St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-08-31
A TRIP TO AVER.
Milo A. Gibson Writes of His Visit
to the birthplace of Robert
RurnS

Burns.
The hills of the Highlands forever
I love-"
With these lines ringing in our
ears, we left the busy city of Glas-
gov for pilgrimage to the birth
place of the great poet of the Scot
fish people; yes,x the birthplace of
| him of whom it has been said that
he knew every emotion and sentiment
peculiar to the people of his locality.
1t was on a Monday morning in
| early July, the sky was clear, and the
| weather fine. Along by Paisley, Loeb
Winnoch. and Kilwonning we jour
neyed Across the Firth of Clyde
was the Isle of Arran, while to the
southwest could be seen the famous
| ''Aisla Craig or as it is sometimes
callad, sfPaddy's Milestone" This
high rock, rising abruptly from the
water is said to stand exactly half
way between Glasgow and Belfast.
| But today we were not looking
| merely for scenery, SO as soon as we
| arrived at a rather modern looking
| little town near the southern end of
| the Firth, we left the train, and, after
| drive of half an hour, arrived at
| a very low cottage with roof of
thatch. Into this long low building
we went, and there in one of the
| two rooms of the house We saw in
| an alcove an old bed. Nearby stood
| a clock, a clothes press and table,
while on the wall we observed an
old shelf containing few old fash
| toned dishes. But why should we
leave the bright sunlight to step
| within such a humble dwelling?
| What interest could these old relics
have for the passing traveller? And
| still we were not the only strangers
who were there that day. In fact,
| the register showed us that every
| class and country was represented
| among the visitors to this humble
| abode, for here was born the great
| est poet that ever sprung from the
bosom of the people and lived and
died in a humble condition, viz:
| Robert Burns. / have said that this
| humble abode consisted of but two
rooms. Some of you may take ex-
ceptions to that statement, for be-
| meath the same roof are four rooms
| in all, but the two others were used,
not as living rooms, but respectively
as stable and woodshed.
Many of the relics of the poets
life have been removed to the near
by moseum, which is well worth a
| visit. Here, however, as everywhere
else, one finds greater opportunity to
buy souvenirs than to see memorials
of earlier days.
But there were other places of
equal interest near at hand, SO we
rode along the highway which runs
nearly parallel to the path taken by
the Tam 20 Shanter of former days,
|as he frae Ayr ae night did canter, %
till at last we arrived "By Alloways
auld Haunted Kirk This old
church was built in 1853 and ceased
to be used as church about 1850.
The old structure, now crumbling
ruin surrounded by the graves of
many of the old time residents of
the locality, was a ruin even in
Burns time, and is often mentioned
by him in his poems. It figures es-
pecially in the poem "Tam O. Shan
ter, where Burns rings in an utter
auce of Tam's wife, which reads:
'tShe prophesyd that late or soon,
Thou would be found deep down in
Boon;
Or catched wi warlocks in the mirk
By Alloways auld haunted kirk"
But still other points of interest
lay before US, so we then journeyed
on to the Burns monument, where
is exhibited the Bible given by Burns
to his Highland Mary, while close by
in a grotto we saw the statue of Tam
O. Shanter:-
can at his elbow, Souter Johnny,
His ancient truSty drouthy crony."
We were now on the Banks O.
Doom" and soon crossed the stream
by way OIL the "Auld Brig O. Doom, -
where Tam galloped himself and
his steed into immortality. We then
drove back to Ayr, going, however,
by another route, so that we were
able to see the ruins of "Greenan
CASTLE" on a bluff overlooking the
Firth of Forth.
But, as is quite generally known,
the poet Burns, with his jovial COM
rades, Tam O. Shanter and Souter
Johnny, were accustomed to meet at
Tam's tavern, SO we next paid visit
| there, and went to the little upstairs
room where their deliberations and
ca:ousals took place Here arc still
kept the chairs occupied by the three
| worthless, as well as the old table
about which they sat. But the day
was fast drawing to a close so we
could linger here no longer. We,
| therefore returned to the station,
and after an hours run were again
in the busy city of Glasgow, having
spent, with our good old guide, de-
Eghtfu1 day and the scenery which
had in former times given such true
inspiration to the genuine poet of the
Scottish people.
MILO A. GIBSON
Schwanallee 48 Marburg a. d.
Lain, Hessen Germany.
STANDARD.
(Intended for last week.
/ Miss Aide Knight has returned to