New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-22
ON THE SCOTTISH BORDER
RAMBLEs IN THE COUNTRY OF THE
AUTHOR OF "WAVERLEY."
THE SCOTT COUNTRY. By w S. Crockett; Min.
igteT IF TVeedsmuir Author of In Praise or
Tweed etc Illustrated. 12mo. PIP. XVI oIo.
The Macmillan Company.

THE SCOTT COUNTRY. By W s Crock fSrd MIN nF
lister of Tweedsmuir Author, o oil IN xVi so
Tweed" etc illustrated LIMO PIP >''' Wv
The Macmillan Company
The history and legends relating to the region
comprising such places along the Tweed on tile
Scottish border, as Sandyknowe, Kelso. Ashe-
stiel Abbotsford, Melrose, Dryburgh, Iraquar'
Tweed and Yarrow are collected in TINS Volune
nv a CLERGYMAN who born in the district ana
ALWAYS A resident there has for years cherished
the ambition as he says in his preface OF as
sembIing lin brief compass a plain record OF
practically all the salient features in the history
of the border" 1t is. of course, the scene of the
WaverIey novels. and full Of associations with
the life Of Sir Walter Scott
AS the author observes, the Scott country
may be said to be synonymous with the Vale
of Tweed and this being his own native coun-
try it has been his delight to refer a compila-
ton Of its eventful history to the life and works
Of the great novelist. His method has been TO
take up town by town. describing their feat
ures, tracing references thereto in the works or
Scottish writer's. and reciting the chronicles OF
settlement, wars and growth or decay from the
ancient Christian abbots down to the days OF
authors still living. Other poets and authors
contemporaneous with Scott are given special
attention, such John Leyden and Hogg. and
of course the biographer Of the romancer. Lock-
L.
volume sort of literary gudebook to the re-
gion, and as such it we'll fulflls its purpose;
while the many photographs drawings and old
cuts used in Illustration make it the more read
able in itself. The author is inclined to employ
unassigned quotation. especially in venturing
literary Judgments as If assuming that the
reader will at once recognize the source. or that
its authority is unquestionable He approaches
his subject with dignfed reverence and handles
it with Judgment.
At Sandyknowe. where this tour for Scott
student begins, perhaps the most interesting
character is the Rev. DR.. Alexander Duncan,
afterward drawn in est. Romans Well" as the
Rev Josiah Cargill. who was driven by the
young Scott's recitation of 'Hardyknute" to the
exclamation that "one may well speak in
the mouth of cannon as where that child Isl"
This DR.. Duncan. Scott said. almost our
only visitor Scott suffered from overplus
of visitors in his later days at AbbOtsford to
such a degree that as Lady Scott remarked it
was almost a hotel An instance of the init
mate adoption of Scotts fiction into the life Of
the places from which he drew his material is
supplied by the case of Eide Ochiltree" the
beggar in The Antiquary." Andrew Gemmels
his name, but under it his tomb
stone in RoXburgh is cut alias Ede Ochtrse."
On the back of the stone he is represented in
the attitude of undoing all the eloquence of a
recruiting sergeant at st. Boswelrs Fair by
holding aloft his meal pocks and crying in de-
rision Behold the end O. it," This caustic ex-
dragon attracted Scott and is not to be forgot
ten by readers. The gypsy town of YethoIm
the birthplace of Jean Gordon, the protO-
type Of Meg Merries in character and action,
though her granddaughter Madge is said to
have furnished the model for Megs appearance
Yetholm is still the royal seat of the gypsy
kingdom. Charles ii, crowned with great cere-
mony three years ago. being the ruling poten-
tate. Mr.. Crockett thinks that such corona
ton is not likely to occur again, for Scottish
gypsydom is doomed" Even in Scotland such
things are passing rapidly; and though the
memories of public acts and private lives are
held tenaciously IN the border country, and all
associations with the Mighty Minstrel" are
sacredly conserved, secondary facts of which
this volume has many, are apt to escape record
through this very sense of safety. 1t is always
pleasant to have them given the currency of
Drint