Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-07-16
WHOLE NO. 1923
The Tam 0'Shanter Inn.


Az, tho very house ~ which Tam
and Souter Johnny prolonged their
market night meetings, the ioaming
ale growing better with each success
sive draught, Sonle, telling lis queer
est storics, Tam aud the landlady
growing gracious-a house not less
famous than the old Boar's Head IN
Rastcheap, or the Hell at Edmonton,
named In these latter days after that
drouihiest Of "drouthy neehors,' the
incorrigible Tam, who elbows rip
Van Wrinkle, Bailic Nchol Jarvie,
and Conn In our vagabond affiliations.
II Is u plain, plaslercd, matched little
tavern, tinted yellow, IN contrast to tho
surrounding houses, which are white.
Over the door Is sign-board with
crcdllablo painting Of Tam leaving
the house,
"weel mounted on hIS grey marc Meg"
and the soutcr gra'ping his hand with
maudlin affection before he plunges
through the storm toward Alloway.
The landlord holds the history Of the
tavern precious. and on another sign
board he specifies itG associations,
with the additional announcement
that "a chair and caup are in the
house." The "caup' is the identical
one drained by Tam, the chair the one
he sat IN, and it would be q teetotaler
Of less than equal hexibility who
could pass without ordering some mild
beverage as an excuse for viewing the
interior.
The landlords name is 4. Glass,
and he is not only most devoted nd.
mirer of Burns, but also poet in a
very small way himself He was ab.
sent at the time of our visit, and We
were met at the door by the landlady,
who showed us up a dark flight OF
stairs into the little snuggery where in
clden times the more favored custom
ers were entertained Imagine twi-
light room, about eighteen feet long
and twelve feet wide, with a clean
sanded floor, the wood being knotted
profuscly, and followed between the
knots by the shuflling of many feet,
ancient and modern; the ceiling is Of
well seasoned, time. stained timber,
and is bent as though the years pass
ing over it, with the mutations of sea-
sons, had left a weight upon it; the
huge beams are so low that a stove
pipe hat must bow under them; the
walls are smoky, and hung with a
few autograph letters of Burns care
fully framed big fire place promises
warmth on the coldest nights and
there is ample space for pipes, tohac-
co, and beer on long table. These
details being arranged iu the readers
mind, he has an idea Of the apartment
in which the cronies of the poem met
and sang over their "roaming swats !"
but to be in proper mood to conjure
up vision of the scene as it was, he
should stimulate himself with whis-
key punch of the kind that the land
lady brews divinely; he should choose
an evening for his visit;' and behold!
in the blue cloud of smoke Tam ap
pears toastiug the souter for the twen-
tieth time, and beaming with boozy
happiness, while the buxom landlady
stards near, ready to replenish the CO.
pious tankards as often as they are
emptied. Never did boon compan-
Ions swear reciprocal allegiance with
greater fervor, nor jest or song elicit
reader applause, than among the
merry-makers at the inn on the stormy
market night. The chairs that Tom
and the souter sat in night after night,
authenticated beyond doubt on the
landlords honor, are at the farther
end of the room, each indicated by an
inscribed brass plate. Sat in! Let us
change the tense-the chair that they
sit in; tor unless tobacco smoke and
the silky vapors of Highland malt
whiskey mislead us, these two ROSTER
ers are before the fire now-Tam,
with the broad -brimmed bonnet of the
pattern. that is called after him, and
the souter, with bis cap aud apron, in
a gleetul condition OF receptivity.
Thus may one who is not ascetic con-
centrate night with the jovial spirit
company in an hour at the inn.-CW.
H. Rideing, in Harpers Magazine tor
July.
A country family living over foul
cellar is more liable To he nnisoned.