Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-11-19

\ Boston lawyer. unwilling to give up
the understanding which he. in common
with most other people, hud Of Burns song
with this title. wrote To the postmaster at
AYR. Scotland, II reference 70 the new theory
advanced by an American newspapers that
the =" rye was the River Rye. and he re-
referred the letter T. DR.. P. II. Waddell,
Of Glasgow the biograPher of Burns. The
following Is bis reply;
EMGEovE PLacr, GLASGOW, Oct -.
Dear SIR Your communication OF yes,
tertay WIS duly received. and. in reply, tor
the satisfaction of volr correspondent at
Bpston, maze tie following memoranda
/. do not know. and never heard of.
any brolk or halH In Ayrshire caleb tIc
Rye but, even If there were. the tiJle Of
the song Is an Old title to which the words
were only adapted BY Burns, and first print
ed. believe, on q broad -heet
- If the words had referred 70 river,
they would most probably have been e DER
the Eve and NOT '' thro the Rye"
q No woman IN Ler senses, crossing a
brook Or stream, or water Of any kind,
would or could = draisle her pettieoaties,"
a. described in tine sony bat IN passing
through field Of rye, even on foot-path.
could net help doing 1t after rain or dew,
for the heads Of the graSs OF corn would
hang down over the fult-path.
T. Il was very common long ago. and
still Is. to have small beaten f5ot-paths
through corn fell- AMI grass fields leading
to other fields, OF 10 wells. or To atpcent
houses, &c. and - these foot uaths, when
passengers met. it w0cld he very difficult in
deed to pass without ]-tiing or eise going
aside into the growing crop. In the par
ricular case supposed. a Saldtation was ex-
changed, without offence. and it NAV he
presumed without improperly. 1t could
be hardly possible, indeed. To avoid it.
,. All doubt p Ia the true meaning OF
the word in question l. set at Iest by the
typography. The word throughout the
song, in Burns own clifton, Is printed in
Tarablv with a small r. Il the word had
been the name OF = river u would have 4
capital, undoubtedly for Burns was addict
ed TO the use at capitals. even where they
we're not required, ami wou.d never have
omitted given cap piial through an entire
song in the same word, e the ,apital had
been essential - tie meaning of the word
6. l am quite ewsre of tbe controversy
alluded to by your correspondent bat Tue
difficulty has originated in g total nissp
preaension Of circumstances iy the writers.
The song doe. not refer - a;r rustic gai
lantr ies in the harvest field st AL bGt to
very rare salutation where q cOald not he
avoided. Jenny vaS probably some simple
minded, harmless crea.rre. employed l. -
messages from one ho4se " village 90 81
other, through the fields. au3 the whole
burden OF her complaint Is thata verS unex-
pected compliment on TIE WY had been
made subject Of r'iirule in TOE neightoT
hood.
Hoping these explanations 'aGy be satfs-
factory t. yoar correspondent, remain,
dear sir. Yours faithfully.
P NArsDf " suDELL.
Filter aud bicgraphe- Of Robert Bins
2. S.-i ,houlf remark that Burns
song consists ouly ot twa separate stanEAs.
with 3. chorus The courie, c3n'aining the
word. quoted by the Nevharypor' Ter
DID,
\ tie las they snile On me.
etc., does not belong to Burn-'~ own edition
y. H-W