The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-04-25
aAoetrp
"a lPUBLIsnKD ny REouEsr.1
(From BIackwood's MagaZine)
TO BURNS, HIGHLAND MARY.

To BURNS, HIGHLAND MARY.
o LOVED by him whom Scotland loves,
Long loved, and hOnored duly,
By all who love the bard that sang
So sweetly and so truly
In cultured dales his song prevails,
= Thrills Ger the eagles aery-
Ahi who. that strain has canght, nor sighed
For Burns " Highland Mary 2"
I. i. His golden hours of youth were thine
800 Those hours whose flight is fieetest;
OF all his songs to thee he gave
- The freshest and the sweetest,
Ere ripe the fruit, one branch he brake,
All rich with bloom and blossom;
And shook its dews, its, incense shook,
= Around thy brow and bosom.
And when his Spring, alas, how soon B.!
Had heen by care subverted- t
3. His Summer, like god rePulsed,
Had from his gates departed;
- Beneath the evening star, once more,
Star of his morn and even
To thee his suppliant hands he spread,
ID And hailed his love :" in heaven"
In him there burned that passionate glow,
All Natures soul and SAVIOR,
.s Which gives its hue to every flower,
tiE Toevery fruit its flavor.
Nor less the kindred power he felt,
r. That love of all things human,
l-ll Whereof the fiery centre is
The love man bears to woman
He sang the dignity of man,
Sang woman's grace and goodness
Passed by the worlds half-truths, her lies
1s=iz Pierced through with lance-like shrewdness
Upon life's broad highways he stood,
And aped not Greek nor Roman;
. But snatched from heaven Promethean fire
To glorify things common.
He sang of youth, he sang of age,
Their joys, their griefs, their labors;
Felt with, not for, the people; hailed
r- All Scotland's sons his neighbors;
And therefore all repeat his verse
ba Hot youth, or graybeard steady,
The boatman on Loeb Elves wave,
The shepherd on Ben Lodi
He Gang from love of song his name
Dunedin's cliff resounded-
He left her, faithful to fame
On truth and nature founded
He sought true fame, not loud acclaim
Himself and Time he trusted;
. For laurels cracking in the flame
His fine ear never lusted.
He loved, and reason had to love,
The ilIustrious land that bore him;
Where'er he went, like heavens broad tent,
star-bright Past hung Ger him.
Each isle had fenced saint recluse,
rs Each tower hero dying;
Down every mountain gorge had rolled
The flood of foemen flying.
Honor to Scotland and to Burns
In him she stands collected
A thousand streams river made:
Thus genius, heaven directed,
Conjoins all separate veins of power
b ~. In one great soul creation
And blends million men TO make
The Poet of the nation.
Honor to Burns and her who first
Let loose the abounding river
OF music from the Poets heart,
'91sl Borne through all lands foreverI -
q How much to her mankind has owed
Z =, Of songs selected treasures
Unsweetened by her kiss, his lips
.,-...J Had sung far other measures.
Be green for aye, green bank and brae
-'i Around Motgomery's Castle
BLOW there, ye earliest fowersI and there
Ike sweetest song birds, nestle
- For there was ta'en that last farewell
In hope, indulged how blindly;
And there was given that long last gaze
z-~That dwelt' him e sac kindly"
z'IhE -ii-ia.9 ZtH
No word of thine recorded stands;
Few words that hour were spoken;
Two Bibles there were interchanged,
And some slight love-gifts broken;
,Aad there thy cold faint hands he pressed
.-s Thy head by dew-drops misted
/ And kisses, i'll resisted first,
Last rxaro rnraSisfad