Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-24

man aoout tne success OF this new schem,
that, when the three OF them were seated a
Q small table in Mentavisti's Restaurant. b,
ventured to hint to old George Bethune hi,
fond hope that he might be allowed to ioir
in that prolonged excursion through Scot
land; and the old man at once acquiesced.
"Yes, yes, why not?" he said; and then HI
went on, absently: "Yet, my nerve IL moi
what 1t was. Sometimes I hesitate. II
would grieve me more than can saw Il
Maisrie here were to be disappointed. It il
. long time since was in the country; per.
hsps I remember only the beautiful things
and 1t is only of those she has heard me
talk. When Sturrock thinks of the old
home, the dappled hills shine for him-you
remember Maisrie?-
oh native landi Oh cherished home,
I've sailed across the sea,
And, though my wandering footsteps roam,
My heart still turns to theei
Ny thoughts and dreams are sweet and bright
With dew which love distis;
While every CLEAN of golden light
Falls on the Scottish hills.
HE forgets the mists and the rain and
the darkened days And you, Maisrie, you
have been brought up under fair blue skies;
you have never learnt how somber DAYS and
wild and driving clouds stir the imagina-
ton; perhaps, il you stood In the very street
"uSiS hhS OohhAC 4IdEi murray GAME
sounding through the town. you would see
only the wet pavemeuts and the dull
windows; and you might turn to me and
say rs this what you have talked about to
me, grand ather?' Then all of a sudden
he seemed to throw off his despondent fit as
by violent effort. "No, nol'' said he, in
quite different tone. 81 will not believe
but that there are still yellow cornfelds
and silver lakes in bonnie Scotland, and the
lark singing as nigh in the heavens as
when Tannahill, or Hogg. or Motherwell
paused to listen. will show you the red
rowans hanging from the mountain
crag, and the golden bracken down by the
side of the burn; and if we go still further
away-to the lonely islands of the Western
seas-then you must learn to forget the soft
prettiness of the SUMMER South, and to let
the mysterious charm OF isolation hold you.
and the majesty of the dark mountains, and
the pathetic beauty OF the wandering wells
OF rain. 1 would sooner forget the mother
that bore me, }" he said, with q proud ring in
his voice, than believe that bonnie Scot
land had lost her glamor and wonder and
fascination. And you would be no holiday
tourist, Maisrie; you belong by blood to the
land of wila weather. and Imagination is
part Of the dowry of youth. No, no; do
not fear. IL made mistake when said
was afraid-1 am not a raid OF you, Mais-
rie-not afraid of you-you have the fine
sympathy. tie intelligence, the Quick
Imagination that can trust-I am not
afraid of you, Maisrie-"
"You need not be afraid, grandfather.
the girl said, gently-for she saw that he
was somewhat disturbed. "Why should
you be afraid, grandfather? I shall be look
ing with your eyes"
But the curious thing was that despite all
this talking about the projected pilgrimage,
1t never seemed to come any nearer. No
mention Of date, or even of any approxi-
mate time, was ever made. In like manner,
their return to America, though the old
gentleman spoke of it now and again as a
fixed and definite and necessary thing. kent
receding backwards and backwards into a
perfectly nebulous future. The present
moment was everything to old George
Bethune, whether he was engaged with
roe-deer outlet at q restaurant in Regent
street, or lighting his pipe and mixing his
toddy on his return home, while he was
descanting on Barbour and Drummond and
Sir David Lindsay. or Ramsay. and Fer
guson, and Burns. People were beginning
to leave town; Vincent Harris had received
and declined an invitation to Join big
house party in the far wilds of Ross. not
that it was to the same house
that Mrs. Ellison and Lord Musselburgn
were going; but old George Bethune and his
appeared to pay no heed to
the changing times and seasons; their placid,
1neVentful life seemed quite enough for
them. And was it not enough for
this young man also, who had been ad-
mitted to be their constant associate and
friend? Why should he vex himself about
literary schemes that were none of his de-
vising? Day by day he waved good morn
ing to Maisrle as she came to water her flow
ers, and an answer came from her smiling
eyes; sometimes he walked out into the
parks in the afternoon, with her grand
ather and herself, and even he reioiced to
zee that the fine peach bloom on her cheek
was surmounting the sun-tinge that had
been left there by travel; then in the even.
ing they had all London to choose from, as
o where they should dine, with a quiet
troll homeward thereafter. to music, and
lominoes, and careless talk. What more9
The great outer world might go on its way,
ind welcome.
But Master Vim was about to be startled
,ut OF this dreamful ease. At last there
,ame an answer to the communication he
lad sent to the editor of the Western Scots
nan, with many apologies for unavoidable
'een in Canada, taking his annual holiday
Imong his kinsmen and countrvmen there.
II must say your letter has astonished me
,eyond mea ure," the writer went on, 'sand
would iain believe that there is some great
mistake somewhere, which is capable of ex-
'lanatlon. 1t is quite true that when I
rave my venerable friend, Mr.. Bethune,
tote Of introduction to Lord Musselburgh,
was aware that he had in view various
literary projects-in fact, his brain teens
With them as if he we're young man Of FIVE
perfervijum iugenium
,cotorum in his case has taken hold of his
magination; but I cannot understand how
le could have included in these the publlca-
ion OF volume on the Scottish poets in
America, TOR the simple reason that he must
lave known that such work was not only
n progress here, but that it was, near COM
,letion. Why, I myself showed Mr.. Be-
hume proofs of the early sheets of this vol |
lme; for the author is particular friend of |
nine; and as it was being set up, he used to |
end me the sheets as they were printed; and |
dr. Bethune being in the habit of call |
ng at my office, not only showed them to |
lin, but 1 fancy I let him take |
ONE of them away. that he might |
cad them at his leisure. How he should |
low propose to bring out a similar work |
nd bespeak Lord Musselburgh's patronage
or it, as presume he did-passes my COM
rehension, except that, being an old man,
e may have suffered from some temporary |
ttack oil mental alteration and forget ul-
ess. would rather believe this than that
man whom had taken for thorough Scot,
oval and true to the backbone, and proud
f his country as his own name and lineage,
hould be endeavoring to supplant another
1orker who is already in possession Of the
eld. However, no actual harm can be
one, ior the publication I speak of is on
he eve of publication, and no doubt it will