The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-01-29
BURNS, THE BARE.

Kansas City Journal. It is nearly
century ego that Robert Burns died. but
his birthday anniversary is observed
wherever two OIL more sturdy Scolchmen
can be gathered together, or Is remem-
bered wherever on the broad face of the
earth a single Scotchmsn may ind him
self. Not alone Scotchmen, but the world
reveres the memory of Bobby Burns,
and the world is better because of his
living. his writings bave won the SYM
patty OF the world; full of psthOs and
the purest humor. they are as fresh and
appeal as much 70 the better sentiment
and nature of man as when first sung by
the bard, or gwen an existence TO make
music In the humble cottage and TO en-
rapture the palace by their simple and
pleasing melody.
When We come to consider the career
of tue man, the struggles he underwent
and the misfortunes that betell him, we
marvel more at the sympathetic chord
that runs through his poems. Nisfor-
tune did not sour him, nor did poverty
and dissipation make him envlous or
saurical. Burns was OF obscure origin,
and encountered the greatest difficulties
arising from pinching poverty. in &C
curing q mastery over the English
tongue EarlV in life he was appren-
iced TO learn the trade Of q fiax-dresser,
but so little liking it and having fallen
into dissolute ways, be returned to the
farm where he was born, and becoming
somewhat stesdier In his habits, was in.
duced 10 go to Edinburgh. where he az
ranged for a new edition OF his poems
and was teted and courted for q year as
the national bard of Scotland. Return
ing TO his home, he found it impossible
TO resist the allurements of intemperance
and eked out a miserable existence as an
excise officer, dying at the age of 81 or
thereabouts. When an intimstion was
given of his approaching end and of the
abject poverty which he suffered it Is
incredible the sympathy Scotland mani
tested for her favorite bard. Relief,
however. came too late.
There has been no poet whose work
has touched the human heart as that of
Buns. Without the genius of those
who essay lofty and grand flights in the
domain OF pOesY, what he wrote was so
true TO life, so perft CT in melody and the
portrayal of passion. that 1t might we'll
be said of him that he exemplified the
ejaculation-"Let me write the songs Of
a nation, care not who makes its laws"
As man he was generous to a fault,
scorning baseness and wrong, though at
times he was wild and reckless. Many a
person has pondered with q great throb
of sympathy over and with q realization
of the truth of his lines, "Mau was made
TO mourn" The English language tells
no sweeter pastoral than his "Cotteris
Saturday Night" LiDcoln's favorite
poem. "Auld Lang Syne" is as i'm
perishable as the English language.
Tam O'Shanter" is q remarkable mar
ration, and many OF his love songs are
the choicest in the language.
1t seems strange, one of The incongru-
titles of the world, that a man whose life
was so embittered as was Bun ms, should
have been the cause OF giving pleasure
To generations after his misfOrtunes,
troubles and sorrOws ceased. Burns is
loH ed to day, his memory is Tevered and
the melody of his poetry appreciated,
and he Is without rival in the realms
of poesy, when the sympathetic and low
ing part of mans rarnre is appealed to.