The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-18
ROBBIE BURNS AGAIN.
Madame Annie Grey Tells
About Him and Sings
His Songs.

A large audience filled the lecture room
of the Bergen Reformed Church last even
ing, when Madame Annie Grey, a Scotch
singer, lectured on the life and works of
Robert Burns. Her discourse on the life
of this wonderful poet was decidedly in
teresting. She depicted his early struggles
for fame, and told how unconscious he
was when he became a wonderful poet.
Madame Grey began by telling of his
parents. of his birth and the books he
read when a youth. 1.-The Bible and the
life of Sir William Wallace were his
~favorite books" she said, and for hours
and days he would peruse them. Nothing
pleased him so much, when he was quite
young, as to have the lassies admire him,
and his love affairs will never be for
gotten" The lecturer went on to tell of
Burns education at Mount Oliphant, and
his early attempts at poetry. At fifteen
he fell in love with the beautiful Mary
Morrison. but she refused him.. 1t was
then he wrote the famous love song bear
ing that title. Madame Grey, accom-
panied by her mother, san it. She then
continued her discourse and told of the
death of the poets father and of his de-
parture for Mossgiel, where he first be-
came famous for his excellent work, and
where the first edition of his poems was
published. "It was there he met Jean
Armour said the speaker, land it was
love at first sight. Her parents forbade
her seeing young Burns, n soon after
he met Mary Campbell, whom he called
Highland Mary, and about whom he
wrote a most exquisite love song. They
were married, but Mary died not long
afterward." She went on to tell of his
visit to Edinburgh, his reception, and how
modestly he acted during his stay. On
his return to Mossgiel, he again met Jean
Armour, this time never to part until
the poet died at. the age of thirty-seven.
The speaker said this woman had un-
limited influence over her husband and
the love they bore each other was beauti-
full to see. He wrote several pretty poems
for his wife shortly after their marriage.
Burns at that time" said the lecturer,
was quite poor, in fact his big open heart
was never known to refuse a favor asked.
He took to farming and was appointed
exeiseman, with a salary just large
enough to subsist upon. 1t was while
occupied in this capacity that he wrote
the famous Tam O'Shanter,' and a num-
Der of humorous poems The failure of
his health and his death were then told.
Madame Grey. possesses an excellent
soprano voice and a strong Scotch accent.
She is also a talented harpist. Among
the songs of Burns she sang were:-
There Was a Lad Mary Morrison
Green Grow the Rashes O." My Nan
MES AVA" "Of a the Arts Duncan
Gray and ''The .''De'ips AVA WI the
Exciseman.' All of the selections were
beautifully rendered and interesting. The
singer was encored frequently. She told
of the old Highland harps, saying that
now the bagpipes had taken their places
and that harps are obsolete. She had an
old harp of the ancient kline with her and
accompanied herself in rendering several
selections. While speaking about the harp
she told an interesting story in regard to
the Gaelic language. She said that a
Scotchman told her that it was the recog-
niZed language of the world, and that it
was spoken by Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden. She asked where the
Garden OF eden was, and he replied in
the Highlands of Scotland. Madame Grey
was requested to sing annie Laurie be-
fore she left, which she did in a most
pleasing manner She said in regard to
this long that many people thought it
was written two hundred years ago. THE
author she said, lis Lady John Scott,
who is now ninety years DID,"