The Saint Paul globe., 1899-07-22
A TRUE ESTIMATE.

That distinguished litterateur and all
round man of business, Rev. Ian Maclar-
en-, has left these shores in disgust He
has made up his mind that this people
are entirely too selfish, and that his na-
tive land is good enough for him, where
he would find rest and unselGshness for
the balance of his days.
Mr. Maclaren is one of those foreign
gentlemen whom the American people
are always anxious to concilfate They
would not have been surprised to hear
that he had declared they were the most
generous and high-minded and off-handed
race on earth. To find their understand
ing of that gentleman and of the regard
in which he held them to be of the char
acter indicated by his parting statement
is really a severe blow.
1t is possible, unless Mr. Maclaren has
decided never to return, that there will
soon be published an authorized denial
of any such statement, and that the busi-
ness agents of Mr.. Maclaren, if not Mr..
Maclaren himself, will assure the
American world that all such statements
are unfounded If such denials should
be made, no doubt the American public
will accept them as representing the true
sentiments which Mr. Maclaren entertains
toward this people. If not, then it is safe
to assume that there are few of US who
will lose sleep on the subject
In these days of severe business stress
man is never safe in assuming anything
in business transaction which is not set
! down in the traditional black and white.
| Yet it is entirely true of this people that
they had assumed that the author of the
Bonnie Briar Bush" entertained a very
ardent admiration of them. He had not
said so, as far anybody had heard but
the degree of regard expressed for him
and, what is more to the purpose, the de-
gree of financial support advanced to him
! as writer of short stories no doubt
caused such a notion to prevail If it was
not well founded it certainly cannot be
! said that the Rev. Ian Maclaren is re-
! sponsihle. The genial spirit in which he
accepted the financial fruits of his lit
erary labors, as well as of his lecture
| tours, would entirely justify such a con-
Rev. Mr.. Maclaren in drawing our own
inferences the fault certainly is not that
of this distinguished writer Of fiction and
author of remarkable religious discourses
We are not a literary people. Perhaps
if we were the Rev. Ian Maclaren would
have haG more occasion than ne has had
for believing that we are selfish. We ac-
cept most men at their own estimate of
their own worth. And if they happen to
come from the British. islands mot includ-
| ing Ireland), we are prepared to demon
strate that no matter now well DEVELOPED
| thei1 bump Of self-appreciation may be it
indicates undue modesty
This is the chief trouble with Mr.. Mac
laren We not only took him at his own
estimate of himself, but we assured him
that he was very modest man, a quality.
by the way, which is not supposed to in
here in Scotch human nature. And, as re-
suit Of his and our own estimate, every
thing that has been identified with the
Rev. Ian, whether in religion or literature.
went" We were unquesHonably selfish
in adopting such a course. We may praise
or blame ourselves; we may curse or ex-
tol ourselves for our attitude, the Rev
Ian Maclaren is right in his understand
ing of Us. We created him. We protected
him while he was in existence. We sign
ed his bond, literary and religious. He
was our own special creation, and we
! could afford to vouch for him. We have