Wichita eagle., 1890-01-25

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GREETED that during his brief career Burns
had 10 struggle wit;c so many discourage
ments. But now that he is gore the eyes
OF Scotland are opened SO that we love TO
honor and cherish his memory. The world
has had something TO say by way or CEN
sure. But such men are often judged u1-
Justly. 1t is true he was ''quick to learn
lies laid him low aud stained his name. !"
But after all Ibis failings leaned to viz
tues side" and from the dregs in the cup
of his experience he honestly warns his
fellow men TO attend
whether thy soul
Scars fancy's digit beyond the pole.
or darkII.- grals this earthly hole
Know prudent cautions self control
Is WISDOM : root"
The stories that are told to the discredit
of Burns were doubtless greatly exagger-
ated To Judge fairly we must study
closely the customs and habits OF the
scotch people of 1853 and having become
so familiar that we live and breathe with
them then and then only eriticIse the NOR
ais of the immortal Burns Burns was
frank. he was outSpohen, he incurred the
enmity of the bigoted by such poem as
Holy Willie's Prayer aud Epitaph, The
HOLY Friar." Thu Kinks Alarm" and the
ORDINATION" But surely the author OF
the "Cotter's Saturday Night" WAS no bad
man. Burns must have had a deep appre-
citation of the home lite OF the cotter to tell
so clearly of the 'exDec5ant wee Things
todiIing stachering thro' to meet their
dad who toll worn from his weeks
labor comes home and with the lisping
infant prattling at his knee, his thrifty
wifa's smile makes him quite forget MS
Ia bor and his TOLL Who can read the &C
count of the cotter'S supper and not feel
himself TO have been led one step nearer
heaven? Surely from "scenes like this Obj
Scotia's grandeur springs. that makes her
loved at home. revered abroad, an honest
mans the noblest work OF God.
The start Burns had IN life was favor
able in one respect, tho poor and drudginG
his boyhood DAYS had in them much OF
sunshine and OF love. His father possess
ed a character, cheerful, devout, that made
home happy Up TO the time OF his Jour
ney to Edinboro' his life Was calculated TO
develop in him all that was pure ana nooie
and good.
After that ambition of another kind be-
gan to appear Many colored fancied
floated around him III dream like clouds.
He quits the paternal roof and goes forth
into more exciting society. Ii would APP
pear that the opportunity to visit Edin-
boro', TO meet the greatest, the most Drill
liant scholars OF that age, TO associate with
the rank and fashion OF the Scottish me
lIODOllS "OulQ DS fhsNN& '@NA -~NN-~ "
favorable.
True it gave him wide knowledge of
the world but ii also gave him sharp
feeling of fortunes unequal arrangements
In the social scale he felt himself IN no
way one of the favored circle. TO a mlnd
like his the effect was indeed SAD. de
knew the strength of mis- talents and OF
his genius. He was conscious of his men
tai superiority over other men who were
richer in purse or i'll social standing. lnlS
gave rise to Jealous rise fear OF social
degradation which did SO much TO
ruin his life. Ii brought about veXation
of spirit, discomfort, melancholy, lntem-
perauce and dissipation of all the nooier
qualities instead of pushing on with STEADY,
firm will and slngieness OF purpose step oy
step toward that one bright star that had
ever shown and beckoned him upward and
onward We find him stopping on the
first stepping stone and chafferlng with
fate, aud while he argues and complains
the night comes on, the sun of his life sets
and greater possibilities pass him by. The
work is broken off almost at the begin
ming 1t is beautiful, 1t Is grand, but SAD,
unfinished rhymed fragments scattered
here and there in the grand I'M
rhymed romance of his earthly career.
Those patrons OF his genius who
sought him out on his little farm
meant him no i'll but they Jared the mel
ody of his spirit, they disturbed ms con-
tenumeut, broke down his returning nab
its of temperance and wasted his time and
his precious talents.
In reading the life Of Burns one feels for
him pity and wonder rather than censure;
he was misappreciated, misJudged. mlsun-
derstood while he lived, but now that he IS
gone we begin to Know his worth, ana
wherever there are those who favor any
thing good belonging to Scotland purely
because it is Scottish, wherever there are
those who have hearts and understandings
who have true taste and true phllAn-
throOy are glad to patronlze lAe rustic
poet -,
Milton and Byron and Shakespeare will
ever continue to attract and fasclnate the
student of history; like Il mighty river
their influence rolls on through the field of
thought and culture, but the plain scottish
dialect of Burns, his rustic style OF eX-
preston, endears him to all hearts. HIS
memory is cherished with uudylns deyo-
ton.
Overlooking the banks of the Doom a
beautiful monument has been erected TO
his memory Pilgrims from all lands re
pair to that place, to the humble cottage
where he was born, TO Alloway's auld
haunted kirk, and to the blanks and braes
OF bonnie Doom" There lies Burns, en-
shrined in all hearts; not Scotchmen alone,
DuC All lduNiS. al -" mo- W. VIZ
English tongue is spoken. For this great
est of all poet is felts worldwide interest,
pity admiration and love.
SCOTLAND.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen:
Who among us would not be Scotchmans
Though some have never known the joys
of wandering over those enchanting moors
or drinking in the life giving air of those
noble old hills of Scotland, we nave felt
the ecstasy Of her blood coursiug through
our veins: that blood, as mild as the foun-
tain of its meek lie, gushing from the
throat of the stricken lamb, but when
aroused is dauntless and deadly as the fire
flashing from the eye of the angered lion.
Ronnie land of Scotlaudl We love thee
much. Are you not the home Of our ia
thers2 Have you not fostered with tender
care the mothers that gave Us birth? From
thee we inherit the gifts that make Us
men 70 thee we return this greeting:
Nav thy blue hills never fade in glory;
NAV thv fertile moorS ever pIenteous!y re-
ward the hardy tIllers of the soil, and may
thy sons ever grow more brave aud emu
late more and more the manly virtues OF
our noble kinsman whose name we feast
tonight
Many wears have passed since the cold
earth closed over his ashes. Many decades
have swept on sluce that mighty
heart burst forth into its first song,
the song OF a mere boy, but full OF love
aud tenderness, it poured forth as the
chrystaI water bubbles from the spring
beneath the great gray rock which shell
tiers il from the angry winds or heaven.
Though years hsve passed, though the
dark objects OF uncertainty separates Us
from thy noble son. have we forgotten
him, On Scotland, Nay, rather as cen
fury piles upon century his memory
ripens as some luscious fruit. watched
with tender care, which we long to pluch
but dare not lest we do mistake the time
of its maturity. Turn back now the page
OF history. lis morning. We stand upon
the summit OF a lofty bill, below ali il