Here love of country and love of people,--little children and men and women--are joined, and Edie's words express the highest feelings for home and country that we have. There is something in every boy and every girl that thrills to this reply of Edie Ochiltree, who had no money and no land, but who was rich in his spirit nevertheless. It is for such reasons as this that we {27} judge Edie's character to be one of Scott's greatest achievements. Some day you may read in _The Heart of Mid-Lothian_ of how Jeanie Deans walked many weary miles to London to plead with Queen Caroline for the life of her sister. You will learn to admire and reverence Jeanie when at the last she says to the Queen that "when the hour of trouble comes to the mind or to the body ... then it isna what we hae dune for oursells, but what we hae dune for others, that we think on maist pleasantly." Jeanie's is a sad story, and yet it turns out happily. Scott's genius for story telling, as well as for the delineation of character, was singularly rich and ample. To the contents of these novels, Scott added occasionally a short story, and often beautiful songs. In _Redgauntlet_, chapter eleven, you will find Wandering Willie's Tale, one of the greatest short stories that ever has been written. The Ballad of the Red Harlaw is in _The Antiquary_, the same novel in which Edie Ochiltree appears. One of the most beautiful songs in Scottish literature, which is rich in exquisite songs, is "Proud Maisie"; this song is to be found in _The Heart of Mid-Lothian_, chapter thirty-nine. Those of you who are fond of learning poetry by heart will find time well spent in learning "Proud Maisie". Only when genius is most richly endowed can it be so generous in its giving as Scott is in his novels with his songs. {28} CHAPTER V SCOTT'S OWN STORY Walter Scott was born August 15th, 1771, in a house belonging to his father at the head of the College Wynd in Edinburgh, Scotland. The family was well-to-do and happily situated. But when he was eighteen months old, the little lad had a serious illness which left him a cripple. Every effort was made to cure his lameness. He was sent to live with his grand-parents on the farm at Sandy Knowe, but while he gained strength, he was slow in learning to walk and his left leg remained shrunken. He grew up tall and strong, unusually good looking and attractive. When he was a man he thought nothing of walking thirty miles in a day. Apparently, his lameness had no influence upon his character, except that it helped to make him considerate. His biographer says that he was always tender to those who had any bodily misfortune.