The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-02-24
THE ADDRESS or JAMES ELLIS
AT THEBuRNs' cELEBRATioN


Robert Burns. the poet Of Scotland,
was born ina cottage situated about two
miles 10 the South Of the town Of Ayr,
and in the immediate vicinity Of Allo-
way Kirk and the Aud Brig o'Doon.
The childhood days Of Burns were spent
where he vas born till he was seven |
years OF age, About tins time Burns
iather lett the cottage and took lease
Of q farm named Mound Olllppant where |
the poet spent his boyhood' days, till he
arrived at The age of seventeen. After
living eleYen years on this farm his
father again thought of making another
change 10 better his condition, for
Mount Ollippant was poor farm, and
he was glad 10 get quit of bad bargain.
He now leased the farm of Lochlea, a
much larger and better farm, and here
the poet spent some of his happiest
days. 1t was here in the harvest field
that love first found HIM. / will give
you his own words about it.. you
know our country custom of coupling q
man and woman together as partners IN
the harvest field. In my fifteenth au-
tumn my partner was bewitching|
creature, year younger than myself.
My scarcity of English denies me the
power of doing her justice in that lang
uage; but you know the Scottish idiom
-she was bonnie, sweet, sonsie lass.
In short, she altogether, unwittingly to
herself iniated me IN that delicious pas
sion, which IN spite of acid disappoint-
ment give horse prudence and book
worm philosophy, hold to be the first
of human joys, our dearest blessing here
below. How she caught the contagion
II - kfsff H. ILL
much of in infection from breathing the
same air, the touch, etc, but / never
expressly said | loved her. Indeed
did not know myself why / liked so
much to loiter behind with her when
returning in the evening from our ia
bors; why the tones of her voice made
my heart strings thrill like an Eolian
harp; and particularly why my pulse
beat such fur ,S rattan when looked
and fingered FpseA her little hand, to
pick nat-tAe Grad nvruto--Ii-Aos and
/ thi5tles.
~Fhe family lived in Lochlea seven
| years, when death came and carried
away the head of the f. mIly. The poet
was now twenty-four years of age. AT
this time his brother Gilbert and him.
self leased another farm named Moss.
grel in the neighborhood of Mauchline,
and nobly took care of the family
Mauchiine was the town where his bon
ME Jean lived, and about this time he
became acquainted with her. Burns
published the first edition of his poems
when he was twenty-six years of age
and the second edition was published
the year following in Edinburgh. His
reception in Edinburgh, says one of his
biographers, was more like an agreeable
lf.lN tatf thnx
j like an event in ordinary life. Hi
company was everywhere sought after
and it was soon found that the admira
/ ton which his poetry had excited wal
but part of what was due to the gen
eral eminence of his mental faculties
his natural eloquence and his warn
and social heart. The year fol
/. loving the publication of his Ed
/. inburgh edition, he settled will
? his publishers for five hundred pounds
He now married his bonnie Jean, ant
brought her to Ellisland, a farm situated
on the NTH, about eight miles abov,
Dumfries. Rurns was about three year
: on this farm, waen be gave up farming
and moved into the town of Dumfries
and turned exciseman. He enjoyed hi
married life with his bonnie Jean onl,
eight years, death coming to him whei
he was thirty-seven years of age.
Burns saws that the poetic genius @
! his country found him at the pillow, an,
threw her inspiring mantle over him.
think it would have been better 70
. Burns If he had remained at the pillow
instead of turning exciseman. On
;, Ltarm he would have been free from th
many temptations that were daily me
3 with in Dumfries; his official dutie
could all be accomplished in the fore
r noon, and too often the afternoon wa
devoted to eonviviai enjoyment in tn
80 Gleha Tavern. From the publication @
his poems to the time he died was onl
: ten years, so you see he had but shof
3 time to enjoy bis well deserved fam
8 and great popularity. Burns was gran,
song writer; he composed all kinds O
songs-love songs, war songs, songs @
patriotism, and songs of fatherland, con
vivial and social songs.
The Scottish poems of Burns can b
relished by bis countrYmen only. the,
- understanding rEIc rcUtcfI dIssi5ct. be
lieve l had better stop, as there may b
some others present who will hav
something to say about Burns l vii
. say few words to my countrymen re
garding Scotland, and then 1 will close
= A year and half ago / visited nv ma
tive land, and enjoyed the trip YER,
much. | found they had made great ina
provements there while had been ii
: America. would advise every Scotch
man present to take trip to Scotland
YOU have no idea how you will enjoy il
, 1t Will not cost much, and if you TAX
; my advice you will never regret it.
, would have YOU go In the summer, wheI
you will see the country in all its glory
, Go when the sweet yellow Broom an,
: heather are in bloom, when the whil
, and the green breckins and the bonni,
luckin gowan are in all their beauty, no
forgetting the sweet scented hawthorn
: Go when you can hear the blackbird ant
, the mavis sink in ilka green shaw, ant
! when you can hear the laverock sing a
she fans the snow white clouds. Wei
might the poet sing of her mountain
) high and her deep gIens and flower,
, braes, for truly she is land of beauty
If any of you go you will receive heart,
welcome. L can assure you the peopl,
have warm hearts in Bonnie Scotland,
20 Caledonia, stern and wild,
Meet nurse for poetic child: ...
Land OF brown heath and shaRRyWood.
Land OF the mountain and the fiocd
Land of my sires! what mortal hand
| Can ere unite the filial band
mi 70 mn fn.f krr,