The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-01-27

man can NUMBER. mower mas tarrleu 100
long at the wine-whoso hath had woe, sor-
row, wounds, without a cause; whoever has
felt the shadow OF remorse in the morning
from last nights flowing bowl-this is Tam
. Shanter.
Moreover, there is hardly anything in the
text of the author inconsistent with the ac-
count of the actual occurrence. The reader,
we confess, like Kate herself, is left with
the impression that the COLLINS of
Kirk Alloway caused Meg's grief and
loss. Closely scanned, it will be seen that
this is only an impression. IT'S true we are
told that before the bridge was reached the
mare had hent a tail TO shake" but II IS not
said how long before. And when the very
moment of the catastrophe is spoken of, it is
said: The carline claught her by the
rufnp.n Without doubt the demon clutched
at the tail-it was not there; it had been left
at Ayr-miles behind, hours before.
1t was well that it had been. If the goblin
chase had been reality, and the good gray
tail had not been missing, neither Meg nor
her master might have come of so FORUM
ately.
1t is not at all likely then that OShanieE
really beheld any OF the weird and frightful
objects which he Is described as seeing IL
the old Kirk Alloway But the poet saw
them; the reader sees and will ever see them.
These amazing visions of the Ayrshire
ploughman are recounted in such terms-in
words so vivid, truth-like and natural-that
! ii may be hardly lawful to question their re-
atty or 10 examine with too nice an audit
the detail of horrors so stupendous 1t is
much more pleasant at least to dwell upon
the many other excellencies of this famous
| idyl.
| Care has been apostrophized IN all Ian
| guages-often banished from the world, both
| in prose and verse, but the clearest and
/ bOldest account OF its utter humiliation is
that of Burns
/ Care, mad to see q man SO happy.
! Fen drowned himself amang the nappy-"
| that is, in the foam OF the ale they were
! quafiing. Those who take part in such
scenes of reyelry as are here spoken of have
noticed that before the merriment becomes
] fast and furious, there is an interval of al
most sullen quiet-Ot rather easy indifer-
ence and of slow, hesitating utterance. Was
in the closing lines concerning Souter
| Johnny?
Tam loved him ike vera brither.
| They had been lou for weeks thegther."
One must almost thcken his tongue to
! properly read the words of this coupet, and
| the whole passage, even in its SOUND. enables
us very distinctly to realize the precise con-
! ditiOn of the two crOnies at this time. Then
the stately movement of that renowned dis
! itch
Kings may be blest, but Tam was glorious.
Ger a the ills OF life victoriOusl"
1 SHOWS us Ill BTduu anu mayor, Tue
| high tide of this old-time carouse. One OF
| the best parts of the story is that in which
| the conduct OF Meg is contrasted with that of
| her master, when the two first catch a
| glimpse OF the grotesque orgies held SO noisi-
| ~ in the old chapel aglow with its wizard
torches blazing in the surrounding darkness.
| Though Tam himself was inspired with the
fearless yalOr of bold John Barley
corn, Meg had not been of the
company that evening. She was in
| the sober certainty of all her senses.
The reader is perforce brought to observe
this, and all the more to note the rash and
! reckless bearing of her rider. Tam would
hardly have paused had Vesuyius famed in
| his path The mare, however. startled at
| these extraordinary sights ana sounds, slack
ened her gait, took step slowly, at last would
| 20 no further:
, ,i;ui Maggie stood. right seir astonished.
She yentured forward on the light"
Now this establishment of the mare is a
! master stroke of most delicate fancy, won
derlulIy in symathy with the time and of
! absolute truth to nature. The imagination
| Il thus borne to the very spot by the men
| ton OF an incident, which, to say nothing of
the felicity of its expression--an inferior
| hand would have wholly missed.
Among the four personageS of the little
| drama met at the inn none are overlooked,
] nor is any one of them passed over with mere
mention. We not only hear the ready
chorus of the laughing landlord, but the poet
| mas contrived also to give US
! Just glimpse of his spouse, in a
delightful piece Of by-play between herself
and the hero in this way come into
supposed condolences between these two, the
existence OF which is not deemed TO have
been even suspected by their companions.
The landlady and Tam grew gracious
Wi layOrs secret, sweet and precious"
E,,-ors l,.eo,,, ,,lo. ~ .louooc ,,ouco
bic withal, in the iocunG wane of such
/ waSsail. unknown TO the SOuter, unnoticed
! by the host
But the place of these lines in the poem,
/ the time in the scene when they occur, the
grew gracious" let it be perceived well
/ enough, that no evil was afoot
The dalliance aptly alluded to was only
/ a fancy of TamS, induced by the ale which
I drank so divinely-on her part. but an effort
/ to favor the passing humor of her guest, due
/ much more TO the purse than to the person
] OF her patron.
These latter suggestions have been proffer-
| ed, not without degree of hesitancy, indeed
with sort of dread, lest the revisiting shade
/ of the kindly hostess should suddenly APP
| pear before him to remind the critic, with
somewhat of womanly scOrn, that an eX-
! planation. so obvious, of her conduct was
| needless; that it were better left to the good
sense and understanding OF the reader.
Inc uanSitOry nature o. earthly pleasure
/ has always. been favorite theme of the
mOralist Manifold sermons, essays, lee
lures and dissertations have expatiated
| upon it, but there is no form in which the
idea has ever been presented so elegant, brief,
beautiful and true, as the celebrated smile in
Tam OShanter
! ''Or, like the snowfall in the river.
moment white, then melts forever"
We may fancy the poet in musing mood
wandering OH sombre winters day along
the banks of Ayr or Doom coming his theme.
He sees the snow falling on the stream, and
hardly sees it before it is lost in the passing
current. This is the smile he seeks. 1t is
married to immortal verse" and set forever
in the memory of men.
| The Journalist in search of mere utility
may ask why were such powers wasted on
such subject. One might as well ask in
| answer, why were so much fragrance and
beauty wasted on the lily and the rose? To
him who does not note or prize them, even
these bloom in vain. To him who does, no
reason need be given for their existence.
Perhaps il may be that we may know MAN
does not live by bread alone" The wine of
poesy, the bread of prose. may both be need
ed for perfect life.
1t requires no very profound study of the