Stephenson: The Ettrick Shepherd 109 



the narrative of the trip to Loch Skene taken by Scott in com- 

 pany with Hogg and the Laird of Rubislaw. At every turn 

 the driver had a new tale of the Ettrick Shepherd, and now 

 and then he sang one of his saddest songs to the mournful 

 accompaniment of the rain. When we came in sight of Chap- 

 elhope he launched into a full description of what had once 

 happened there. He had not gone far when I slipped a book 

 from my pocket and let him see the title. I cannot repeat the 

 enthusiastic Scotch phrases with which he praised the habit of 

 carrying The Broivnie of Bodsbeck as a traveling companion. 

 He became more talkative than ever, seemed familiar with 

 most of what Hogg had written, and warned me of many 

 places in the neighborhood that I must not fail to visit. 



This proved not to be a unique experience. As I went to 

 and fro along the sister valleys, again and again I met with 

 peasants who thought the Ettrick Shepherd's a name to con- 

 jure with. This fact is his great monument. Until recently 

 it seemed as if in the outside world the name of Hogg, except 

 to students of literature, would pass into oblivion along with 

 that of Wilson ; but the Forest still holds his fame secure. 



