Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-19
To Mary In Heaven
Was Sold for Spree.
Our London Literary Letter.

Special Correspondence.
4 oNDON, Jan. 6,--That poor Bob
bic Burns was DER fond of a spree
all the world knows, and not a few
Of his poems, descriptive OF the
joys OF conviviality, have undoubtedly
produced a considerable increase In the
consumption OF Scotch whisky, But
his touching lines addressed ITO Mary
in Heaven" do not belong to the cate
CORY. They appeal to the tenderest
emotions; they inspire sobriety OF feel
ing. Yet by the strange irony Of fate,
according to the evidence just given IN
lawsuit, the proceeds of the sale %
that beautiful poem were TO be devoted
to spree.
John Savage, a farmer of Downpat-
rick. Ireland, was for many years in
the employ of a clergyman-the Rev.
Mr. Fallon, q collector of Burns' relies.
He made Savage his residuary legatee.
on going over his papers Savage found
an envelope addressed to himself, con-
tanning the original manuscript of TO
Mary In Heaven" and a note asking
of its value and showed it TO Mr..
Murphy. who, with his daughter, a
schoolmistreSs of Troon, Ayrshire,
CHANGED to be visiting him. In the
course of the general conversation that
ensued Miss Murphy 1t Is alleged, sug-
gested that as she lived In the Burns
country she might be able to sell Il.
She sold it for $3.50. Savage sued her
for half the amount, declaring that the
manuscript had been entrusted TO Miss
Murphy TO sell. on the understanding
that the proceeds were to be divided
equally between them. This Miss Muir
ply emphatically denied, asserting that
the only proviso made when the manu-
script was given her was that II II
proved valuable Savage and her father
We're to have a spree out OF what it
| fetched. However, before the case was
| given TO the jury II was agreed 10 ac-
cept the judges suggestion that what
remained of the money after paying
the lawyers should be equally divided
between the parties to the suit. II IS
satisfactory TO learn that the Joint
spree" never took place. Probably
what would have surprised poor Bobbie
Burns most about the affair was that
the manuscript should have fetched
$3.50. Little could he have imagined
that when he penned the lines, And
yet, according to experts, II was cheap
| 1t the price.
Literary fame is generally of an ev-
anescent character. Mrs. Humphrey
Wards novel, Robert Elsmere," made
a prodigious stir in the world years ago
when 1t first appeared, but little Is
heard OF it now 1t Is not improbable
that the gifted authoress will be better
remembered by posterity because of
the work she Is doing for the poor
children of London, She started here
ag1ss ,,la
or these latter there are now 10 IN
london with an average attendance OF.
10000 They are designed TO afford
healthy and instructive amusement
after school hours for elementary
school children whose only Fairgrounds
otherwise would be the streets or dingy
backwards. They are taught games,
gymnastics. singing. dancing. clay
modelling wood carving and other
things which in after life may be de-
veloped into useful handicrafts. At the
poplar Children's Play Center. the 9th.
er day. Mrs Humphrv Ward was the
recipient Of a pleasant surprise. She
''as presented WITH naper knife. 10
the purchase of which roo children each
contributed farthine-half cent.
The Offering was an entirely voluntary
one on their mart. II was their own
idea and the teachers had no mart In
a. No doubt II afforded Nrs Humphrv
Ward quite rs much qualification az
che would have derived from eulo-
"istic column review Of one of her
novels.
A few EVENINGS ago I CHANGED IN
IRON in NJ the Children's Recreation
rohnol In Tavistocl- T'la ce--a ~ ndeome.
'vcli-enuipned institution, which owes
- foundation entirely ia Mrs, HUM
nhrv Ward And II hapnened TINT she
'vns thnre. too. ehall ne'@r forgot
the picture Of the gray-haired. rather
wan-taced old ladv--she had onlv re-
Gently recovered from n severe Illness
surrounded by group OF happy
children eagerly showing her the
lrds' nests and other thin1s that thew
rad moulded in CLAW tried 10 in
iuce her 10 tell me something about
Ner connection with the work but I
found she was afflicted with that hanc
If the orviewer--modestv 1T
7eemed 10 mo" she said, that there
was work TO he done for the chill
dren In London worth doing and /
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