Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

A RESOLUTE AUTHOR. 461
than Scott,—the quite different conception of a man
without force of imagination or higher poetic insight,
Hmited to the facts he saw, yet within his sphere
capable also of making other men see these facts, and
worthy of attention for that inferior but not unimpor-
tant gift.
Having delivered his soul, however, in this way,
Gait resumes his friendly tone.
It is with me a rule of life [he continues] never to make a
difference in a matter of business one of personal feeling, and
I have too sincere a regard 'for you personally not to lament
anything of the character of misunderstanding between us. . . .
I shall omit any passage that you may object to, even after all
that has passed; but the working out of character and the
features of individuality are things which I cannot change. In
fact, the persons come to my imagination as [actual] persons,
and I could no more change their method of thinking than I
could do those of any living individual.
We may add here an illustration of this book from
M.Y Blackwood himself:
—
Edin., 7 April 1826.
When I was reading the Laird's account of his school suffer-
ings, it put me in mind of a story which Bob Miller has often
told me of the way in which his High School master, Cruikshanks,
who was a perfect barbarian, used to treat him. When
he had got the school fairly begun to work, he used to cry up
poor Miller, and say, " Come awa', Eobie, my man, ye ha'na got
your med'cine yet, and gif ye ha'na earned it yet, ye will very
soon." He then gave poor Eobie his usual quantity, a good
round dozen of pawmies.
Some of these letters are sealed with the large official
seal of the Canada Company, and when Gait next wrote
it was from Canada, where he was performing the more
practical duties of a colonist, administrator, and settler