MARJORY FLEMING.

IT was said of Marjory-Fleming, Scott's " Pet Marjorie," that she was "not so much a child genius as the genius of childhood." Mr. Lachlan Macbean, in the new book about her which lies before us (Simpkin, Marshall, and Co., 2s. 6d.), quotes the saying, and if it still needed any proving he proves it kfarjory's diaries, from which Dr. John Brown quoted in the essay which gave her exquisite portrait to the world, have been rediscovered, and are here published by Mr. Macbean in their entirety. According to the title-page, they are "now first published," and the words stand over the date 1914. How to reconcile this statement with others which are made in the preface we do not know. From the preface we learn that Dr. John Brown had not only read and selected from the diaries, but had made a complete transcript of them, which transcript appeared after his death, with his son's permission, in the first edition of the present book—i.e., in 1903. The fact of the rediscovery of learjory's original copy-books, and that some pages are here printed in. facsimile, hardly justifies such contradiction in terms. However, the diaries are so delight- ful, and contain so much which will be new to Marjory's admirers—or should we say lovers I—that cavilling seems out of place in connexion with them.

It is impossible to read of this child and not be in love with childhood. The fragrance of "a human mind in the bud," to quote the words of her latest biographer, pervades every page that she wrote. Marjory is at once charming, amusing, and unspeakably interesting. She was, no doubt, a child of exceptional gifts, yet none was so exceptional as to make her, properly speaking, precocious. She might not have passed. an examination with more honours- than the ordinary

child between six and eight yeses old (Marjory died before her ninth birthday), but she had in a supreme degree the power to 'confide. She was able to show a child's mind to the world is all its originality and teceptivity. It was typical child's mind. Yet it belonged to the highest human. type, combining submission and independence, assimilating other people's experience to the nourishment of her own originality.

During the two or three years is which we know- most of Marjory she lived in Edinburgh among the friends of the great Sir Walter. The first five or six years of her life were passed at Kirkcaldy, about ten miles from Edinburgh across the Firth of Forth. The last three she spent chiefly with her cousins the Keiths in Edinburgh. Isabella Keith, a girl still in her teens, undertbok Marjory'a education, and the' deepest affection would seem to have existed between them. There were younger cousins, but they played a very secondary part in Marjory'a world, and we imagine them rather dull. boys. "My eosins are Bober and well behaved and very gentele and meek," she says in a letter to her mother.. Marjory's talent for letter-writing, so far from being hampered, is positively enhanced by her inability to spell. One of her funniest mistakes is "bill Villean" for "Helvellyn:* In spite, however, of the difficulties of orthography, she can, at six years old, give a graphic picture of her daily life. Isabella teaches her "to or three hours every day in reading and writing and arethmatick and many other things and religion into the bargan. On Sunday she teaches me to. be virtuous." On Sunday also Marjory endeavours to "meditate uppon seneiable &a Religious subjects first I should be very thankful I am not a. beggar as many are." Isabella recognized at once her pupil's abilities. We realize that from the first, because Marjory laments so often, her own wickedness in wasting her talents. For nu:Hie alone she has no gift and finds her tessera wearisome: "Isabella has admirable patience in teaching me music& and resignation in perfection," we read. Whatever Isabella did was right. Ono of Marjory's greatest charms is her loving and uncritical attitude towards her grown-up friends. Not that storms never arose in the household. In the matter of naughtiness this child of genius is absolutely normal. "Last night behaved extremely ill and threw my work in the stairs, and would not pick it up which was very wrong indeed; and an that William could do I would not go out of the room till he himself put me out, and I roared like a bull and would, not go to bed though Isabella bid me go, which was very wrong indeed to her when she takes so much pains with ma. .when she would like best to be walking, but she thinks its her duty." Another day, when told to read the Bible, "I was in a bad humour and red it so Carelessly and ill that she took it from me and her blood ran cold, but she never punished me, she is as gental as a lamb to me an imgratefulgith" Marjory was treated with as much indulgence as a child of the present day. Evidently isabella was far in. advance of the fashion in the matter of discipline. Marjory never ceases to pour forth her- gratitude for Isabella's tenderness, and reproaches herself severely for vexing her kind cousin. "Remorse is the worst thing to bear & I sea afraid that I will fall a marter to it," she sighs. A child's mind, how- ever, cannot concentrate long upon such a subject as remorse. "I am going to turn over a new life & am going to be a good girl & be obedient to Ina. Keith, here there is plenty goosberys. which makes my teath. water." But if Isabella was kind and gentle in a. measure unexpected in 1809, she yet used religion to enforce discipline in a way which makes the grown-up reader of to-day wild with indignation. One longs, if such an expression may be permitted, to take up the cudgels for God. It should no doubt be remembered that children, like other primitive people, have a great pleasure in the contemplation of power. It is evidently of the nature of a pleasure to Marjory to reflect. that God Almighty cam send anyone and everyone to hell at Hia pleasure, and will undoubtedly send the wicked. Poetic. justice always pleases children, and Marjory is very anxious that a- turkeycock who. has killed a pullet should be either hanged or transported. When not repeating Isabella's rather ferocious religious sentiments, however, Marjory shows a deeper insight into the subject. "If I was in danger and God not friends with me," she writes, and here we feel the touch of nature which brings all religious people tbgether. Anyhow; it is

certain that the Calvinism taught to this Scots child did not make her unhappy. Her delight in life known no bounds. She is not shy,- and gets immense, pleasure from seeing strangers; from listening to conversation, from reading books, and from every sight and sound out of doors. A visit to the country often inspires her pen :- "The balmy bream comes down from heaven And makes us like for to be liveing."

Here is another entry in the same strain: "This is Thursday & it was frosty but the sun shins n all its beauty it is very romantiok indeed,—Isabella & Miss Isabella Craford walks to Baronbugal and jump with filisity over wals and fences." The marvellous rapidity with which children rush from subject to subject is a remarkable feature of Marjory'a journal. " Osian's poems are most beautiful I am very strong and robust & not of the delicate sex Nor of the fair but of the deficent in looks. People who are deficient in looks can make up for it by virtue. I am very fond of the Arabian nights entertainments & wish to read the tales of the Genie." She never concentrates. The natural child never does. " In the New whole duty of men that says that says that family prayer should be well atended to I should like to see a play very much for I never saw one in all my life & don't believe I ever shall but I hope that I can be content without going to one I can be quite happy without my desire be granted." Again, " I like sermons better than lectures Joy depends on thou 0 virtue Tom Jones & Greys Elegey in a country churchyard are both excelent and much spoke of by both sex particularly by the men."

The conversation of elder people was not restrained by the presence of children to the same extent as it is now—a fact which made life very interesting for the young. Marjory heard much talk of an elopement. The romance of the thing struck her. The moral remarks of the gossips made an impression, but she did not, of course, really understand the whole business. She heard that one Jessie Watson had "run off," that it was to be hoped she would not repent her folly, that her father was unhappy, &c., &c. The impression of these conversations Marjory cast into rhyme :—

"Run of is Yessy Watson fair Her eyes do sparkel she's good hair But Mrs Leath you shall now be Now and for all Eternity Such merry spirits I do hate But now its over and to late For to retract such vows you cant And you must now love your galant But I am sure you will repent And your poor heart will then relent Your poor poor father will repine And so would I if you were mine But now be good for this time past And let this folly be your last."

Most children delight in rhyme. Marjory loved to rhyme her diary. Perhaps metre appealed to her most when in high spirits, for certain long pages of rhyme are interrupted by such sentences as "I have been a Naughty Girl." The descriptions of people to be found in her rhymes are charming. She had a little friend, a boy, whom she describes as a lover. We can see his rather washed-out little face as we read:— " Very soft & white his cheeks

His hair is fair & grey his breaks

His Leath is like the daisy fair

The only fault is on his hair."

Dr. John Brown quotes this—but not " Tesay Watson." Sometimes her lessons occupy her mind and history inspires her verse. Her narrative is always exceedingly concise, and shows, as one would expect, intellectual grasp

Poor Mary Queen of Scots was born With all the graces which adorn."

More about that unfortunate lady could not be put into two lines. Her religious position is also tersely suggested :— " She was a Homan Catholic strong Nor did she think that it it was wrong."

Darnley is hit off to the life :— " Silly he was but very fair

A greater buck was not found there."

The picture of Mary in the days of her distress is vivid and very feminine:—

"Covered with dust droping a tear

A epectical did she appear.'

No boy could have written that. It is part of the tragedy, to the little girl's mind, that her heroine should look her worst. Now and then she drops into ordinary childish jingle :—

"She flew to England for protection

For Elisabeth was her connection.'

All those whis linoW Dr: John Brown's essay know that Marjory bated Elizabeth, and took comfort in the thought of her final retribution :—

"There is a thing that I must tell Elisabeth went to lire and hell."

Dr. Brown, however, quoted only a few of the couplets of this, Marjory's longest effusion.

One of the most astonishing things in the history of literature is the small part that children play in it. We doubt whether in English literature any child stands out so vividly as Marjory Fleming. We hear till we are tired of the words that Christianity has altered the position of women. Indirectly this is no doubt true. Far more is said in the Gospels however, which might have been expected to alter the position of children, Nothing of the sort happened. The Church took a theologian, not a child, and " set him in the midst," saying, "Except ye become," &o. Childhood inspired art, but found small place in literature. The nursery of literature was the monastery. Has that any bearing on this strange fact ? Did the great men of the past take no interest in child- hood? Shakespeare's Mamillius is a real child, but Arthur hardly convinces us. How few they are, these children of letters. If we turn to biography, Evelyn's boy was marvellous, but we hardly know him. Charles Lamb kept his dream children looked up in his heart, but they must have been like Marjory.