Wichita eagle., 1889-01-26

MENU.
''Eoine haze meat and Gamma eat.
And some wad eat that want il;
But we haze meat. and we eat,
And sac the Lord be thankit."
Blue Point Oysters on half shell.
Green Turtle Soup.
80 He'd snapper. Sauce Plquante.
Fillet Of Antelope with Potatoes.
Tenderioln Steak with Trufles
Broiled Birds with Asparagus.
Sweet Breads, Small Peas Fried Oysters.
Scotch Haggs.
Assorted Cakes, Ornamental Cakes.
Roquefort Edam.
Coffee
o Lord, since we have feasted thus.
which we so little merit,
Let Dean now take away the flesh and
Stewart bring in the spirit"
D. G. McKinnon as POSTMASTER calling
the guests to order announced the toasts.
The first toast, Burns"
"Gie me spark O natures fire!
That's a the learning | desire;
Then, though / drudge through dub and
mire,
At plough or cart,
My muse, though namely in attire,
May touch the heart"
Was responded to by DR.. J. II. ForGyce:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen:
The poet in honor of whose birth we
assemble was born January %, 1853. one
hundred and thirty years ago today. He
has until recently been called the poet of
Scotland; it has now cams to pass us this
gathering composed largely of Americans
and other nationalltieS out side of Scot
land attest that our poet has become not
only the poet of Scotland but the poet
of mankind. You, gentlemen, who favor
Ne. IA al
bration of his birth by that act demon
strate to us that you are able to appreciate
the literary merit OF our poet and we shall
not be surprised before we get through if
you shall have demonstrated to us like
wise that you are able to appreciate
the gustitOry merits Of his own favorite
narpy. So will be genrous with you and
divide both the poet and tie happy with
you in return for the compliment that you
do us tonight. Robert Burns was born in
a straw matched pea-ants novel, a lutte
more than mile from the town OF Ayr
His life and works demonstrate to us how
the divine power of genius can lit man
from obscurity, no matter how deep, how
it can enable him to overcome obstacles
such as humble birth poverty and oppor-
tunity, and shine as bright light in the
literary armament. He is better known
and loved today than ever before. AS one
anniversary of his birth.SucceedS another
we find increasing numbers of lovers of
literature assembling themselves together
to do honor to the memory OF the man
and poet. Truly he was man and poet, a
lover OF the soil on VIII ch he was born, he
meyer failed in opportunity to exhort it
and to make it apparent TO all that the
privilege OF being a ScOtChman was not
surpassed by any blessing vouchsafed by
heaven. Attempts have been made to de-
sJroy the elements in Burns life that en-
title his memory TO reverence, which eff
forts have been put forth to eXalt him
above measure and to present him to US as
one who was purer than his fellows, and
gifted with virtues beyond his friends.
He was too much of man, too much of
true Scotchman to need either eX-
travagant praise or eXagerative
estimation. Scotland has given
TO the world an unstinted
supply of greatness and goodness in the
men she has sent forth TO eXalt history and
literature and science and art and mechan-
les and theology, but she has presented
ankind with no greater gift than that
which finds its personality in Robert
Burns. His heart was full of patriotic
ardor and his soul was filed with a spirit
of goodness. His most earnest yearning
was for happiness, rather than for great
ness. His inspirations, his sturdy common
sense. his comforting periods and buoya {
expressions for more than hundred years
has been contributing TO the hopefulness
Of mankind In every country where the
English language Is the medium of COM
between men. There is no
point in his character, no illusion in his
words nor delusiOn in his works calculated
20 lower the standard of manhood or to |
invite men TO feaSts of vice. On the con-
.rary, in such poems as his ''Epistle to
Young Friend" we find his standard of |
manhood was high as the highest.
VI Whenever and wherever he erred he util- |
zed blessed solicitude that he might exer- |
Use himself in the holy Office of confession |
II the magnifying of right and the strug- |
gle for pardon TO him religion meant not |
munery, but an emancipation. Hence |
lie hated to see it dragged about as cloak /
md submitted to vile purposes. He had |
conscience, and when that addressed him |
lie failed not 10 make immediate prompt |
We can not doubt from the record |
# his history that in the festival. riot or |
,uilt the great soul of the wonderful man /
vas shaken by gusts of penitence and /
ear. \ hand on the wall terrified him !
md great scales went down before his ac- |
using eyes. In such seasons the United |
'resoyteries had no preacher so eloquent, |
10 prayers so pathetic. We re
dice 20 believe the heart of Burns to have /
Always been true, a tender husband and /
ather ne surely was; the little hands OF |
rs children were familiar to his neck in /
III all their 'iiichter in noise and glee'
md no husband in his calmer hours ever
cit more deeply the dear associations of /
he wee bit ingle blinkin bonnilie his |
lean hearth stan his thrifty wifie's smile "
Burns grasped the true idea of life, happily |
II and in great measure put il |
MO practice
TO make happy Preside cline /
To we'ans and wife,
That's the true pathos and sublime
o. human life"
His heart was as tender as a womau's |
nd he has left Us insights into its rfch
house il some of his sweetest but