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Show WALTER SCOTT. The Independent Nature That Crar.4 f'ompanlonihlp. Atlanta Monthly. The same nature which wanted a dog by him when he was writing, that friendly spirit which craved companionship companion-ship and yet was sturdily independent, turned to the pages of his diary for solace. It waa like patting a dog's head to set down thus the overflow of his communicative mind. We wonder often of-ten at the volumiuousnes.s of Scott's work. His correspondence alone was no mean achievement in bulk, and his daily court duties are never counted in. Add his wholly voluntary jouanal, and we catch some notion of the wonderful flow of this great nature. He was giv ing, the whole time. Think of him, as the journal bears testimony, when he was entangled in the r.et of his own misfortunes, and writing heroically for relief not so much of himself as of his creditors, stopping in the most natural manner in the world to write articles for poor Gillies, to help that ne'er-do-weel out of his troubles! Of course, the one mighty disclosure which the journal makes to the attentive atten-tive reader is of the magnificent pluck which Scott displayed iu facing his difficulties and setting about the removal re-moval of them. It brings tears to tha yes to see, as one may, Hie cheerful, not sullen resolution with which this giant wrought at his task, all the while sinking beneath the load he was bearing. bear-ing. The steady decay of his physical powers, and the persistence of his energetic will confront one at every turn. While the world lasts this nobis spec tacle will stir the hearts of men, and make many a poet exclaim: -I c ould Have lnughd myssilf to scorn to flo4 Iu that dnm-repit man to firm a mind." But there are other revelations of Scott's nature scarcely less affecting. Tbe nobles grief over his wife's death, and (he entire absence of comment on the weak side of her character as it reveals itself to readers of Lockhart's iife. is one mark of his generous affection: affec-tion: and another is to be found in the exquisite tenderness of all his expressions expres-sions regarding little John Lockhart. He hangs over tho fate of this appealing appeal-ing child with almost breathless concern, con-cern, and the reserve which Lockhart naturally showed is here removed to make way for a most sweet demonstration. demonstra-tion. Doubtless Scott's own disability, which brought him increase of suffering suffer-ing in his decline, intensified his com-passion com-passion for the pale little cripple. Incidentally, In-cidentally, also, the character of Anne Scott stands revealed in a very lovable light. The Journal is a book to laBt. No king in literature has such a chronicle, and as Scott in bis novels has make his principal characters now and again serve as heroism, so here, without i egotism, without pettiness, yet with minute detail, he has drawn his own superb figure with astrength which is I ineffaceable. |