Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-04-26

lin religion as In other Things; fOr 10
most places, the people who guard these
tourist-haunted places are only too glad
to turn penny, be It the Lords Day oI
no.
Turning sadly away few steps brings
as to the ruin Of the "Auld Kirk" auld
Alloway Kirk where "auld Nick led the
music," one OF the landmarks Of thai
iuimitahle drama Of Tam O'Shanter
| "Kirk. .Alloway was drawing nigh
| Where ghaists and houlets nightly cry"
The structure IL Of uncut stone, and
only the front and back and walls tha,
20 up to q peak, and parts Of the side
walls, are standing, the roof having
fallen In. II stands In the centre Of the
tiny graveyard, which Is also enclosed
by wall also Of uncut stone, which
shelters only grim solitude and the grey
and silent memorials over the peaceful
graves.
Alighting from the carriage once
more, rs Sandy sat on his perch he Wa:
asked II he supposed they would let u:
In here. referring to the silent inhabitan'
within.
"Ob, yes" says Sandy with smile
'they are ma sac struct (strict) In theer.
We have TO walk between the grave;
TO reach the entrance. and almost the
first grave we come TO Is that OF william
Burns, father OF the poet, died Feb. l3
1854, and his wife Agnes Brown, and
here occurs that tender epitah to hin
written by his son:
30 ye. whose cheek the tear Of pity stains,
Draw near with pious reverence and attend
Here lie the loving husbands dear remains,
The tender father and the gcn'rou friend.
The plying heart that felt for human woes.
The dauntlcss heart that fcar'd no human pride
The friend Of man. 10 Vice alone foe,
For ev'n his fa,lings lean ~ virtues side "
| There Ia no monument, only a plain
marble slab and headstone.
or all the ancient castles, abbeys
monssteries, and other historic and tim'-
hsllowed ruins IL has thus far been IN.
fortune Of your correspondent TO see
none are so beautiful, so sad, so full oi
pathos and intense interest, none hav,
ever touched the heart AS has this olt
ruia Of AilOwsv Kirk; not alone for thu
interest Ii has for It's come tion With our
special hero and his family, but for the
simple story il tells OF the life of th'
lowly crofters aud co.ters, who once
worshipped within it, crumbling walls,
and under its now roofess canopy. Anr
most romantic OF NIL IL its tiny belfr'
ahich still supports and shelters it. litt,'
hell. scarce larger than the little brl
the "school ma'am" OF our chidho ~
used, TO call US Ia from noon hour ant
"recess" Ia the old school house und, I
the hill by the brook Though mute for
more than century, II is far more elo-
quent In It's rusty silence than the grand,
EST chime OF bells on the most gorgeou'
cathedral In the world. For tn ,ugl
silent II spe ks to the heart With lat.
gusge unutterable.
Then few steps more, just around
the curve Ia the road Ia the "auld Brig
o. Doon"-the old bridge across the
Doom. which also figures so conspicu'
ously In the same gruesome tale.
"Now do thy speedy utmost. Neg,
And win the keystanc o. the brig"
ionder l. the monument erected "a
Burns, and In the tastefully laid ou'
grounds around Ia a statue OF Tn
O. Shsuter and Souter Johnny, Tsm'i
ancient, trusty, droughty crony." The
monument Is Of special interest, In tn
IL contains, with few other relics, III"
Bible with which Robert and HigblSnd
Mary plighted their trotb, as they walk
cd on the banks of AYR, aud 10 the Bible
IL lock Of Mary's hair-beautiful and
soft and brown. Mary was only n milk
maid, bur good girl. whom Burns So"
through the light OF his own ideali'm.
She went away and died OF fever
without disenchintment ever coming {"
either Of them; and Of all his poem
the song Of Highland Mary Ia perh,p-
more full Of parhos and sadness than
anv he ever composed. It must be a
hard heart indeed that can read II
through without moistened eyes, especi-
ally this last verse:
80 pale. pale now. those rosy hps
| I aft hae kissed sse f,ndly
| And closed for aye the sparkling glance
That dwelt on me sne Kindly
| And mout'r.ng now In silent dust
| The heart that lo'ed me dearly
But still within nv bosom's core
Shall live my Highland Mary"
But YOU are tired, so We will walt I'LL
tomorrow to finish our wsnderings "by
banks and braes o. Bonnie Doom"
MARTHA MAXIM.