Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-10-19

Special Correspondence of Gazette and journal
MosIAvIE, SCOTLAND, Sept. o0-Two of
the most fadeless songs of human affec-
ton were written by Scotchmen in the
eighteenth century. These are: John
Anderson, My 10, john and "Anne
Laurie" Both were written near the
banks of the songful NTH in Dumfries-
shire. Both were written by almost
strangers to their temporary environment.
Both were written as true peans of joy out
of almost inexpressible human happiness.
And both gained their deathlessness from
their directness, breyity and simplicity,
which ever most powerfully appeal to the
universal human heart.
Robert Burns wrote John Anderson,
my 10, john" from hint he received out
of the old doggerel rhyme upon one John
Anderson, the town piper of ancient kelso,
preserved in Bishop Percy's old manu-
script of about 1860. The first two lines
of the rhyme were:
John Anderson, my 10, John, cum In IS re gaze
And 20 shall get sleeps held weel baken in
Rpye;
but its matchless picture and lesson of
changeless connubial affection and loyalty
was the Legitimate outgrowth of his own
noble and contented life with "bonnie
Jean" on the Ellisland farm. shortly after
Burns removal from Ayrshire, beside the
OF Dumfries. The few years passed by
the bard and his family here were years of
unalloyed happiness and content; and this
poem, written in 1859, is the clearest,
sweetest note to.reach us out of the brief
Eden Of that idyllic time
Annie Laurie" was written little
more than half century earlier. in Max
welltown, in Nithsdale, by William Dou.
glas, to real flesh and blood Annie Laurie
on the occasion of his departure from
Maxwelltown, after a period of stealthy
trystfng and wooing, which left the Annie
Laurie of the song his betrothed. This
William Douglas, who never wrote other
immortal lines, was a native of England,
a wild little district of the parish of Cars
phairn, in the northern part of the ad-
Joining shire, or stewartry, of Kirkcud-
bright. There is little known of his peo-
pie. However through his native talents
he became cadet to the noble Queensbury
family, and their patronage and support
gained for him the position and associa-
lions of gentleman of rank. At an
Edinburgh ball he met and became enam-
ored with Annie Laurie, daughter of Sir
Robert Laurie, baronet, of .Maxwelltown.
She was born at the old manor house of
the latter place in 1882. Sir Robert, not
fancying the prospects of young Douglas
as dependent of the Queensbury family,
and noticing that the love affair between
him and Annie was becoming serious, sud
denly left Edinburgh and returned with
his family TO Maxwelltown in Nithsdale,
hoping thus to separate the lovers and end
an unfortunate attachment.
Had everything gone to the liking of the
baronet the world would have missed the
sweet old song. Douglas shortly learned
of the whereabouts of his inamorita and
promptly followed. He remained secretly
at Maxwelltown for months, and the love
making went on famously betimes among
the glens, braes, woods and shadowy ruins
with which the locality abounds. Douglas
possessed Jacobite utilization, and rumors
suddenly coming from the north of an
impending Stuart uprising, he hastened to
Edinburgh to be near the scene of action
But beforequitting the side of his Niths-
dale love, he secured "ber promise true. I"
In the elation of JOY upon this achieve.
meut he wrote. and left with his betrothed,
the immortal lines, as imperishable as any
that Robert Burns ever left to Scotland
and the world, beginning:
Maxwelltown's braes are bonnie,
Where early fa's the dew;
And twas there that Annie Laurie
tiled me her pi omise true;
Gied me her promise true
That ne'er forgot wad boz
And for bonnie Annie Laurie,
I'd lay me down and dee
But, save in "Reminiscences, it was not 10
happen that her promise true meier for
got wad be-" and William Douglas de-
cllned TO lie down and dec on account
OF Annie Laurie or any other Scottish lady
tair. Douglas adherence to the Stuart
cause brought him under the ban of the
authorities, and he was soon compelled to
escape to France, where he remained in
exile for few years, until he could secure,
through the powerful Queensbury family,
his pardon from the government. THERE'S
no proof that either Tilted" the other. Per.
haps Annie Laurie was as canny as her
father, Sir Robert, who was a staunch
Jacobite batter. Perhaps Douglas found
interesting temporary attachments in Paris
Perhaps each unconsciously drifted away
from the other through the deadly political
and religious rancor of the time. 1t is
doubtful if Annie Laurie ever received
another missive from her inpassioned
poet lover after the one containing the
ballad. when must ever preserve the
memory Of both. And it is certain that
the pair never again met after the sadly
plisstul parting which gave birth to this
sweetest and tenderest of songs 1t is said
thatit was first given to the public by Lady
John Scott, sister of the late Duke of Buc.
cleugh, who slightly rearranged the words
and the music and who secured their pub
LEGATION for the benefit of some Charity ii
behalf OF widows and orphans of the
Crimean war; but there is no substantial
proof that the words and the tune are mn
nov precisely as they came from the sou
and the pen of the ardent Jacobite lover.
The portraits. Of Annie Laurie, preserved
at Craigdarroch and Mansfield, seats Of
her descendants. show her to have been ,
woman Of slender physique, with pecu
liarly slight and willowy figure. thor
TINS was set head whose profile is a
markedly classic as ever was shown upol
ancient carving or modern com. The necI
was long, with that graceful swelling from
breast to throat so loved OF the artists. til,
chin was almost sharp though roundl,
pointed; the lips though closed, wer,
beautifully rounded, full and widely D. rtet
at their edges; the nose, and the arching
from It's bridge, strong, full, and as eX
9uisitely moulded as the most refined
Grecian type; the forehead high, wide an,
straight from the nose-tip; and the eve
large, full and tender; while this remark
able face and head were crowned by ,
mass oil wavy, golden-brown hair. Will
all her impressive beauty she seems /,
nave been most commonplace parsonage
and while capable of awakening suddeI
ana mighty names in the breasts OF ordi
nary Scottish folk as well as poets, to hay
been herself devoid of any of those menta
or spiritual qualities capable of ele,atinl
her character to the realm of romance d
heroism. she is known TO have placidl,
Enjoyed, as many young women now d,
before entering matrimony, very grea
number of love affairs all of which seen
TO have been turgid and rampant on III
part Of her male admirers, and receive,
and benignantly tolerated ON her own
her promise true evidently having beef
widely distributed in southwestern Scot
land; until warned by advancing years sh
became the wife of man with no NOR
2 poetry in him than kail-yard wall, bu
with broad acres and plenty OF "siller,
Alexander Ferguson, laird OF Craigdar
toeh, Glencairn parish, Dumfriesshire.
The whole region roundabout the seen
pf this romantic episode between Ami