LITERARY AND DOMESTIC LIFE. 299 



CHAPTER XH. 



LITERARY AND DOMESTIC LIFE. 



1827-29. 



One who knew my father well, said, "That in the multiform 

 nature of the man, his mastery over the hearts of ingeneous youth 

 was one of his finest characteristics. An essay or poem is submitted 

 to him by some worthy young man, he does not like it, and says so 

 in general terms. The youth is not satisfied, and, in the tone of one 

 rather injured, begs to know specific faults. The generous aristarch, 

 never dealing haughtily with young worth, instantly sits down, and 

 begins by conveying, in the most fearless terms of praise, his sense 

 of that worth ; but, this done, woe be to the luckless piece of prose 

 or numerous verse ! Down goes the scalpel with the most minute 

 savagery of dissection, and the whole tissues and ramifications of 

 fault are laid naked and bare. The young man is astonished, but 

 his nature is of the right sort ; he never forgets the lesson, and, with 

 bauds of filial affection stronger than hooks of steel, he is knit for 

 life to the man who has dealt with him thus. Many a young heart 

 will recognize the peculiar style of the great nature I speak of. This 

 service was once done to Delta ; he was the young man to profit by 

 it, and the friendship was all the firmer."* Mr. Aird probably 

 alludes to the following letter, written by Professor Wilson in Jan- 

 uary, 1827, to his friend Dr. Moir : — 



" My dear Sir : — Allow me to write you a kind letter, sug- 

 gested by the non-insertion of your Christmas verses in the last 

 number of ' Maga' — a letter occasioned rather than caused by that 

 circumstance — for I have often wished to tell you my mind about 

 yourself and your poetry. 



" I think you — and I have no doubt about the soundness of my 

 opinion — one of the most delightful poets of this age. You have 

 not, it is true, written any one great work, and, perhaps, like my- 

 self, never will ; but you have written very many exquisitely beau- 

 tiful poems which, as time rolls on, will be finding their way into 



* Thomas Aird's Memoir of D. M. Moir. 



