Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-04-28
REV. GEO. B. MCDONALD OF
LONDON.

DEAR MONITOR When one has en-
loved rich treat he likes to tell his
friends about it. That is my impulse
after meeting and hearing the distin-
guished preacher and novelist named
above. Those who have read "Annals
of Quiet Neighborhood," Seaside
Parish" "Alec Forbes "Robert Fall
koner," "Wilfred Cumbermede' or 9th
ers of his thoughtful and charming
books, will need no introduction to the
author as to stranger. But however
high may be their appreciation of his
talents from reading his suggestive,
quickening books, 1 am sure that a So
cial visit with the genial writer, and the
pleasure of hearing his lecture upon
"Robert Burns, would give
delightful personal flavor to their feel
ing toward him. Mr.. Mcdonald is a
.stout, good-looking Scotchman, of forty
nine years of age. He has that dispro-
portionate length of leg and of arm
which characterizes so many a brawny
Scot. He has a good forehead rounding
up to meet warey, dark brown hair
which is parted In the middle and hangs
low upon the neck and shoulders. He
wears very long black beard and nous
tache. His eye is dark and large, and
with that flashing brilliancy which is so
hard to describe in words. His manner
is animated and nervous, even seeming
occasionally abrupt and violent when ex-
cited in public speech. He is accompanied
to this country by his wife, and By his eld-
est son who is the fourth of his ele0e'e
children. Few women retain at forty
seven the sprightliness, vivacity, and
youthful grace of this matron of such a
patriarchal family. The photograph
which she showed me of their beautiful
family group was one which any mother
might well feel proud.
Mr.. Mcdonald, wife, and son spent 9
day in our village as guests of banker
Hicok. BY invitation, "the Dominic
and wife" spent the afternoon with then
there, and enjoyed it as one of the brfgh
days of the season if it was a storm,
one. His evening lecture before tn,
Homer Literary Association was one o
the best of the winters course, and tina
is giving it high praise. He first tolc
us what he considered the endowment
and qualifications of true poet. The
he sketched the literary character Of tn
times of Burns, and by vivid contras
between his training in the school Q
poverty and want, and that of Milton
reared in the lap of afiuence, shove
how God always trains men in the bes
school for the work He gives them to dc
Then with a skillful analysis and delir
cation of the different elements of pow
er in Burns poetry, illustrated by rec
tations, he set forth his claims as a fir
class poet and showed the effects of b
work in awakening English literatul
from its stupor of respectable dullnes
and inane imitation of the Elizabetha
age. Referring in a closing passage
great beauty to the character of tt
gifted bard, he marked the Different
between one hundred years ago and IL
present with respect to drinking usage
He exclaimed, 80 had he but been h
SISTERS keeper in the noble way in whi(
he cared for even the daisy or the u
bit mousie' of the field, how much bett
would have been his record and b
work |" With equal charity and loys
ty to purity and truth, he so treat
this part of his subject as not to see
the Pharisee pronoucing self-righteo
judgment, and yet to present any fal
glamour from the genius and attract
qualities of "poor Burns" from facin;
ing the hearers into thinking his vic
and sins heroic.
VIM. A. ROBINSON.