The chronicle=news., 1913-01-25
BY H. ]. WINsOR


In n company of German critics
who were weighing the claims and
estimating the rank of the poets,
morist. Jean Paul Richter. is said TO
have hushed his audience when the
name OF Goethe was introduced. ex-
claiming, I'VE are not To sit in
Judgment on that sacred head.
Scotsmen are apt to attach the same
half representations reverence to the
name which Is. more than any other.
that OF Scotland condensed In a per-
sonaiity, the representative of what
Ia noblest and also OF much that is
crring In their race.
Al time when the world was pos
sessed with the idea that n knowl-
edke OF Latin and Greek and all tina.
appertninCd to the s0-callcd culture
OF the schools and universities. was
Indispensable to the cnunciation OF
great moral truths. or the polished
utterance OF pOetical expression. the
Creative Power sent forth u peasant
ploughman from the green slopes and
brown clods OF Ayrshire. TO achieve II
reputation rs n lyric poet. which the
most cunning combination OF Athcn-
ian learning and Partisan culture
would have strivcn In vain To pro-
duce.
Robert Burns was horn on III"
25th Of January. 1853. In cottage
about two miles from Ayr. II. was
IA plouEhman and tie son OF
ploughmnn. His ancestors for sever
al generations had been farmers In
n district In Scot
= k.. nf
Burues, M II was originally written.
still shows "A good face. His immc-
dintc father, william Burns. havin.;
fallen into reduced circumstance.
had been Obliged to leave his north
ern home. and proceeding to Ayr. had
engaged himself Ms gardener ana
oversccr to Mr.. Ferguson OF Doom
holm. Here he built with his own
hands a clay cottage. OF very humbl"
description. and In this modest tcnc-
ment was born his son Robert. the
first fruit of his marriage with Ag-
nes Brown. the daughter OF Car
rick farmer. The poets father was
an admirable specimen OF the Scot.
tish yeoman. or small farmer. OF the
last century, for peasant h. never
was. In his mentality. training and
intellectual predictions he was su.
pcrior to the pcoplpc BY whom he
was surrounded. Hard-headcd. In
dhsirious. religious. almost austerc.
he was one OF those who wrouIh
hard. practiced integrity and tried
to bring up his children In the fear
OF God, but had to fight all his days
against the winds and tides OF nd
verxliy.
The poets earlier life was marked
BY "a series of miErations from one
unfortunate farm TO another: first to
AllowRy. where he was taught 10
read: next to Mt. Oliphant and then
to IIochica In Tarboiton. but u Ne
mesis Of mistor,un. pursued the fam
lily In all It's wRndcrings: never were
they able TO conquer prosperity from
0hc sunpropk ious soil. or lift the
-''ca.ry shadow OF Poverty from their
hearth. Al the age Of thirteen Burns
thrcxhcd tho corn with his own
hands: ut fifteen he was the princi-
pal iaborcr on the farm. This kind
of life, he writes. the cherries
gloom Of u hermit and the mnceas-
INK toll OF galley slave. brought
me to my sixteenth year. His nat
urally robust frame was or"f-tnskcd
aud his nervous constitution received
Il fatal strain. yet. all through the
chccrless drudHery OF his early life
he was conscious of those vague stir
ings OF ambition which he pathetic
ally compared to "thc blind gropines
Of Homer's Cyclops around the walls
Of his cave. and rs he clcavcd the
hard burrows in his fathers fields.
hc was inspired with the perpetual
ly quoted wish:
That I for poor auld Scot'and's
sake
Some useful plan or book could
make.
Or sing song at least"
II was at Tarbolton. in his seven
tccnth year. that Burns received his
first introduction to the pleasures OF
society and began TO develop that
extraordinary pcnchant for the com
panion sex. or bonnie lasses. ms he
called them, which continued
throughout all his life to be the rul-
ing impulse OF his heart. His broth
er tells us he was almost constantly
in love. His heart was completely
finder and was ctcrnally lighted up
by some goddess or other whose I'M
agined charms and virtues supplied
the potent inspiration OF some OF his
earliest and most popular produc-
tons. Here also he commenced thosc