The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1859-07-13
From the Montreal Herald.
Sacred PLEDGE 0f Love.

lhe winding ayr, when he spent with her
zone day of parting love-" They are in
remarkable good preservation, and belong
10 descendant of the family of Mary's
mother, Mrs. Campbell. whose property
they became on the death of her daughter,
and subs equenty Mrs. Anderson, Mary's
only surviving sister acquired them. The
circumstance of the Bible being in two vol.
umes, seemed at one time TO threaten its
dismemberment, Mrs. Anderson having pre-.
sented volume TO each of her two daugh-
tiers; but on their approaching marriage,
iheiI, brother William aSe9ilad on ihsn TO
dispose of the sacred vUsuAes 10 him. On
the first blank leaf of the first volume is
written, in the hand writing of the immortal
bard, sAnd ye shall not swear by my name
falsely-I am the Lord-Levit. 10Th chap,
18th verse;" and on the corresponding leaf
OF the second volume, Thou shalt not for
swear thyself, but shalt perform unto the
Lord thine oaih-Ma!h, 5lh chapt., SD
verse;" On the second blank leaf of each
volume, there are the remains of Robert
Burns, Mossgiel," in his hand writing, be.
meath which is drawn masonic emblem.
AT the end of the first volume there is
lock of Highland Mary's hair.
There is mournful interest attached TO
these sacred volumes-sacred from their
contents, and sacred from having been a
pledge of love from the most gifted of Scot.
lands bards 10 the artess object of his af-
fections, from whom hs-sYas separated, no
more 10 meet on this side OF the grave. The
life of Burns was full of romance, but there
is not one circumstance in it all, SO roman
tic and full of interest, as those which at
tended and followed the gift of these vol
umes. He was young when he wooed and
won the affections of Mary, whom he de.
scribes as "a warm hearted, charming young
creature as ever blessed a man with gener-
Gus love-" The attachment was mutual,
and froms the subject OF many of his earlier
lyrics, as we'll as the productions of his lat
er years, which shows that it was very deep
rooted. Before he was known 10 fame,
stepped in poverty 10 the very dregs, and
meditating an escape TO the West Indies,
from the remorseless fangs OF hard heart.
ed creditor, he addressed 10 his dear girl"
the song which begins:
"Will ye go In ihe- lniiiss. r,y Many
And leave auld Scorias shore.
Will you go to the Indies, my Mary,
And cross the Atlantic's roar?D
But neither Burns nor his Mary were
doomed to ''coss the Atlantic's roar" nor
to realize those dreams of mutual bliss
which passion or enthusiasm had engen-
dered in their youthful imaginations, Burns
was called TO Edinburg, there TO commence
his career of fame, which was 10 terminate
in chill poverty, dreary disappointment, and
dark despair-while Mary's happier lot, af-
ter transient gleam of the sunshine of life,
was 10 be removed to bettiy and hap.
pier world. Her death shed a sadness over
his whole future life, and a snSi, of subdued
grief and tenderness was Displayed when
ever she was the subject of haconversation
or writing. Witness as follo|:
aye banks an braes an streams around
The castle o. Monteonresft,
Green be your woods and fair your flowers,
Your waters never drumlie:
There simmer first unfolds her robes,
AM there the Largest larry,
For there took the last farewell
o. my sweet Hieland Mary"
In note appended 10 this song, Burns
says: "This was composition of mine in
my early life, before was known at all to
the world. My Highland lassie was warm.
hearted charming young creature as ever
blessed man with generous love. After
pretty long trail of the most ardent recipro-
cal affections, we met by appointment on
the second Sunday of May, in a sequestered
spot on the banks of the Ayr, where we
spent day in taking a farewell before she
would embark for the West Highlands, 10
arrange matters among her friends for our
projected change of life. At the close of
the autumn following, she crossed the sea
10 meet me at Greenock;- where she was
seized with malignant fever, which hur-
red my dear girl TO her grave in few days
before | could even hear of her Illness"
1t was at this romantic and interesting
meeting on the banks of the Ayr, that the
Bibles before us, were presented 10 Mary
and he must have heart of stone indeed
who can gaze on them without his imagin.
alton calling up feelings in his bosoms too
big for ulterance. On that spot they ex-
changed Bibles, aid plighted their faith 10
each other, the stream divided them, and
the sacred book grasped by both, over its
purling waters. This was the only token of
affection each had 10 give the other, and the
wealth of the Indies could not have procured
better or more appropriate one.
In Lochart's Life of Burns, we are inform.
ed that several years after the death of Ma
ry, on the anniversary of the day which
brought 10 him the melancholy intelligence,
he appeared as The twilig |dvanced, lin
the language of his widow Pry sad about
something J" and though Dsening was
a cold and keen one, in Ntember, he
wandered into his barn ya1 rom which
the entreates of his wife couS lot, for some
time, recall him. To these entreaties, he
always promised obedieaQ, but these
promises were but the lip-kmdnesses of af.