The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-04

Tweedside in the nineteenth century owes
its attractions to the Scotch and English
and the tourists of all nations t. the crea-
alive dramatic charm of Sir Walter SCOTS
genius Scott made noun tains OF the low
rounded hills. Mississippis of the Black
adder, the Whiteaider, tile Leader, Gala,
YarrOw Ettrick and Teviot, and even the
Till. sluggishly flowing northward from the
highest of the Cheviots, is a considerable
stream. As 10 the Tweed, it is a mighty
food on the proud bosom of when might
float fleets. But people who have seen and
scaled the Alps, the Pyrenees the Rocky
Mountains, the Andes. who have crossed or
drifted down rivers OF TWO miles In width,
are dlsenchanted when they contrast the
themes of Scotps lines or descriptive prose
with the veritable landscape and cloud
land that inspired the literary Juror. How
could the Wizard have made so much out of
m6lehills, rounded and bare, and out Of
winding streams which, To the American
mind at least. are not more notable as
rivers than "scheuchS" are to the Scotch
themSelyeSP.
The answer is to be found In the content
ment that an imaginative, refined creative
spirit who does not travel untfi his ideas of
preference are well settled, has in his own
country. Scott did not only glorify Tweed
side. which lie looked upon as All historic set
ting 10 his beloved AbbOtsfOrd, but every
other part of Scotland, which he made the
subject OF "a new Iugger" in poetry and
L
travagantly admired by thousands of pill
grims, who strive to see and feel the infu-
ence Of the landscape and the legion of
associations through SCOTS spectacles.
Generally they fail, but they do not say 30.
1t would be treason 10 undervalue
what genius has elevated. Yet there are sly
digs" in Lockharts life at the glamour
with which Scott invested the southern
counties of Scotland. In material exatation
he was what Cervantes made of Don Quixote
in ecstatic vision Of unrealities in hallucina-
ton becoming monumental fact. Hence
blessings on man OF genius so rare who
conjures mp greatness out OF the common
place. and who makes a country poor in re-
sources rich by the strife and petty clan
feuds of the past. Such nationality as lives
In Scotland is due in remarkable degree TO
Scott The Englishman through his guide
book. and Scott AID Burns. copiously pep
pering the prose with telling quotations. has
In this century come TO the conclusion that
Scotch nationality Is more than dream.
The Tweed las figured more IN English
and Scotch history than any other river.
TIE English crossed 1t into Scotland and
the Scotch into England. The Forth is
also a prominent river in the history Of
Scotland and England On its southern
bank near Stirling lie the bones of thirty
thousand victims of the carnage at Ban
mock burn. But a few miles south OF the
Tweed is Flodden Hill. where half the MUM
Der of Scotch, and James the Fourth, and
vast draft of the Scottish nobility came to
grief and the grave. So the rivers are quits
Ia the fame of horror. Taking its rise from
the slopes OF Hart Fell in the southern angle
of Peehleshre. the Tweed flows through
PEBBLES. Selkirk and ROxburgh counties.
and then has Berwick on the northern bank
and Northumberlan on the southern until
ii debOuches into the North Sea. 1t is not
by any means broad stream. or swift-run-
ming or deep. Any boy might swim across
it at any part At many places it is ford
able. and when Scott built his agglomera-
tive house Astounding in architectural
limitations OF baronia ideas aud bor-
der fOrtresses. he called 1t Abbots-
ford from tradition that abbots
had crossed the stream short
distance below. There is indeed galore of
abbeyS priOries and castles along Tweed
side, all now In a dismantled state and only
traceable by fragments OF rOofless walls or
foundation courses of masonry. Dryburah
abbey, Kelso priory, Melross abbey and