The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-10-05
THE home POET.
A GLIMPSE AT ROBERT BURNS,
Scotland's Greatest Bard.

Selected.
William Hewitt asked a Scotch
farmer at the birthplace of Burns, "Can
you explain to me what it is that makes
Burns such favorite with you here IN
Scotland?' II can tell" said he,
"what it is. 1t is because he had the
heart OF man in him. He was all
heart and all man; and there Is moth
Ing, at least in poor mans experience,
| either bitter or sweet, which can hap
pen to him but line of Burns springs
into his mouth and gives him courage
and comfort it he needs it. It is like q
second Bible" "The appeal OF Burns
to the heart Of humanity is wonderful" !"
says John Service. cit 10 doubtful
whether any poet, ancient Or modern
has evoked IS much personal attach
ment as Burns has drawn to himself Z"
| 1t is said that his funeral was attended
| by ten thousand persons, and when in
1914 festival was held In his honor
at Ayr, his birthplace, the local editor
estimated the whole number OF persons
present as eighty thousand. The ex-
planation of this popularity is to be
found in that touch of nature which
makes the whole world kin.
Burns never travelled beyond the
| limits of his native land, except In a
brief tour as far as Newcastle in Eng
land. He resided for short time In
Edinburg. Aside from this the range
of his life was limited to five different
homes. from Ayr to Dumfries, where
| he died. But he was striking Illus
tration of Emerson's remark to the
effect that it is needless to travel, since
| if you stay at home all the world Will
come to your own doorstep. He was
an lnsatlate reader. He had studied
the works of Shakespeare, Pope, Shen-
stone, Thomson, Allan Ramsay, Fer
gusson (from whom he caught the
spirit OF the Scottish muse), and Of
other writer's. He had perused with
intense interest such songs and ballads
as came within his reach. The dawn
ing spirit of the French Revolution
had shone into his mind. "Uncon-
scious sincerity vas his grand charac-
teristie,' says Welsh. Sympathy with
man and high sense of the nobieness
OF true manhood gave his genius the
scope OF universally. Scotland has
given the world three great names,
Carlyle, Scott and Burns, and widely as
they differ they all were alike in their
appeal to the deep things in human
nature.
Says Service: "His claim to be con.
.idered tie first of song writer's Is hard
ly disputed. It is claim which rests
upon scores of lyrics, each OF which
might be cited as an instance of lyrical
passion at its best and highest" One
thinks at once of Heine, the German
song writer, Beranger, the Frenchman
and of Horace, the Great Latin lyric
poet, all touching kindred chords, some
OF them with the most cultivated and
artistic skill. Yet of all song writers
of all time Burns is first In delicacy
and depth of feeling, in simplicity and
tenderness. It was incident to his pas
sionate and sensitive nature that ht
should be extremely susceptible II
feminine charms. One OF his com
panions wrote "He composed sons
about every tolerable looking lass In BIZ
parish, and finally one in which they
we're all included" His verses OF
"Highland Mary" and "To Mary II
Heaven" are as pure and elevated il
} sentiment and style as anything tha
, the pen of man ever wrote. But equal
" native to him was tho sense OF th'
manIiness OF man, and the ring OF mar
tial Inspiration. In the splendid draw
ing-rooms OF Edinburg he is "unaffect
ed, unastonished he never forgets th'
majesty of manhood" More stirring
tones were never struck than Ill nj
"Scots, wha hae wi Wallace bled," 0
IA mans man for "a that" and be
. tween the extremes of feminine tender
!. ness and of martial fire he spoke tn
! sense of human brotherhood in tn
a matchless lines of "Auld Lang Syne.
J OF the Irregularities which so sadl
marred his lie it is hardly necessary I
speak. They seem not to have been
! his essential nature, but rather to bav
expressed the infrmity OF an impetr
Gus. passionate spirit. lawfully wen
NO RIGHT TO UGLINESS.