Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-01-26
Nj | S C e l. l. A N Y
FROM THE MONTREAL HERALD.
BURNS AND HTS TIrGTIL Mn
MARY.

We hdu in our possession on Saturday, the lden-
teal pair of Bibles presented by the immortal Burns
to the dearest object of his affections, HIGHLAND
Mary, ON the the banks of the winding AYR, when
he spent with her 'one day of parting love- They
are In remarkably good preservation and belong to
a descendant of the family of Mary's mother, Mrs.
Campbell, whose property they became on the
death OF her daughter, and subsequently Mrs An
derson, Mary only surviving sister, acquired them.
The circumstances of the Bible being in two vol
umes seemed at one time to threaten its dsmember
ment; Mrs. Anderson having presented volume
10 each OF her two daughters but their approach
Ing marriage, their brother William prevailed on
them to dispose Of the sacred volumes 10 him. On
the FIRST blank leaf of the first volume is written in
the hand writing of the immortal bard and We shall
not swear by my name falsely am the Lord
Levitt. 18th chap. 1 lth verse; and on the cores
pondng leaf of the second volume, Thou shalt not
forswear myself but shalt perform unto the Lord
thine oath. Matth 9Th CHI 33d verse; On the
second blank leaf of each volume there are the re-
mains of Robert Burns, Mossigiel,' in his hand
writing, beneath which is drawn Masonic en-
blem. At the end of the first volume there is a
lock of Highland Mary's hair.
There isa mournful interest attached to these
sacred voumes-sacred from their contents, and
sacred from having been pledge Of love from the
most gifted Of Scotand's bards to the artess object
OF his affections, from whom he was separating, no
more to meet on this side of the grave. The life
of Burns was full of romance, but there is not one
circumstance it all so romantic and full ofnterest
as those which attended and followed the oft of
these volumes. He was young when ne wooed
and won the affections of Mary, whom he describes
as warm hearted, charming young creature as
ever blessed man with generous love- The at
tachment was mutual, and forms the subject of MANY
of his earliest lyrics, well as of the productions of
his latter years, which shows that twas very deep
rooted. Before he was known to fame steeped in
m no ,r,Ir
to the West Indies from the remorseess fangs Of
hard hearted CREDITOR he addressed to his dear grip
the song which begins:
Will we go to the Indies, my Mary,
And leave auld Scotas shore
VIII We go to the Indies, my Mary,
And cross the Atantc's roar?
But neither Burns nor his Mary were doomed to
Gross the Atlantic's roar nor to realize those
dreams of mutual bliss which passion or enthusiasm
had engendered in their youthful imagnations.-
Burns was called to Edinburgh, there to commence
his career of fame, which to terminate in chill
poverty, dreary disappointment and despair-while
Mary's happier lot, after transient CLEAN of he
sunshine OF llfe was to be removed to better and
happier world. Her death shed a sadness over
his whole future life, and spirit of subdued grief
and tenderness was displayed whenever she was
the subject of his conversation or writings. Wit
ness as follows:
re DatlNS an DTacS an streams around
The castle o Montgomerie,
Green De your woods, and fair your flowers,
Your waters never drumile.
There simmer first unfolds her robes,
An there the Largest larry,
For there took my last farewell
o. my sweet Highland Mary!'
In note appended to this song Burns says,
"This was composition Of mine in my early life,
before Enn1ru nj all tn tho ,ynrlH NJ Hinh
land lassie was warm hearted, charming young
creature ever blessed man with generous love
After pretty long trail of the nest ardent reclpro-
cal affection, we met by appointment on the second
Sunday Of May in a sequesiered spot on the banks
OF the Ayr, where we spent day in taking fare
well before she would embark for the West High
lands, TO arrange matters among her friends for our
projected change Of life. At the close of the au-
tumn following, she crossed the sea to meet me at
Creenock where she was seized with 4 malignant
fever which hurried my dear girl to the grave in
few days, before could ever hear of her Illness"
1t was at this romantic and interesting meeting
on the banks Of the Ayr that the Bibles before us
were presented to Mary, and he must have a heart
OF stone indeed who can gaze on them without his
imagination calling up feelings in his bosom too big
for uterance. On that spot they exchanged Bibles
and plghed their faith TO each other, the stream
dividing them, and the sacred book grasped by both
over its purng waters This was the only token
of affection each had TO give the other, and the
wealth Of the Indies could not have procured bet
ter or more appropriate one.
In Lockharts life of Burns, we are informed that
several years after the death of Mary, on the ami
yersary Of the day which brought him the melan-
choly intelligence, he appeared, as the twilight ad-
vanced, Gin the language Of his widow ) very sad
about something and though the evening was a
cold and keen one 10 September, he wandered into
his barnyard from which the entreaties Of his wife
eoold rot, for some time, recall him. To thess en-