The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-02-17
For The Times.]

this from your klDuutNS III lhhiHb -'i' i<'''"
and me over to'the State House, with all ITS
grand memorials and associations. md show
ing them 10 US. Also introducing us TO the
Governor. one of the most genial Of men.
Another reason Now that We are living IN
lotus land. such an Oriental would dream oi,
IN which soft airs, sunny warm days. and all
the enioymcnts and delights which even
svbarite would desire. would fain recall the
davs of nv bovhood when life was young and
hope the gay companion OF youth, lOoked aiif
with rapture over n bOundlcss scene OF bllsS.
Now that am looking out of the western
windows toward the setting sun, II IS Wen 10
look eastward toward the morning Of me- re-
call the hopes, Joys and scenes 81 othci daNS
in the very arcadia of Scotland. where the
land was burdcned with poetry and the ar
was vocal with legend and song For was
born and lived almost under the shadow 81
Abbotsford. the land Of the borders of legend
and poetry. / have heard all its minstresy
all It's melodOus songs. i have heard me
torrents roar and the pleasant muImur 81 us
classic streams. And so, at your request !
will gather up myreminiscenccs Of SIR waiter
Scott In this there will be nothing IN the
shane Of criticism nothing but boyish rccol-
lections. and surely the lines have fallen 10
me in pleasant places. Perhaps there IS not
another man in the world who has -panncd
the long interval from inc 'PuNftNA Nttt va.
first wizard. Sir Walter. - this other and sim
greater wizard. my friend Thomas \. Ldlson.
Therefore | am fortunate
This article will be rather Of q garulous
possiping character indicating the rccollec-
lions and impressions Of bOyhOod and the sur
roundings Of the great minstrel. First. ms
personal appearance. He was "A large man;
fully six feet powerfully formed, and WAS NWd
10 be the most powerful man IN his arms I'D
the district. But he was lame. Hi- nght leg
was SHRINK up shorter than the other, ana me
wore a shoe or boot with thick sole. but NE
could walk rapidly and always carried a cane
Al home he used 10 wear green shooting
iarket and Scotch bonnet of blue cloth
His voice was deep and sonorous. His face
was rather heavy and MASSIVE PM
stirred with thought His eyes
were light gray. and very quick ana
lively. When he went 10 Edinburgh he had a
large green carriage, with two large black
horses. Understand, he was the shern 81
our county, and held II thirty-two years. IN
derstand, also, That shenh Is dinrrehl
functionary from our sheriff. He must bc "a
lawyer: he is the presiding Judge IN the
county courts and tries all minor cases, such
as illicit poaching and fishing and petty
thefts and hears preliminary examinations
and insOlvencies and such. Sir Walter had
,nother office. namely clerk of the slgnct IN
Edinburgh. which brought him q 300 year
We never called him Sir Walter. We had no
other name than the Sheriff.
Notwithstanding his genial face and kindly
talk we boys were always afraid of hlm. We
thought that by virtue Of his Office he could
nut us in jail any time he liked. l remember
a ludiciOus case. We boys were playing and
"a large r-haired boy. stranger, joined us.
A dispute arose in which the boy took the OPP
posite side. Irritaied nj this. II occurred 10
me that ! could thrash him. though he was
somewhat larger than !. and was preparing 10
operate when the boy accidentally mentioned
the sheriff was his uncle. This paTalyZcd me
at once. All belligerent proceedings were
dropped believing that If ! thrashed him !
would he in Selkirk Jail before night. But
perhaps no SUMMER nature ever existed. II"
man ever lived Of greater capacity 10 ENJOY
life. The kecnest sense of the ludlcouS, the
most wonderful of story tellers, a mind stored
with nll kinds of curious learning and every
variety Of curious legend and story, he was "a
walking encyclopedia.
Now as To his surroundings. His faithful
factotum. Tom Purdie deserves honorable
and notable mention. II appears that IN some
of the earliest years Of the sherflshp Tom
was brought before him 10 take his tr1al upon
a charge of Illegal epoaching. Tom made
defence 80 wonderful for It's ingenious per-
versity that Scott saw at once he was an or
slnal, and hired him on the spot. He remained
with him till his death. II ever there was
genuine Scotchman. Tom was one. He had
fedu tine ntrolC history tl lis tbuutl ~ "
lace. Wright and Bruce the bold; of the dcs-
perate valor Of the Scotch regiments IN the
Peninsula and foreign wars, TIL he was Ger
tain that this world was going all 10 rum be-
cause il WAS not Scotch. A Scotchman, Tom
thought was always equal 10 three English
men, and AT least twenty Frenchmen. The
following instance will illustrate Toms INC
syncracy A Mr.. Richardson, a literary friend
Of Sir Walters, visited him. and intended
to have some sport fishing in the Tweed,
which is a salmon stream. Sir Walter would
have liked 10 have gone with him. but some
matters prevented him, but he SAID he would
send Tom. who knew every nook and pool
better than he dia. On their way down Tom
boosted grandly Of what tremendous salmon
he had killed about twenty years ago. specify
ing the exact weight After a while Richard
son hooked q large one, and after great deal
of sklful angling landed II. Tom SAID he,
Il believe that ~ a. large and heavy a. them
YOU was talking about" Tom sneered at the
very idea, but while they were disputmg
Lord SOmerviles fisherman came up, and he
bad scales in his basket. Richardson insisted
upon having the fish weighed. The result
was triumphant for Richardson and against
Tom. We'll" said Tom as he dropped
the fish on the grass, "you are big
fish; yes, and big fool too, to let yourself be
killed 10y an Englshman.'
Another gentleman called and intended b.
have sport fishing. Sir Walter sent Tom with
nm, but cautioned nm 10 give Tom no Wills
Ky; for" said Sir Walter. Il could trust him
with untold sums of gold. but cannot trust
him with whisky" The gentleman KEEP,
drinking, but gave Tom none. which was To
Tom the most singular, unprecedented phc-
nomena he ever saw. and seeing no sign Of
improvement Tom announced % the gentle
man his ultimatum. d" If YOU drink alone. You
will fish alone and Tom left him and went
home Poor Tom. just think | see him.
the very embodiment of solidity his mouth
shut like pair of pinccrs Then there was
the prototype Of Dominic Sampson in
Guy Mannerng He was the son Of the par
ish minister Of Melrose-an immense man of
about six foot four or five inches He lost a
leg by an accident and got an education for a
minister. But although not destitute of tai
ent.he had no conception of fitness OF the arts
II rhetoric or eloquence, and So never got a
congregation. No matter what the VARYING
sentiment, there was the uniform cadcnceaud
sudden deadfall which was extremely ludi-
crous. His name was George Thompson. lie
had brother Robert still taller-in fact. So
tall and slim that he was called the devils
darning needle.
WASHINGTON IRVING,
might add a score of other "reminiscences
but will conclude this article having mercy
upon the space in your paper. by giving a de-
tail of what every American ought TO know
as IT concerns the most graceful writer the
United States has produced, and his