The Washington critic., 1888-03-24
THE FLOWER OF DUMBLNNE.' -
The EventsuI Story and Melancholy
Fate OF Jesse MonteItb.

Fate of Jesse MonteIth.
From an Old London Paper reproduced IN
the New York Mirror many years ago.l
The poet TannahiIl is Justly celebrated
for his many sweet Scottish songs, none
of which have been more universally
esteemed than his "Jessie the Flower of
Dumblane." The beautiful imagery of
the verse. and tho plaintive sweetness of
the dir gained 1t an immediate popular
ity, which promises 10 be as lastingas the
language in which IL was written.
The fair subject Of this song was bon
ME lassie in Dumblane. Hcr family
were Of poor extraction, and Jessie was
contented with n peasants lot. When
Tannahill became acquainted with her,
she was in her "teens," a slight, dimple-
checked, happy lassie; her hair yellow
colored and luxuriant; her eyes large
and full, over6owing with the volup-
tuous langour which is so becoming in
| young blue eyes with golden lashes. The
tinge which lit up her oval cheek was
| delicate and evanescent, and her pulpy
| lips bubbled with bliss as she gave utter
| ance to her heart.
Tannahill was struck with her beauty,
and, as in all things he was enthusiastical,
became, forthwith, her ardent worshiper
But her heart was not to be won. Young
thoughtless, painting to know and see the
world. she left her poor lover ITO con
songs to his mistress eyebrow while
she recklessly rambled among the flowery
meads Of Dumblane, or of an evening
sang his inspired verses TO him with the
| most mortifying nonchalance. This was
| atwo-fold misery to the sensitive poet. A
| creature SO sweetly elegant, so dear TO
him, so very lovely and innocent, and
| yet, withal, so encased in insensibility as
| apparently neither to be conscious of the
| beauty ofthe verses trembling on her dull
Get tongue, nor caring for the caresses of
her lover--it was too much, to mark all
this, and feel II with the feelings Of poet
| was the acme of misery.
| But the "Flower of Dumblane' was not
| that unfeeling, unimaginatiye being
which Tannahill pictured her. She was
a creature all feeling, all Imagination, al
though the bard had not that in his per-
son or manners TO engage her attention or
to arrest her fancy. The young affections
| are not to be controlled Love, all
mighty love, must be free, else IL ceases to
be love. Tannahill was plain in his per
son and manners, and felt and expressed
discontentment at the cruel disappoint-
| ments which il had been his unhappy
fate almost invariably to encounter.
| Jessie, on the contrary, looked upon the
world as q brilliant spectacle yet to be
seen and enjoyed, as vast para
disc full of the beauty of heaven
and of earth, where men walked forth in
the image Of their Creator, invested with
his attributes, and where women trod
proudly amidst the lovely creation, an
angel venerated and adored. To express
dissatisfaction under all these circum-
stances was to her mind the extravaganza
of a misanthrope, the madness of real
lover of misery, and sufficient cause for
her not to respect him. Both viewed the
world through false medium, and their
deductions, although at variance, gave
color to their minds and accelerated their
fate.
Jessie could not comprehend what ap-
peared to her the folly Of her suitor. She
Telished not his sickly sentiment, and as
all womankind ever did so, she scorned
cooing lover. The bard was driven to
despair, and, summoning up an unwonted
energy of mind, departed, and lett his
adored to her youthful alterations.
Soon after this period the song of "Jes-
sic, the Flower OF Dumblane," together
with the music, was published, and be.
came public iavorite; it was sung every
where, in theatres and at parties. A
world of praise was showered upon it
from woman's flattering lips, and men
became mad to know the adored subject
ofthe lay. In short period it was dis
|
THE PRETTY PEASANT OF pUMBLANE,
was the favored one. From all quarters
young men and bachelors flocked to see
her, and her own sex were curious and
critical. Many promising youths
paid their addresses to her,
and experienced the same reeep-
ton as her first lover. Never
theless, at last poor jessie became really
enamored. A rakish spark, from Mid
Lothian, adorned with education, being
of polished manners, and confident from
wealth and superiority of rank, gained
her young affections She too credu-
lously trusted in his unhallowed profes.
sions. The ardor of first love overcame
her better judgment, and abandoning
herself to her love of passion, she made
an imprudent escape from the protection
of her parents, and soon found herself in
elegant apartments near the city OF Edin-
burgh.
The song of neglected Tannahill was to
his Jessie both glory and curse; while
her beauty, it laid the foundation to her
final destruction. Popularity is danger.
Gus elevation, whether the object of it be
apeasant or prince, temptations crowd
around it, and snares are laid on every
hand. 'Who would be eminent" said q
distinguished child of popularity ''ii
they knew the peril, the madness and
distraction of mind to which the creature
ofthe popular breath is exposedP When
the poet heard of
THE FATE OF HIS BELOVED JESSIE,
his heart almost burst with mental agony
and working himself into the enthusias
tic frenzy of inspiration, poured forth G
torrent of song more glowing and ener
getic than ever before dropped in burning
accents from his tongue. 1t is to be la
mented, that in fit of disgust, he after
ward destroyed those poetic records Of hi
passion and resentment.
! triple circuit after Jessie left her father
home, she was changed woman. Th,
} companion of her flight had forsalSen her
} She was destitute in her splendid habita
tion. Her blue eyes looked pitiful on al
! things around her: her oval cheeks wer,
indented by the hand of misery, and he
face and person presented the picture o
, an unhappy, but amiable being. Hoy
. changed was the figure clothed in silk
which moved on the banks of the Forth
1 from the happy lively girl in Dumblane
: dressed in the rustic garb of q peasant
} But this is a subject too painful TO dwell
:. on; let us hasten to
; THE CATASTROPHE.
IT was on an afternoon in July, beau
tiful sunny afternoon, the air was cain
and pure. The twin islands of the Forth
like vast emeralds set in q lake Of silvel
n rose splendidly over the shining watel
: which now and then gurgled and mantle
round their bases. Eifeshire was sDrea