whom he had been led to expect sympathy and encouragement. He told
me about this affair in conversation; `There were tears in my eyes
as I turned from the house,' he said, and he was not effusive. In a
letter to Mrs. Murray he describes this unlucky interview,--a
discouragement caused by a manner which was strange to Murray,
rather than by real unkindness,--and he describes it with a
delicacy, with a reserve, with a toleration, beyond all praise.
These are traits of a character which was greater and more rare than
his literary talent: a character quite developed, while his talent
was only beginning to unfold itself, and to justify his belief in
his powers.

Robert Murray was the eldest child of John and Emmeline Murray: the
father a Scot, the mother of American birth. He was born at
Roxbury, in Massachusetts, on December 26th, 1863. It may be fancy,
but, in his shy reserve, his almost farouche independence, one seems
to recognise the Scot; while in his cast of literary talent, in his
natural `culture,' we observe the son of a refined American lady.
To his mother he could always write about the books which were
interesting him, with full reliance on her sympathy, though indeed,
he does not often say very much about literature.

Till 1869 he lived in various parts of New England, his father being
a Unitarian minister. `He was a remarkably cheerful and
affectionate child, and seldom seemed to find anything to trouble
him.' In 1869 his father carried him to England, Mrs. Murray and a
child remaining in America. For more than a year the boy lived with
kinsfolk near Kelso, the beautiful old town on the Tweed where Scott
passed some of his childish days. In 1871 the family were reunited
at York, where he was fond of attending the services in the