Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-18
THE UBIQUITOUS SCOT.
Humorous Addresses by Sir Henry
Irying-fiis Richmond Experience.

At a banquet given In his honor on the
18th ultimo by the Edinburgh Pen and
Pencil Club. Sir Henry Irving. the actor,
IN replying 10 the toast OF his health,
said This spontaneous and hearty vel
come from the Pen and Pencil Club OF
Edinburgh Is most refreshing 20 q
traveller like myself, for II IS a reyerbera-
tion Of greetings which We have en-
joyed for many months. In all parts OF
America my loved friend and comrafe,
Ellen Terry, and ] received the most
friendly and affectiOnate tributes OF
goodwill, and In many parts was
haunted By visions Of Edinburgh, and
found myself sojOurning amongst hospit-
able and iovial ScOtsmen. / believe that
the capacity OF the Scot for upsettlng
the principles Of geography by transport
ing Scotland all over the earth has been
already remarked by philosophers and
historians fLaughterJ Somebody pointed
out the other day, IN connection with the
coronation Of the Gar, that Russian mill
tary officials were mostly Scottish. / have
an idea that when the North Pole IL dis
covered 1t viii BE- found 70 bear a strong
resemblance TO Arthurs Seat daughter
and applause) AZ any rate, the Scots IN
America have lost nothing OF their ma
az Richmond. Va, our first en-
gagement Was al a dinner very gra-
ciously given 10 Us. 10 which ! wended my
way with a mind full Of traditions
Of southern life and the southern aris-
tOcracy, when BY the time that had oeen
presented 70 the assembled company
found that nearly half the company were
Scotsmen. and very delightful Scots tney
were. fAppiauseD How long tney hal
been settled in Virginia I don't know, bat
towards early morning they assisted VII
lie 10 brew peck o maui OF the most
melodious flavor. ,l.auEnte.y iou IN, iacy
Of the American accent IL is faForite
subject with scientific persons In Eng
land, who. in their moments of recreation,
trace II TO Suffolk. on the other side
American students make researches INTO
the English accent. and track II 20 It's
home in Seven Dials. and so there Is
comfortable enlargement or science IN
10th hemispheres. But nobody presumes
10 assign any historical origin 10 the
Scottish accent which transcends time
and the human mind, or 10 wonder tnAt
ia Richmond Va. n Is as rich ana pure
as In the echoes OF Leith Naughte-)
And is II any wonder that this II 50, for
there Is a beauty and a pathos In the
Scottish tongue. as N the scottsh sentl-
mfnt which can never die or fade. FOR
myself. ! cannot but feel ever the sweet
ness Of the verse.
% From the dim shieling OF the misty Is
Mountains divide US and a world OF
Yet stilf our hearts are true. our hearts
are Highland.
And We in dreams behold the He
brides.
loud applause) / cannot help remsrking
however that no one seems 70 have
sscribed the proverbial acuteness OF the
American Intellect 10 its true source
namely. the perpetual stimulus Of Scottish
competition. II used 20 be thought that
when Geek meets Greek the spheres are
breathless al the spectacle; but they must
b. almost pzralyzed b. intensity OF ex-
recitation when the American encounters
the Scot. on an Atlantic steamer lately !
met q distinguished Scottish professor WhO
was about 70 take Up MS abode In Micni-
gan. and his conversation led me 70 sur
preternafural wakefuInesz Well. gentle
men. the ubiquity of the Scot is one OF the
guarantees OF good humor and good sense
but apart from that. the American people,
] am convinced. have too keen an appre-
ciation Of the fitness OF things 70 cherish
any hostility towards Great Britain. ZAP
plausel Some soreness some fll-wfl, can
always be engendered between two great
peoples who are allied by blood and
speech. but the enlargement Is never so
grave that judgment and goodwill cannot
COnQueF n. As a professor OF the drama.
which I hope. Is al agreeable distraction
from high politics. I have had personal
which In this case could not be broken
without frafricide. I have not seen any
deep-seated hatred In America for visit
ors from our island. Hear. hearD On the
contrary. as / said before. We found no.
thing but the largest appreciation and
bountiful goodwill There was no Anglo
phoblst sentiment even amongst the croco-
diles OF the Mississippi when the Lyceum
company were beset By a flood on one of
our journeys. II the affabie saurtans snap
rcd their laws 10 was by way 0f acclama-
tior." daughter and applause)