The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-01-26

manly independence such as found ex- pression in the song, "A Mans Man for a That"
 He believed that in the whole of creation man was the 'noblest work" of all; not that he was unable to ap- preciate anything else, He could de- light in wooded valleys, fruitful carses and waterfalls, but over and over again we find him emphasizing what we have already suggested. His great est interest was in mankind itself There is story told of the poet to the effect that early one morning, in conn pany with & friend, he climbed hill in the vicinity of Edinburgh, and not withstanding the natural beauty of the view that met their gaze, Burns fixed his eyes upon the little cluster of cot 1 tages at his feet, with the rising clouds of blue smoke trailing in the morning i air, eloquent of the laborer's early meal, and said tn eworthiest object In all that fair scene was the little cluster i of cottages, knowing as he did the qualities for which they stood, wealth of true character Of those by whom l they were inhabited. He knew well 1 the changeableness of human feeling harmony, and at times the discord, with it's surroundings. The latter is hinted at in the song so full of deep | pathos:
 ''Ye banks and braes O bonnie Doon. How can ye bloom sac fresh and fair? How can ye chant, ye little birds, f,,, ot n
 The chanting of the little birds found a place in his thoughts, though in this connection expressive of their gladness as over against his own grief. Had they been in trouble his sympathy was large enough to take them in.
 How suggestive his lines to the little mouse that built a place of shelter from the blast of winter, but the coul- ter of the plough crashed through it's refuge:
 "That wee bit heap O leaves and stib-
 ble
 Has cost thee many a weary nibble; Now thou's turned out for a thy trou-
 ble;
 But house or hauld,
 To thole the winters sleety dribble
 And craurench cauld.'
 But mousie; thou art no thy lane: Tn proving foresight may be rain; { The best-laid schemes O mice and men
 Gang aft agley;
 And lea'e us nought but grief and pain
 For promised joy"
 A very different strain is noticeable in many of Burns compositions. l re- fer to. the unapproachable humor as seen in such piece as Tam O'Shanter, a marvelously witty thing and put to- gether in a few hours; surely no great CT proof of the authors genius need be required than this fact. Burns himself believed it was the best thing he ever did, I shall forbear quoting from 1t, as I feel sure 1t must be very familiar to you all A word or two must be said regarding the religious character of Robert Burns. That he was brought up in a God-fearing household goes without saying, and that the influence of his early boyhood continued to fol- low him cannot be less true. However much he may have departed in practice from the piety that is enshrlned in the conditions described in the "Cotter's Saturday Night, and to which he was no stranger, it's value was never lost sight of, and when we remember the works of the stanza:
 70 Scotia! my dear, my native soil, For whom my warmest wish to heaven
 Is sent,
 Long may thy hardy sons of rustic toll Be blest with health and peace and
 sweet content;
 And o, may heaven their simple lives
 prevent
 From luxury's contagion, weak and
 vile;
 Then howe'er crowns and coronets be
 rent.
 A virtuous populace may rise the while And stand wall of fire around their
 much loved isle.
 we at once call to mind the words of Holy Writ.
 righteousness exalteth the nation" "Who made the heart, 'tis He alone
 Decidedly can try us. He knows each chord, it's various tone,
 Each spring its various buds. Then at the balance let's be mute;
 We never can adjust it. Whats done we partly may compute,
 But know not what's resisted" Burns has done much for the world, and the world owes him debt greater than it can ever repay. Let 1t not hes itate to do its utmost to discharge the ,.aer,r, I, cib ibi1itxy co fo If Rev. Donald D. Munro, of Calvary Baptist church, gave an extremely in- teresting address, enumerating the Scottish customs, traits, habits and peculiarities, and exemplifying them by interesting Scottish stories and illus trating by various touches in Scottish history. MT. Hunro talked on the Scot religion, wit and power of repartee. His remarks were of very impressive nature, and the large audience was en- tieed and enraptured by his remarkable clearness of expression and his extra ordinary manner of gaining their con- f1dence. Before MT. Munro had finished speaking his listeners were in fit of laughter on account of his witty re- marks. At the close of his address he was roundly applauded.
 The following are the committees who had charge of the arrangements:
 Committee of Arrangements-Rob Macarthur, chairman; John Dalgleish, Peter Stirling, John Hume, treasurer; Charles A. Menzies, secretary.
 Panare+in,a Corarai+tea-P inhard palJ first chieftatn, chairman; Robert D. Pryde, w. c. Mcintosh, Robert Draf- fin, James Mustarde, George Wallace.