The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-02-05
THE sONa Written OF sCOTLANIa
Anniversary Of ,hs Ritth OF Robes
Burns, tHe Eoet OF scotland A
sketch OF Burns and ofbis Time,


ROBERT Burns, the acknowledged ma
tional poet of Scotland, was born January
25th, 1869, and died July 81, 1896. His
birth place was a clay-built cottage, some
two miles south of the town of Ayr, in the
vicinity Of the Kirk of Alloway. His pa
rents we're peasants of the poorest class,
but respectable. Robert was brought mp
at the pillow, but like so many self made
men ho found time TO supply himself with
the rud!nents Of education, and became q
master Of English. His first attempt in
verse was in his 10th year. He tells us
that "a bonnie, sweet, sonsie lassie who
was coupled with with him in the labors Of
the hay harvest, - Mt Lochlea, where his pa
ems had removed, awoke his early in.
fpirption, and thus he began his early
career in poetry and love. Until his 10th
year Robert was employed by his father rs
n regular dry lnborer at e. or S2S per
annum At 10 he went to the school Of
Kirkoswald TO learn mensumtion and sur
veying. As the district was the abode of
bold smuggleTs the young scholar became
familiar with o bold and reckless class of
people, engaged in O contraband trade, and
from them he received many lessons which
enlarged his views of human nature, even
II they did not improve his manners At
this time Le wrote and printed the 'Dirge
Of Winter, 10 Death of Poor Mail
lie,' "lIaillie's Elegy" and John
Barleycorn," in which he discovered that
deep foundation Of pathos and humor
which afterwards rendered him famous. -
In 1881 he removed to Irvine to learn the
trade Of flax dresser, but his progress was
not marked by any great degree of studi-
ousnoss. At Irvine the incident in his life
occurred which compelled him TO do pen
ance in church before tho congregation -
On this occasion Robert wrote The Poets
Welcome, and The mnting dog, the dad
dy OF, which showed that he did not take
TO heart the affair.
In 1888 Burns iather died. Before this
event he and his brother had taken
a farm at Mossglel, in order. that
the old folks might have a home,
but a life of the severest labor and most
studious economy barely served TO keep
their heads above water, but in the midst
Of all these troubles the young poet did not
drop thep pen, and "Holy Willie's Prayer"
the Coordination" the "Holy Fair" and
other works were produced. They were
chiefly leveled at the churchmen and won
for the young author quite Il local reputa-
ton. He showed that he was capable of
better things than these, for while at Moss
giel he wrote the verses to n "Mouse," TO
the Mountain Daisy" and MAN was
made to mourn aud the sweetest of pas-
tOrals, ''Ihe Cotter's Saturday night, be-
sides innumerable love songs, some of
which are the finest in the language and
some of which Burns tells us, related to
no imaginary horoines.
In 1876 Burns, finding farming unproft-
able, issued IN edition of six hundred cop
'es Of his poems, from which LIE realized
coo. which enabled him to procure Il pas
sage in n ship about to sail nom the CLYDE
for Jamaica. He was then "skulking from
covert to covert, " he says, 'to hide from
the merciless pack of the law, vhich the
relatives Of the neither of his children had
set upon his heels. He had written THE
Gloomy Night il Gathering Fast" as q sort
of farewell 10 Scotland. when a letter from
DR.. Blackjack tot friend of his arrested the
execution Of his purpoEe, This letter rec
commended a visit TO Edinburgh by Burns,
with Il view 10 receive the applause
which his poems had excited, and TO ar
range for tho issue of n new edition of
them. Burns vent 10 Edinburgh, and for
some twelve months WAS admired, caress-
ed, teted and fattered by persons Of
all ranks, and particularly by those of emf
nence and influence. He returned home
with nearly e500, the result OF his new
publication. Over half OF this he gave TO
his brother and the other half he used in
stocking a new farm at Ellisland in Dunn
friesshire. There, in 1888 he married
Jane Armour. He became on officer
Of excise in his district, and be-
tween his farm, his Office, and
an occasional poem, he managed to exc
out Il poverty stricken and miserable ex.
istence. His salary as an officer was ESQ a
year, afterwards increased TO go. but the
duties Of the office, united with his con-
viviAl habits, made him neglect his farm,
so that he realized very little from that,
and he WAS finally compelled 10 surrender
it to the landlord. A hand 10 hand con.
hict with poverty and care was
thenceforward his fate. In 1871 he
retired to a small house in Dunn.
fries where he supported himself by
his official stipend and random contribu,
tons to various works. His habits weTt
such, that with i'll health and disappoint
ment in not receiving promotion, his con,
atitution WAS q undermined and he dice
in tho 9th year of his age. During hil
last illness his good humor never deserted
him even in the darkest hours, and hii
humble home was like u place besieged. L
was visited not only by the poor, by me
chanics and peasants, but by the learned
and the rich 1t Ia Baid that whenever tw,
or three persons met in the streets
} their talk was OF Burns ant
, Of him alone, They spoke of his his
. tory, of his works, of his fame. of his per
son, and of his approaching fate; but all thi
sympathy came too late. His funeral wa
. q public one, attended by vast multitud
. from all parts Of the country. At the tim
there was much talk Of raising q monu
ment to his memory, but the work wa
= not accomplished until 1919. Burns lei
four sons, two OF whom entered tho Eas
India Company's service,
o The poetry Of Burns will live forever
!; because it sprung directly out of the hu
man heart, and appeals M directly to til
. deepest and noblest emotions. His poetr
is profoundly iraught with passion, in
stinct with melody, true to nature, artles
, in its grace. Every bosom capable of fee
= ing must be touched either by its pathoi
o it's beauty, or its mirth. His Tam O'Shar
! ter" displays q narrative ability Of the fir
order, while his Jolly Beggars'' is file
with dramatic power, His peculiar strengt
was in the lyrical, and his songs will be III
delight OF the human heart 6
long as the life-blood PUSHES throug
7 Our American poet Halleck, thus speal
of Burns:
'There have been loftier themes than his,
And longer scrolls and louder Tyres,
q And lays III up with poesy's
a Purer and holier nresi
: Yet read the names that know not death,
Y Few nobler ones than Burns are there,
And few have won a greener wreath,
o Than that which binds his hair,
As o man Burns WAS generous and ind
pendent. He scorned a bad or mean &C
At times wild and reckless, we are told the
was a deep under current OF religious fee
Q ing in his soul.