SCOTTISH LIFE AND CHARACTER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8314, 18 December 1906, Page 5

SCOTTISH LIFE AND CHARACTER.

I LECTURE BY DR. GIBB. There was a large audience at the lowa Hall, last evening, when Dr. Gibb, of Wellington, delivered an address on the subject: "The Drumtoohty Sketches," or an interpretation of Scottish life and charI acfcer. Rev. A. T. Thompson ocqupied tbo chair, and ' briefly introj duced the lecturer. Dr. Gibb, in his lecture, set out to interpret the life and character ot the Scotch as given by lan MaoLareu, m "The Drumtoohty Sketches," and ha succeeded in giving a good representation, of the charaoter of the inhabitants of the country North of the Tweed. H'\h lecture pcoved interesting, as well as instructive, and bis contentions were supplemented by numerous stories of a humourous type. Dr. Gibb first dwelt on the literary value of lan MaoLaren's sketches, and said ha bad td admit; that the writer had drawn on his > imagination to a great extent in the sketches. Nevertheless, they were indebted to Mr MacLaren for a great deal concerning the rural life of Scotland. Iho lecturer then went on to state that Scotland had a history of her own, and her sone and daughters had characters of their own, and he would be very sorry if that character were ever allowed to depart. The two striking features in Scottish j character, declared the speaker, were the persistent loyalty to conscience, and the deep faith in the divino government of God. lie gave several instances of tne loyalty of the Scotch to their Uhoioh, and contrasted the ' manner in which they attended kirk in Scotland and in the oolonias. Next to the Cnurch Scotland was' loyal to her schools, "in fact," said the apeaUer, "Church and sohool run baad in hun 1 in Scotland, and it was the proud, boaat. of the Scotch that they had a better average education tbau the people of any other nation." Referring- to Scottish humour, the speaker classed it as dry and quiet. "It does not," be said, "break out in sparkling gaiety lik«) the Irish humour, but nevertheless it is the genuine nitiole." Another pronounoed feature of the Scot was his tenderness of heart. The speaker thought that lau MacLaren had scored bis greatest success in bis delineation of that obaractar of the Soon.

During the oveaing the following songs'werfi rendered:—'"Bunny Mary of Argyle," Mr S. J. Johnstone; "Douglas Gordon," Mra Kawson; "Th« Maogregor's Gathering," Mr P. J. Hunn; "Ye Banks and Braos," Miss J. McGregor; "Too March of the Cameron Men, 8 ?. Mr A. :\icol. Mies Morrison played a number of Scottish airs on the piano, and Messrs G. McKay and L. Johns gave selections on the bagpipes. At the conclusion of the ent«rtaiutneut Rev. A. T. Ibompson thanked Dr.-Gibb for his lecture, and also those who had contributed the musical items.