SCOTTISH PERTINACITY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XX, Issue 1338, 30 March 1887, Page 6

SCOTTISH PERTINACITY.

Scottish perseverance has itself become proverbial ; we remember to have met with a story which is said to be connected with the foundation of an opulent mercantile house which has flourished for some generations. Saunders, the traveller, entered a shop and inquired for the head of the house ; one of the clerks asked what he wanted ; the answer of Saunders was, as usual, a question — 1 Want ye aught in my line, sir.' 'No," was the prompt reply, ac companied by a look of contempt at the itinerant Scotch merchant. •Will ye no tak a look at the gudes, sir V was Saundsrs' next query. ' No, not all, I have no time. Take them away — take them away, 1 'Yell aibiins (perhaps) find them worth your while, and 1 daubt na but yell buy,' said Sauuders; and he proceeded to untie and unstrap bis burden. *Go away — go away !' was reiterated half-a-dozen times by the clerk, but the pei severing traveller still persisted. • Get along, you old Scotch fool,' cried the clerk, completely out of temper. Saunders looked up and still said,. 'An wull ye really not buy aught? But ye dinna ken ; ye ha na seen the j gudes yet,' ' Get out of the shop sir,' was i the peremptory command ) to which Saunders replied, ' Are you in earnest, friend.' ' Yes, certainly,' was the answer, and the reply was succeeded by an unequivocal proof of sincerity, for the clerk seized the bonnet of Saunders and whirled it into the street, The cool Scotchman walked gravely and deliberately after bis head-gear, picked it up, "gave it two or three hearty slaps upon tho wall before the door, came back aud said. ' You waa

an ill bird, man; yell tak a look at the gudes noo.'

The master of the establish men t had been watching the whole scene, and now stepped forward, movod by some compunction for the trea ment the traveller had received, and .sjme admiration for the patience and perseverance of tbe man, he consented to look over the contents of his pack ; found them to be exactly the goods be was ifi want of, purchased them all and gave a very large order, and thus, says Chambers, who tells the story, assisted in the foundation of a inerean ile house. 1

But is not this tbe stuff of which al the Livingstones Lawrences are made ? Waa not this the spirit which set the brave Sir Walter Scott to work when sinking into his latter years, to overcome his fearful loss of £100,000 1 Is it not a commentary upon the especial proverb which we have said so illustrates a Scottish character : 'He that tholes overcomes !' — '• Leisure Hour."