Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-28

Mrs. Nellie Reid-Cady, who recently
returned from tour thru the British
Isles, favored the audience with a de-
llghtful paper touching upon the lives
and the native land of Robert Burns
and Sir Walter Scott. Mrs. Cady, with
characteristic aptnes. depicted the
scenes amid which her subjects grew up
and worked out their literary careers.
Ayr. which at the present day is Chiefly
famous for its association with Robert
Burns, the poet plowman, Is town OF
great antiquity, and played its part in
the early history of Scotland. Here the
grandfather of Sir William Wallace
lived when SO cruelty murdered by the
English, and here Wallace himself first
openly organized resistance to the Eng
fish forces. The town has many places
OF interest, among them the aud brig
over the river that appeared to Burns as
Of an
Ancient pictish race.
Gothic
The vera wrinkles in his face.
1t seemed as he with Time had wrasled
lang"
The Tam oShanter inn where Tam
and soutar Johnnie held high carnival.
continues TO remain a place where men
"Sit browsing at the happy,
An. getting fou and uncou happy"
THE banks of the river Avon are no
more sacred to the memory of Shakes
peare than are the banks of Bonnie
Doom, for there was born a poet whose
power was love-love Of God of man,
and OF nature. Patience, gentleness,
tenderness, written always In loving
words that were on his lips as common
as wild flowers and as full of beauty.
There wac never another like him that
could SO infuse personality into express
sion. "A soul passlon-swept, yet respon-
sive, weak at times. mayhap. yet tender
and true, sinful yet melodious
A glimpse at the baroness, misery
and hopelessness of the cotter peasant
life gives q greater love and pity for the
lowly born Burns than ever before.
1T was bonnie day in June that ]
made my pilgrimage to the little clay
biggin matched in with straw, where
in that terrible winter of 1857 Bobbie
Burns was born. 1t Is tiny cottage by
the side Of the road leading from Ayr to
the river and bridge of Doom. The fer
tile country Of Ayrshire is called the
flower garden Of Scotland. Wild flowers
grow in widest profusion. The fields ara
often a flaming red with peoples. Close
to the oadway was the little cottage,
cleaning white in its fresh coat OF
whitewashing. What is now the kitchen
was in Burns day it's chief apartment,
The floor of clay, the table, old dishes
and bed place in the wall give home
touch to the little cottage. 1t was not
difficult to imagine just such a little
home appearing in view Of the toil-worr
cotter OF Burns finest poem, The Cot
ter's Saturday Night
1.-THE banks and braes Of the Doom are
indeed bonnie, where Burns oft roved
and sang with the birds of love. Two
miles from the brig o Doom is the little
farm of Mt. Olimphant, where the life
of hardest toll and severest sacrifice
ended in the financial failure Of the
family.
THE little town of Mauchline Is rich
In memories of Burns. In the town il
Mauch!ine castle. the home at that time
Of friend in whose library the poel
married Jean Armour. and there are two
tiny upstairs rooms in a tenement house
| where the young couple began house
keeping.
"Ellisland, on the banks of the river
wirth, six miles from Dunlfries, Is an
other farm made pathetic in the mem
cries of Burns. Here he took Jean ano
| his babies and for little time life held
| the promise of peace and happiness, blu,
all men are not born farmers, and cir
cumstances forced him to take up duties
calling toethe poet heart.
I'VE had followed in the footsteps o,
the poet from the lowly birthplace tc
the homes of childhood and manhood
and reverently we went to old Dumfries
| so pathetically associated with those
last days Of misery and bitterness
What a change 1t must have been from
beautiful and romantic Ellisland, along
which the crystal clear river sang anc
murmured, the bonnie broom clad braes
| undulating fields and noble forests tc
| the stuffy rooms in the narrow streets
of old Dumfries. No wonder his course
was downward. You can visit the queer
old howffs or drinking places of Burns
about town and walk past the wretched
corner where Burns lay all one bitter
cold night. and for this folly paid the
penalty of long sickness, ending In
QediH. LII OtlC GOIuCl VI OlQ 81.
the poet lies at rest in a beautiful me-
mortal monument. Within the room OF
sepulture is large altar piece inmor-
TALKING the words of the poet:
The poet genius Of my country
found me as the prophetic bard Elijah
found Elisha-at the plow-and threw
her inspiring mantle over me-"
With word pictures Mrs. Cady showed
many places in and about Edinburgh
connected with Sir Walter Scott. His
birthplace in College Wynd Of old Ed
inburgh, the home OF his youth in
George square and the home of his
early married life in Castle street. Lass
wade, the first little country home about
six miles from Edinburgh, and the fine
residence in Selkirkshire. This roman
tic spot will be remembered as the place
where Scott entered upon his life of ac-
tive literary labore. A description was