Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-01-26

tigucit. ia Prose Robert Bu.
Chanuu.

1t was my privilege during the last
days of his strangely prosperous career,
to see good dead OF the late Mr. Thomas
Ercilduuue-"Truc Thomas" as he was
afiectiuuatclv called by the generation to
whom he told so many grim truths. l
had gone to him as Il literary aspirant-
one OF the many who coming up from
Scotland 20 fight for fortune, carried let
tiers of introduction 10 the great man.
The nation delighted to honor linn, and
despite his dislike ri the literary class
generally, he never failed to say kind
word 10 any younger brother Scot who
Sought his advice. For some reason or
other, he took 90 me, and though SO many
wears his junior, became n frequent
visitor at his house, and received great
deal of his confidence II was one win
ter evening, as W. sal alone together in
his study-that study which WIS very
Mecca 10 literary pilgrims Of all nations
that he made the singular confession
which ] am about 10 place ON record.
There he sat aged, honOred, famous,
the leading man OF letters, perhaps, OF
his generation; an Old dressinG-gown
wrapped around him, slippers on his feet,
his face grim us granite (justas it appears
in Woodmau's bust, and his eyes with
that sad prophetic gaze which is repro
duced in all the photographs On the
bOok-shCly,s close rul,nd him were well
thumbed volumes, nearly all of them
presentation copies, with the autographs
OF their mighty authors ; chief among
them a set Of Goethe with notes in the
poets own handwriting. On the wall,
over the mantelpiccc. was scroll in vel
um, given to Ercildounc by the savants
of Germany ON the occasion of his six
tieth birthday, and his reception of the
Grand Cross Of the Legion OF Sauer-
Uuut from the hands of the King of
Tnuringln. In the desk I'll his elbow was
n precious correspondence by
such names rs Jlcinc, Theirs, Balzac,
Hartmann, Darwin, Macaulay, Coleridge
Dickens. Only the day before Ercildoune
had been sent for by the Queen of Eng
land, rs one OF the two OF three great
men it bChOoycd her Ia know and honor d:
and, having spent several hours of con-
versation with her, he had pronounced
her nice hoincly body, just like scores
of farmers wives he had met i'll Allan
dale" Certainly, he was one to whom
the world did homage might have
cnvied his authoritative position. 1t was,
therefore, with son!1 surprise that | dis
covered, listening to his confession, that
the great man was not altogether content
ed with his success ; that it had ono seri-
Gus qualification, which had las he him
self expressed it, cost him many sleep
less night.
Let me explain the matter, us far as
possible. in his own words | despair of
reproducing the peculiar accent and the
deep pathetic "burI' Of his voice which
he preserved TO the last, as well as GER
tain cccentricities of pronunciation,
which | shall not initiate.
"You think inc Il successful man, and
such, | allow, is the popular opinion.
Well, maybe | have been successful be-
yond my merits, which are small enough,
Lord knows but lest | should grow daft
with my own self-concrit, the Lord sent
Sandie Macpherson 10 keep me humble
at is Il Illuminating confession to make,
hut almost ut any point Of my long ca
reer, from the very beginning, the thought
of having converted Snndic would have
been more precious to Inc than the admi-
ration Of all the rest Of the world. San
die, however, never believed i'll me from
the first. When | published my first
book, my chief thought was, What will
Sandie Macpherson think of this" and
when | heard the criticisms, which cut
me up like IL haggis right and left | could
have borne everything but the thought Of
how he would glout over them down yon
der in Scotland. | was somewhat con
solcd, and wee bit hopeful, when, some
years aiterward, published my History
OF the Renaissance in Ihuringia !; for the
critics, knowing nothing of the subject
praised it 20 Il man, and talked nonsense
about my industry, my originality ant
my eruditlon. l cared nothing for Thu
critics, bat ! said to myself with smile
That's one for Sandio Macpherson, a
last +
"Perhaps you will be ask 'ng who San
die Macpherson is, that | set such stor,
by his good opinion? Well, up till few
months ago You might have seen lii
name-'Alexander Macpherson, as it wal
given baptismaly-over the door of {
small procers store in the Gal!owgate o
Glasgow.
"Sandie and were schoolfellows.
"We first met in the Rev. Mr.. Macin
dow's seminary, out beyond the Cowcad