The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-02-14
The Flower of Dumblane.

The Flower OF Dumblaue.
The fair object Of this song was bonnie
lassie in Dumblane. Her family were of poor
extraction, and Jessie; herself was contented
with peasants lot. When Tannahill became
acquainted with her, she was in her sstcens,' a
slight, dimple-cheeked, happy lassie, her hair
yellow -colored and luxuriant,. her ewes large
and full, overhowing with the voluptuous Ian
guor which is so becoming in young blue eyes
with golden lashes. TannahiIAWas struck with
her beauty, and is in all thingahe was. .enthu-
siastical, became forthwith her ardent worship
per- But her heart was not to be Won.. Young,
thoughtless, and painting to know and see the
world, she left her poor amourante 'sto con
songs to his mistress eyebrows while she
recklesslv ranlbled among the fowery meads
Of Dumblane, or of an evening sang his inspired
verses to him with the most mortifying nom
chalence. This was a two fold misery to the
sensitive poet. A creature SO sweetly elegant,
SO dear to him, SO very lovely and innocent, and
parently neither to beiconscious of the beauty
Of the verses trembling on her dulcet tongue,
nor caring for the caresses Of her lover. Twas
too much, to mark all this, and feel it with the
feeling of a poet was the acme of misery But
the s.fower of Dumblane'' was not that !un-
feeling, unimagnative Being which Tannahill
pictured her. She was creature all feeling,
all imagination, although the bard had not that
in his person or manners to engage her attention
or to arrest her fancy The young affections
are not to be controlled. Love-all- ll-mighty
love-must be free, else it ceases to be love.
Tannahill was plain in his person and uncouth
in his manners, and felt and expressed discon-
tent at the cruel disappointment which it had
been his unhappy fate almost Invariably to en-
counter. Jessie, on the contrary, looked upon
the world as a brilliant spectacle yet to be seen
and enJoyed-as vast paradise full of the
beauty of heaven and of earth, where men
walked forth in the image of their creator, in
vested with his attributes, and woman trod
proudly amidst the lovely creation, an angel
venerated and adored To express dissatisfac-
ton under all these circumstances was, to her
mind, the extravaganza of misanthrope, the
madness Of real lover of misery, and a suffi-
cient cause for her to disrespect him. Both
viewed the world through false medium, and
their deductions, although at variance, gave
color to their minds and accelerated their fate.
Jessie could not comprehend what appeared to
her the folly of her suitor. She relished not
his sickly sentiment, and, as all womankind
ever did and do, she scorned cooing lover.
The bard was. driven to despair, and, summon
ing up an unwonted energy Of mind, departed,
and left his adored to her youthful alterations.
Soon after this period the song of 'Jessle the
flower Of Dumblane, together with the music,
was published, it became a public fayorite, it
was sung everywhere, in theatres and at par
ties, world of praise was shoWered upon it
from woman's hattering lips, and men became
mad to know the adored subject Of the lay.
In short period it was discovered Jessie
Monteith, the pretty peasantof Dumblane, was
the favored one. From all quarters young men
and bachelors hocked to see her, and her own
sex were curious and critical Many promis-
ing youths paid their addresses to her, and ex-
perienced the same reception as her first lover
Nevertheless, at last poor Jessie became really
enamored. rakish spark, from Midlothlans
adorned with education, being of polished
manners, and confident from wealth and SUI
periority of rank, gained her young affections
She too credulously trusted in his unhallowed
profession. The ardor of first love overcame
her better judgment, and abandoning herself
to her loye-passion, she made an imprudent es-
cape from the protection of her parents, and
soon found herself in elegant apartments neal
the city of Edinburg. The song of neglected
Tannahli was to his ] Jessie both glory and a
curse, while it brought her into notice and en-
HANGED her beauty, it hid the foundation d
her. final destruction Popularity is danger
Gus. elevation, whether the object of it be a
peasant OF a prince, temptations crowd around
it, and snares are laid on every hand. "Who
would Be eminent said distinguished child
of popularity, eff they knew the peril, the mad.
mess, and distractions of mind to which the crea-
ture Of the popular breath is e1posed?" When
the poet heard of the fate of his beloved Jessie
lis heart almost burst with mental agony, and
working himself into the enthusiastic frenzy O
inspiration, poured forth torrent of song more
glowing and energetic than ever before dropt
in burning accents from his tongue. ltisto be
lamented, thatin a fit of disgust, he afterwards
destroyed those poetic records OF his passion
and his resentment. Ere three years had re-
volyed their triple circuit after Jessie left he1
fathers home, she was a changed woman. Hel
paramour had forsaken her. She was destitute
in her splendid habitation. Her blue eyes
looked pitiful on all things around her. The
oval cheeks were indented by the hand Of mise
~, and the face and person presented the pic
t1re Of an unhappy, but amiable being. How
changed was the figure clothed in silk which
moved on the banks Of the Forth, from the
happy, lively girl in Dumblane, dressed IN .t the
rustic garb Of peasant! But this is subject
too painful to dwell on, let US hasten to the
catastrophe. Itwas on an afternoon IN July,
beautiful, sunny afternoon, the ar was calm al
and pure The twin islands of the Forth, like
vast emeralds set in a lake of silver, rose
sp1endidly Ger the shining water, which now
and then gurgled and mantled round Their
bases. Fifeshire was spread forth like map,
her hundreds Of inland villages and cots tran
gully sleeping in the. sunshine; The din OF
the artisans hammers in Kirkaldy and Queens
ferry snote the still air, and Dumfermlne1s
aproned inhabitants scattered forth their whit
ened webs beneath the noontide sun. On the
opposite shore, Leith disgorged her black
smoke, which rolled slowly in volumes to the
sea. Edinbu1g castle, Ikea mighty spirit from
the 1svasty deep reared her grey bulwarks
high in air, and Arthurs seat rose hugely and
darkly in the back ground, The chorusses Of
the fishermen. like HYMNS to the great spirit of