Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-04-16
SANDIE MACPHERSON

goOd deal OF the late Mr.. Thomas Carlyle
True Thomas" as he was affectiOnately
called by the generation to whom he told
so many grim truths. | had gone to him
"a a literary aspirant-One of the many
who, coming mp from Scotland to fight for
fortune, carried letters of introduction to
the great man. The nation delighted to
honor him, and despite his dislike Of the
literary class generally, he never failed TO
say kind word to any young brother Scot
who sought his advice.
For some reason or other he took to me,
and though so many years his junior be-
came frequent visitor mt his house and
received great deal Of his confidence 1t
was one winter evening, as we sat alone
together in his study-that study which
WINS very Mecca TO literary pilgrims Of
all nltions-tlat he made the singular
confession which ! am about to place on
record.
let me explain the matter, as far as pos
sihle, boo his own words. ! despair Of repro
duciug the peculiar accent and the deep
pathetic burr of his voice-which he
preserved to the last-as well as certain
ecceutucities Of pronunciation, which |
shall not initiate.
"Iou think me a successful man, and
such, allow, is the popular opinion
Well maybe / have been successful be
You'd my merits, which are small enough
Lord knows. but lest | should grow daft
with my own self conceit the Lord sent
Saulie Macpherson TO keep me humblel
eli is % humiligtiuL confession to make
but almost at amy point Of my long career
from the very beginning, the thought Of
having converted Saudie would have been
more precious 10 mo than the admiration
OF all the rest of the world. Sandie, how
ever, never believed iu me from the first.
when published my first book my
chief thought WAS What will Sandie Mac
pher~1u think Of thi-F and when / heard
the criticisms. which cut me up like a
haggi~ right and left / could have borne
everything but the thought Of how he
would gloat over them, down yonder in
Scotland. ] WIS somewhat CousOled and a
wee bit hopeful when, some Years after
ward, / published my History for the
critics. knowing nothing Of the subject,
praised il to man. and talked havers
about my industry, my originality and my
eruditiUn. cared nothing for the critics,
but / said to myself with a smile. That S
one for SBndie Macpherson at lastP
Perhaps you will be asking who Sandie
Ahhl IllifINilll u llNl Ntl SUCH HlOFG DN us
good OpniOuy Well up till few months
ago you might have seen his name-'Alex-
amber Macpherson, rs it was given bap-
tismally the front Of a small grocer's
shop In the Gallowgate of Glasgow.
"Ssndie and ! were schoofellows.
I'VE first met in the seminary and after
ward we attended the high school. As /
mind Sandie now he was a wee, Snug
I,Ils.
like "a hawk aud a stoop in the shoulders.
From first % last he was ever at the top
Of the class. lie carried away all the
prizes al the seminary. and when he came
to the nigh school, among lads twice his
size. ne WIS 'dux of the class. Such a
memory ~ he had, It was wonderful,
wonderful! lie could repeat the whole
Latin Deectus with his eyes shut, and he
knew the whole Of Euclid when he were
peching over the 'Pous Asinorum.'
The doctor himself was afraid of him
As for me, where he was dux was Ounce
had the taws nearly every day from the
doctor aud ever and aye while writhed
in my corner, | could near the cry, Alex
ander Macpherson. tell Tammas Carlyle
how TO Coustrue this or that passage in the
MetamorpuO-es Sometimes, Just to shame
Us, he was put at the very bottom Of the
class. and then ord. TO see him Looping
from place TO place, like one running up a
brae, and then standing, flushed and tri
umphant in his old place, at the very top
"Sandie's father was small tradesmau
in Glasgow. and you may be sure he was
proud enough Of his son. Saudie WAS ever
spick and span, had the best Of clothes
and silver watch and chain given to hin
by his aunt on his birthday His books
were like himself-clean. white and neat
with no thumb marks or dogs leaves e
dishgure the pages. lie wrote a beautiful
hand, like copperplate, and in the writing
class, ~ well as the rest. he was facil,
prnceps. Well might he look with scorI
on my slovenly dress, my books all thumbes
and torn. and on my handwriting, whicl
was III to make out as heather Greek.
Well might he be held up to me as h
was, for a shining light and an example
'Tammas Carlyle go out and wash you
face; when will ye learn to be tidy lik'
Alexander MACPHERSON 'Tammas, you
books are a disgrace: do ye no think sham
when ye see the books Of Alexander Mac
pher~ony For shame Tammas, for shame
do You ever see Alexander Macpherson
smoking black man in the midst o school
'Tammas. your handwriting is abomina
tion; Alexander, set him "a copy yourself
20 show him how lad should write.
These were the cries ringing forever il
my ears What wonder il ] grew to lool
Ou .I,ndie as q superior being-to be gaze
AT with admiration and envy, TO be imi
tated with awe and fear2
at WIS Just the same story when w
went TO college.
We met there on our former footing
that is TO say, he distinguished himself a
usual. while ] watched him from a re
sppctful distance Few words ever passei
between Us. for we had never been Of
speaking terms-either IN or out Of school
But the relationship between "a was clear
~ understood. Sometimes as he passel
me in the street. wearing grandly bis re-
college gown and his college hat, while
crept along with my gown on my arm, h
would give me patronizing nod. that wa
oil We began Greek and moral philos
ophy under the same professors. II wa
the old story. He was the pet pupil 0