The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-09-26
FAN MACLAREN" IN TOWN
AUTHOR OF "BEsIDE THE BONNIE BRIER BUSH" ARRIVES HERE.

The Doctors Shipboard Experiences.
 Rev, John Watson Clan MacLaren), the author of Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush, arrived in thls city yesterday. No doubt there Is great desire to see and hear this eminent divine and author in this city, and his lectures at Yale will be crowded, It Is suggested by ladies that Yale provide large place for the lectures, where the hundreds who de- sire to hear him can do so He is a speaker of exceptional power.
 The young ladies who have in charge the arrangements for his readings In the Church of the Redeemer October [ were given the choice of two lectures, .one on Robert Burns and the other on Walter Scott, or the readings from the "Drumtochty Tales" but they wisely chose the latter as most likely to in terest those whose hearts have been won by his graphic pen pictures.
 It is evident that there are many of his warm admirers in New Haven, since the first installment of tickets placed on sale at Judd's book store disappear ed rapidly. Dr, Watson said yester- day to friends here that he was feel ing much fatigued from his voyage and that he was poor sailor.
 Last evenings New York Sun says of this distinguished visitor:
 The Rev. John Watson, who Is better known in America as Ian MacLaren, the author of Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush," arrived In New York to-day on the steamship Germanic. Dr. Watson was found at the vessels rail as she was steaming up the bay to her dock this morning, eagerly scanning the shore and giving his wife his first i'm pressions of America, as he saw it through the thin veil of fog. He is a tall, genial Scot, with a decidedly cler- ical cut and get-up, except for his tan shoes. He Is about forty years of age, and has dark hair and small tufts of whiskers on the side of his face. He looks like a Scot and talks With quite an accent.
 T came over here on a lecture tour, , he said and I will be here until De- cember. To-day l am to go right tc New Haven, where l will be two weeks delivering at the Yale theological sem mary some lectures on theology These Yale lectures were really the cause of my trip to this country.
 q will return to this city about Oc- tober 12 and will lecture here and ir Brooklyn; then 1 will go through the leading cities of the country and vii loot n Traits of Scottish Character and vii give readings of two unpublished stor- ies and from Idyls of Drumtochty. | expect also that during my stay in this | country my publishers will issue my new book, Kate Carnegie. which has | been appearing as a serial l will alst have some short stories in American | magazines"
 Dr. Watson was questioned about the old story that the Broadway tabernacle 1 had called him to its pulpit. H. laughed and said:
 "There Is no truth in that story Nc American church ever called me, bu1 had any one done so l would have es- l teemed 1t an honor. 1 admire youl country very much, and have a grea' | many friends here. You know that my l church In Liverpool, the Sefton Parl | church, Is the only church in Englant where the president of the United States Is prayed for each Sunday aftel the queen. It Is done because we have so many Americans regularly in the congregation, and lots of American travellers stop at our services. I have | known Americans all my life, ant 1 though I have never before been here l doubt not that I shall be at home" 1 An effort was made to have Dr. Wat l son talk of his literary work, but or this point he was little reticent. H. said that he did not like to talk of sucl matters in advance of his lectures.
 q have written both on theology an( also works of fiction,' he said. NY | theological works have been published under my right name, John Watson In my few works of fiction 1 chose tn, nom de plume Ian Maclaren. Ian i the Scotch for John, and Maclaren wa my mothers name. The publisher O
 my theological works got me to writing fiction. A few years ago he suggested that I try.
 q did not think that I could do muc1 at 1t, but made an effort and Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush was the result was for many years pastor in { small Scotch church, and knowing tha field so we'll I naturally turned to i when l tried fiction I wrote 'Ault Lang Syne, It is almost sequel O the first, and they follow each other s' closely that l have no preference be
 tween them. I wrote them conscien
 tiously, intending that they shoul, both entertain and instruct"
 Dr. Watson said that he did not thinl that he would in print any of his i'm pressions of America.
 'I will not be here long enough" h. said. Anyway, I think these men wht write impressions after flying visit make great mistakes. I might say however, that I admire your beautiful
 harbor very much. The trip up tn
 bay was treat indeed. I saw you | White Squadron and the famous Lib
 erty Statue. I hope that the warship that I saw may never have to clasl with ours. I am a firm believer in tn
 idea that the Anglo-Saxon race shoult | stand together
 The passengers on the Germanic helt the usual entertainment in the mail saloon last evening. Dr. Watson pre- sided. He also read two extracts iron
 erable time while on shipboard wit
 Dr. Parl1hnrst.