The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-12-15
Hooo. THE SCOTCH POET.
Chicago Eye.


 James Hogg sprang from the yeo humblest walk of life. His father v.s shepherd. and he himself passed h.s er- tire youth and early manhood in terd.nc sheep and herding cattle on the hills and valleys of his native district. Of schoo.- ing he enjoyed but little, for he was b.. seven years of age when he was app.en- uced. Nature was his school-house the pastoral valleys, the lovely streams. :he flowers on the hillside, the rocks. ar .he rlls, and the reflections cast on the water by the mountains and the sky, were the books from which he learned 10 sin- he songs which have made his name death less. He was ill-clad. and ill-fed. E:js only companions the four-footed beasts he tended, over whom he watched oy day, and among whom he slept by night. The blue sky was often his mantle .he dewy grass his pillow: but there was spirit within him that neither hardsn.ps nor poverty could still-a restless ger. $. that was to carry his name down slce by side with his great countryman. the III ble plowman Burns. While his Jock was browsing by the hillside his :...Di was revelling in the realms of fancy
 He is essentially the poet of n@:.-e. His subjects are all drawn from Ter midst. His mind was imbued wiis a.. the wild and gentle supers,itions c: a.s native glens. Brownies and kelpies ere to him as real personages. Wilson 1a..s him " the poet-laureate of the coG.. c. faery V; and Prof. Aytoun said of .lu!. Who Is there who has not heard ei ne Et,rick Shepherd-of him whose iason- ation descended as lightly as the t.eese that blows along the mountain sides who saw among the lonely and sea-es- tered glens of the south, from eye ..ds touched with the fairy ointment, sch visions as are vouchsafed 10 the mias,re. alone-the dreams of sweet kilmens :oo spiritual for the taint of ear,h.''
 Hogg claims to have been born C.. ne twenty-hfth of January, i77e, the aan!- versary of Burns birthday : but the pa.ish register gives the date of his birth d: he ninth of December, TO. Hogg .,.ed to be likeLed to his greater countryy.an. and this led him likely 10 pos,-daie his birth. He came from a race of s,eo- herds. He was the youngest of four sons. His mother. Margaret Lai iiow. was pious, though uneducaied woman. oAh VIM d 1itn OOTQGf-O4.- lads, which she poured into the ea.. ,i her son, who drank his nrst inspiration from this humble source. He eos.- menced the composition of songs .EG ballads Tn I79o: in 1901 appeared ne first of his published productions, .ae Patriot Lay of Donald McDcnald." V ..:ea soon became general favori,e. was SC. 10 music. and sang far and wide before the name of the author was known !. was about this time that he be A...e acquainted with Scott, who was the.. a.. lecting material for his :. Minstre.s, oi the Scottish Border and Hogg made a number of contributions 10 II. -.is acquaintance of Scott was of great be.e,i: to him. It led to lifelong intimacy. although now and then ruffled by :::...e quarrels, for Hogg was man oi rather irritable disposition and somewha, ir:egu- lar habits: but the grea, ' magician d. ways overlooked these little differences and masnanimouslyf forgave them Hoge. despite his irregularities. was ma- q kindly and noble nature. In one oi as Lay Sermons he says, II have Eeves intentionally done evil to any living ,o.. and knowing how little power l had D do good to others, never missed .n opportunity that came within the reach ot my capacity 10 do Il.
 Lockharte tells an interesting anecao.e of Hoggs first visit 10 Scotts reside. z. Shortly after the first meeting of the .uo poets, Hogg came 10 Edinburg wlh a flock of sheep for sale. Scott invited him to dinner. He went. and wher ne entered the drawing-room he found ',...s. Scott. who was then Tn ili-heal,h, rec .a- ing on sota. The shepherd. after b-.n- presented, and making his best bow forth with took another sofa placed opposite hers and stretched himself a, full le-. .;n upon il: for. as he said afterwards. Il thought could never do wrong to eary the lady of ,ha, house." He was dressed precisely as any ordinary herdsa.aa attends cattle 10 ,he market" and a.s hands and shoes bore unmistakab,e e. denoe of his vocation. As will be reaci.y supposed. the lady of the house did nc. observe with perfect equanimi,y the ces- truotion of her chintz-covered furniture but .of this Hogg remarked nothing dined heartily and drank freely. ard afforded plenty of merriment for the com pany (which was rather large enel. oy jest, anecdote, and song. As the lIquor operated he grew familiar; from ..Mr. Scot, he advanced to ..Sherra," ,he.ce to Scott "Walter." and Wattie." -.- til at supper he fairly convulsed the whole party by addressing Mrs. Scott as s.Cf..- lotte.n
 Scot, assisted him in getting subsc-.5- CTS for his Mountain Bard" and .:.:s work on sheep, entitled .s The Shepherds Guide On he profits of these ..,o books, some three hundred pounds. Ae went into an unprohiabie farming sue-- ula,ion, and found himself as poo. as ever. Disappointed. chagrined, he wrap ped his plaid abou, him and wer: 10 Edinburgh to become professional ,-.za of letters. His hrs, enterprise was ne publication of periodical called Ire Spy. IL fingered a twelvemonth and expired. Now his literary life bega. n earnest. He made many friends: thev encouraged him, and Tn ISI, apDearei