New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-31
SIR WAITER Sc0TT AND ms MOTHER
From Good Words.

From Good Words
1t was in the spring of 1853 that the daughter az
a distinguished professor of medicine in the ITni
yersty of Edinburgh changed her maiden name OF
rutherford for her married name of Scott, having
the happiness to unite her lot with one who was not
only scrupulo usly honorable man. but who from
his youth up had led singularly blameless life
Oi her father 1t is told that. when in practice a.
physician, he never gave a prescription virhont
silently invoking it the blessing OF heaven and
herit"d by his daughter. ;Ier education also had
been an excellent one-giving. besides a good CEN
erai grounding, an acquaintance with literature
and not negecting " the more homely duties of the
needle and the accompt-book.D Her manners
moreover ian important and too often neglected
factor in mothers influence her children
were finished and elegant though intOlerably sfiff
In some respects when compared with the manners
ana habits of to-day. The maidens of 1881 can
hardly realize, for instance. the asperity of the
training of their embryo great grandinotbers who
posture that Mrs Scott in her seventy ninth wear
boosted that she had never allowed her shoulders
to touch the back OF heI chart
AS young Walter was one of many children he
could not of course monopolize his mothers atten-
ton; but probably she recognized the promise OF
his future greatness unlike the mother OF the Duke
OF Wellington, who thought Arthur the family
aunce' and gave HIM special care; for, speak
much consolation in the partiality of nv Mother
Like the mothers of the Ettrck Shepherd and of
Burns, she repeated TO her the traditionary
tallads she knew by heart; and, so soon as he was
sufficiently advanced, his leisure hours were usually
to her. which, with the exception of a few ballads
and some of Allan Ramsays songs was the first
To her she was wont, nc says. to make him panse
upon those passages which expressed generous aud
worthy sentiments "a most happy method of edn-
cation, and most effective one In the case of an
lmpressionable boy. little later when he passed
from the educational of his mother TO that of a
tutor, his relations to literature changed, the
following passage from his autobiography will
show: My tutor thought it almost a sin to open
profane play or poem; and my mother had no longer
the opportunity to hear me read poetry formerly.
found. however. in her dressing where
slept at one nme, some odd volumes of Shake
speare; nor can | easily forget the rapture with
which L safe up in my shirt reading them by the
light OF lire IN her apartment until the hustle of
the family rising from supper warned me that it
was time to creep back to my bed, where was sup
posed TO have been safely deposited since O'clock
Ii was IN relation 10 Mrs. SCOTS control of her
sons reading that he wrote with gratitude late in
feeng.S And. after her death, in letter to a
friend, he paid her this tIibuie: She bad mind
anything in the way of painting the past times it
Is very much fiom tine studies with which she pre-
aenealogy and her aptitude for storytelling. was
transmitted To her 1t found expression IN him
not only in material gifts to the poor but in con-
sclentous care and consideration for the feelings of
Others.
That she smiled on his early evidences of talent
anu lostcred them, We may well Imagine and the
Tender hess with which size regarded his early CON-
positions is Indicated by the Tact that a copy of
verses, written IN a boyish scrawl carefully
preserved by her. and found after her DEATH folded
IN paper on which was inscribed My Walters
hrst lines. 1852. That she gored in his succcsses
WEI teS came we gather; Tor when speaking late
IN HE Ia DR. Dayy about his brother Sir Humphrys
own houc memories, remarked: hope DIR. DaVv
tnat your mother lived to il there must have
been great pleasure in that Ia her" But with
MDateNcr zeal Mis-. Scott NAV have nnfoded Sir
waters mind 10y her training. 10y her praise by her
mothery enthusiasm, t Is certain that FROM first
To last, she loved his soul and suught its interest in
anu above alt Her final present to him before she
died was not Shakespeare a Milton but an old
bibie-thc book she loved best and for her sake Sin
Walter loved il too.
Happy was Mrs. Scott i'm having . son who i'm all
things rcclprocatcd the affection of his mother
WIN tho hfSt live guinea fee lac earned AT the bar
he bought a present for her-a silver taprr-Stand
which stood on her mante lpecc many a year: when
he becamc cnamored of Miss Carpenter lac iliaily
wrote To consult his mother about the attachment
ara 10 beg her blessing upon 1T; when in 1919 she
uled at an advanced age, he was IA attendance 1t
her side, and, full of occupations though lac Was
we find hun bnsying himself 10 obtain for her body
a beautifully situated grave. And when in due
course. ms executors to search for his tesla
ment, and lifted mp his desk, we found SAYS one
OF then arranged in careful order "A series of little
OBJECTS VIII lch bad obviously been ~ placed there
thai his ey might rest on them every IN Brnng he
fore he began his tasks" There were the old FASH
Toned boxes that had garnisAcd his mot hers toilet
table when he. sickly child slept ia her dressing
room; the silver tapcr-stand which the Voung ad
vocate bought for her with his first fee: a royy OF
small packets inscribed by her hand and containing
the HAIR OF such of her children as had died before
her; and more odds and ends of like sortpathctic
tokens of a love which bouni together for a little
while here on earth and binds together forevcnure
III heaven Christian mother and son.