Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-01-25
BIRTHDAY
OF SWEETEST
OF SINGERS

AGO SCOTLAND GAVE THE
WORLD "BOBBIE BURNS" Ma
TURE'S TRUEST LOVER, HU.
MANITY'S KINDLIEST INTER
PREFER.
On the 25th day of January, cen
tury and half ago, "Bobbie Burns"
was born, one of the sweetest "sing-
ers of songs" the world has ever
known. His birthday is an occasion
of celebration in numberless places
all over the world. In many cities
Of the United States, there is a
Burns Club" which makes an even
ing of festivity, on the anniversary
Of Burns birthday. On these occa-
sions the scones and short-bread are
found upon the supper-table, the
Highland fling and the hornpipe are
danced in Scotch costumes, and the
bagpipes add their droning melodies
to the evening with "old Scotia" In
honor of Robert Burns birthday, we
print below one of his greatest po-
ems, "Highland Mary" Robert Burns
poems are like bubbling springs of
gladness and joy, He tells us not Of
the tragic nor fearful things Of life,
but of sunshine and love. There is
Just enough Of shadow in his poems
when he tells us of losing his dear
Eliza" to make us rejoice the more
when he wins his "bonnie JEAN" We
do not feel after browsing" whole
afternoon among Burns poems, the
mental stimulus that we get from a
Browning poem, nor the deep-toned
sadness that comes to us from a
Jean Ingelow, but we do feel that
life is joyous, is good, is happy, in
short, that It must have been glor-
ious thing to be born a "Bobbie
Burns"
About this time of the year a good
many people are thinking Of him and
his many poems. Only elderly men
remember the big celebration that
took place wherever there were
Scotsmen, in 1S59--the Burns Cen
tary. Probably the horrors of the
French revolution led Burns to write
MANS Inhumanity to Man Makes
Countless Thousands Mourn" Omar
Bobbie Burns, Tom Moore, Villon
Beranger, James Whitcomb Riley
they call them the humber poets,
because, in these ages Of the world
the heart is buried at the funeral
; while the pure intellect lives on. Il
men shall become so confident Of
, survival as to grow methodically
kind, how great these well-wishers
! these happy-go-lucky poets, will be
come in the school-books Of the fu
! ture, in mems mouths, and on thu
,, monuments
! Following are considered some o
? the lyric gems of the greatest of al
: lyric poets:
Highland Mary.
+ Ye banks and braes, and streams
around
+ The castle O. Montgomery,
, Green be your woods, and fair you
flowers,
d Your waters never drumliel
r. There simmer first unfauld her robei
e And there the Largest tarry;
y For there | took the last farewell
3 o. my sweet Highland Mary.
/ How sweetly bloomd the gay gree
birk,
II How rich the hawthorns blossom
4 As underneath their fragrant shai
clasp'd her to my bosoml
: The golden hours, on anger wings,
p Flew DER me and my dearie;
z For dear to me as light and life,
Was my sweet Highland Mary.
WI monte a vow. and lock'd en-
!. brace,
~ Our parting was fu' tender;
And pledging aft TO met again,
We tore ourselves asunder;
But ohI fell deaths untimely froi
That nipDed my aower sac earl
Now green's the sod, and cauld's u
clay,
That wraps my Highland Mary.
o pale, pale now, those rosy lips,
I aft hae kiss'd sae fondlyl
And closed for aye the sparkliI
glance
ur That dwelt on me sae kindly
Aud mould'ring now in silent dust