The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-23
MUSCRAVE's
lions

This Is Burns and Byron week; the
former was born 15s years ago near
1.-THE city OF Ayr, Scotland. The scene
where the famous pillow hoy poet first
ssaw the light was a clay built cottage
which gave away In violent storm a
s,few days after the poets birth. and
Emother and child we're carried at mid
y night to the shelter Of q lelghbor's
dwelling, Little did they think when
they carried that frail form through
1.-THE bleak winters storm that to that
cottage, when century and a half
rolled by thousands would yearly
journey TO pay their homage to Scot
Hands most illustrions son, It never
entered their minds that some day in
1.-THE far distant future, Americas great
est orator, Col, II. G. Ingerspn would
! visit that little cottage and write
THEREIN the following tender tribute:
Though Scotland boasts a thousand
names,
II OF patriot. king and peer,
THE Rohlest, grandest of them all
Was loved and Graded here.
! Here lived the gentle peasant prince,
The loving eotter ring.
Compared with whom the greatest
lord
Is but titled thing.
!. IT'S but cot rooted in with straw
\ A hoyeI made Of clay,
One door shuts out the storm and
III snow,
II One window greets the day.
|fAnd here stand within this room
H And hold all thrones in scorn
lFor here, beneath this lowly thatch
h Loves sweetest bard was born"
Il Nothing was perhaps farther from
Their minds when they made that mid.
might Journey than that the child they
were protecting from the storm would
!, some day charm the world by his wit,
! wisdom and pathos. They did not
realize that in few years he would
Ehaye the world for his audience Let
Itus notice a few sparks from the fur
mace Of his genius. To a lady looking
Eup the text during sermon ne ad'
dressed these lines:
Fair maid, you need not take the hint
Nor idle texts pursue;
Twas guilty sinners that he meant,
Not angels such as YOU
Here Is his epttaph on a "Henpeck-
ed Country squfre:' 81
"As father Adam first was fooled,
A case tbat'stsill too common,
Here lies a man q woman ruled.
The. Devil ruled the woman
Perhaps his poem entitled ITO a
ELouse on Seeing One on asLady Bon.
met al Church contains his most
often quoted couplet. Here is the
concluding verse;
20 would some power the gittie gle vs.
To see ourselves as others see us!
III would from many 9 blunder free MS
/ an Aod Foolish n0ti0u.
/ What airs in dress and gait would
leave US
And even Devotion
! Here is a sample Of his pathos:
Farewell, my friends. Farewell my
foes,
my peace with these, my love with
those.
The bursting tears my heart declare,
Farewell, the bonie banks Of Ayr
| Burns was rare combination Of in
itelleet and energy, tears and tumult
sentiment and satire, He had the
manhood aud the courage to think for
himself and to defend his opinions
: afainst frowning world. He would
mot profess to believe what he did not
ibelieye 10 secure the applause of the
multitude. There will be more mon.
lev spent this week celebrating his
birth than he possessed throughout
his career from the cradle to the
grave.
Byron, who was born 1874 years ago
was certainly the equal Of Burns, in.
Intellectually and. measured by the vol
hume Of his productions, accomplish
ed more. yet the birth of Burns is eel
i ebrated all over the world, while
/ Byfor's name is not thus honored. The
Icause bf this is not difficult of solu-
;tion. Burns was zone of the boys" SO
to speak, who spent his days in his
native land, writing OF the things
(which he saw from day to day Byron
was OF a restless, rowing nature. easily
moved 10 tears by the glorious ma
iesty of snow crowned mountain
peaks. sympathy for those who were
oppressed by tyranny or sorrow OF
any description was a prominent trait.
He loved TO LAY down within the
shade of waving trees, and dream un.