The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-24
BLITHE BOBBY BURNS
HIS BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY
BRINGS FRESH WORDS OF PRAISE.
A Brief Review Of the Poets Life,
That Have Made Him Loved.

In clay-built cottage about two miles
from the town OF Ayr, Robert Burns, the
national bard of Scotland, was born. Jan.
Is, 1853. Here in this land % brown heath
and shaggy wood" "a blast % Janwar
wind blew hansel In on Robin, but the
sturdy Scotch blood in his veins withstood
the blasts Of Boreas and the poverty OF his
birth. and he lived TO become one OF the
greatest of British poets.
Burns was a great reader. and although
surrounded by extreme poverty managed
to read many of the best books of his time.
1t isasaid that while he was working or
walking to his labor he studied the works
of Shakespeare, Pope and Ramsey. In his
nineteenth year he studied mensuration
and surveying, and also increased his store
of reading by perusing the works Oh
Thompson and Shenstone. In 11Sl, in order
to become a flax dresser, he removed to
Irvine, but fire destroyed his shop and he
returned to his fathers home penniless.
His stay In Irvine is only noteworthy for
the fact that it was here the poetic fires
within him were rekindled by reading Fer
guson's poems.
Soon after this incident the death Of his
father occurred, and together with his
brother he took suitcase of farm called
Mossgeil, in the parish of Mauchlne. in
order to support his family. His attempts at
farming were failure here as at Ellisland,
but literature gained some of its master
pieces while he was engaged in the humble
occupation of tiiling the soil.
For him, the blowing of those fields
A more ethereal harvest yields
Than Shelves of grain:
Songs flush with purple bloom the rye,
The plover's call. the curlew's cry
Sing in his BRAIN.
About this time poverty. among other
causes, led him TO think of leaving his
native land, and he resolved to emigrate
to Jamaica. While conveying his trunk
from Ayrshire TO GreenocA. where ne in
tended TO embark. he wrote his Farewell
to Scotland" The following lines will give
an idea of the state of his mind:
The gloomy night is gath'ring fast,
Loud roars the wind in constant blast;
see it driving Ger the plain.
The hunter now has left the moor,
While here | wander pr ss with care,
Along the lonely banks Of Ayr.
Farewell old Coila's hills and dales,
The scene where wretched fancy roves
Pursuing past, unhappy loves.
Farewell my friends, farewell my foes
My peace with these. my love with those;
The bursting tears my heart declare;
Farewell the bonnie banks Of Ayr"
From the subscription of an edition Of his
collected poems ne obtained the sum of EGO.
and thus secured passage for Jamaica.
While hiding to avoid arrest a friend
brought MIN letter which had been re-
ceived from the Blind clergyman, Dr. Thorn
as Blackjack, who ranked high both as
preacher and a poet. This letter, which
spoke in favorable terms OF the poetry of
Burns. may be regarded as the turning point
in his career. About two months after this
episode he went to Edinburgh. and there,
in that renowned center of learning, the
poor farmer of Ayr found his store of early
reading of much benefit. A new edition of
his poems was brought out, from the sale
OF which he realized the sum of $500. He
then gave up the idea of emigratng and re-
solved to make his home in Scotland.
The next summer was spent in journey
through the.country Of his birth. and some OF
his poems refer TO the places which he Wis
tied at that time. With a part Of his money
he purchased a farm at Ellisland, Dunn
friessh.re, where he removed with his bride,
Jean Armour. The same year that he
came to the farm he received the appoint
ment OF gauger in the system Of excise by
collected From Ellis!and he removed to
Dumfries, where he was advanced to the
position of exciseman. He soon became one
of the many convivial spirits that frequent
ed the "Globe Tavern" and his early death
at the age OF thirty-seven is attributed to
night of excess at this favorite rendeZ-
vous. Overpowered by the effects of the
liquor he had imbibed, he fell asleep on his
way home. and fatal chill following, the
seeds OF a rheumatic fever took posses
sion of his weakeped frame. He was re-
moved "A )1p ri
in the hope that the sea air might benefit
him, but he soon returned TO his home
was buried with military honors by the
Dumfries Volunteers, to which booy he had
belonged
HIS SIMPLE THEMES.
Burns's powers of poesy were attuned to
the common things-to the "wee, modest
crimson-tipped flower" the "cow'rin', tim
rous beastie," the Xix. happing Bird the
''ourie CATTLE or "slly Sheep" to the COM
mon people, to John Anderson, my jo
JOHN" Tam O'Shanter,", the "Cotter" OIL
the Jolly Beggars.' With his limpid
rhymes he has rendered immortal the land
that gave him birth. for who can forget
| Caledonia while ''Bonny Doom" and Irvine
Water" run? The Castle o. No 1tgomery'
may crumble to dust, "Willie's Mill' run
by steam instead of water and Nance
| Tinnocks Cottage become a black and di.
lapidated howell with no Jolly Begars'' to
| so there TO t!pple, but while there are lovers
or the common things and events of life
while there are those who do not bow down
| to form and caste and Mammon Burns
will ever continue to be read by those who
recognize true worth, though in humble
| guise.
Burns was a true lover OF nature. His
ardent love for the things about him, the
dear, common things OF everyday life, the
tiny bird and wounded hare, the streams
ard woods, the braes and moors, the flowers
that fell beneath his plowshare. is ferven
AMI sincere. He has forever immortalizeC
| them In lines that are known and suns
wherever the English language is spoken.
1t is this quality of Burns, the art OF
portraying the common feelings and the
common things of everyday life, of throw
ing a charm over and around such appar-
| emily Insignificant and trivial objects as the
| lield mouse, the timid hare or the simple
| daisy, that renders his poetry enduring
| while that of other and more aspiring writ
| ers has long since been forgotten.
Burns recognized the beautiful in the nat
| ural world about him. His tender and com
passionate heart was melted by the sigh
OF the modest daisy whose life had beer
cut short by his plowshare, while he wa.
working in the field at Mossgiel. One car
almost see with what reverence and ten
| derness ne stoops to pick up the frail bios
som with his toil-begrimed hands:
Wee. modest, crimson-tipped fow'r,
| Thoust met me in an evil hour;
| For maun crush amang the stoure
/ Thy slender stem.