Great Scott, Walter!

Truly random thoughts:

I am holding in my hands a book (no, I’m not – I’m typing. I’m being figurative. I was holding, and continue to lift into my hands a book while my fingers are not otherwise engaged in telling you what I’m doing.)

The book is Sir Walter Scott’s LADY OF THE LAKE.

A few things caught my attention.

The book is Scott’s poem, as edited and interpreted by a guy named Black who dedicated it to a lady named Agnes, and includes illustrations from Newton. The book, according to the note in the cover, was a gift from Mr. Beach to Mr. Dunlap, was later (30 yrs) owned by a Meadows, and then a J.L, before becoming property of my studio.

And now I am using time (paid!) skimming merrily through the lines of Scott and the Versification notes of Black.

Makes me happy that this particular edition traveled through so many hands.

Beach, the giver of the book, has the first name of Adalbut. Dunlap was christened Elmer.

We still have Elmers, but I don’t know any Adalbuts. I’m guessing Adalbut got beat up in junior high more than Elmer.

Beach made it a gift on October 12 – my birthday.

In 1929 – a wee bit before my birth year.

The gift of literature would come, then, 12 days before the start of the great Wall Street crash.

“”T is merry, ‘t is merry, in Fairy-land,
When fairy birds are singing…”

“…And woe betide the fairy dream.
I only waked to sob and scream.”

Inside the cover is a studio stamp, and the handwritten request: “Return to Story Dept.”

Only the “S” looks more like a “G.”

I like to think I work for the Glory Department. In fact, I want new business cards.

Just my thoughts,

Sean