mrs. Ram
say always had something cheerful and
kind to say to me whenever we met or
passed each other. remember now, as
l look back to that thirteen days on the
ocean-my first trip-with perfect dis
tinctness all the incidents of the pas
| sage, all the dlsagreeable and the pleas
ant things, the sick days and the well
days. And kind, good, cheerful Mrs.
Ramsay, who seemed to be always smil-
ing, looking so healthy, ruddy and
young at forty five. with q grown sou
doing business in Edinburgh. Our
Mrs. Ramsay possessed one Of those
genial, kindly natures, only occasional
ly encountered in the most extensive
wanderings. Her heart was warm and
youthful; her mind was firm and true
to the most generous impulses of noble
Christian character. She seemed to
never weary in well doing. Often
times did the mere presence of her pleas
ant, happy face, help to sooth and COM
fort US in moments Of bodily suffering.
And when we wereinguod he1lth, with !
cur temporary ailments numbered with
the things of the past. the company of
the good woman (for we knew her to be |
good was always acceptable, whether
in the saloon or on deck. She was fond of |
company, and when the sick list of lady |
passengers was small and her other du-
ties light and easy, she would crafty
her likings in this respect. She was a |
good talker. Her fine stock of common |
sense, and her extensive experience of
observations and reflections on land
and water, rendered her conversation
interesting and entertaining. She was
not scholarly; knew nothing of the
classic, and very little about modern,
fashionable literature. Her accomplish
ments, her attainments in intelligence
and good sense, were broader, deeper,
more natural, and of steadier ray, than |
some of those learned, scientific lights,
that scintilate for a moment and then |
flicker out in the darkness of Eternal |
night.
We crossed the ocean ga fely, landing
at Glasgow, June 7th, 1878. l told this |
true Scotch lady goodbye, with all my
thanks, and we parted.
While abroad, it was our good fortune
to make brief (too brief journey
through the highlands and low lands Of
AuLd Scotland. We met many, very
many, true honest, thrifty people, guide !
folks, who dian0 ken any more of the |
future than the numerous wise-acres, |
who are not Scotch, or even descended |
in any wise from such worthy stock
While on this trip we were treated in a |
manner uniformly kind and hospitable
by this hardy. healthy, intelligent race
to which Mrs. Ramsay belonged. We
often thought of this clever woman
while we were in her ''aia countrie,"
and also the land of Allan Ramsay, one
of Aud Scotia's sweetest poets, and to
whom our most estimable stewardess
was related by marriage, the same being
incidentally told us in conversation
when the poets name was mentioned. |
Our experience in Scotland was all the |
more interesting from the previous ac-
quaintance we had formed with the
subject of this article. We remembered |
SO much she had said about the ''bonnie !
countgie." the ways and customs of its |
people, with scraps of its history, and al
SO something of its geography, all of this
from sensible, practicable mind; and
from truthful, honest heart, thorough
ly devoted to its native land, had inn
pressed US at the time, and abided with
us to aid and assist, to no small extent. |
during. tbs visit that proved so enjoya-
BILE and so attractive in every respest,-i
The only regretful feature attending our
sojourn, apart from its bravity, being in
the fact that in the one day spent in
Edinburgh we failed to see the son, who
was absent when we made special call,
as we had promised the mother to do
Many time since that short, hurried
stay within the kindly Scottish borders
the land of Burns, Wallace, Bruce
have we fOndly looked back and treas
ured up in memory what we saw and
heard; and in these pleasant reviews
and recoilections of the past, the kind
face of Mrs. Ramsay was ever present.
In the first part of the month of July
in the summer just past-the dead sum-
ner now, for the autumn leaves have
fashioned its shroud, and the sighing,
mourning winds cannot recall it-I
again stood on the deck of an ocean
steamer, the California, with passage
| engaged from New York to London. Il
only knew of one friend aboard, legal
gentleman. We were standing near
each other while the steamship was
leaving her pier. We were talking
about the trip before US l remarked to