The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-05-01
SIR WALTER SCOTT.
(Continued from Tenth PACE

CONTINUED from Tenth Page)
your amusement contributes to the well
fare of the country. After plantin his
own ggrounds, which was gigantic
task, he got after his neighbors to do
the same thing under his personal SUI
pervision, doing what this country has
now entered into in all seriousness on
account of the scarcity of lumber.
1 merely mention this as l do not
think Scott ever dreamed of lumber be-
| coming scarce, but he had great idea
beside identifying his place, and it was
that maybe some of his acorns wuld
send its future ribs of oak to future
victories like Trafalgar.
On the 3Oth of March, 1920, he was
knighted by George ", and he took
great pride in the fact that it was Of
fered to him by the king himself, and
not through the instigation of others,
neither bouht or gbegged as was the
usual custom. The king was prud OF
Sir Walter, his first creation, and it is
here interesting to note that he was
previously offered the poet laureateship,
which he declined, giving as his &'eason
he objected to commemorate to verse as
an aficial duty the events in connec-
ton with the throne.
The king visited Scotland two years
later and Sir Walter was the master Of
! cveremonies, and and to him the sue
cessof this visit was principally due.
On this great occasion the king for
the first time dressed himself in high
land costume Of the Stuart tartan.
Sir Walter boarded the royal yacht
and got a splendid welcome from the
king, who drank his health from bot
tie of highland whiskey, He requested
the king for the glass as a memento of
the great occasion, which was gene
rously complied with, but history tells
us it had sorry ending, as when Sir
Walter got home in sitting down he
smashed the royal gift to atoms.
We could find many interesting
things in his part in politics, if we had
the time, but he was not successful in
them, and greatly disturbed his peace
of mind even to his dying day.
Between the years of 1921 and 1925 he
was in bad financial way, having in
creased Abbottsford on very large
scale, bought his son a commission in
the Kings Hussars for thirty-fiye hun
bred pounds, always incurring expans s
through other people by going seclrity
for them, and being in connection with
the printing house of Bannantyne,
brought him disaster. His obligations
when they failed was one hundred and
eventeen thousand pounds.
Now during SCOTS life time he had
made one hundred and forty thousand
! pounds by his literary work, besides
having an income of one thousand
pounds from his own and wifes prop
erty, and thirteen hundred pounds a
year for his clarkship at Edinburgh.
When his failure came he was fifty
five years old, and trouble never comes
singly; he lost his wife a few months
later.
Let us take one glance at our Sil
: Walter Scott in adversely. Two days
after his failure he calmly determined
, to set to work with the bold resolve tt
pay back the creditors the one hundred
and seventeen thousand pounds.
He would take pity from no one, anc
we find his determination was sucr
, that at the end of five years he said his
creditors forty thousand pounds, ant
at the end Of six years sixty-thret
/ thousand pounds. Had he lived eight
J more years it would all have been paid
but with the insurance and the copy.
rights left behind him when he died
, paid off all obligations, leaving h't
, name unstained.
, He suffered a stroke of paralysis
and even then kept on writing, anC
continued to do so till his hand coulC
not hold the pen. His brain was nov
beginning to show disease, having illu
$ sions at different times, he consented
: to take a trip abroad to try and hene
fit his heath, but Of no avail. AS sool
t as he reached Italy he wanted to &c
e home, as he seemed to be feeling
: worse.
On the voyage from London to Edin
burgh, he took no interest in anythin
e around him, being almost in stupoi
: and not until they entered the vale
Q of the Gala, and heard the old familia
: sound Of the water, did he become in
d terested.
e When he saw Abittsford, his dearl