La Junta tribune., 1908-11-21

aments In the museum Of Sir Walter
Scott. at his old home. Abbottsford.
An extreme case Of the scold was led
about the town. thus decorated. as
a warning to her sisters. No doubt
1t had two effects. one to deter
other "hossy wives" wives from i'm
posing, with their sharp tongues, upo
their chivalrous lOras., and the other
to crafty the unfortunate's person
al enemies. o temporal! 0 mores!
A very interesting place a..d one
that attracts most travellers is the
little old town of Melrose. town
of about six hundred people 1t is
interesting on account Of the ruins
OF Melrose Abbey and. near by. the
ruins of Doyburgh Abbey. and its be-
ing the land OF Sir Walter Scott.
whose home was but about four
miles from Melrose. Melrose A :
hey are interesting and wonderful
ruins. Here about seven or eight
hundred years ago was great mon
astery and an immense church. II
Was built OF stone, OF splendid archi-
lecture. though of style some
what peculiar and unlike the great
cathedrais Duiil Ia other parts OF
the country. There was great vari-
ETY. in It's decorations, scarcely two
arches or columns being alike. A
portion of the nave still remains.
This portion was partly reinforced
and re.roofed by the reformers and
used as a place OF worship. Much
OF the great walls remain. but the
roof, except that above the part of
the nave, has long since fallen in.
It stands as great monument to
the Christian faith and the monkish
order of those days. when this faith
and this order were dominant and
most powerful factors in Europe
doms, than emperors and empires.
II fills one with wonder. 1t inspires
one with awe as he stands under
the sky, where once was a roof of
grace and beauty, high overhead, ut
where now stands only the lofty, brol
en- walls of this great temple.
looked through the stone frame work
of those great windows, through
which, ages ago. sstreemed the sun
light, bearing In the beauty of the
light, bearing in the beauty of the
rich stained glass. of lost art, the
beautiful legends and stories OF sacre
these broken cloisters, in the chap
history and tradition. l saw in
els and before the altars. the monks
in monastic gowns. attending the ser
vice of the church in chant, In pray.
er, and in solemn ceremony. l heard
the bells ring ont to listening ears
the hour of worship-ringing from
the tower now fallen In ruins. The
monks are gone, but there still re-
mains these great ruins. the crea-
ton OF their piety and their hands.
and a monument OF the centuries tina
have come and gone. Much OF these
walls are in good state of preser-
vation, but a great deal have been
obliterated, 80 that even the form of
this great church can now but be
surmised, and great deal are In
noble ruins. Doyburgh Abbey. which
is about seven miles from Melrose.
the resting place OF Sir Walter Scott.
is more complete in its ruins. than
is Melrose Abbey. There is no roof
to shut out the sunlight or shed
the rain, save small part of the
north transept, where is the tomb of
Scott, his wife and his son. A large
section of wall is here. two gables
still stand. a part OF the clOister
wall Is well preserved. on top of thes
ruins. grows grass. shrubs and vines.
while from the center of one tran
sept, rises lofty pine. one foot or
more in diameter. growing green and
beautiful from the soil where many
knee once bowed In prayer and holy
devotion.
A granite sepulcher is Sir Walter
Scott's last resting place. The in
scription. is simple:
4. . = r 4 + + 4 4 I + + + + y
+ "Sir Walter Scott, Baronet.
+ Died Sept 81, A. d., 1892" =
T. 4 = 4. + + + 4 4. 4. 4 4. + + f
His wife lies at his side and his
son at their feet.
There is a small cemetery about
the old ruins. The grounds are ,bea
tifully kept. 1t is a magnificent par
with the evergreen. the holly. the
lime, the oak and the lovely Ivy grow
ing green and beautiful, while to the
east extends a grassy meadow, with
old oak trees here and there. walk
ed from DnyhurRh to the Abbey.