New-York tribune., 1907-11-02
GLIMPSES OF SCOTT.
HO7o He Worked tcith His Brozcnie.


Charlotte Carmichael Slopes in The Athenseum.
Ny grandfather. William Carmichael was
Assistant Clerk Of Session in Edinburgh during
the Whole time that Walter Scott was Clerk OF
Session. and lie was also Extractor at the Reg
lister Office until he penSiOned off on the
transfer of the department to London. Scott
was very friendly with him. They often, If not
generally, sat together in working hours in
room.
There was a good deal in common between
the two men, both near the same age. Of the
strong AngIo-Saxon type, with keen intelligence.
and the social enjoyment of life and nature At
the beginning OF their association Scott fre-
quently took my grandtathers hat away instead
OF his own, but one day new hat had been
bought to gIorify a special visit on the way
nome. Scott annexed uncOnsciOuSly the new
nat MY grandfather ran down the stairs after
h!n with his own. There frank apology:
other hat than my own" Scott was always
very proud of the size of his head and was
slstant, frequently saying, NO wonder you can
stand In my shoes when you can stand under
my hat
ON point my grandfather was Scotts su-
perior. He had a quick ear and delicate taste
for music; he could play the fiddle so as to make
the heart ache or rejoice at his will Scott
used sometimes to slip along in the late even
ing from Castle street to Maitland street
talk about Office work; but that done, he always
asked for the fiddle. Sometimes it was to know
what was the tune for a ballad or song
sometimes to test the fddlers knowledge, to
ask, What is the tune for this?" reciting some
verses he had just composed TO Such novel
ties the musician would guardedly say. This
tune would do for that When asked why ne
fitted it so, he would answer, because tne
skirl comes in the right place for the feeling
Scott always submitted to his judgment on TINS
point. Sometimes my grandfathers crony, Mr..
French there also with his fiddle, and they
would combine in wonderful duets. DO not
know whether this Mr. French was In any way
connected with SCOttS early tutor OF the mann
/ remember once seeing him when l was
child. He tail and thin and gray, ttt i.e
played his fiddle especially Tor me suppose
it must have been on morning OF one OF lne
two great annual feasts, New Years Day ana
the 4th of June; the latter was always honored
as the Kings Birthday" even after the deatn
of George III. on these days a patriarcnaI
family assembled and there was no room 1or
children any one else, except MT trehCh' 10
sit down TO the feast
and exact; his eyesight and his memory were
wonderful; he was omnivorous reader, ana
had great reverence for authors out ne was
disturbed by no literary imaginlnSs or annoltiohS
of his own. He was therefore very wen suited
TO be SCOTS assistant, and SladIV dlG AT tiues
more than his share of work. He could not, or
course, sign the innumerable registered deedS
which Scott had to authenticate with MS sig
nature; but he could draw up the cases that ha9
come before the court and find references ana
precedents with unerring certainty sometimes
his superior, when he had been az some great s
reception the evening before, Wouid come 10 tIle
office with burden of arguments ana phrases
in his memory, and, finding the Whole IepoI.
clearly drawn up for him, would give sign OF
relief and a smile of appreciation.
When inquisitive people used 10 ask Scott how
he got through much work. he would JoklIgIy
his own tremendous energy that carried MIN
through his various undertakings, yet that there
was some truth in the joke was proved by the
cordial introduction of his assistant TO some OF
his intimates in the words This IS my brown
ie," At the time his literary work had 10 De
kept secret, not only for official reasons but also
because of the mystery in which he enshrouded
II when he took TO prose; for as Scott himself
wrote TO Morritt about 'Waverley": Il am not
sure II would be considered quite decorous for
me, as a Clerk of Session, 10 write novels In
some quarters, indeed ii considered worse
than "lndecOrOus." From the beginning my
grandfather was aware of the fact Scott occa-
sonally took refuge in special corner OF his
office 10 complete a chapter interrupted by
breakfast or TO jot down some sketch which
had struck him. and his subordinate was TOO
acute not TO know the difference between the
page consuming style Of the Waverley novels
and ordinary verse lines legal reports, or friend
" letters, even when only glanced at upside
down From the first there was a tacit under
standing that though each knew that the other
knew. there was nothing to be said about II
But there were often discussions as 10 the
exact distinction Of meaning in Scotch words
by Clydeside and Tweedside. about the COM
pletlons OF Border ballads, and sometimes ques-
lions Of local geography Carmichael was orig
inally. and is still. place name. The parish
is bounded by Douglas Water on the west, and
the top Of TintO Hill the east. There were
combinations as to a search for the completion
of the old tradition
on Tintocl top there is a mist.