The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1893-10-14
MoRGANTowN WEST VIRGINIA, SATURDAY. OCTOBER

Held, seats OF her descendants, snow
her to have been woman of slender
physique, with a peculiarly slight.
and willowy figure. Upon this was
set head whose profile is as marked
ly classic as ever was shown upon
ancient carving or modern coin. The
neck was long, with that graceful
swelling from breast to throat so
loved of the artists; the chin was al
most sharp though roundlypointed
the lips though closed, were beauti-
fully rounded, full and widely parted
at their edges; the nose, and the
archings from its bridge, strong, full,
and as exquisitely moulded as the
most refined Grecian type; the fore
head high, wide and straight from
the nose-tip; and the eyes large, full
and tender; while this remarkable
face and head were crowned by a
mass Of wavy, golden brown hair.
With all her impressive beauty she
seems to have been a most common
place parsonage, and while capable
of awakening sudden and mighty
flames in the breasts OF ordinary
Scottish folk as well as poets, to
have been herself devoid of any of
those mental or spiritual qualities
capable of elevating her character
to the realm of romance or heroism.
She is known to have placidly enjoy.
ed, as many young women now do
before entering matrimony, very
great number of love affairs; all of
which seem to have been turgii and
rampant on the part of her male ad-
mirers, and received and henignantly
tolerated on her own, her promise
true evidently having been rather
widely distributed in southwestern
Scotland, until warned by adyane.
ing years she became the wife of &
man with no more poetry in him
than kali yard wall, but with broad
acres and plenty of ''siller," Alexan-
der FERGUSON, laird Of Craigdarroch,
Glencairn parish. Dumfrcshire.
The whole region roundabout the
scene of this romantic episode be
tween Annie Laurie and Douglas
and of the latter's poem is exquisite
ly beautiful and is wondrously rife
with poetic and historic interest.
Much of its poetic glamor is of course
due to the personality and pen of
Burns. Every object you look upon
from Dumfries to Craigdarroch has
been given almost individuality, life,
and certainly undying interest from
his personal association or the mag
ic of his muse. From the ancient
Observatory in the Maxwelltown OPP.
posite Dumfries, which must be kept
distinct in the mind from Annie
Laurie's village birthplace of Max
welltown, few miles distant, one can
see and feel the tenderness of com
pletc Identification. The eye ranges
to the east over and beyond fair
Annandale; across Kirkcudbright-
shire, to the west, to the noble hills
skirting Ayrshire; to the north, up
dreamland Nithsdale to the far, dim
turrets Of Drumlanrig Castle; aud
to the south of the vast expanse OF
.Solway Firth, whore, to the right OF
Nithsmouth. looms gTaybrowed
Critfel; while to it's left is caught a
CLEAN OF the sand at Brow Well, a,
whose waters Burns too late strug.
gled to save his life. Thus almost
at glance not only does the be-
witthing cyelorama give the behold
er the entire field OF the everyday
scenes Of the poets life during his
last eight memorable years, but at
the same instant comprehension of
the three most impressive epocbs in
his career Of which we can have
memory--the homeheaven of Ellis
land farm life, the wretched fight
against poverty in the gray old Dor
dertown beneath us, and that last
unavailing struggle at Brow Well,
by Solway's shifting sands; all made
inexpressibly eimpressive by the
lofty dome of the silent mausoleum,
over there in that shadowy kirk yard
looming before rs wherever we may
look for the recognition Of his old
time presence within the fair region
roundabout.
EDGAR T., WAKruAN