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of that day. Christopher North's idea of the humorous is 

 mere literary horseplay. The genuine Scottish humour 

 for I do not for a moment deny to my Caledonian 

 brother the gift of humour that dry, pawky sort of which 

 Dean Ramsay gives so many admirable examples in his 

 " Reminiscences," with its fine, national distinctive flavour, 

 has rarely found its way into Scottish literature. You 

 will find it indeed (as what is there you will not find ?) 

 in some of the Waverley Novels ; it irradiates the delight- 

 ful books of the author of" Rab and His Friends "; and 

 to its presence " A Window in Thrums " and " The 

 Little Minister " owe much of their subtle charm. But, 

 except unconsciously, few Scottish writers have been 

 humorists, and among those few Alexander Russel 

 takes a foremost place. The gift was a revelation to 

 his countrymen ; they hardly knew what to make of it at 

 first, and indeed to the very last there were always many 

 worthy persons who were blind to Russel's humour and 

 read his brilliant articles with puzzled minds, uncertain 

 whether he were in jest or earnest. But the fact that 

 the racy humour of " Russel of The Scotsman " was 

 thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by thousands of his 

 fellow-countrymen, and was one of the main factors in 

 his popularity, disposes for ever of the cheap sneers 

 against Scottish lack of humour founded on Sydney 

 Smith's time-worn sarcasm. 



But those who only knew Russcl's humour from his 

 writings could form but a faint conception of its 

 inexhaustible richness. As a raconteur he had hardly 

 an equal and certainly no superior. Once only had I 

 the pleasure of hearing him "laugh and shake in 



