The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-01-31


and women will read and laugh over and
weep over the humble poems of Burns.
Neither am l here tonight to tell YOU
that Burns was perfect and blameleSS
character. Judging from a. human stand
point he was a very imperfect man, but
before the Great Throne before which We
all must stand. 1 think it will be said
of him HE was more Sinned against
than he sinned and | am reminded here of
what our own American poet Whittier
has said of him:
LET those who never erred. forget
His worth in vain bewailings,
Sweet soul of song
/ owe my debt
Uncancelled by his failings.
Lament who will the ribald line
Which tells his lapse from duty,
How kissed the maddening lips of
wine
Or wanton ones of beauty.
But think while falls that shade be-
between
The erring one and heaven.
That he who loved like Magdalen
Like her may be forgiven.
Robert Burns was well born, as far as
honesty and sterling worth are concern
ed. His father, William Burns. was a
native of Kincardineshire while his moth
er, Agnes Brown, was the daughter of
a farmer in Carrick in Ayrshire William
Burns was a man of sterling worth and
had come from long line of patriots and
statesman in the North of Scotland. The
poets grandfather, it is said. was iden-
titled with the Rebellion of Ills and as
a result had lost his property. Because
of this misfortune. William Burns came
to Ayrshire and took up the work of a
gardener. Later he became overseer to a
Mr.. Ferguson from whom he leased a few
acres of ground. Upon this ground he
a
brought his bride in December 1851 In
this same cottage about two miles south
of Ayr, i'm the neighborhood of Alloway
Kirk and the bridge of Doom. Robert
Burns. their first child, was born, Janu
airy rs. 1859.
Robert inherited his fathers DISPOSE
ton more than he did his mothers. His
father was of large brain and superior
intellect, was of serious turn of mind
that bordered at times the melan-
chOly. This came about very largely be-
cause of his poor health and his constant
struggle against poverty coupled with
the memory that his ancestors were once
we'll TODD. But it was from his mother
he inherited his lyrical gift and his wit
She had a fine complexion, large dark
eyes, cheerful spirit and a memory
stored with songs and ballads. Robert
| Burns father was anxious that his
family should have all the advantages of
an education, meager though they were
| in that day When Robert was between
| SIX ana seven, ne ana MS younger DfOln-
| er Gilbert were sent to school where one
John Murdoch was secured a teacher.
I Roberts father was the prime mover in
securing Murdoch to teach in that com
munity and was one of number of the
| neighbors who paid the salary. The
/ teacher boarding around among the
neighbors much the same as they did at
an earlier period in this country. Mr..
Murdoch has this to say about Robert
and Gilbert: "They both made rapid
tOIpr9 o.
| ress in writing Robert and Gilbert
were generally at the upper end of their
class, even when ranged with boys far
| their senior. The books most commonly
used in the school We're the Spelling
| Book, the New Testament the Bible. Ma
i sons Collection of Prose ana Verse. ant
| Fishers English Grammar. certainly "A
| good collection to start a boys educa.
! ton on. Gilbert always seemed to me
! to pOssess a more lively imagination ard
! to be more of the wit than Robert.
attempted to teach them little churcS
music here they were left far behind by
all the rest of the school. Roberts ear
| in particular was remarkably dull and his
! voice untunable. 1t was long before
/ could get them to distinguish one tune
/ from another. Roberts countenance was
1 generally grave and expressive of a Sc
rious contemplative and thoughtful mind
| Gilberts face said 'Mirth with thee
mean to live and certainly if any person
| who knew the two boys had been asked
\ WHICH VI tfleHl was the most likely TO
/ court the MUSES., he surely never would
have guessed that Robert had propen-
| sity of that kind.
! Regarding the home life of the fam
/ lily at this time, a noted writer has said
! Poor as they were. the social condi-
j ton of this Scottish family was superior
| to the social conditions of most English
families in the same walk of rustic
/ life. this superiority resulting from GER
tain virtues inherent in the national
character the virtues of simple appe-
| tites and frugal habits, of patience and
! courage, in adversely and best of ALL in
affectiOnate hearts. reverential minds and
a thirst for knowledge which only books
supply" When Robert Burns few
years later, penned the immortal poem.
"The Cotter's Saturday Night" he drew
a true picture of his own fathers fire
side while Murdoch has truly said
There dwelt larger portion of content
ment in this cottage than in any palace
in Europe"
At little later period William Burns
with his family left the clay cottage at
Alloway Kirk and moved to the Mount
Oliphant farm. Here the family had a
/ desperate struggle for existence, the soil
on the farm was the poorest in the par