Birmingham age-herald., 1894-08-23
SOClalald Otherwise
IAll items of social interest will he gladly noted in this column if sent to Mrs. George c. Ball, 2161 Highland avenue.


 noted in this column if sent to Mrs. George
 c. Ball, 2161 Highland avenue.
 I referred in Sundays column to the very interesting communication received from Scotch gentleman, who resides at Cardiff, Ala, and who, like all his coun- trymen, feels a profound concern in all that relates to the writings of Robert Burns. 1 wish I could give his letter in it's entirety, but will cull as many ex- tracts from it as space will allow, knowing all literary people will enjoy the reading. It will be seen that he agrees In part with my lady friend and correspondent, and in part with MT. Leith, and furnishes author ity for his opinions. ...........-
 tDEAR MADAM: also, like Nr. Leith and your lady correspondent, paid marked attention to your ques. tion in the AGE HERALD of Wednes- and on reading it a gentleman present re- marked that he, when boy5soiten pad- dled in the Rye water. l thought you would likely have some autherity quoted to you on the question forf.Ihe Sunday AGE HERALD, so l did not then re- ply. And, being from home Sunday and Monday, when I returned could not find the part of the AGE HERALD containing your correspondence replies. | procured a Sunday AGE- HERALD in Birmingham to- daJ ddd OJ dubuOIlhJ OA buC Iihb- ter in question, even after so long q time, there may yet be some information gleaned, from the following. In the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, vol. vi, Pct. to Zet., find this: Rye water, rivulet of Daloz parish, Cunninghame district, Ayeshire, running 7 miles south hsoutheastward, chiefly through hilly country, and falling into the Gaewock, in the northeastern vii cinity of DaloZ town !; also in the works of ho6ert Burns. poetical and prose, arranged and edited by Gertrude, vol. ii, pub lished by W. R. McPlum & Sons, Glasgow and London, 1874.
 "Alluding to Coming Thro' the Rye,' an article appeared in the Glasgow Herald, newspaper, in the course of the summer of 1S67 headed, New Reading of an Old Poet,' of which will give quotations, as it would surely tire you were to scratch it all down. The anonymous writer tells us that desiring to kill an intermediate hour in the second city in the empire ere self to print shop window, and then says: Very soon my eye was caught by a nicely finished print, ,portraying youthful, modest, loving pair in each others arms carelesSly straying through field of way ing rye, apparently needless alike of the transgression of bucolic law and the dis comfort made to their progress by the sturdy stalks of the cereal, etc. Further on he says; 'On mentioning the circum- stances 10 some friends afterward 1 was
 
 any means alone in his conception, and that the illustration was quite appropriate, etc. Live and learn, quothed l; my im- pression up to this time has been that the rye referred to was a small stream in Ayeshire, etc.
 "Gertrude, the author, says that this in- cident corroborated a suspicion he had long entertained that many of the words and expressions occurring in Burns poems are not understood by the majority of lad ac ait n a nj nr frivolous, or even supposed to be invented for the nonce by some who choose rether to impute slip-shod composition tp the bard than to be at the trouble of naking careful investigation of bis meaning when not quite apparent at the first glan 5e.
 ''Mr. James McKie Kilmannock, publisher of the fac simile of the irst ,dition of Burns poems, in writing to tRf editor of the Glasgow Herald, referringIo the before mentioned anonymous letter, says: sI really think there has been too much lib erty taken of late, or attempted, with the reading or meaning of the poet, Burns; and this rendering seems to me to be bringing matters to a climax
 "i believe it is an opinion, indorsed by the entire common sense ot mankind, that Burns had no other idea in his mind than that of a maiden going through rye field, as the artist has illustrated in the print sellers window. There is no evidence in the poem either to lead us to suppose that
 
 ested in Jenny, 'draiglin a her petticoatie, coming thro' the rye,' and Burns was more acquainted with rye fields than he was with rye water, etc. The various editors of Burns works Will very likely vary somewhat in their quotations. By all means let MT. Leith know that the Rye is there all the same, for l too, am cotchman, born and raised on the banks and braes O bonnie Doen,' within twelve miles of Burns monument.
 "A READER"
 Tie Tuesday Afternoon Whist club was entertained this week by Mrs. Harry Jones, on the south Highlands, and the prize was won by Mrs. John P. Tillman.
 Mrs. W. H. McClintock and her little daughter, Miss Joe, are spending short while near Blouut Springs, and MT. Mo- Ciintock goes up every afternoon, return ing to town in tue mornings in time for business.
 Mrs. E. P. Quigley is spending few days at Fort Payne with Mrs. D.. N. Cul- om and family, en route to St. Louis, where she goes to join MT. Quigley.
 From friends in Auburn comes the fol-, lowing, containing notes of interest to many in Birmingham: Auburn, Ala, that center of culture and refnemen, seems to possess unusual attractions this summer, judging from the number of visitors who are enjoying her hospitality. Birming- nam, too, is represented among them. Mise Mary George Linn is visiting her grandmother, Mrs. Riley. Misses illella and Jessie Lockhart are with Mrs. Hurt. Mrs. William H. Micou of Montgomery, on her return from visit to the family of Secretary Herbert at Washington, D. C., stopped for week or two in Auburn, and was also the guest of Mrs. Hurt. It is to be hoped that Mrs. Micou will favor the public with some written descriptions of