The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-12-03

than month after he had been thrown oil l
by Jean Armour, that he took that tender
farewell of the simple Highland Lassic on
the banks of the Ayr, to know her themes
forth no more as a living woman, but as an
image of beauty, and tenderness, and truth,
resting in his bosom forever.
On bringing his theory before learned
sociciy in Edinburgh, the ingenuity and a
cutoness or his arguments were acknowl-
edged and many adhiitcd that he had
made it all but certain that l1s6 was the
true date. On that occasion member said |
that, if such should prove to be the case as
seemed likely, he did not see how i should |
greatly affect our feelings regarding either
Burns or the story of his attachment. The |
yaclating pulses Of the heart arc a great
mystery. Burns, We know well, had been
rendered half frantic in consequence Of his
reputation by Jean. At such 4 crisis his
soul would rush to Il compensation in the at
fections Of some more devoted fair one, cs-
pccially if, as was not unlikely, he had felt
favorabiy disposed toward that other person
before. 4 month or six weeks was a long
time in the Almanac Of the heart, II. least
Solway-tidcd heart like that of Burns. II
often happens that, under a disappointment
or rejection from one woman, man will
abruptly pay addresses to and marry anoth'
or. Some other persons spoke on the oeca-
sion. but generally expressed Themselves as
inclined to regard the point as still greatly
doubtful.
In new biography of Burns which Mr.
Robert Chambers is preparing upon plan
which will include his poems and lcuers,and
involve greater accuracy and greater detail
than any preceding one, it has been neces
sary of course TO treat this question, and, if
possiblc,to settle it. For this purpose the au-
thor made some personal investigations which
resulted in Linging such powerful docu-
mentary evidence in favor Of Mr.. Douglas,
theory, that he has thought himself entitled
to Introduce the affair of Mary as occur
ring in 17s6. The present paper may be
completed by an extract from the work.
Mary. We are to presume from the mar
. ration Of the poet had proceeded immeli
a,cly after their parting to Campbel'iown.
where her parents then resided. She had
spent the summer there; bu, whether she
had Iaken any steps in arranging matters
for union with Burns seems doubtful, as it
. is the report Of very intelligent member OF
= the family that her mother used TO speak As
. if She had never been consulted On tie sub
icc.. Another report in the family is, that
while Mary resided with her parents they
became alarmed at her receiving a letter
weekly from one whom they heard spoken
of as "A strange character and a great
- scoiIer at the women Mary met the nc-
count of her lovers character with y smile,
and thereafter was allowed to continue re.
cciving his letters.
"a sister Of Mary's mother vas the wife
/. OF Peter Macpherson, ship carpenter at
:, Greenock. 1t being determined thnt her
- younger brother Robert should be entered
:, with Macpherson rs an apprentice, her faith
cr came to Greenocl TO make the proper
=, arrangements, and Mary accompanied him
i For this step on Marys part we can well
sutmise further and private reasons Of her
own, since Burns has expressly said that she
crossed the sea (the Firth of Clyde) to meet
him. There was what is called a Jrolerig
- feast at Macpher,on's on Robert Campbell
" being admitted to the craft; and it is The
" distinct recollection of a daughter Of Mac
. phcrson that Mary gave her assistance in
d serving the company. Next morning, ac-
. cordng to The same persons Recollection,
u the 10y Robert was so indisposed rs to be
y unable 10 20 to work. Wien Macpherson
2 came home to breakfast, he asked what had
T. detained him from tho yard, and was
tod that the young men vas very poor
q" ly. Mary joculary observed that he
{ had probably taken a little too much after
c supper last night; and Macpherson, IN q
c similar spirit Of badinasc, said, Oh, then,
&c it is just as WE'LL in case Of the worst, that
IS have agreed to purchase that lair in the
N'Ns NV i'ii- w l''"NS VI 'NHu'Nh' Z
r. which he had just secured for his family "a
o very important matter in Greenock, as there
Is was then no restingplace for the remains OF
C those who did not possess such property, ex-
1t cept 'he corner assigned 10 strangers and
o paupers, or a grave obtained by favor from a
IS friend.
"The young mans Illness proved more
" serious than was at first supposed, and Ma
=, ry attended HIM with great tenderness and
assiduity. In few days Robert began TO
y recover, but at the same time Mary dropped
. and became seriously uuwel Her friends
II believed and said that she suffered from the
d cast Of an evil eye, and recommended her
d father to so to a cross burn-that is, place
+ where two burns h.eot-and select seven
e smooth stones from the channel, boil them
= with new milk for certain time and then
u give her the milk to drink. 1t must be re.
1t membered that those were Highland people,
u and that the Ilishlanders are TO this day full
= of superstitious notions. The drink was du-
" ly prepared, as had been recommended, aud
d given 10 Mary but her illness was soon de-
+ elared to be fever OF a malignant species
q then prevalent in the town, and in few
l. days the poor girl died She was buried in
T. the lar which her uncle had so recently