The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-01
WALTER SCOTT IN HIS HOME.
Pleasant "Reminiscences of Former
Inmates of His Household.

Des Moines Qa.) Register and Leader.
Three daughters of William Bogie, who
was for fifteen years gardener at Abbots-
ford and private secretary to Sir Walter
Scott. live in neat little cottage at the
edge of Woodbine. Ia. Two of the daugh-
ters, Miss Mary Bogie and Mrs Elizabeth
White. widow. were born at Abbotsford.
and were personally acquainted with the
famous Scott and his entire family. The
third, Mrs. A. C. Gilchrist. wife of a pros
porous cattleman. was the only one of a
family of eight children who was not born
at the Abbotsford estate.
Because of their acquaintance with the
] novelist and every nook and Granny of the
| old castle and it's grounds. Miss Bogie and
Mrs. White tell interesting incidents in the
| life of the favorite son of Scotland.
why. yes. of course 1 remember Abb
botsford and Sir Walter Scott. was thir-
| teen years old when we moved away from
the historical old residence" said Miss
Bogie, a sprightly, vivacious little woman
| of seventy-seven. Even If 1 had been
| tempted to forget those old-time scenes
and Incidents my mother never would
| have permitted il. She was the house
keeper at Abbotsford for three years. She
X.
| father died in 1868.
| MY father. William Bogie was with Sir
Walter Scott fifteen years. At first he
| was gardener, and old Tom Purdy, the
gamekeeper. had charge OF Sir Walters
| affairs-a sort of private secretary. Tom
| didn't have a great deal Of an education.
He had been shepherd. But he was
comical little fellow, and he behaved about
| as he pleased. He used to take liberties
with Sir Walter that the master would
never have taken from any one else. and it
was just because he was SO much like
| clown at a circus. But one time Tom got
his records mixed. and he had ESQ that he
couldn't account for. He didn't know
| whether the money belonged to Sir Walter
or himself. Sir Walter allowed him to keep
it, but he afterward took the business out
of his hands and gave it over to my father.
| My mother lived on the estate ten years
| before Sir Walters death. and she was
housekeeper at Abbotsford three years aft
er he died.
MY father and mother lived at Abbots-
ford year before the castle was built.
That long wing that extends to the rear
there" said she. pointing to a picture of
| death, so that the family might have a
| place of secrecy when visitors were about
I'm not sure who occupies the house now.
| the Scott family, lived there a few years
| ago. Her name 1 believe, is Maxwell, and
| she is the granddaughter of John Lock-
| hart, who married Sophie Scott. Her full
name is Mary Monica Hope Maxwell Scott
And that wing was certainly needed
for protection from curiosity seekers. Why
| they used TO swarm there, and mother
| would show them about the house. Relic
hunters used to bother my mother dread
| fully, because she always had to watch
| everything that was loose.
You see, Sir Walters house was full of
knick-knacks that he had picked up on his
| travels. he never lost an opportunity to
add TO ms ss,,sSti9n One room in partie
Der it had a marble floor and was decor
| ated with blue wicker work adornments.
, WITHIN the beautiful crate hung dirty old
Kettle he had dug 1t up in marsh, and
| once 1t had contained money. In the pot
| We're some old cannon balls from the bat
tle1eld OF Waterloo and some pieces Of
wood from the ships of the Spanish Arma-
! da: They were petrified.
american visitors were the worst souve-
mir collectors, One day an American and
Abbotsford. The boy disappeared and they
finally located him. in Sir Walters bed
sR child Ra ike tsst ovf WASN'T sd
| ridiculous?
lone day some relic hunters wanted a
souvenir, and my mother told them they
/
pieces of the Spanish Armada They ac-
| tually tried TO cut off a piece, and they
were much disguised when they found it
/ was stone.
'Sir Walter always picked out his friends
| to suit himself. One of them was George
Thompson; the one-legged clergyman. He
| had a cork leg, but he was a fine horse
back rider for all that. He talked to
everybody that he met. He preached at the
Abbotsford Chapel, and he preached strange
doctrines. The rich people liked him as
much as the poor dislked him, and when
there were no rich people at Abbotsford
there was always slim attendance at his
meetings When Sir Walter was paralyzed
| ana unable to WELD his pen. George used to
| do his writing while Sir Walter dictated to
| him. One day he was in hurry, and my
mother heard him say. Yes. yes, what
| next? BE patient she heard Sir Walter
reply. L have il all to make Poor George.
he went to bed one night and never
| woke UP.
81 remember the young poets that used to
come to Abbotsford. They came to get ad-