The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1860-02-03
VOL. 1.

For the benefit Of those present, If any
there be, who may not be acquainted witt
the history of the poet, | propose, first, tc
give very brief biographical! outline, ano
secondly, to make few illusions TO some
OF the strong points of the poets charsc
ter, which have gwen hln such a strong
Iold upon the hearts Of the people
Robert Burns, Scotiands most loved
and honored poet, was born on the bank:
OF The Doom, near Alloway's "auld haunted
Kirk, in the shire of Ayr, on tho 25th
day OF January, 1859. Mature" says
ole, gave notice OF The event by terrific
storm which swept over the laud, blowing
in the gable end OF the fraii dwelling, and
the babe bard was hurried through lem
pest Of wind and sleet, to The shelter 0. d
securer Eoyel." That storm never spent
Itself, but blew after him ali the days oi
his life. iils father, William Burns, was
= poor, honest, uprght, austere, hard
working, religious man, who allowed no
idle galety. His mothers maiden name
was Agnes Brown, woman of mfldest
mood. She was blessed gKh great tortl-
tude OF temper; was as dsvout OF heart as
she was calm Of mind; and she loved,
while busted IN her household concerns TO
sweeten the bitter moments OF life, by
chanting the songs and ballads of her
country, of which. her store was great
At the time of the poets birth, hIs father
gained their living rs nurseryman and
gardener, on susli piece OF leased land
This prospered wei with hiIp, and he was
induced to extend lis plans, and lease a
farm OF hundred acres IN the neighbor-
hood. Here lie failed of success be sank
his all, and had TO leave the parish Of Tar
bolton. Here it is, we first get our bard
at school, under the instruction OF a Mr..
Murdoch, who was an enthusiast in his
way. lie found the poet apt to learn and
easily impressed. Or this period Burns
says OF himself that he was perfectly en-
thuslastic in al that concerned the glory
Of Scotland" lie used to fancy blmoelf a
soldier in the days of the Wallace and the
Bruce-loved 10 strut after the bagplpe
and the drum, and read Of the bloody strug
ges of his country for freedom and exls-
tence, ''till Scotch pre- juIIce," he SAYS,
''was poured into my veins, which will
boil there till the food gates of life are
smut in eternal rest" HIS intense nation
al feeling had potent influence on his
short life. lie was intimately acquainted
with the histories of the Wallace and The
Bruce, and loved to ponder on them. 1t
was this same strong national feeling
which led TO Banuockburn, and gave to
Scotland the best war song in any Ian
guage.
His reading was not extensive, compris-
ing one or two poets and couple of old
authors, which do not appear to have aid
ell him much in his line of poesy. He
SAYS that he WAS more Indebted TO an old
woman who resided in the family, named
Jenny Wilson, than anybody else, who was
remarkable for her credulIty and supersti
ton. "She had he SAYS the largest
collection in the county, of tales aud songs,
concerning devils, ghosts, fairies, brownies,
witches, warlocks, spindle keI psies, elfcan
dies, dead-ights, waiths, apparitions, can
traps, giants, enchanted towers. dragons,
and other trumpery." This is wi here he
studied the classic lore of auld Scotland -
1t was not at tie ieet OF Dryden, Stak
speare, q Milton. an Addison, or Pope,
but at the feet Of Jenny wilson, that he
obtained the warp of many a piece OF
matchle.s poesv. We have already men
toned that his mother bad large store OF
songs and ballads. which shs sang sweeily
and he SAYS that he had bind grandfath-
er who could find nothing better to do than
sit and cry with very pleasure while his
mother sang for him the songs and ballads
of his country. This, my friends, Wa, no
bad school for poet.
He found other teachers; of what nature
we will let him tell himself. You know,
custom of coupling a man and woman to-
gether as partners in the iabors of harvest.
In my fifteenth autumn, my partner was a
bewltching creature; year younger than
myself. she was. in truth. bonnie, sweet,
sousie lass, and unwittingly to herself, inl-
tated me in that delicious passion, which.
in spite of acid disappon tment, gn-horse
prldence, and book worm philosophy, |
hold to be the first of human JOYS. How
she caught the contagion, | cannot tell /; |
never expressly Y said | loved her-indeed
| did not know myself, why liked so much
to oiter behind with her, when returning
in the evening from our labors-why the
tones of her voice made my heart strings
thrill like an 1Eolian harp, and particular
", when nv pulse beat such a furious rat
an, when | looked aud fingered over heE
little hand, to pick out the cruel nettle
stings and thistIes" He further saws o.
her, 4" among other love-inspiring qualities
she sang sweetly, and it was her favorite
reel, to which first attempted to give an
embodied vehicle in rhyme. Thus, with
me, began love aud verse
Matters still went hard with the poet
father; and for .he rest Of his life, which
was something like six years duration, it
was a continuous struggle for himself and
bis family, and he was finally, only relieved
from the bars of Jail by the interposition
of merciful Providence, which took him
out Of the world by consumption. The
Strengthened circumstances OF the family
weighed heavily on Roberts mind, and
caused his noble soul to groau with many
tear in fact, SO deeply was his mind IN.
pressed with the mental sufferins of those
asys, consequent upon the poverty of hi'