LINK WITH SCOTT.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 185, 22 July 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

LINK WITH SCOTT.

LADY WHO SPOKE TO 'THE BARD.

In a certain house in a residential district of Edinburgh an old lady is quietly spending the evening of h<v life. She is now almost 90 years of but «he has been blessed with a marvellous momory, and in her meditative moments she loves .to conjur. up memories of days gone by, and delights to romance to the infinite enjoyment of everyone whose privileg. it is to chat with her for an hour or two. The one great thought of her remaining years, as it has been of Jim life, is that site shook hands with Sir Walter Scott. Her name is Miss Duncan. and she resides at 11 Thirlest,-inc-road.

It was on Febrnary 18, 1830. two and a half years before, the death of Sir Walter, that the great experience befell her. Mis; Dunean was at the time about eight years of agm Her father was ci well-known Edinburgh gentleman, and he and his family lived in St. Andrew-sqnarc, in a house on the site which is now occupied by the Prudential Assurance Company’s cifieos. Mr. Duncan was an agent for steel pens, and had sent a. present of pens to Sir Walter Scott. It was to thank Mr. Dunean personally for bis present that the bard, called at his office in St. Andrew-square. but Mr. Duncan happened to bo out at the time of Sir Halter’s vi-.it. Miss Duncan and her sister were returning from school, and , by the merest chance, bad arrived at the stair loading to the office when they encountered Sir Walter coming down. Hr stopped and spoke to th ; ' little gill, asked thorn thoir narm-s; inquired as to their progress at school, patted them on the shoulder. and shook hands with them.

Miss Duncan has in her possession a note in Sir Walter’s handwriting left by him on that, occasion for her father. It runs as follows :-“Sir Walter Scott ephod to thank Mr. Dunean for his polite card and splendid present of pens, by which Sir Walter is greatly obliged mid flattered.” One of Miss Dunean’s most interesting and valued possessions is the quill pen with which Sir Walter wrote the note. This was the only ewion on which sb--' spoke to the novelist, bat she saw him several times afterwards.

Sir Walter Scott used to live during the winter season at 38 Castlestreet. Every morning Miss Duncan used to see him as he passed her window in St. Andrew-square. IK frequently visited the office of Mr. Cadell, one of his r-nblisliers. in St. Andrewsquare. His appearances in St. An-drow-square were so regular that Miss Dun-an used to make a point of looking for his coming.

The patlietie story of Scott’s voyage to Italy in the vain quest of health is known to all who arc acquainted with the life of the great novelist. He struggled home from Rome to die within the sound of his beloved Tweed, and it was on bis arrival at Edinburgh that Miss Duncan saw him for the last time. It was from the old Douglas Hotel in St. Andrew-sqnare, next the Royal Bank, that Sir AValter was convoyed by carriage to Abbotsford. She can picture vividly in her mind the scene at seven o’clock >n the morning of the div he was tak*.n away. A bed was <;trotohod across the carriage, and in this Sir Walter was laid. The

riage then drove away, and “The Great Unknown” uw again saw his "r-mantie Edinburg.i.