The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-11-04
WASHINGTON, ID. G.
For the National Era.
COPYRIGHT SECURED ACCORDING TO LAW
ovvvNWOOD LEAVES FROM OVER THE SEA.

GREENWOOD LEAVES FhOm UNEh LIE oh1n'
No. II.
EDINBURGH, October l, 1852.
DEAR NJ: | left Belfast on the evening
Of the 23d Of September, with my friends, Mr..
and Miss N. for short tour in Scotland
We Landed at Ardrossan a port OF no partlcu-
lar note. and from thence took the railway to
AYR. This last is fine, flourishng town, but
aside from the tara briggs containing no OBJ
ieets of peculiar interest as associated with
Burns. Here We took a dtoskey, and drove
over to the old parish of Alloway. | cannot
tell YOU how sadly missed you from my side,
nv dear NJ, when approaching, with the
true spirit Of pilgrim, the birthplace OF that
noble poet of Love and Nature, whose sweetest
songs had learned from your lips, almost with
nv cradlchymns. AS gazed around on the
scenes once dear and familiar to his eyes, my
heart If not all a-gow with its earliest poetic en-
tbusiasln, acknowledged deep sympathy for,
and aid honor to- him who while his soul was
Lifted into the divine air of poesy, withdrew not
his heart from his fellows-whO shared humbly
in their humble fortunes, and felt intensely
their simple joys and bitter sorrows-who, with
all his faults, was honest and manly, with all
his wants and poverty, proud and free, and
nobly ndependcnt-wbO, amid all his follies
and errors, acknowledged God and reverenced
purity
The cottage in which Burns was born, and
which his father built, was originally what is
here called clay Digging" consisting only
of two small apartments on the ground floor
kitchen and sitting-room The kitchen has
recess for a bed, and here the poet first Open
ed his bewildered baby eyes on most ungc-
NAL world This room, it is supposed, was the
scene of "The Cotter's Saturday Night"
was somewhat disappointed to find this cot
tage standing on the road, and that it had
been built on to, and whitewashed out of all
character and venerablcness 1t is now occu-
pied as an house, which beseemeth it little
as the scene Of the beautiful religious poem
above named few rods from the door stands
the "auld haunted kirk, - through one of whose
windows luckless fam O'Shantcr took his
daring observation OF Old Nick and the witches,
las they appeared when enjoying themselves"
This is picturesque, roofiess, rafterless edifice
in good state of preservation. In the pleas
ant old church yard rests the father of the
poet, beneath the tombstone erected and in
scribed by one whose days should have been
long in the land according to the promise,
for Burns truly honored his father and his
mother.
From the kirk we went to the monument,
which stands on the summit of the eastern
bank of the Doom, and near to the 'auld brig
on the "key stone" of which poor Tam o.
Shanter was delivered from his weird pursuers,
and his gray mare "Meggie" met with loss
igreearabie This monument, Of which the
prints give you very good idea, is Of graceful
proportions and graceful style of architecture
The grounds about it, though small in extent,
are admirably kept, shaded with fine shrub
berry and made more beautiful by hosts of rare
and lovely flowers There seemed to me some
thing peculiarly and touchingly fitting in thus
surrounding an edifce, sacred to the genius of
Burns, with the leafy haunts of the birds he
loved, in whose songs alone would his tuneful
memory live and with the sweetness and
brightness of flowers, from whose glowing
hearts he would have drawn deep meanings of
love and pure breathings of passion, or on
whose frail, fragrant leaves he would have read
holy sabbath truths lessons of modesty and
meekness, and teachings of the wondrous wis
dom of Him who planted the daisy on the lone
ly hillside, and the poet in a weary world
the one to. delight the eyes the other to charm
and cheer the souls, of his creatures.
Within the monument we saw that most
touching relic Of Burns the Bible which he
gave to " Highland Mary at their solemn be-
tothal 1t Is in two volumes. On the fy-leaf
OF the first, in the handwriting of the poet, is
the text And We shall not swear by my name
falsely am the Lord" In the second "Thou
shalt not fOrswear thyself, but shalt perform
unto the Lord thine oaths" In both volumes
is the name of Burns with his Mason's mark,
and in one is lock Of Mary's own beautiful
golden halr-a soft, glossy curl, which in that
last tender parting may have been smoothed
down by the caressng hand may have waved
IN the breath, or lain against the breast of
the poet-lover
The view from the summit of the monument
Is exceeding beautiful and interesting, embra-
eng as 1t does many of the scenes of the life
ana song OF Burns. The scenery Of Ayr is not
s t surely, nor strikingly picturesque; but
sn.s view Is Lowell y quiet, and pleasant beyond
uescriP"onI'ruiy smiling landscape. Per-
hals soinethng was owing to the rich sunshine
anu SOU air Oh the day, and more to the won
drous charm of association but meyer rer,en.
yer 10 nave ieit a more exquisite sense of
beauty, a delight more deep and delicious
'hougn SHADOW ed with sad and regretful men,
ores IMAM while sitting or stroling on the
iC'eiy banks OF the Doom half cheated by ex-
ctel iancy with the hope that might see the
iuS''c poet leaning over the picturesque auld
Org following with his great, dark, dreamy
eyes the wndlngs of the stream below, or,
WIN glowing face appraised, reveling in the
'le"r deep blue, and fair floating clouds above
or perchance, walking slowly on the shore,
coming down from the pleasant Braes o Bal
'ochmye," musng with folded arms and
urooplng head on the bonnie lass who had
ulere unconscously strayed across the path Of
a poet, and CHANGED upon Immortality. The
doom seemed to roll by with the melodious flow
oi his song-now with the impetuous sweep of
passion now with the fine sparkle Of pleasant
WIZ now under the solemn shadows of sorrow (;
no" out INTO the clear sunlight Of exultant JOY
now with the soft gurgle and silver tricklng
ioVes light measures; now with the low,
ueep murmur Of devotion AS fingered there,
Countless snatches of the poets songs and
.ahza alter stanza Of long-forgotten poems,
slfahg to my lips; rare thoughts the sweet
resh flowers of his genius seemed suddenly to
v'osson out from all the hidden hooks and still
snnaed places of memory, and the fair children
=. ms fancy, who had sung themselves to sleep
my heart long ago, stirred, awoke, and
'"'ned INTO my face again.
happily for me, my companions fully under
r,J ' anu sympathIzed with my mood-so,
. "'ue was said, that much might be felt. One
he banks and braes o. bonnie Doom
S'u whether 1t was that his voice, in its deep,
T ~s"euc tones was peculiarly suited to the
; ,..ir words and air, or that the scene
s,na; mingled its melodous memory with the
Lsng l know not; but never before had
oeeh 30 affected by the song.
tho u our way back to Ayr, We called to see
no., S'er and nleces Of Burns-Mrs. Beggs and
mo, aaughters-whow We had been assured were
Wa. nhdiy accessible to visitors. This visit
iyna a"ogether the most interesting and graft
I"S event OF the day Mru Reeas Lives in a