Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-05-03
IN THE LAND OF THE Blue6ell
AND HEATHER.

| 40, a We Bards on Bonnie Doom.
| An wha on Ayr your chanters tune,
Conc join the melAncholious Groom
o. Robins recd''
The morning dawns bright and beauti.
full, so once more we will gang to ouI
Robins Nest,
The aud clay biggin.
An hear thc restless ratons squeak
| About the rKgtn."
MT, however, until you hear about the
pilgrimage to the Auld Kirk In Ayr last
night. Making inquiries once more AT
the hotel Office for the Oldest and sfrictest
Presbyterian church, we felt our reputa-
ton had been redeemed, when they
found our religious zeal would lead Us To
brave the elements on such night ~
that. for the wind howled, and the rain
beat and the floods came. but nothing
short Of a cyclone could keep rs from
church that night.
We had pictured the Interior OF this
suldest Kirk In Ayr as the same as II
WAS $50 years ago, when the Scottish
parliament met there and confirmed the
| title Of Robert Bruce 10 the throne of
Scotland. We had also pictured the
service like that described Ia Aud LIGHT
literature, where the stranger that enters
Ia not allowed to leave the place without
the exhortations Of the multitude In his
behalf even reaching the point OF otliging
him TO walk the narrow wsy-and the
preacher with his long, flowing white
hsir snd beard Ms described thus graphi-
cally by Burns:
His piercing woris IKE Highlan' swords
Divide the joints aud marrow.
III. talk o. Hell where devils dwell
Our very souls did harrow.
A vast unbostom'd. boundlcss pit
Filled fou' o. lowin' birthstone
wha's rSgin' fame, an scorchin' heat
wad meslt the hardest whunstane.
The half asleep start up In fear
An think they hear it roartn',
When presently Il does appear
Twas but some nciehbor snorin'."
Arriving at the kirkyxrd, all is tran
quill, and solemn, plous reflections crowd
la upon the mind, as slowly we pace be-
tw cen the graves towards the door: but
imagine our surprise, not TO say disap-
poin,m when we entered the Auld
Kirk, brilliantly lighted with gas jets,
the old rxfters and beams having given
place TO other highly polished decOrs-
tions; the seats cushioned luxuriously
= magnificent pipe organ pouring forth
musical sounds under the hands OF an
expert master; modern and elegant
pulpit In which lounged modern and
elegant preacher; a fashionsbly dressed
choir whose soloist, gay and festive
young woman, was singing n gay and
festive anthem.
To the devout pilgrim who entered,
seeking a place to kneel, no seat Was
offered, no welcoming hand stretched
out, and after standing till we,rines.
compelled different posture, a man at
hand occupying whole seat alone, was
asked IL ne would not allow sestmate.
He gave consent willingly enough, out
the recipient wondered Why he had not
offered II long ago 10 the stranger with
In their gates.
Presently the preacher arose and an
nounced his text, which II you will be-
l,eve IL Is remembered. probably fr"m
the fact that great wonderment was ex-
perienced regarding the kind OF ser
mon that could be preached from such y
text as this-"My master has left me
because three days sgone fell sick" "
But he succeeded In weaving from that
seemingly unprolific source, most
beautiful sermon, whose central figure
which he somehow wove 10 with dexter
Gus grace and appropriate dnish-w"s
our own glorious countrywomsn, Hrr-
riet Beecher Stowe. When he recogniz> d
that noble specimen OF our American
womanhood, we felt like taking him by
the hand and telling him that one Of her
c"uutrywom had listened with throb-
bing heart to his eulogy on one OF the
greatest women that ever lived.
1t Is well 10 honor the great genius oil
ART in all its branches and directions,
but where Is the artist In any line, be II
music, or painting, or sculpture, whose
work can compare, In benefaction TO the
human race, with the work and life oil
the man or woman who has written n
great book: Even the genius OF Michael
Angelo seems belittled In comparison,
for his hsndiwork Is but An inanimate
reproduction Of Gods handiwOrk; bui
the work OF great author Is spontane-
Gus. He has no work in Nature To copy
from. He must create, out OF his own
im aginatiop, that which is more than
beauty and symmetry-that which Is In
spiration-thxt which will bring help,
hope, joy and comfort to mankind. Aud
what far greater field Of good can his
efforts reach! For buts comparative few
are privileged to look upon the works OF
these great artists or listen to their
songs; but the poor, and those who
abide In the remotest parts of the earth,
Can read these books, for free libraries
cover our universe.
When the service ended, "Surely," we