The Somerset reporter., 1885-04-15
~ alter Scott and HIS Mother.


NJ list Of great men with good motAe-s
would proceed far before including Sir
Wslt.r Scott and Mrs.. scott. Mf.. Sc1tt
or Miss Kotherford-~a- the daughter u
Distinguished physician IL the University
" Edinburgh, Oi 4bDm i j. tod that be
never gave a prescription without si.eGtly
invoking the blessing III Heaven On il. His
child Inherited his piety. TIE excellent
education rhe received embraced an ac-
quaintauce with literature, nor were such
practical natter A. are implied by the
needle ana IN. Accouui-bOok neglected. 4
further source Ot Ter inh1 nee over BIER son
was dOub les, her finished and e.gau,
maDRers although they were too stiff and
STACEY 70 please the modern taste. Her
marriage was obe ~ envelope wo1Dau's
mind and character happily Aad thi. i
equivalent 20 saying that Sn Waiter was
Dle-t Ia both parents. His father was an
eminent lawyer, and not only 4 scrupnlOus.
~ honorable map, bot his life from biz
youth up had been blameles-. Wden the
less virtuOu- Of hi college companions
fOnnd tina he y as above bring corrupted,
they ceased - tempt and laugh at him and
learned to respect aud bon + him.
There being a large family young Wa
ter cOuId Juiy share among them the moth
er'- attentioD---iu his Case more tender,
His first ideas of poverty were taken from
her lips, as she repeated 10 him the tra-
dictionary ballads she knew BY heart.
When he Wa sufficiently advanced she
had him read Pope. translation Of Homer
aloud 70 her; aud he ever after remembered
how she wont - make him pause at
pass ages expressive Of worthy and gener-
ous sentiments Many al anxious struggle
she must have had ID deciding what books
70 allow her -DD and what to deny; how 10
assist T. development Of his inteec' ia.
faculties without binder pg his spiritual;
How TO steer his bark between mental dis
-ipatioH aud tiiyoity and that severe re-
re-siOu which i apt to produce re-
acton. HI. more auslere father would
have heartily coucufrtd in measures Of
more restric i've kind; and the tutor to
whom he passed from the edUcatiDual care
Of his mother, held i almost SIN TO read
secular poem or a drama a bis changed
relations to literature Walter Scott might
easily have fallen into habits Of Conceal
rueut and lost that caudor which developed
into the uoole Integrity conspicuous in his
later years. Fortunately this tutors stern
rule sooD came IL Al end, and when lJug
iilcess returned the STUDENT 10 hi. mother
charge, he Was can.oled by having con-
staut.y laid upon his bed the BEST 4 poetry
and roma0ce-in short. the fOrerrunner Of
what lie himself was TO accomplish. HAD
he suffered any coptaminatiot OF mind at
this storing period, II could not have been
said OF Sir Walter as an author, as It
proudly mas been said, that he never forgot
the >anctlties Of domestic love and -clal
duty 10 ali that he wrote. The influence Of
his books on mankind has been pure Is
vast. To what his mother Wa and 10 her
Jndicious tontrol Of his reading wen
youth, he gratefully attributed the success
that she lived TO witness She was strict
economist, he say which enabled her to be
LIBERAL And Ia lis famous memoir y
Lpckhart his -on-ln-laS 1t / recorded that
her charity. like her sptitude tor story'tell-
ihg was transmitted u her son, and found
expression not only 10 material gifts to The
poor, but IN CONSCIENTIOUS care and con-
slderatlou Tor the feeding VI others
With ne first fee he earned at the bar
hve gulneas-he bought silver taper