Morning journal and courier., 1893-01-28
IN HONOR OF sCOTIA,s BARD.

IN HONOR OF SCOTIAsS BARD.
Big Celebration OF Burns Birth
day Anniversary at Warner Hall
Last Night-A Brilliant Program
Eloquent Address by Rev r. r..
Luckey.
The twenty-third annual celebration of
he birthday of Robert Burns was oele-
grated last evening at Warner hall by the
New Haven Calendonian club. The hall
was packed to overlooking. Seated on the
stage were Chief Moffat and Rev. Frank
B. Luckey. The musical and literary pro-
gram was one of the most delightful that |
has ever been given by the club, and 1t re- |
Elected great credit on the committee of |
The program was as fol-
lows
Song. Here's Health, Bonnie scotland, to
sonseTie Flowers Of the FOrsst. w. ~ n:
SONG" Observation-Disclosures; Highland MARY Miss Lizzie G. CARNEY
s........... o -n 'Mr Edwin s. Macaregor
GID g. sssas Sarah binn
Duet-;;Thie Joiiiy; students; ..
Humorous Observation-Disclosures s Q al aaesis
Burns h sv Tr.n s Il La aases
sons""Thsrie's Lad Was Born in kyls%
song-"whhe;ni the Kye Come a Hames.. s
sone-Rocied in the Cradle q he PssP n.n
song-"Bonnie House o Airlie" 49,.
sons-Maich Of the osns Mtss M Male a'h'eS
QUARTET. Love is Lie a Red, Red
Miss Carney, Mrs. Biinn and Messrs. MscGregor
and Bushnell.
Humorous Rectation-"Tam o'Shanter."
(abridgeD. ..............Mr. William B. Laing
.............. Concert company and audience
Accompanist, MIR A. L. Bristol.
After this program was rendered dane
ing was kept up until q. m.
The committee of arrangement were:
John Mackay, John W. Thomson, Robert
M. McDougall, George Wood John q. Camp
bell.
Reception committee-First chiefaain,
John Donaldson. John Brown, John Mac
Lsuchlan, Andrew Currie, Robert Mac
Arthur, w. G. Mcintosh.
ADDRESS BY REV. Mr.. LUcKEY.
The following is brief abstract of the
address on "Robsrt Burns" delivered by
Mr.. Luekey:
Scotland and Burnsl These two names
are 30 closely welded that what God hath
thus Joined together no man can put asun-
derl Why is thisl Bear with me, friends,
| while mention some of the principal ele-
ments of Barns power over his country
men and over those who, like myself, are
not native and to the manor born.
And among these 1 put first and fore
| most-the human element. This is, with
him. supreme. Nature is everywhere in
his poetry the background for man. Here
followed some quotations from the poet il
| really inspired descriptions of Nature and
her scenery occur as adjuncts to human in
cident or feeling-slips of landscape let in
as background.
But not alone in his descriptions of Nat
ure do we find the human element supreme
but, when in driving his plough he turnec
up the field mouse's nest, here again h
cannot help moralizing, nor In the enc
getting back to msn-and finally to him
eelf. Here again followed quotation
emphasizing the truth Thus, whe1
ures, it is always with a rapid and cas-,
touch, as one who thinks less of 1t than Of
the human toll and passion for which nat
ure is but the background.
To max happy fireside cline
To weans and wife,
That's the true pathos aud sublime
OF human life.
| But If, with Burns, in all things, tn
human element was supreme, then, IL
humanity, the heart was to him the plso
to touch. Hearken to this, in which h
describes that which most pleased him Il
the songs of another:
| There was ae song amang the rest;
Aboon them a, it plea ed ms best,
| That some kind husband had addrest
| To some sweet wife:
1t thrilled the heartstrings thro' the breast
A to the iife
And Burns only wish was not to pre-
duoe finespun emotion, or to write to pleas
the critics, but to touch the heart. As b
himself says,
Gle me ae spark of Natures fire,
| That's a the learning desire;
Then though drudge thro' dirt and mire,
At plough or cart;
My muse though homely in attire,
May touch the heart.
And 80 it has-Robbie For who hs
not felt the intenL, thrill of passion 1
"Mary Morrison 2" y
such lines touch the heart! Yes! Prid
of Scotia's favored plains, Ills time th
wArmest feelings of the heart to move; (
bid 1t throb with sympathy divine,
glow with friendship. or melt with love
nate or tributary to the human element;
in the human element the hearts ay, th
part ay, to be supremely touched-it wa
thirdly, the humanity and heart of the 81
called common people If Burns touchs
not only humanity and humanity's hear
, he likewise touches that which must fo
ever remain by far the largest part of tha
heart: the so-called common people. The
ears caught his voice singing at the ploug
tail,
THE rank is but the guinea stamp,
Il The mans the gowd for a. that"
How fully he understood their way
their noble struggles, their social diffiou
ties; how he was one of the greatest forct
, which ushered in this age, whose polite
! are, and are ever more and more to be, til
politics of the poor, let this passage frol
/ | the "Twa Dogs" declare u x
Any student of Burns could cite at wi
, a score of passages setting forth, wit
equal or superior force of diction, the col
dition of the laboring poor. "The Declari
ton of Independence" the French "Righ
of Man." and the "Msrseillaise," are M
more weighty documents in the history
freedom for the masses than the songs {
Robert Burnsl No wonder the great mas
of the people of Scotland have loved hi,
as, perhaps, never people loved poe
For he not only sympathized with tt
wants, the trials, the joys and sorrows {
their lot, but he interpreted these to then
selves in their own dialect, made music,
and glori6ed by genius. For no poet b,
fore or since has evoked out of that iustru
ment, the Scottish dialect, 80 perfect an
SO varied melodies.
Here, then, in Burns we have poet VIII
speaks to humanity; to the great mass G
humanity; to their hearts, and that, toe
in their native tongue. What more hav
we to add to make him Scotia's idola Nott
, ing save that mixture of wit and satire, tc
gether with those personal weaknesses c
character, mourned by himself, W hich onl