Litchfield enquirer., 1848-02-17
MlSGELILAMY.
Burns and his Highland Mary.

will be read with a melancholy pleas ure, by many of our subscribers; few poets have deeper hold of the heart of our New Englanders, than Robert Burns. whose errors are forgotten in the cons temptation of his genius and his works
 'We had in our posses son on Saturday, the identical pair ot Bibles presented Ay the immortal Burns to the dearest object of his affections, Highland Mary, on the banks ofthe winding Ayr. when he speSt with her 'one day of parting.' They ale in remarkably good preservation. and belong to descendant of the family 0f Mary's mother, Mrs. Campbell, whose property they became on the death of her daughter, and subsequently, Mrs. An derson, Mary's only surviving sister, acquired them. The circumstance of the Bible being in two volumes seemed at one time to threaten it's disemherment; Mrs. Anderson having presented vol> tune to each of her two daughters; but on their approaching marriage, their brother William prevailed on them to dispose of the sacred volumes to him. On the first blank lea fof the first VOL tune is written, in the hand writing of the immortal bard, And ye shall not swear by my name falesly Il ana the Lord. Lev. 18th chap. 18th verse ; and on the cor responding leaf of the second volume, 'Thcu shalt not forsware thyself but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oath. Matt. 9th chap. S3d verse; On the second blank leaf of each volume, ,here are the re- mains of Robert Burns, Mossigil.' in his hand writing, beneath which is drawn a Masonic emblem. At the end of the first volume there is a lock of Highland Ma rvs hair.
 There is a mournful interest attached to these sacred yolumes-sacred from their contents, and sacred from having been a pie dge of love from the most gift ed of Scotland's bards to the artless ob, feet of his affections, from whom he was separating, no more to meet on this side ofthe grave. The life of Burns was full of romance, but there is not one circum> stance in it all SO romantic and full of in> terest as those which attended and folN lowed the gift ofthese volumes. He was young when he woo ed and won the af- fections of Mary, whom he describes as a warm hearted, charming young crea :. turo as ever blessed man with gener. ous love- The attachment was mutual, and forms the subject of many ofbis ear> Hest lyrics, as we'll as of the productions of his later years, which show that it was very deep rooted Before he was known to fame, steeped in poverty to the very dregs, and meditating an escape to the West Indies from the remorseIess fangs of harS>hearted creditor, he ad :. dressed to his dear girl' the song which begins;
 "Willyou go to the Indies. my Mary,
 And leave auld Scotia's shore.
 Will you go to the Indies, my Mary,
 And cross the Atlantic's roar ?"
 But neither Burns nor his Mary were doomed to 'cross the Atlantic's roar TOT to realize those dreams of mutual bliss which passion or enthusiasm had engen. dered in their youthful imaginations.- Burns was called to Edinburgh, there to commence his career ot fame, which was to terminate in chill poverty, dreary dis appointment and despair-while Mary,: happier lot, after a transient gleam of the sunshine of life, was to be removed 10 6 better and happier world. Her deatf shed sadness over his whole future lift and spirit of subdued grief and tender ness was displayed whenever she was th' subject of his conversation or writings Witness as follows:
 , "Ye banks an braes an streams around The castle of Montgomerie,
 Green be your woods, and fair your fields
 Your waters never drumlie.
 ~ 1HeEe cIHIINeI HISt gVucS0 An there they largest tarry,
 ,l For there took my last farewell O. my sweet Hieland Mary"
 Ina note appended % this song, Burn } says, 'This was composition of mine i : my earlier life, before I was known [ all the world. My Highland lassie wa a warm hearted, charming young crea . ture as ever blessed a man with genel f ous love. After pretty long trial ofth
 most reciprocal affection, we met on th n second Sunday of May. in a sequestei n ed spot on the banks of the Ayr. wheI f we spent day insaking farewell bt k fore she would embark for the Wcst Highlands, !o arrange matters anon her friencs for our projected change
 life. At inc close of the autumn follow ing, she crossed the sea to meet ne
 Greenock where she was seized with n malignant fever, which hurried my DO