The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-10-13
SIR WALTER SCOTT.l
How the Great Novelist Spent His
SUNDAYS,

ed, after his weekday custom, ol
the Sunday morning. But. | gather
not; at all events, his household ant
his cattle rested q. iii. 108). l i'm
agne he walked out into his wood
or read quietly in his study. Imme
diately after breakfast, whoever wal
in the house, Ladies' and gentle
men, L shall read prayers at IL
when expect you all to attend
| (vii. 306). Questions of college and
other externally unanimous prayer
settled for us very briefly: IF you
have no faith, have at least man
ners." He read the Church Of Eng
land service, lessons and all, the lat.
ter, if interesting, eloquently (lbid).
After the service, one of Jeremy
Taylor's sermons wi. 1881. After the
sermon, if the weather was fine.
walk with bis family, dogs included,
and guests, to cold picnic Gii. 1O9,)
followed by short extempore Biblical
novelettes for he had his Bible, the
Old Testament, especially, by heart,
it having been his mothers last gift
to him wi. 174,) Thsse lessons to
his children in Bible history were
always given, whether there was q
picnic or not. For the rest of the
afternoon he took his pleasure in the
woods with Tom Purdie, who also
always appeared at his masters el
bow on Sunday after dinner was
over, and drank long life to the laird
and his lady and all the good com
pany, in a quaIgh of whisky or a
tumbler of wine, according to his
fancy wi. 1861 Whatever might
happen on the other evenings of the
week, Scott always dined at home
on Sunday; and with old friends,
never, unless inevitably, receiving
any person with whom he stood on
ceremony (v. 1850 He came into
the room rubbing his hands like
boy arriving at home for the holi-
days, his Peppers and Mustards
gamboling about him, and even the
stately Mazda grinning and waggiug
his tail with sy ympathy. For the
Usquebaugh of the less honored
weekdays, at the Sunday board he
circulated the champagne briskly
during dinner, and considered a
pint of claret each mans share af-
terward ". 338).
In the evening, music being to the
Scottish worldly mind indecorous, he
read aloud some favorite author, for
the amusement or edifcation of his
little circle. Shakespeare, it might
be, or Dryden, Johnson or Joanna
Baillie, Crabbe or Wordsworth. But
in those days Byron was pouring
out his spirit fresh and full, and if a
new piece from his hand had appear
ed it was sure to be read by Scott
the Sunday evening afterward; and
that with such delighted emphasis as
showed how completely the elder
bard had kept up his enthusiasm for
poetry at pitch of youth, and all his
admiration Of genius, free, pure, and
unstained by the least drop of liter
ary jealousy" With such necessary
and easily imaginable varieties as
chanced IN having Dandy Dinmon'
or Capt. Brown for guests at Abbots
ford, or Col. Mannering. Counselor
Pleydell, and DR.. Robertson in Cas-
tie street, such was Scott's habitua
Sabbath day, we perceive, of eat
! ing the fat dinner, presumably no
cold, being a werk of necessity ant
mercy-thou also, even thou. Sain
Thomas of Trumbull, hast thine
and drinking the sweet, abundant ii
the manner of Mr.. Southey's catarac
Of Lodore-"Here it comes, spark
-.
ling" A day bestrewn with corona
tions and sops in wine; deep in liba
tious to good hope and fond mem
ory; day of rest to beast and miru
to man (as also to sympathetic BEAST
that can be merry, and concludin.
itself in al orphic hour Of delight
signifying peace on Tweedside, ant
! good will to men, there or far ava,
always excepting The French an,
Boney.-John RuSEtn, IN Niaeteent
Centasru.