New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-19
THE WAVERLEY COUNTRY.
MELROSE IN SPRING.
THE EILDoN HILLS AND THr rwEsD-A WALK TO
ABpoTsFoRD-sCoTT's VANDALISM.

necessarily have taken place IN Melrose SINCE on
Walter Scotts DEATH nearly fifty years AGO; 1t yet
forms the centre of attraction in the region wing
immediately under the spoil woven by the Wizard
of the North There must, or imagination Is GreatN
in error he great and radical change IN It's inhaoi
tants Melrose is not what fancy painted H. tho
home of rural simplicity. far from the strlfe TOT
filthy lncre q place belonging to the past anu
slumbernr quietly. metnphoricallv speaking, under
the shadow of Abbotsford. On the contrary. wh.Ie
II 10 romantic in its situation and its memories, the
community cannot be qualified bv such adJectlves
90 rustic or simple. There Is discrrnable on all
sides keen. watchfu lveliness to the business as
meets of romance. No visitor must imagine that ne
o.r ird,,oe cbeaplv in n food of poetic fancies.
wa;t for tbe rising of the "voung Nav moon" and
s;lentlv steal away TO the Abbey. to medrate npon
the nast tn follow in the tracks OF William ot
Deloraine and tremble by the grave of Michaei
Scott while shadowless warriors and monks nit
about the aisles and closters in ghoStly silence
and Luna is investing the ruins with silVery
spIendor. Nothing of the kind is to he done, ana
the flood aforesaid stands fair chance OF belne
damned before it has gathered overwhenn'nR
force aft thon wouldst view fair Melrose ar'9h',
thou must make M thy mind to pass certain
mosaic establishments through certain prosalc
forms prescribed by the cusodier.
A hotel has been erected close TO the gate leading
into the Abbey grounds, wherein visitors NAV u
thew choose. seek strength to meet the disemboded
spirits that haunt the sacred precincts men, tne
Abbey being surrounded bv wall. II is necessary
10 summon porter to omen wide the portai-con-
sistinc Of a wooden door-and romantic soniS are
ushered into Paradise on payment OF fonr pence
each. If still the romantic comes nnoermost'
Tben ec-hnt ~ alore the while
Then view st. Day1d's rulned pllP''
and try 10 FORGET that the Proat goes into the pocket
of the hold Ruccleuch. OF cOnrse there Is MORNING
objectionable strickIy speaking. either in backInHa
hotel close to the edge of the doublv conseerafed
ground. or in lcvvinp tribute, although IN notn
respects Mclrose differs from st. Andrews ana
Elpin. No Douglas has been known to rise TO
wreak yenCearce on the jewellers nv nleht' 10
cowcd monk To anathrmatize the hereto Cerherns
who is legally APPOINTED to drew the revenues OF
the church, But let me show by an illustration
how the innositon affects STRANGER An Amer
can had been reading Scott out in the FAR Nesr ana
suddenly resolved to make a pilgrimage to the
scenes Of the poet-novelisi's works. Il travelled"
he said. lover 1000 miles to reach New-York,
obout 9. 900 more 80 Glasgow, and then made hee-
line 70 Nelrose. The expense of hotels and travel
ling came 70 n pretty round figure, nearly what !
mt into the estimates at starting-hu' that last
contq came near choking me- ] calculated on the
$500 TO get there but not the four pence to get
in"
Once inside the walls the world and it's pettness
are temporarily forgotten. We read of cities, oil
Paris London Edinburgh. and construct from de-
scription such places rs the writers seem to have
had in view. We visit them, and tho alrv faTics
topple down towers. palaces and piles, to make
wav for rhe more beautiful, vaster reality 30
with Melrnse we build the Abbey-thousands have
probably done so from SCOTS writings alone-we
visit it, and what had been n reality for years
proves an Elusive shadow. II disappears when the
real Abbey rises in view ~ the wandering sprtes
of fairy tales vanish at the rising of the sun. The
faults with the constructive imagination, not with
the artist in verse; Scotts description is both full
and exact. but the grotesque and grim corbels the
pillars the SLENDER shafts of shapey stone of the
eastern window which the poet fancies some fairy
hand had made from pOplars and osier wands
"Tben framed a spell when the work was dome,
And changed the willow wreatbs to stone'
the ruined central tower are the details photo
graphed upon memory with a close approach to
fidelity, that form part of whole OF which even
the imagination that is most vivid and most wisely
guided can have formed only faint conception.
As Abbotsford is a romance, so is McTose Abbey
poem IN stone and lime. Ii is architectural har-
monv which modern builders have not even
initiated, and probably cannot interpret A
STYLE or rather "A combination OF STYLES,
that is rich and gracefully handled conception
that is both magnificent and elegant IN proportion,
aud details that beautifully designed ana carved
with the most onSummate skill, are what are found
at MelrOse. Strip the ruins OF their poetic halo,
Low forever fine ghosts Of all the ccclesiastc, gal
iant warriors and rustics who sleep within under
the shadow of walls, forget all about the heart
of the noble Bruce. and Merose Abbey IS still worth
crossing the Atlantic to look at.
Notwithstanding its Abbey and Town Cross, the
one dating from the twelfth century the other from
the seventeenth, MelTOse has little of the aDtque
i'm lts general appearance. Ii leaves a modern i'm
preston derived from its villas, its hydrOpathic es
adjustment Of the garng order OF architecture, ITS
asylnm it's SurChes and school. The old village
i'm fact exists longer, but its site Is observable
about two miles down the Tweed on piece OF high
ground half encircled by the river. The present
town stands about midway down the Vale OF Mel
rose ana a more beautIful situation can hardly be-
imagined. Close BY on the north the " Tweed is
heard to rave" Sir Walter calls 1t distant"
although it can be seen from spot close by the
Established Church. Possibly he knew nothing
of American ideas of distance On the south of the
town. like giant sentinels posted 10 warn the bur
gheIs Of the olden time OF the approach of
an enemy from the southern border, tower
the three peaks of the EildOns the Iremon-
tium of the Roman invaders. They command
a splendid prospect OF the vale OF MelTOSe, winch
extends along the Tweed about three miles on
either side of the town, and Of the surrounding
country toward Dryburgh Cd the east and BOwden
on the south. The scene IS characteristic OF the
South of ScOtland-pastora, quiet and picturesque.
with none OF the gOomief grandeur of the North.
II comprlses moreover III its strict limits the Wa
yeriey country from AbbOtsford on the west round to
scotPs restng-Dlace In Dryburgh Abbey. The
Vale, which month ago had ITS beauty marred IN
places by bleakness, seems now luXuriant "A gar
den Groves and helds, lying under fresh green
ness unlike anything that l can remember having
seen IN America, slope up on the north toward low
wooded or grassy hills, broken here and there by
cletts and all alcng the overlooking its are
villas and mansions embowcred in trees. Ii is a
scene TO inspire native and 70 warm the heart of
stranger. 1t may be fact or 10 may only be fancy,
but the verdure does actually seem greeHer tnan
that of America. Its tint is appears softer
lighter and fresher | tried, when hrst the matter
ranpbt INV attention, 10 explain an assumed delu-
sion by the strong contrast afforded by tue darker