The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-02-01

.Atweel,' said Sandie. refiectively,
as hi swept up his pieces of sugar and
put them into a large jar, 'atweel, Lon
don's a big place and they call it the
centre of ~ceevilization; but'-here he
shut the lid of the jar sharply-.Mony
things please the folk in London that
wouldna gang doom in Glasgow
"'What he meant could hardly gather;
it was a mere general reflection, but !
felt somehow that it had a personal APP
plication. A long pause ensued. Istood
awkwardly waiting in front of the
counter, but Sandie did not seem in
clined for further conversation. At last,
feeling rather uncomfortable, ! deter
mined to put an end to the interview.
"sWell, I'll wish you good morning.
I said, moving to the shop door.
"'Good morning. grunted Sandie,
not raising his eyes from his desk and
ledger, to which he had just gone.
81 walked out of the shop, indignant
at the mans imperturbability. Glanc-
ing back from the pavement I saw San
dies face quietly regarding me over his
1edger-and snaiting-just as it had
smiled when 1 saw him reading my first
effort in literature. He was certainly
quite irreconcilable.
about this period of my career, as
you may remember, I was particularly
severe in my writings on the British
Philistine and on the sordid, self-con-
ceited, money-grabbing secularity OF the
trading classes in this country. [ de-
nounced the hypocrisies of Sodom and
the 1esh-pots of Gomorrah. The press
took up nv cry, and Philistinism had a
bad time of it. Poor idiots, they thought
that 1 had a grievance against society.
Nothing of the kind. I was only trying
to have my revenge on Sandie Macpher-
son!
"For, wrestle as I might against him
the man had mastered me. Folk might
compare me to John the Baptist preach
ing in the wilderness, they might say
that I had come to preach honesty and
independence, pure living and high
thinking, to a rotten generation, but
Sandie Macpherson knew better. Sandie
sdso through me. 1t vas no use posing as
a great thinker and teacher before him.
I minded his words: .Mony things
please the folk in London that wouldna
gang doom in Glasgow 1t was humil.
iating, to say the least of it. Much as 4
despised the fellow, his attitude of in.
vincible stupidity was something Titanic.
To the bedside of the heather Emperor q
slave used to come each morning, saying
6 Philip, remember you must die! To
my bedside, for many a day came the
spirit of Sandie, saying: Thomas Car.
lyle, remember you're a poor creature,
and I knoU In
81 thought to have my revenge on
Sandie; at last, they made mt Lord Rec
tor of the University of Glasgow.
More proud and exultant than you can
think, 1 went down to my natal city to
deliver the r~ectorial address. 1 was an
old man by this time, and had a great
name all over the world. Such arecep-
ton as they gave me! Ash stood in the
large hall, with the professors and citi-
zens around me, the students in their
thousands cheering me, fine ladies
in the galleries smiling down upon
me, I felt that L had reached the
height of my ambition. I addressed
them like a man inspired. I spoke
my fondness for the country Of my
birth, and I vas in the middle of a
splendid peroration, when all of a sud-
1 uCIl UCCdll1C COuSCIOuS VI q Aldu , 1dCO
looking quietly up at me. One mans
it only too well-grim, cold, hard as
granite, yet with a kind of plying smile
upon it-whose face could it be but the
one I had dreaded all my life? The
words went out of my head, and l
ended feebly, sitting down into my
chair with a sigh of relief when 1 had
finished. = The next day there
were columns in the papers, and in the
course of the long report something to
this effect: SAT this point OF discourse,
abiding to his early days in this city,
Mr.. Carlyle was visibly affected. His
emotion was touching to witness; and
he almost broke down; but amid the loud
cheering of his enormous audience he
at last concluded his magnificent adj
dress 'Visibly affected indeedt-and
touching emotion!' They little knew
that my speech was nearly ruined by the
sinister influence of Sandie Macpherson!
The great man paused, half amused,
half angry at the remembrance of his
odd experience. Reaching out his hand,
he took down a pipe from the mantle.
piece, filled and lit il, and smoked fol
some minutes in silence, with his eyes
fixed upon the fire. l sat watching him,
reverently and wonderingly. At last he
broke tine silence.
II never saw Sandie again after that.
about a year ago, however. an old
friend, a minister of the kirk, coming or
a visit from Glasgow, informed me thst
my former school-fellow, who was one
of his congregation. had recently died.
MY friend had been with him frequently
during his last illness. 1 asked, moi
without anxiety, if the poor fellow had
still remembered me.
"My friend smiled.
go, yes, he remembered you well,
he replied, and only a few days before
his death he spoke about you
"'Indeed! and what did he say ]
said, carelessly.
"tShall 1 give you his very wordsP'
asked my friend. laughing merrily.
Certainly.
"fThey're telling me- he said, that
Carlyle has just written another book.
Lord. minister, surely the world has gone
clean daft! What a folk see in such a
silly sumph fool as gong
80 Sandie passed away" concluded
the old philosopher, and now, whatever
happens to me, I know that my career
must be considered a failure, for the one
dream of my existence-to make an i'm
preston on Sandie Macpherson-has
been rendered impossible for ever."-
Robert Buchanan, IN BelgraUia.