Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

NOT SCOTT, BUT SCOTTISH. 449
lisher that " I cannot understand a word of it, neither
can some Scotch friends to whom I have committed it,
and therefore I judge it to be unintelligible." But a
week later he had quite changed his opinion :
J. Wilson Groker to W. Blackwood.
They are both very good, and the author, whoever he may be,
has humour, pathos, and a strong feeling of the natural. Of
course he does not expect to be considered another Scott
but it may be said (without a pun) that he is Scottish, His
characters of public men show that he does not know much of
them. He makes some little blunders as to the state of the
higher society in this town.
This criticism, which appears to us very just, was
probably felt as a very unkind cut by poor Gait, for
he was in London too, and on the verge of official
society, by reason of a position he held in Colonial,
especially Canadian, affairs ; and from his experiences
in town he ventured to introduce another of his heroes,
Sir Andrew Wylie, into very fine company indeed, and
made him instrumental in clearing up several imbroglios
of the most delicate character in the highest circles.
' Sir Andrew ' was by no means equal to the previous
works ; but in its absurdity it was a most cheerful
story, teaching that always popular sentiment that a
good heart and a simple mind are invariably triumphant
both in advancing themselves and doing good to others
which unhappily is not so easily the case even in fiction
as the cheerful optimist believes—or used to believe.
Indeed, though we are aware that it is not to be com-
pared with its predecessors, we confess to a great
kindness for Sir Andrew Wylie and the easy success
of every sensible and benevolent project in his hands.
Mr Gait's good people had all a marvellous fund of
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