“GREAT SCOTT.”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 20 January 1925, Page 8

“GREAT SCOTT.”

AN' OR LD PAYS T.B Hi PTE

the non: northern folk

To Ik-' a Scot is a great privilege, a. .rreat responsibility. He passes through fife the object oi so much unconcealed eiivv that he hi ids it specially hard to practise the grace of humility (says a writer in the Melbourne Age.) “Lesser breeds without the law laugh at him. Let them. Their motive is the same as that ol the 'people who make mock laughter in order to induce the jackass to sound his laughing note. Tlicv dream of playing the same game on the Scot Put tho Scot is not a jackass; he is not an ass of any sort, ' There is,' of course, a touch of Aberdeen granite in liis nature ; the gian-itc-like quality extends to his features. These seem stern, immovable. And vet the sight- of whisky makes the muscles of his month amazingly and swiftly flexible. If you are incredulous oil this point you may obtain convincing proof by experimenting on the first Swot von chance to meet. The Scot is thrifty with his laughter because to be thrifty is at all times Ids nature. But, apart from that, the Scots as a people are not facile in lam-iiter. Is not laughter, however, overrated? There are nations, as there arc persons, to whom the emotion is nnsuited. An undertaker who was hilarious would he incongruous. The Scot mar not innntly he considered somethin”' of an undertaker. He buries, not men’s bodies, but their ambitions. [„ every form ol competition calling for modesty, , piety and frugality he puts the men of .other nations completely out of sight. It would pay the inferior nations to o-ivo all Scotsmen generous pensions m order to keep them out of the- ring while the struggle for success is going on. It would olminato the most deadly form of rivalry of . which the nonScots have to contend. 'There are otl/er reasons, too, why the Scots should lie gratefully rewarded. They have rendered to the human race services such as no other single people can /parallel. Even young Australians sing Scotch songs because you have nolle of your own, some of you wear the Scotch kilt-, danec Scotch reels, blow Scotch, bagpipes, play Scotch golf, cat Scotch porridge, drink Scotch whisky. To the Scots you are hopeless debtors. What quid pro quo are you thinking of giving your unassuming belief actors? Gloom is congenial to the Highland Scot; his mountain fastnesses are o-looiuv He usually leaves them early and seeks lands that are sunny in order to make money. After he hassucceeded he does not spend any of it on that ‘daughter literature’’ which the Americans have for years past been producing ih copious measure; .Books of shallow philosophy exhorting people to he irritatingly cheery and artificial! V happy, books' of watery poetry about miles ancl miles of smiles, are being road by" the never-diminishing army of fools*. In that army’s ranks there arc few Scots. No American will become a millionaire out of the number of such books lie sells in Scotland. The critics, of course, say the explanation is easy. The Scot has no capacity for being radiantly happy, as lie would be if he would buy—not borrow —copies of these soulful books published by astute Yankees. Always the concluding and crushing indictment is that the Scot has no sense of humour. Perhaps there is excuse for superficial people forming that impression. Some centuries ago a General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland was debating what the people might legitimately do on the Sabbath day. The question__was asked. Alight a man run after his hat if the wind blew it off? The assembly decided that he might, provided that he ran “in a reverent manner.” It is the same with the humour. The Scot laughs only at appropriate seasons. As he totals im the week's takings on a Saturday he gives his humorous sense some mild exercise while he reflects on the rest of the world’s commercial simplicity; or, behind the close-drawn blinds on'Sabbath, with a eronie—and possibly a drappie —he can he humorous in a strictly reverent manner. -

Tt is impossible to determine the constitutents of wit and humour. The Soot, however, is always acquitted of possessing either. Yet Scotch wit aiid humour is quoted the whole world over. Certain volumes of jt arc among the “best sellers.” No other nation has published so many that are read so widely. For instance, the Scot sees something funny in the anomaly that, despite his alleged incapacity for laughter and his deficiency in humor, tlje man who has held the world’s stage more successfully and longer than any other as a clean, wholesome, humorous entertainer is a Scotsman named Lander. Just to hear him laugh, just to he moved to laughter''by his humour. the world lias paid him as much as would make many substantial fortunes. Nevertheless, the notion that (lie .Scot does not laugh continues to lie one of this stupid world’s most cherished traditions. The Scottish are accused of being clannish. it means that they always loyally stand by each other. Perfectly true, and not - a very reprehensible thing either.! The* Scot has also the reputation or being a grim fighter. In bygone years the clans fought each, other in defence of their rights; later the clans fought together in defence of righteousness. The Scot; never fights for the fun of the thing; he fights only for things he prizes intensely.. That, is why Scotland’s wars, certainly the longest and bloodiest of them, have been about religion. .Religion is the thing the Scot says least and thinks most about. You never heard of a -sustained Scottish war of aggression. ’When the Scot, particularly wants possession of a tiling he puts his money_down instead of putting his fist upT He is a perfectly unique specimen of an intensely practical and intensely poetical race. You can find any number of nations that run to excess in the one direction or the other. Only once do you find Loth qualities harmoniously blended together. It. is under the hat of the Scot.

A cheap and nasty way of trying to decry the Scot is to cream all history. remote and contemporary, of its outstanding men, then, settling them on one side, to challenge the Scot to prove that he is superior to the lot. The Scot does not fear the comparison, hut it is manifestly unfair. Proportionate to its geographical area and numerical hulk, Scotland excels, on the score of great men, every other nation on earth. Tt, has never had more than five million people to draw on. yet it always lias a distinguished and diversified group of geniuses on hand. "Karl "Balfour, the statesman : Far! Haig, the soldier; Lord Haldane, the philosopher; Sir J. M. Barrie, the writer, are quite a presentable bouquet to he drawn at random out of the present hmicli of living Scotsmen. And the titular honour of each is no matter of birth. Tt was in every ease, conferred as an expression of an Empire’s appreciation of the services of the Scots.

It is desirable to remember that it is much more difficult to he a great man in Scotland than anywhere outside of it. The suggestion that practically no Scot is truly great is a matter of comparison. No Scot can he conspicuously great compared with his fellow-countrymen. That is not because the Scot is incapable of conspicuous greatness, but because the standard of excellence prevalent throughout the whole nation is so high. The geniuses of other races find an imposing background in the backwardness of those by whom they are surrounded. Among the Scots genius is so general that abnormal specimens arc uiulistinguishable. Bui their presence is undeniable. There i.s just that other matter- — the Scot’s meanness. No one has any doubt about it. A'et, if you inquire, you will find that people have read of it rather than experienced it. Jokes, based on the- stingy Scot, circulate nil the year. In the circulation of mean Scot" stories there is one of. brief pause annually, on Hospital Sunday. Regularlv tho Presbyterian Scots head the hospital contribution list. But. as customary, they are generous silently. It doesn’t matter, however; the mean Scot jokes start circulating for another year on Afonday. It is significant- that with all the Scot’s alleged keenness for money and meanness with money, there have been comparatively few Scottish millionaires. Evidently if they are eager to get it they arc also ready to share it. The Scotch housewife is renowned for being thrifty: she i.s still inn re renowned as a- dispenser of hospitality. Ask tho Australian soldier boys. They know. Of all tlie Old AN orhl places they visited by no country, by no people, were they so captivated as h.v Scotia ml and tho Scots.

The whole English speaking work! hears daily tribute to Scottish greatness, Everywhere, and almost v. ilhin every hour, you bear. “Grea! Scot!” Ti is no vulgar colloquialism, no nice tepid expletive. The phrase of “Great Scot” is a piece of verbid homage paid instinctively to a remarkable people. Tt i.s an expression of men’s deep-rooted conviction that in tlii.s case tile noun and the adjective are inseparable.