Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-27
A NIGHT WITH BURNS.
An Instructive lecture and Inspirin
Songs Last EYening.

An Instructive lecture and Inspiring
Songs Last Evening.
A good audience assembled last evening
at Castle Hall to hear lecture upon the
subject, Robert Burns, Man and Poet, :"
and to listen to some Scottish melodies,
rendered by the choir of the Unitarian
Society.
Miss Emma Felter sang with delightful
voice, MY Hearts in the Highlands" Mr..
Richard Cohn gave with fine effect, "Ye
Banks and Braes O. Bonny Doom" There
was also a quartet, Praise the Lord All
Ye Nations" and duet, "Wert hou in
the Cauld Blast?'' We give few of the
concluding sentences of Rev. Mr. Massey's
discourse:
The limitations of Burns nature were
everywhere apparent. Perhaps it was
wrong to the poet that the landscape he
depicted was softer and milder one than
that which lifted the Covenantor into that
imaginative but dark poetry which was
largely derived from the solemn and ter
rible aspects of the mountains and storms
among which he often lived. Burns ten
derness of heart would always have saved
him overseverity, but he ever failed to
find that in his nature and his surround
ings which would have made him stern to
himself Seldom did he seem to feel the
force of the landscape, as did the Hebrew
bard, who depicts his Creator IS walking
upon the wings of the wind and touching
the mountains that they smoke; who lay
eth the beams of his chambers in the
waters and maketh the clouds his chariot
and sendeth the springs into the valleys
which run among the hills.
But my criticism is meant to be gener-
Gus, although it has aimed to be discrimi-
mating, and let US call to mind again how
the poet would himself plead to be judged
as we repeat after him:
Then at the balance let's be mute,
We never can adjust 1t;
What's done we partly can compute,
But never what's resisted.
1t is pity that he who left such a legacy
to the world should have been so weak
himself, but Judgment is with God and we
have nothing to do but 10 find in Burns
what to follow or avoid and leave the rest
to Heaven. But how greatly the good in
him seems to preponderate after all, for pa
triotism will still repeat his Scots, VIVA
Hae," personal independence will frankly
exclaim "a mans a man for a that"
friendship, deep rooted in the past, will
continue to sing SHOULD auld acquaint-
anCe be forgot, tue story tnal is never Ola
will still find expression in the songs of
"Mary Morrison" and Highland Mary"
while welded love has uttersnce forever in
John Anderson, my 10, Johl,
We clamb the hill thegilher,
And many canty day, John,
We've had vie ane anither
Now we maun loiter down, John,
But hand in hand we'll go,
And sleep together at the foot,
John Anderson my 10.
But our tribute for this occasion is hardly
complete without one more quotation. 1t
is from the poem by which | believe that,
after ALL the poet would best have loved to
be Judged, his "Cotter's Saturday Night )"
and as we repeat the lines, We thus give
the stamp of Burns nationality to the &C.
casion we affirm his love for the simple
and the poor, and pour over all the infiu-
ences of that religion that sometimes, and
particularly in his better moments, in
spired his heart to lofty and impassioDed
utterance:
o Scotia my DEAR my native soil,
For whom my warmest wish to Heaven is
sent;
Long may thy hardy sons of rustic toll
Be blest with health and peace and sweet
content.
And oh may Heaven their simple lives prevent
From luxury's contsgioD, weak and vile,
Then, howe'er crowns and coronets be rent,
A virtuous populace may rise the while,
And stand wall of flame around their much
loved isle.