Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-04-15
Aud Robin Gray.

| j. D. K. IN home journal.
When the sheep are in the fauld and the ky
a. at hame.
When a. the weary world to sleep are game,
The waes o. my heart fa' in showers fra my ee
While my gudeman lies sound by me.
Young Jamie loed me weel, and sought m,
| for his bride;
But saving crown he had naething else be
| side.
To make the crown a pound. my Jamie gaet
An the crown and the pound they we're baitl
for me.
He hadna been ava week but only twa.
When my mfther she fell sick, and the COW
was stolen ava;
My father brak his arm-my Jamie at the sea-
| And auld Robin Gray came a-courtin' me.
My father couldna work-ma mither couldns
spin;
I toird day and night. but their bread couldns
win;
Auld Rob maintain'd d them bath, and VII tears
in his ee.
Said, Jenny. for their sakes. will you marry
me?"
My heart it said ma, and I look'd for jamie
But hard blew the winds. and his ship was q
wrack;
His ship 1t was wrack; Why didna Jenny
Gee?
And wherefore was spar'd to cry. Wac is me!
My father argued sair-my mither idna speak
But she look'd in my face till my heart was
like TO break;
They gied him my hand, but my heart was in
the sea;
And SO auld Robin Gray. he was gudeman to
L hadna been his wife, week but only four,
When mournfu' as 1 sat ON the stane at the
doo-,
saw my JamIes ghast-I couIdna think it
he,
TIL he said, II m come hame. my love, to
marry theep
o sair, sair did we greet. and mickle did we
say;
Ae kiss we took-nae mair-I bade him gang
away.
wish that were dead, but I'm 10 lik e to dee
And why do live to say. "Wae is me?"
gang like ghaist, and carena to spin;
darena think O. Jamie. for that wad be sin.
But will do my best guide wife to be-
For auld Robin Gray, he is kind to me.
Very few of the old Scotch ballads or
songs have ever attained the we'll merited
popularity of "Auld Robin Gray" Its
deeply pathetic story, told in the simplest
of language, has touched the hearts of mil
lions of people Of all nationalities, and has
more than once caused the tear to start to
the eye'Of many one who,. without dread
or fiinching, has witnessed the tragical
scenes enacted on some of the bloodiest
battle-fields in the worlds history. The
authorship of "Auld Robin Gray was
for many years matter of great dispute
1t was written, however, by Lady Anne
Barnard, who shortly before her death, in
a letter to Sir Walter Scott, acknowledged
herself the authoress of it, and also gave
a short history in connection with the
writing of it, from which the blowing
facts are given in Blackie's ''Book of Scot
tish Song
Robin Gray so called from its being
the name of the old herd at Balcarras, was
born (written) soon after the close of the
year 1771. My sister Margaret had mar
ried, and accompanied her husband to
London ; l was melancholy and endeavor-
ed to amuse myself by attempting few
poetlcal trlfies. There was an ancient
OOOtCu IlciouJ VI WHICH was pdSSlOlldLclY
fond. -, who lived before your
day, used to sing it to us at Balcarras. l
longed to sing old Sophy's air to different
words, and give to its plaintive tones some
little history of virtuOus distress in humble
life, such as might suit it. While attempt
ing to effect this in my closet, l called to
my little sister, now Lady Hardwicke, who
was the only person near me. "I have
been writing ballad. my dear; am op-
pressing my heroine with many misfor-
tunes. l have already sent her Jamie to
sea, and broken her fathers arm, and made
her mother fall sick, and given her old
Robin Gray for lover; but wish to load
her with fifth sorrow within the four
lines, poor thing! Help me to one.'-
Steal the COW, sister Annie, said the little
Elizabeth. The COW was Immediately
'iifted' by me and the song completed. At
our freside and among our neighbors
sAuld Robin Gray was always called for.
was pleased in secret with the approba-
tion it met with; but such was my dread
of being suspected of writing anything,
perceiving the shyness it created in those
who could write nothing, that carefully
kept my own secret"
Lady Anne Barnard, a daughter of the
Earl of Balcarras, was born on the 1st of
December, 1850. She was a very intelli-
gent and refined lady. ''Her face" says
Mr.. Charles K. Sharpe, ''was pretty and
replete with vivacity, her figure light and
elegant, her con ersation lively, and, like
the rest of her family, peculiarly agreeable.
Though she had wit, she naver said lima
tured things to show it. She gave herself
no airs either as woman of rank or as the
authoress of Aud Robin Gray"
She was married in 1893 to Sir Andrew
Barnard, who died without issue in 1907.
Her own death took place at London on
the 9th of May, 1926.
Mr.. BAYARD ON THE TARIFF.-Senator