Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-02
REV. j. LOCKE
TELL.S0F BURNS
RENOWNED SCOTTISH POET is
SUBJECT OF REVIEW BY
PROMINENT MINISTER.
is AN I'M M O r T A L
Congregational Pastor Says Writer
is Second Only to Shakespeare
in Greatness The
Address.

Robert Burns, Scotlands renowned
poet and character, whose 150th birth
day comes this month, was the title
of an interesting address given last
evening in the First Congregational
church by the pastor, Rev. R. j..
Locke. An immense audience was
present. This review of the famous
poet was the first of series to be
given by Rev. Locke. This year
brings the Tooth anniversary of Ten
5nyson, Browning and Darwin, and
upon these three scholars, Mr.. Locke
will give addresses during the pres
ent year.
Robert Burns fame can scarcely
be shaken" began Rev. Locke. THE
years since his last volume of poems
in 1856 have brought their storms Of
criticisms, just and unjust, and he
stands today one of earths immortals.
1t is no longer a debatable question
He who denies to him a greatness
only second to Shakespeare has fail
ed to get at the heart of this master
peasant singer Through near a cen
fury and quarter the world has
been yielding it's honor to this lonely,
tempestuous spirit. His mistakes are
known He committed his sins against
sobriety, industry and virtue where
every canny Scottish eye saw them.
Had not his dual nature contended
for mastery on many a battlefield an6
his genius poured itself out in Ibid
nous draughts of song, he would
have remained rural Lothario and
his sins would have died with him
ENr fhacn hn "a Ill
grouped about his bedside and in his
last illness laughed at the mighty
ruin.
Life a Pathetic Story.
Ellis life is one of the most pa
thetic in the story of literature. Not
that he was so much poorer than 9th,
ers whose names are known today.
But with Burns, along with his power
ty; his lowly beginning, was lack Of
concentration and will. His tempera-
ment was as light as his song, which
burst forth like his own laverock, and
Just AS free In its choices and de-
cisions. This disposition led him into
the company of roaming swats' and
too free companions. With poverty
and too free disposition we wonder
tbol ouiil loSC W SuCll
heights of attainment. For he speaks
out of his many-sided nature OF the
common things Of the field. of the
coming freedom of man, and sings OF
the master passion as no one in thu.
world had sung before him or has
sung since In these the man speaks
out through his baser acts and in IS
there for honest poverty he touches
the greatness of the seer. Herein lies
the pathos of the career which OBJ
one side thrills us with sympathy fo.
the common thing and on the other
side causes us to turn with sorrow
from him.
Humanity of Burns.
Looking at Burns poems one Is
struck with their wonderful simple
ity and truthfulness. Here is his
greatness. While other poets have ran.
sacked the heavens, the earth and The
sea-, he found material in everyday,
well known things out of which he
built his fame. His Halloween is one
of these, where the old stories and
tricks of that evening are portrayed
with master sympathy. His lines i'll
his Ode to a Mouse
The best laid schemes of mice an
men
Gang aft agley,
An lea'e us nought but grief an pain
For promised joy!'
have become proverb for bitterness
through which we read his own soul
Some of the women doubtless will
not admire his subject. Burns, as ne
other poet. permits us to see the
inner processes of his own life. BY
ron was largely untruthful, Shelly Ct
o different type. Neither were open in
their confessions as was Burns. He
is human. They, while human, have
gone too far afield for their materials
So in TO Mountain Daisy we see
the sorrow which ever rolls its
waves about him and in his heart
speaks to him of failure and wasted
opportunities. How many there are iii
the world who will subscribe to his
dictum Mans inhumanity to man
makes countless thousands mourn
Simplicity ever Present.
Ellis Address to the Unco Guild pre-
sents stern, humiliating truth to us
Hear him:
o We who are sac guild yourself
Sac pious and sac holy,
we've nought to do but mark and tell
Your neebors' faults and folly;
Ye see your state with theirs compared
And shudder at the infer;
But cast a moments fair regard
What makes the mighty differ?
What's done we partly may compute
But know not what's resisted
Gin these Burns universal charac
ter appears. He speaks to the world
but the world is one, whether II q
little Scotch parish or in great city
The story of life is in its deeps prac