New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-17
SANDIE MACPHERSON.
A VIGNETTE IN PROSE
BY ROBERT BUCHANAN.


I+vosn,v privilege, during the last DAYS Of bis
strangely prosperous career to see q good deal OF
the late Mr. Thomas ErclldOnne-' true IhOhl.ts'
az he was aliectjoEately called by the generation
10 0hOm he tod 80 many grim truths hdG gone
IA him rs literary aspirant-Unc of tho many
who coming up from Scotland TO tght 1or lort1he'
carried letters of INTRODUCTION 70 the great man
The nQtiOn delighted 10 honor MN, anu ueSpItc US
dislike Of the literary class geneIalyhe never lau
TO say n kind word 10 any young brother ScOt VINO
souCht his advice. For some reason or other. no
t0ok to me and though so many years his junior. !
became a frequent visitor at his house, ana
received great deal of bis confidence IL was one
winter evening. as we sat alone together III ms
study that study which was Il very Mecca 10 NJ
erAry pilgrims OF all nati0ns-that he made inc SIN
gnlar confession which | am about to place on
There be SAT, aged honore1. famous. the leading
man Of letters perhaps, of his generation: an ola
dressing-gOwn wrapped around MN, Shippers Oh MS
feet his face grim granite Gust as 1t appears IN
Woodman's BUST and his eyes with that sad pro-
pnetlc gaze which is reproduced III ali the photo
graphs. On the bOok-shelves close round nm were
Well-thumbed volumes, neatly all Oh lhem presen.
tatou copies. with the autographs OF tLeif mighty
authors; chef among them set OF G0etle WIN
noJss IN the poets OWn handwriting. On the wall,
oyer the mautelpcce was a scroll in velluln, given
TO Ercildoune by the spvantS OF Germany on the
occasion OF his sixteth birthday, and ms reception
of the Grand CIoss Of the Legion OF SaleIkraqt'
from the hands Of the King OF Thurlngla. In the
desk at his elbow was precious coiIesponqsnce-
signed by such names as Heine, hers, baIac'
Hartmann, Darwin, MHcaulay, Coerdeo DICKENS
Only the day before ETcidOunC had been sent Zoe Oy
the Oueen of England, as one of the two or three
preat men It behOoyed her to ino and honor ana,
Having spent several hours of conversation with
her he had pronounced her nice homely OoaS'
lust like scores of farmers wives he had met III Al;
iandule' Certainly, lie was one to whom the world
did hOInage-kings might have ehyled his author
itative position. 1t was, therefore, with some sur
prise that discovered, listening 10 his confession,
that thu great man was not Altogether cOntcnted
with his success that it had one serious Qualiica-
ton which had (aS he himself expressed ltcost nun
many "a sleepless night. I'LL, go
I 1la m la fUQ
his own words. despair OF reproducing the pecu'
liar accent and the deep pathetic burr OF DIS voice
which he preserved to the last, as VOL aS ceI lam
eccentrIcities OF pronunciation whloh sIaII hot
initiate.
You think me successful man, and such, al
low is the POPULAR opinion. Well may nave
been successful beyond my merits. when are small
enough. Lord knows but lest should grow dart
with my own seli-cODcet, tho Lord sent Sanule
Macpherson to keep Inc humble!
II ID humiliatng confession TO make, Dut almost
otsany point of nv long career from the very be
ginning the thought OF having converted SandIe
would have been more precious to me thah inc au-
miraton OF all The Iest of the world candle, now
ever never believed in nc from the first When
published my first book, my chief thought was,
aWhat viii Sandie Macpherson think OF tins Z; ana
whom heard the criticisms which cut lie up Ike Il
hnygis right and left could have borne every thing
but the thought of how lie would glOat over Them,
down yonder IN Scotland. / was somewhat con-
solcd and n wee bit hopeful when. some years
afterward, published my History of the Renals-
sance in ThurnHa"; for the critics, knowing
nothing OF the subject, PRAISED III 10 q man. ana
talked nonsense about my industry my oTiSlnai-
ity. and my erudItion. | cared nothing for the
critics but said tomyself with smile " That's one
for Sandic Macpherson, at last"
'Perhaps YOU will be asking who Sandie Macpher-
son u.s. that set such store by his good opinion
Well up TIL a few months ago you might haye seen
his name" Alexander Macpherson, as II was
given Laptlsmally-Oyer the door OF small grocer
store IN the GallOwrate Of Glasgow.
.SaDdie and weTo schOOieilOwS.
We first met ia the Rev Mr.. MacinCows semi
nary. oot beyond tho Cowclddens, AID alterwar1
we attended Mr.. Parallels Mathematical and Or.
Sgelpums Lain classes, III the High-Sch0ol. As |
mind Sandie now. he vGs wee, SNUG m0utIed,
black IL eezel addie, with eyes like hawk ana "A
stcOp In the shoulders. From first TO last no was
the prizes AT TIE Rev. Mr.. MaCindOw's, and when
nc came 90 the High School, among lads twice his
size. lie was dux OF the class. such memory
as re rad! il WA wonderful, wonderful. tie
could repent tbe wuOlo Latin Dtec,us with his eyes
shut aud he knew the whole Of Euclid. whcn 80
were laboring over the " POn5 AsnOTuul" DR..
SkslDuln himself Wls afraid OF him. As for me-,
where ne was duX ! WIS dGrce. had .tho taWs ~
nearly every day from tho Doctor ana ever and
ave- y hllc wIithed IN my corner, could hear the
cry, Alexander Macpherson, tell IauAid5 Lrcil-
dounc bow 20 c0msrrGc this or that passage IN the
"lc:amorpEos-s' Sometimes. Just to shame IA,
he was pat NJ the very bottom OF the class ana ttn
Lord to see Lin iou9ilg from place 10 place, llko
one ruaUing mp nrJe. aLt then standing. flushed
and triumphant. IA bis Old place 10 the Ver! TOP!
.Sarc.es latGrr Nas % siudl tiadesman ~ GIa>-
cow aud yOu may ie sirc he vas proud enough ~
his SOIL ScuCio as ever spicS and span. had l4e
best 81 ciOlats, ana htlNcf 0HlcN anu ciis ti'cu
70 him By IA, aunt ON hls birthday HIS Doots were
Ike himself clean, wdite ana neat, with 30 thumb
marks or dog leaves 10 diSiigulc the pages. lie
wrote bcaui ius hand, ike cOpperpldto and in the
v,Grg Fl .,s rs well the rest, be f0ctj priH-
ce,s We'll might .e look with scorn en- Ily sl0Ycnly
dress my books ri thum1ed ana torn, and on NV
handwriting which was Ill 10 make out as heather
Ite.i. Il elf might lie bc held M TO NE - shining
lir', aud an example ia.nMas ErcildOUuc go
Cvt and wash your .aCc; when viii We learn 20 no
tidy ike Alexander Macpherson |" Ianras,
your books are disgrace; 90 ye no
az AicNauter AacpheIsoui' "tOr shame
'YaJtulS for shane do you ever zee AleN lndeI
Glarplcrscn sucking black man in tho midst o
sch,aIt .Tamuas. your hand writing IS abomina-
tIOa Aiaxnncer. set hIm 4 COPY yourscI, 10 SHOW
hin bow "a laA shoul1 WIito.p Those wero CRIES
Iinriuy FOR ever in my ears. What wonder II l
gtcv to lCoX oA saddle - q superior belng-to %
gael al with admiration anu envy, 10 be initiated
with ave and fear
~ was Just tho same story when We went TO col
lere.
we met there on our former footing that is 10
say ho DISTINGUISHED himself as usual, while /
watched Inn from res. ectiui distance rev
words ever passed between us, Tor we had never
becn On speaking tc.us-eitheI IN or out OF school.
But the relationship between US was clearly under
wearing rraudy lis rel college gown ana his
college hal Whio CrepJ along WIN my gown on
res Hfm, be woIld give me a patroDiLng nCn. mat
MAS ali. We began Greek together under lite-
land, and moral philosophy under old DR.. Plain
stancs It the old story. lie was the pet pupil
ut both professors. lie drank in learning like his
IN theirs milk. From tho first Greek to the second
and third followed bin labvri0usly-ns n clumsy
ledgng follows the III ght of Some splendid eagle,
whom = seeks 10 emulate IN vain.
After We loft coilage, lost sight OF him TOR some
years. | believe he might have received bursary
lui gone 10 Ok ford but his fl. her, proud he