The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-01-27
THE SCOTTISH FESTIVAL.

THE SCOTTISH FESTIVAL.
Before he awoke yestermorn, tired
natures sweet restorer balmy sleep
brought the noontide hour of one of the
love:iest days of this paradisaical cline
to the gaze of the Scottish devotee of the
Burns festival of Friday night.
Mr.. Jas. P. Lewis, in responding to the
Toast, "'The Land o Cakes" said:
The name of Scotland was given to the
in the tenth century. During the next
two centuries great social and political
changes took place, amounting to q revO-
luton, beginning with the long and
eventful reign of Malcom III, who had
spent great portion of his time in Eng
land. Finally his marriage with the
Princess Margarete caused an migrating
of English customs and language into
Scotland.
About the beginning of the thirteenth
century dispute for the crown arose be-
tween Baliol and Bruce, and then began
Scotland's troubles. These difficulties
were referred to Edward 1st of England.
Edward, blinded by self aggrandizement
and poisoned by prejudice, violated this
sacred trust and, being determined upon
uniting Scotland to England and placing
her under the English scepter, he sacri-
feed humanity, honor and Justice.
Scotland's true, patriotic and noble sons
would not yield their country and their
liberties without II struggle and, under
the leadership of Wallace, made bold
defence. Many of Scotia's noble sons
were slain. Wallace moved through
blood to defeat, yet he never shrunk from
asserting freedom as u national birth
right. He aroused Scotland to her life
and a great heart-throb for liberty went
all over the land.
Thee, Caledonia! thy wild heath among;
Thee, famed for martial deed and sacred song:
To thee as from the evening sacrifice
TO thee turn with sOrrUw-streaming eyes!
Where Is that soul Of freedom ttd
IN mingled glory. with the mighty dead?
Y babbling winds IN silence deep
Disturb not " the hero's sleep!'
Struggle after struggle and battle after
battle ensued, until the revolution which
seated William and Mary on the throne.
1t is with pleasure that we turn to
another page of Scotland's history. Scot
land had always teemed with romance.
In what other land could such poem
as Walter SCOTS "Lady Of the Lake"
have been written? Nowhere except
among those mountains where
Each purple peak, each tllnty spire
Was bathed In floods Of living fire.
The rocky submits splint and rent,
Formed t9rret: dome and battlement,
with cupalO or mnaret."
In such a country, among such scenery
we could not expect other than brave and
noble men and true, and pure, gentle and
beautiful women. And so we see them
here In every sphere of life. 1t matters
not whether in the humble home or in
the stately mansion.
From scenes like these old scotia's grandeur
They made her loved at home revered abroad
Princes and lords are but the breath Of Kings-
An honest mans the nobest work Of tiod.''
Mr.. Lawler sang Scotland Yet" with
a patllos that brought tears Of joy tG
! many eyes. ..-,+---r---
On account Of the lateness Of the hour
the "Scotch Lassic Jcan," by DIR. Gordon;
the toast, "The Caletlonian Club" and
the response to it by Mr.. j. w. Stanton,
also the quartette were omitted; and the
feast of reason and the flow of soul were
necessarily curtailed; and the whole com
pany, standing Oh their feet, Joined in
tho immemorial "Auld Lang Syne."
The floor being cleared, Mr.. Mcdonald
gave some exquisite tripping Of the light
fantastic toe in the favorite highland
! fling and sword dance, which, by special
request he repeated. He is Il connoisscur
In the terpsicOrean amazements. Fail
to get the bagpipes, they also had to be
omitted.
The gay Caledonians and their friends
improved the wee sma' hours ayOnt
the twa'l, in the vesuvicnne, schottische
lanccr's quadrille and the varied embra-
cings of the volupt,lous waltz.
OF course but few went there to satiatG
their appctitcs; and ii any were SO fool
iSh, it was clear, from a glance ut the
table, that they had come to the wrong
place. But for the defects in this respect
the Caledonian Society are not RESPONSE
BILE. 1t was al almost ineXcusablc thing
for the Gamma Scot to fail to provide
for the inner man. or this part Of the
festival, the less said the better. We arc
assured, however, that the delinquency
will never again occur, at all events from
the same source. 1t is to be always un
derstood that no speculative scheme cn
ters into these festive gatherings. The,
are but the annual outgushings of the
pcnt-up enthusiasm for the memory ol
one of Scotia's noblcst sons.
The wines were good, so far as they
were sampled; and from the size of thu
glasses, it was to be expected that it WA,
not to be doled out by the spoonful. The
unbroken cases of hook, imperial, port
sherry and cogniac remaining in the hal
yesterday morning tell OF libcrality ol
the part of the purveyors; and that they
did not intend that any toasts should b,
drank from empty glasses.