The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-02

"a
Robby Burns and Holy Willie. /
would take my chance with the poet.
But in the case of each, and of all,
we should remember the words of the
Master. Judge not, that we be not
Judged: 'Iet him that is without sin
cast the first stone" and also the "Ad-
dress to the Unco' Guild:
"who made the heart. It's He alone
Decidedly can try us:
He knows each chord, its various
tone,
Each spring, its various bias:
Then at the balance let's be mute,
We never can adjust 1t;
What's done we partly may COM
pute,
But know not what's resisted" .
II.
This life affords few pleasures
greater than that Of seeking for, And
ing. and enjoying the good in others.
And he who undertakes such a search
much to reward him., In several i'm
portant respects he resembles the
Christ of the gospels. and displays the
true Christianity of the spirit and
the life 1t Is upon these traits that
we may dwell with most pleasure, and
also with most profit. According to
Wordsworth, the leading characteris-
tic of Burns, and the basis of all his
power, was his absolute truthfulnegs,
his intense sincerity. Among all the
accusations made against him. none
ever charged him with being a hypo-
critic He was q Scot in whom was
no guile. In his poems there is an abb
sence of meaningless verbiage and
striving after effect, but a charming
naturalness. directness and simplicity.
And the sincerity OF the style 10 but
a true reflection of the honesty OF
the man. 1T liz probable that no one
here has for q single day been so
sorely pressed by poverty as was
Burns nearly all his life. Nine days
before his premature death he closes
an appeal for money with the cry.
Save me from the horrors of a Jail"
Many and many a~time this proud
spirit was compelled to beg a loan,
that himself and loved ones might
have enough to sustain life, But every
loan was returned with scrupulous
punctualfty. and after the. pitiful
struggle of his closing years~he died
with every debt discharged to the last
farthing. Robert Burns was an hon
est man, and IAN honest mans the
nobiest work of God"
For a. that, ana a tnat.
Their tinsel show, and a. that;
The honest man. though e'er sac poor.
Is king o. men for a that"
The Love of Nature was Christ
like trait Of Robert Burns From
more than one passage i'm the gospel
story we surely gather that our Lord
found great solace and inspiration in
contemplating the birls and flowers.
the sea, the hills, and the heavens;
and that these objects not only min
istered to his own SOULS need, bat
also suggested and illustrated great
moral and spiritual truths. with
which he healed and fed the lives of
others. And similar delight in the
handiwork OF God characterized our
poet. Born and reared in Gods out
Of doors, there was In him sensitive
soul which answered to every sng-
gestion and impression made by ma
ture. whether animate or inanimate.
sUpon a summer Sunday morn,
When natures face Ia fair.
walked forth TO view the corn.
And snuff the caller air.
The risin' sun DER GaIston muirs
WI glorious light was glintin':
The hares were hirplin. down the
furrs.
Inc iaNefoCkS tney were CnaHttH
Fu sweet that day"
This exquisite delight in the sights
and sounds and adars OF earth and
sky finds constant expression all
through the poetry OF Burns, and re-
veais spirit akin. in this respect, to
the gentle Francis of Assist. How
touching are his illusions to the red,
red rose, the naiikwhite hawthorn
= u I'LL AZ a
whistling blackbird. the green-crested
lapwing. hte wimpiin brook. the win
ter's sfeety dribbie. the setting moon,
the ourie cattle. the silly sheep. How
tenderly does he sing Of the fright
ened Waterfowl. the wounded hare.
the freezing birdie. the WORKOUT
mare, the timorous mouse whose nest
he had disturbed. the daisy uprooted
by his plough:
Wee, modest. crimson-tipped flower,
Thou's met me in an evil hour;
For / maun crush ainang the stoure
thy slender stem.
To spare thee now Is past my power,
Thou bonnie gem"
There Is no pagan nature wprship in
Robert Burns, but pureSt, sweetest
and tenderest love of nature, which Is
Christian In its origin ana Christiike
in Its manifestations. I can conceive
of no poetry in which Jesus would
take more pleasure than those lines
by Burns wherein birds. or beast. or
flowers are the theme.
The Christianity of Robert Burns
manifested itself in those outbursfs of
indignation which are 30 familiar to
the student of hts life and works. In
the most explicit account that we have
Iof Jesus being angry, II In with the
members of the synagogue. and 1t is
with the people of the church that our
poet wakes wroth. And the, same two
causes that called forth an anger OK
Jesus provoked the indignation of
rs rep OF God. with both Il
was righteous indignation Burns
was to use DIR. Johnson's phrase. a
good hater. He hated, In general,
whatever hindered loving. and In par
ticnlar. the nnpressnr and the hype-
critic. In this respect he resem bled
| Dante and in ability to etch with a
| few intense touches the. Italian is
equaied by the Scot. His two best
known poems Of indignation are lode,
Sacred to the Memory OF. Mrs.. Oswald .
| and holy Willie's Prayer" The frst
| IL an impalement on stake Of scorn
| the second Is slow cruclhxion on a
cross Of irony. In either case We may