The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-11-27

launcneQ IN time 1nIO a IlllSSiOn tHdl
will give to earth its finest and greatest
national character.
The Scottish character from the be-
ginning had been unique. The con-
quering Romans had not gone into that
Scots land, but had contented them
selves with building a wall between it
and Britain, and the remains of that
barrier are seen to this day. For 1,SOo
years behind that wall Scotchmen had
been thinking over their own character
istics, contemplating their ideals and
planning for their land.
Scottish character is distinguished IN
that it is rigid yet romantic, practical
yet poetical, reasonable but stubborn,
clannish yet broad in its humanity.
Scotchmen, he averred, are the greatest
OF wanderers. Go where you Will among
the tribes of men, and one or more
Scotch you viii find there among them.
And they carry their traits with them,
and cling to them through generations
away from native land, and transmit
them and this is a peculiar trait OF
Scottish character They can no more
diVest themselves of these distinguish
ing features than the leopard can shake
off his spots. Some Of the most Scot
fish Scotchmen the speaker had ever
met were those who We're not born in
Scotland, and had never seen the land.
These he had noticed adhering to GUS
toms 800 years Old and which in Scot
land itself are now known only by ira
dition.
As the Scotchman had wandered
eV eryWhere, and everywhere been held
to be decent, respectful, law-abiding
and self-respecting, he had the favor of
ali people. but nowhere had he been so
we'll received as in America. The
Scotchman in America loves his native
land as a man should love his mother,
but he loves his adopted country as a
man should love his wife. He shares
here not only in privileges and honors,
but in the duties and responsibilities of
citizenship with full understanding of
their value and weighty Importance.
And SO he makes q good citizen for the
republic.
Climate has something to do with
Scottish character. Scotland lies in a
latitude thousand miles north of Sac
aniento, where winter comes early,
fingers long, and summer makes haste
to get into the lap of autumn. He who
would live in Scotland, then, and
thrive must waste no time, and must
learn the value of promptness. There
can be no putting off until tomorrow
there, since in that uncertain climate
there may be no tomorrow. The
speaker here, as frequently in other
cases. illustrated his points by a round
OF anecdotes, and traced some of our
sayings and phrases to maXimS that
eXacting conditions have made a part of
Scottish popularity, as, for instance,
the bidding, run an Grand In Scot
land. whence the injunction, it literally
means to run, laddie" and to keep on
running until duty is done. With the
Scotch the hour means the exact hour.
Nine o'clock is 9, and not ten minutes
after. He cOnjured young men to esti
mate the value of promptness, and con-
slider that success in life depends
upon it.
The Scotch work and work hard.
Taylor said he saw no beggars in
Scotland The speaker said he did not
know how that may be, but he did
know that industry was a leading viz
tue there, and that what they have to
do the Scotch do, and do at once, with
no putting off for a more convenient
season. He illustrated this by several
anecdotes, one of which ran to the
effect that when the pastor visits the
home he says even to the baby in arms
An what dye mean to dO?' meaning
! that even then the thought is upon the
mind as to the choice of occupation for
the child. Which reference led to re-
cital of an old custom on Halloween
of fortune-teIling by old maids. whose
! only forecast is as to what the lad or
Il
that when but a boy one Of these had
interpreted the shifting of the white of
an egg in a glass the prophecy that he
would become a preacher, and SO it
came to pass.
Thrift is a Scottish trait. The law OF
! Scottish industry is to get all you can
honestly, and keep all you get. Econ
| omy. another Scottish trait, naturally
| follows thrift Out of thrift and
economy come shrewdness a distinct
feature of Scottish character. He IL
| Illustrated this by anecdotes. He who
would live in Scotland and be happy
must dearly love his home. Here the
! speaker drew a pretty picture of the
| home of a Scotchman of modest posi-
ton, in which love and industry are
| constant; where in the long winter
the sun sets at half-past and does not
rise until close to 3; where the towns
are few and the congregation of people
| is only in hamlets, vie no theaterS,
lectures or concerts for the hard-work-
! ing people, the home in the winter even
| ing is the place of love, content and Of
! industry.
He drew a pleasant picture of such a
! home with the father and mother and
BARNS and the collie dog, and indus
trial occupation by all save the dog,
! and perhaps one who reads aloud for
! the benefit of the others: and, finally,
/ as the hours wear on, the coming Of a
| lad with the pipes is heard as one of the
| lassies bushes for cause; and then the
! dance when the mother takes, perhaps,
| her son on TO the floor, and the step of
| the sWord-dance or the reel keeps time
to the piping. The organ, exclaimed the
| lecturer for the church. the bass drum
for the procession, the harp for heaven,
| but for Scotland give me the droning of
the bagpipes, not for itself but for its
| associations.
The scenery has something to do with
Scottish peculiarities. There are no
mountains in Scotland higher than
Mount Diablo by a little, but to the
! Scotchman there are no mountains like
| them on this point the effect of scenery
upon Scottish character, he gave anec-
dotal Illustrations. One of these related
| to mountain side leased to a Scottish
peasant so long as the snow lay upon
! Ben Lomond hight, where usually it
| is found all the year. But one warm
summer the snow began to rapidly dis
! appear, and he remembered seeing the
man go with his helpers up the mount
ain side carrying blankets and cloths to
cover the snow and prevent its melting
| in sufficient space to serve TO prOlOng
/ his lease Every Scottish hillside has
! its romantic legend, every valley is rich
/ in historic memory, and every school
| boy going barefoot to his lessons passes
many a spot sacred to the memory of
| heroes and giant chieftains.
| He touched lightly and Wittily upon
| the superstitions of the Scotch, and
! confessed that after the midnight hour
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS