The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-27
Here is a quotation that tells the

Here is a quotation that tells the
whole story:
A wish Il mind it's poWer),
A wish, that to my latest hour
VIII strongly heave my breast
That I, for poor aud Scotland's sake,
Some useful plan or book could make,
Or sing sang at least"
His wish for poor aud Scotland"
was more than gratified and the land
of his love is really loved the world
over to-day largely because Of the
''sangs" which Burns gave to us.
Burns Love For His Countrymen.
Closely associated with his devotion
to Scotland was his appreciation of the
rugged sterling worth of it's people.
He was not only the poet of Scotland
but the great appreciation of Scotch
character. He was born in an "auld
clay biggin,'' he had followed the pillow,
he had seen the seasons come and go,
he knew the wild charm of the cold
winters night, he was a sharer of the
experiences, the joys, the trials and the
sorrows of the peasantry. To know
them was to love them. And to love
them was to sing of them and their
simple, strong traits. What man has
ever had a finer thing said of him
than Burns said of Captain Matthew
Henderson who was "a gentleman who
held the patent for his honours inme-
diately from Almighty God" And
there were many good Scots, not
known outside of their own valleys, of
whom he felt the same, and it was of
these and of their sweet sonsie
lasses" that he loved to sing. He cared
not for kings and potentates and wrote
no verses in their honor, but he has
given us description of the natural
grace of a peasant girl which any
queen might envy. Here are the lines.
They are from Handsome Nell" his
first song:
She dresses aye sac clean and neat,
Both modest and genteel;
And then there's something in her gait
Cars ony dress look weel."
Yes, it was of the virtues of humble
born Scotch men and maidens that he
loved to sing. He was no court poet
but the poet of the sterling worth of
lowly people. Here is verse suggest
brings out strongly this idea:
go to your sculptured tombs, We great,
In a. the tinsel trash O. state!
But by thy honest turf I'll wait,
Thou man O. worth!
And weep the ae best fellows fate
Fer lay in earth"
He was pre- minently the poet of the
plain folk and the poet Of plain things,
as became one who was himself an
Ayrshire plowman. He cared nothing
for kings and palaces and pageants,
but a great deal for the peasantry,
their homes and the simple duties and
the pleasures of the field. In this line
he noticed everything from the noun
tain daisy to the wee, sleekit, coWrin,
tom'rous beastie," the mouse, disturb
ed by the plow. Read "The Aud Far
mer's New Year Morning Salutation to
his Aud Mare Maggie" or The Cot
ters' Saturday Night" and you will ap-
preciate my point. 1t was the cottage
life, the farm life, the life of nature
about him, the loves and sorrows of
his fellow workers in the field, in
which his interest centred. He was the
national poet Of Scotland because the
poet of its daily life. He told what he
saw and heard and thought among his
own people.
His Frank Confession of Shortcomings.
There was nothing labored in his
song, for subject, inspiration, dress,
came from the people about him. He
was a great poet because, seeing be-
meath the surface, he made the simplest
life full of significance. showing that
"a mans a man for a that"
I have spoken to you of the resem-
blance between Old Scotland and New
England and about Burns devotion to
the former and his love for its people.
He was indeed a true friend of Gale
donna and her folk, but let it be said
with real sorrow, he was a poor friend