The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1900-06-23
ANNIE LAURIE
"A AWOMANTo WHOM THEWoRLD,
! WAS INDEBTED. S
The Woman Who Composed tbs arss7s,>
and Modified the Worlss-,A1so n Friend.
81 OF the Poor and InHrm of Hey'
r Native Heath. ~ @>=-,s- r.. n

tidcn learL recaWd a inherent name
But all sang Annie Laurie.
!: Had the same words been set toas
other notes, or had some other love.
ballad been adapted to the sweet NIL
sic. of annie Laurie would the sub
tie charm Of suggestion have been
the same? When dear old song
plays upon onr hearts, Is it the words
or the music which exerts the most
influence? Whom do we hold best.
beloved, the composer of verse or the
composer Of notes? r F..
In the case of this, perhaps the
greatest love song Of the English Ian
guage, she who wrote the music
practically wrote the Bords-certain-
~ the version as sung for the last half
century. Annie Laurie really lived
She was born Gin the PURPLE SO to
speak, more than zoo years ago in
Dumfrieshire, Scotland A young fell
low OF the name of Douglas in near
by hamlet loved fair Annie, and. he
wrote the original version Of the we'll
known poem. The verses lived: their
little day and died. Their author, in
due course of time, laid hi1n. down and
died, too, but not for" bonnie Annie
Laurie, for she would haVe none Of
him, and instead Of hecoming1 Mrs.
Douglas, she elected 80 take the name,
OF Ferguson. In this maanHr she got
the husband of her sha5cR.. but no
fame.
In the course of Htfle more than a,
century there was boeE in England the
woman who was to bEeather into the
dead poem the breath uf life and the
soul OF music. She rescued from obli-
Won the name of Annie Laurie, and
wrought a worldwide bond OF fssympa-
thy for the, hapless Donglas. Even
the name of Mr.. Ferguson, emerged
from the gloom of the tomb and went
clattering down the corridors OF STime
as the lucky husband Of Annie La,-
rie. It was a sort OF. a general resur.
reetion. .. -.
So to Lady John Scott Spottiswood,
Who has Just died, the Eurn issin0ebt.s
ed, for the. words and music OF the
song that it sings today Born in: 1889
she was married in 1895 to IDrd John
Douglas Molnt Scott she sue =,
ceeded to her brothers property Ia
1870 and resumed the family surname
OF Spottiswood. She was an accom-
plished musician and an efficient. play
er on several Instruments Many:
years ago she issued volume Of uep-
ular songs with music. It was much
more than half century ago that she
modified the original words of "Annier
Laurie and composed the music that
will keep alive the verzes for aye:
When in 1854 England was lighting
in the Crimea It was our own Bayard
Taylor who wrote the Song OF the
Camp" containing the Tines: =
They sang of love, and net OF fame::
Forgot was BritaiH's; glory;
: Each heart recalPd different name
And all sang Annie Laurie"
and thus linked the song to the other.
and younger branch of the English
speaking world.
The poor and infirm in the parish
of Westruther have lost q real bene-
factor by the death of Lady John, who
was wont to say of her charities, my
father was kind to the poor, and why
should not beg" OF pronounced an
tiquarian tastes, Lady Scott Spottis-
wood secured every important find in
the district, and during her long life
gathered a large collection of objects
of archaeological interest She per-
mitted no interference On her estate
with any feature that served to keep
alive the memory of the past, and old
place names were strictly adhered to.
Instead of placing the direction, ''Shut
the gate on gates she wished kept
closed in her demesne, the request
appeared in her vernacuaaT, t.Steek the
yeti. She had no box-seat on her
carriage, her coachman having to ride
as postillion, and her clinging to by
gone customs was manifested in every
relation of life. Z. - l..
..-t Grew by Law ~ &
An Idaho soldier has had five inches