Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-11-02
AROUND THE WORLD
IN THE HOME OF WALTER SCOTT.
BY Doctor w. 8. Pa,mor..

The most interesting private homes we
lave ever visited. was that of Cecil
Rhodes. on the Cape Of Good Hope. III
South Africa. and that OF Walter Scott. at
Abbottsford. lin Scotland. The one has
left his imperial and enduring mark upon
the world OF politics and conquest. n
the other. upon tho world OF literature. TO
all classes OF people there is not a pri-
Nate home in the world more fascinating
than this OF Scott. 1t is rather remark
able how he ever secured so many objects
OF such extraordinary and intense interest.
He seems to have been q favorite with
en.perors, kings and princes. Here are
the swords of Bruce. the purse of RObroy.
the pistols and portfolio of Napoleon. and
the cross which Mary. Queen of Scots.
held in her hand when she was executed.
Among the hundreds Ut varieties of cur
ious and queer things OF the olden times
is the wife Tongue Tanners" which was
II metal band extending around the head
and fastened with n small lock In the
rear. An inward projection. something
like the end of a s~poonhandie, was placed
in the mouth, above the tongue. in such
a way as to prevent the possibility OF
talking while the band was locked.
On the wall of the drawing room is Chi
nese. hand-painted wall paper, 100 years
old, containing foliage. pheasants and
flowers. with colors az bright and beauti-
ful as il painted within the last year. In
this same drawing room are some very
rich paintings. one OF which is the most
famous portrait of Scott himself, which is
considered a very lifelike and perfect pic
ture. Whether presented in bronze. mar
bic Or on canvass he was certainly a very
pleasing personality. In the library are
Twenty Thousand Volumes
on rare interest. His private study. how
ever, was of more intense interest to us
than his great library. From floor to
ceiling of this study are thousands Of
lume with balconies SO arranged In
front of them that he could readily get
at them without loss of time. A private
door opened from the upper gallery into
a little bedroom into which, or out of
which. he could pass at N hour OF the
day or night without disturbing any one.
There was a peculiar pathos in the chair
and desk at which he sat and performed
his Herculean task. Constable & Co.
and James Ballentine & Co., two great
publishing houses. failed, with Scott Sc
curity for them, for more than $5O0,0N.
Instead of shirking behind ~ bankrupt
law, or in some way trying to evade
the tremendous responsibility, he girded
up the loins OF his intellectual strength
and in his old age, coined from his own
brain more than $G0O,0W in the Waverly
novels. He thus paid off every dollar
of his indebtedness and died an honest
man. Mark Twain deserves credit. when,
under similar circumstance he followed
such a noble example.
Back OF this private study was one of
the most beautiful and exclusive private
flower gardens. on which his eye rested
much OF the time while writing his charm
ing Just outside the window is
tho frp0O n 0tSA s1nnCspsNOAnf ~ hfc ~ vynv1t "A
dog. h dog appears by his side in
white marble in hat Incompatible monu-
,inent on Princess street, in Marlborough.
His n for trees, flowers, horses
and dogs was a touch OF nature indicat-
ing his kinship to all the world. Very
few people, at all familiar with Scotch
literature, could ride a single one of the
IS miles OF the Tweed valley, between
Abbottsford and
Dryburg Abbey
with a thought of Walter Scott. Every
mile of the charming scenery seems glori-
fled OF overarched by the presence and
halo of the great magician. His favorite
saddle horse, with an empty saddle, moved
with the long funeral! procession down
this valley. TIL procession was some
what startled when the horse halted and
refused to move. It was discovered to be
the angle OF finest view, one of Scott's
AAAN hAsS NtS u At0A
never before passed without stopping.
There are few places in all the world more
suitable for the tomb OF a poet than amid
the romantic ruins of Dryburg Abbey.
There by that ~roofiess tower,
Where the wall Owe scents the dewy
air.
And the owl mourns in her ivy bower
And tells to the midnight moon her
The granite tomb of his soninlaw at his
feet. recalled the closing hours of this
heroic Christian, when he said to this
'soninlaw: Read to me- When the SON
MIA asked: What shall read? this
man whose books were being read by
more people than the books of any other
living author. with 10000 choice volumes in
his own private library, looked into the
eyes OF his soninlaw, and answered.
"Lockhart. there is but one book!'
T%ennyson was once walking IN his gar
den with a friend, when he was asked.
What is Jesus of Nazareth to you, Mr..
~Tennyson?" The poet walked some dis
lance In silence. Hating before a beau
tiful rose he said. II will now answer your
question" Pointing first to the sun and
to the flower, Sc said: What the sun is
to that rose. Jesus Christ is to met" These
testimonies from Scott and Tennyson are
worth more to the world than all the
doubling higher critics have ever said.
from
Tom Paine to Bob insersoII
Hon. Mrs. Maxwell Scott, a grand
daughter OF Sir Walter, a brilliant and
beautiful woman. now owns and occupies
this famous home. Abbotsford Sho q.