The age-herald., 1899-08-06
SOCIETY
tcontinued from Twelfth Page.)

serve hardly expresses It. From my coHy seat ''by the window (another rush for that, enjoyed watching the performance. On the contrary the Englishman will walk up and down as lesurely and as unemo- tional as it is possible to conceive. One old fellow saw get left because he could not find a seat and as I looked into his calm countenance I wondered what he was say ing to himself. Of course I know" what the American would say under similar cir cumstances. Now tell it not in Gath if whisper that one of these exciting expert ences came to me. Your humble servant who loves a crowd and boasts Fofs always coming out on top (pardon the slang). Well, l tried to initiate the cool. calm Britisher, so said to the guard. What are people to do who are in great hurry, when there are no seats to be found in the second class carriage?" He replied with wink. 'Then try some other way" You remember the old truism. "A hint to the wise Is suf- ficient?" Well. it is anyway. for in about one second we were most luxuriously en- sconced within first class carriage where, being only medium sized folks. we had more elbow room than we knew what to do with. and where for companions we had educated and interesting English folks who Eraciously acted as guides and pointed out many interesting places as we fairly flew along the smooth railway bed on our way to Merose. the station for Abbotsford the home of Sir Walter Scott You know they say that nothing but fools and Americans travel first class on the railways meaning that you simply throw away your money for first class carriages. But there is just as much difference. if not more. in first and second here as there is in ordinary coach and Pullman at home. An hours ride from Ednburgh~-brought us to Melrose, where we first visited the ruins of Melrose Abbey. considered one of the noblest ruins In Great Britain. Then we took a victoria fora 1r;x # fhr5 ta hot cf ,Td nf1 the Tweed. the noble and picturesque home of Sir Walter Scott.
 The plantations. as we'll as the house it. self, are the crea ton of Scott. who gave it the euphoniaus name of "Abbetsford.'' be- ing borrowed from the name of the ford across the Tweed before tho Gala joins it. Scott chose it first on account of it's pie turesque situation on the north side of the Tweed. and also because the ground en- compasses famous battlefelds.
 The building was begun in 1911. and on the house and grounds fully s250.oG0 were expended. The property is now owned by the great granddaughter of Scott, who rarely ever lives there. but who seems glad to "let'' 1t to discriminating tenants. some English people who were enjoying their o'clock tea on the beautiful lawn during our visit there. I was prepared to enjoy a rare treat in my visit to this beau- tifu old home. kindly shown to ad- mrlng tourists, but even then I was not prepared to seq all the simple magnlficence which I beheld. It all seemed so indirual and so in keeping with the romantic na- ture of the enthusiastic Scotman we have grown to love and revere in the WaVerly novels. The room of course. of greatest interest to me was Scott's private library, just as he left it with the handsomely carved writing desk upon which he wrote many of his novels, and the worn leather chair in which he sat. splendid bust of the famous writer helps one to picture him there in his chair where he labored so fafth- fully and so constantly first to pay his debts and also to complete his beautiful home which he loved so dearly. Near his study chair was a euriously carved ehalf made of the wood of the house in whlch the famous Wallace was captured and pre- sented to Scott by his admiring friends in the Highlands. The walls of the house. as well as those of the garden, are set with curious old sculptured stones gathered from old parts of Scotland. Tn one place is the door of the old Tolbooth of Edinburgh.
 The ceilings in the house are of antique carved oak. often relieved by coats of arms resting on cornices with heads, beautiful CT grotesque. copied from the architecture of Melrose and Rosin chapels.
 Around the whole cornice there are tho armorial bearings of Douglases the Scotts, Kers, Armstrongs and other stout Border clans who, as an inscription tells the visi- 
 old tyme for the kynge." In all the rooms. the drawing room. dining room. library and armory there are hundreds of interesting relics of all kinds: Highland targets. Lochaber axes, broad swords, old muskets, Rob Roy's gun. the crucifix held by Mary, Queen of Scots, as she went to br behead- ed, the writing case of the Emperor Napol- con and the golden bees he wore as clasp on his imperial robe, the purse of Rob Roy, two suits of armor found by Scott on tho battlefield of Waterloo. and numbers of interesting portraits and rare old possess sions, in many cases presented to Scott by his friends and admirers. No wonder these people love Scott so dearly. As we walked thrxiSh the rooms with our bonny Scotch guide there was with us High lander who now saw Abbotsford for the first time. He knew his beloved poet by heart and often in his enthusiasm quoted a line here and line there in connection with something in the poets home Some- times we could not understand the Scotch dialect, but in spirit we were one, for we, too, had come with reverent hearts to wor- ship at the shrine of the great magician of the north. The view from the south win dow of the library out upon the smooth grassy lawn and across the fast flowing Tweed Is often mentioned by Scott in his writings, and surely he was none too boast full and proud of the view, for it was state ly and magnificent.
 William Winter has written tender and beautiful appreciation of Scott in his 'fGray Days and Gold" inspired by a visit to this beautiful home. and the Highland country which Scott has immortalized. Of his home William Winter says. "Tt is the sad dest home in Scotland.' David Douglas said to me when we were walking together upon the Braid Hills. for to my fancy every stone in it is cemented with tears Sad or glad, it is shrine to which reverent pill Cri find their from every quarter of the earth. and it will be honored and cherished forever"
 Reluctantly we left the beautiful home clustered amid protecting elms and beeches, and with hearts laden with precious mem- ories of the man and his work we went forward our journey.
 At Carlisle we passed from the bonny land of Scotland into sturdy, peaceful, meuie England. With thrill of ecstacy We paused at the bank of the Tweed, to salute 1t with the same beautiful impreca- ton which Schiller put into the mouth of Mary. Queen If Scots-'Nature has cast the English and Scotch upon a plank in the middle of the ocean: she has divided thi;