Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1861-11-15
Nisttliancous.
Burns and his Highland Mary.

We extract the following Interesting anti
Gle from the Montreal Herald. 1t will be
read with a melancholy pleasure by many Of
our subscribers few poets have deeper
hold on the heart of the New Englandcrs,
than Robert Burns, whose errors are forgot
ten in the contemplation of his geniu, and
his works. Essex Register.
We had in our possession on Satur-
day, the identical pair of Bibles present
cd by the immortal Burns to the dearest
object of his affections Highland Mary,
on the banks of the winding Ayr, when
he spent with her one day Of parting
love" They are in remarkably good
preservation, and belong to the descend
ant of the family OF Marys mother,
Mrs. Campbell, to whose property they
became heirs on the death of her daugh-
ter, and subsequently Mrs. Anderson,
Mary's only surviving sister, aequir-
ed them. The circumstance of the Bi-
bic being in two volumes seemed at one
time to threaten its dismemhcrmcnt Mrs.
Anderson having presented a volume to
each of her two daughters but on their
approaching marriage, their brother Will
liam prevailed on them to dispose of the
sacred volumes to him. On the first
blank Leaf OF the first volume is written,
iii the handwriting OF the immortal
bard, =" And yc shall not swear by my
name ialscly-l am the Lord. Levitt.
10Th chap. l2th verse; and on the corr
responding leaf Of the second volume,
Thou shalt not farswear thyseit, but
shalt perform unto the Lord thine oath.
.Matth. 9th ch. III verse. On the SEQ.
ond blank leaf of each volume there arc
the remains of " Robert Burns, Mossi.
giel, in his handwriting, beneath which
is drawn Masonic emblem. At the end
of the first volume there is lock OF
Highland Mary's hair,
There is a mournlul interes. attached
to these sacred volumes-sacrea from
their contents, aud sacred from having
been pledge of love from the most
gifted of Stotlan1s bards to the artics4
object of his affections, from whom he
was separating, 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 50 romantic and
full of interest as those which attended
and followed the gift o: these volumes
lie was young when he woocd aud won
the affections Of Mary whom he de-
scribcs as "a warm hearted, charming
creature as cr blessed man with zen.
crous love The attachment was mutual
and forms the subject Of many ei' hi-
earliest lyrcs, a. we'll a, oil the produc-
tions of his later years, which show that
it was very deep fao'cl. Be:ora h. Wa
known to fame, stepped in poverty - the
very dregs, and mcdi;atjug an escape to
the West Indies from the rem7r~c,css
fanes Of Il hard-heartcd creditor, he al,
dressed to his dear girl tue song which
begins
"Syill We 90 70 the lndc., my Mary.
And leave auld Sco'ia's shore,
Will yc - To the II hes my Mary.
Aud cross the Atiantlc's roar:
Bat neither Burns nor h, Mafy were
doomed to "cross the Atlautit's roar,
nor to rcalz, those dreams Of mutual
bliss which passion or enthusiasm had cu.
gendercd in their youthful imaeia5tious.
Batrs was called 10 Edinburgh, thFrc ta
commence his career Of fame, which wls
toterminate in chill poverty, drcary Dis
appointment and despair-while Mary :
happier lot, after transient CLEAN Of
the sunshine Of life, was to be removed to
better and a happier world. Her
drath Shed sadness over his whole fu-
tue life, and a spirit Of ,uhluei g,iei
and tenderness was displayed whenever
she was the subject of his conversation or
writings. Witness as follows:
"Yc banks an lracs an streams around
The castle o. Montgomery.
1 Green be your wood, and iair your flowers,
Nour waters ever dr., m'ir.
; There simmer first unfolds her robes.
S. An there they largcst tarty.
1 For there took my last farewell
o. my sweet II. shland Mary 80
sssaii note appended to this song, Burn,
u this was u composition OF mine
s ny early life, before | was known at
IL 20 the world. Ny Highland las,ie
y IS a warm hearted young creature rs
n r. blessed man with generous love.
r. ,ler a pretty long trial of the most ar
bf.t reciprocal affection, NE met By ap-
fsfltment on the second Sunday Of May
A sequestcrcl spot on the banks OF the
As where We spent day in taking a
~ Is s,hlGa.sxould embark for the
= ~e9ssa ,se y b arrange matters a
{, crop, - -. fss our projected change
IA i a nj, fSlcse Of the autumn lol-
- hsf sy@N ed the sea to meet me at
\. ~ sf. IRE she was seized with a
,sf.', yE which hurriol my dear
=. re in few day, before |
J saEa of her illog.,.'
Vfsainous romantic ami interesting
"a, se@ g'ri.cs, tApks Of the Ayr that the
'..3saoe s,ss,e sss1s ere presented to Mary,
"a : .se NJ : a heart Of stone indeed
.si.iriI,6.l gaea bn them without his inn
agination calling up feelings in his bosom
400 big tor utteranee. On that spot they
exchanged Bibles aud plightel their faith
10 each ,her, the stream dividing them,
and the sacred book gra>ped by both over
Its puring waters. Thi- was the only to-
ken of affection each had to give the
other. aud the wealth of the Indies could
not have procured better or more ap-
propriatc one.
In Loekhart's lja o' Buras We are III