Norwich bulletin., 1914-01-23


 this splendid celebration consider that he whose memory we honor tonight, and of whose legacies of song and poetry praises are being sung about this time in almost every quarter of the globe, is peculiarly Scotch as set. but such is not the fact, for long years ago the Scottish people were brought to realize that Robert Burns could not be considered as exclusively their own.
 Sung His Way Into All Hearts.
 Just fifty Live years ago Henry Ward Beecher, in a now historic address, de- livered in the Astor house, New York city. said that Scotland only captured Burns on his way into the world. To- day the gifts of Burns genius belong to the English speaking world, and the explanation of that fact is that he has sung his way into inc hearts of men and women of all nationalities.
 I am expected to say something to you of The Land We Left-that is, some of us. Now, am sure that all of you will agree that, since some of us could not help being born beyond the confines of Connecticut, we are lucky to have been born in Scotland, and that all of you who had the good fortune to be born in this land of the wooden nutmegs would, if you must have been born elsewhere, have pre- ferred to have had your first awak- ening in dear auld Scotia.
 Loyalty to Homeland.
 It has been said, and I am not pre- pared to say but with some degree of truth, that to develop a Scotch kid into an enthusiastic Scot you must catch him young and take him away from home-the farther the better. De that as it may, it is an undoubted fact that among naturalized Americans none are more devoted to the Senu- ments and traditions of their nome land" than Scotchmen. When you meet one who speaks slightingly of the land of his birth it will be safe for you to give him a wide berth. l know one who delights in prOclaiming that .the land we left was a good land to get away from, and l want to say of him that every time he repeats it in my presence he drops a peg iil my estimation
 You may take the true type of Scot away from the scenes of his early triumphs. surround him with absolute ly new conditions and he will readily absorb and become a part Of the in- stitutions under which he lives. He assimilates quickly. He may wholly cease to be British and become en- Enthusiastically American in his polit- ical affiliations. yet he will ever re- | main sentimentally Scotch.
 A Bonnie Country. The land we left is popularly spoker of as Bonnie Scotland" and who ] among you who has visited Scotland will not say that it is a bonnie coun- 1 try. There is something majestic about her heathered hills and Bens and poetic about her straths and fells The one thing she cannot boast abou | is a balmy climate, and yet her son: have seemed to thrive upon such a: she has for what other nation com I.,V- in I1nnr1la fiOT has contributed so largely in distin- | guished soldiers and statesmen. Wha i other country's sons have so distin guished themselves in theology, lit | erature and mechanics. Is it any won ! der that the modest old Scots favorit' prayer was ''Guid gi'e us a guiC 1 opeenion O oorsels.'
 Do you wonder that in company witt ! my old friend John Porteous l Hk' ! to steal away during the heated tern i and briefly live over again the Joy. of boyhood in dear auld Scotland Even now can hear John recite il i his inimitable style:
 O for a glimpse O my ain hielan 1 heather
 That grows wild and free at tn top O. the Ben,
 And O for a crack wi my faither an,
 In the wee thickit hoose at the fl O the glen.
 Mayor Murphy Speaks. Mayor T. C. Murphy was given warm welcome as he was introduce by Postmaster MacDougall. Tn : mayor spoke briefly, referring to hi ! recolloctions of the old Caledonian clu S5 years ago in GreeneVille, and sai 1 that we did not need to go outside ou own town to see what the Scotch hay
 FTrr-- | Scotch people are noted for. he sait which was their loyalty to their ow country, and he admired them for and expressed the cordial wish tha all at the banquet might be here an ! other year to celebrate another Burn banquet.
 Dancing by Keppie Sisters.
 To the skirling of the bagpipes, whil the banqueters shook the room wit applause. the Keppie sisters fror
 Boston. in their piaids. gave the High land fling, one of the sisters playin
 the pipes and the other two dancing. James Holin Makes Hit One of the hits of the evening fol
 lowed when James HOllin took tn
 stage with a plaid over his shoulde
 and a cap on his head and sang Roam
 in in the Gloamin', to which he gay
 as an encore Deoch and Doris, whil the audience shouted their applause.
 The three Keppie sisters feIlcwe
 with the sword dance, and then wit
 w. J. Hcneyman and John Duff gav the steps of the Highland reel in reg
 ulation Scotch styie. Archibald Mitch
 ell played violin accompaniment fc
 the dance and James H. White was a
 the piano.
 Two songs on the new Edison pho
 nograph, The Maid of Dundee and Tn Bloom is on the Rye, entertained tn
 company and was followed by tn
 Sailors hOrnpipe. The dancing of tn
 young ladies was highly spoken of a
 one of the best entertainment fea
 lures in the series of local Burns ban quets.
 The concluding numbers of the reg ! ular programme comprised the son
 Success to Bonnie Scotland, by 4
 Craig, old Scotch strathspeys and rec
 played on the violin by Archibal
 Mitchell, the solo Scotland Yet, rer dered by Archibald F. MacDougal
 American clogs and Irish jigs dance
 in costume by the Keppie sisters. Mayor Murphy and James Henderson
 When this part of the prOgramm was over there was an insistent ca for Mayor Murphy to dance an Iris l jig, to which the mayor responde'
 and was joined on the stage and in tt 1 steps by James Henderson, now , years young and the oldest Scotc resident of Greeneville. They wei
 given tumultuous applause. Mir. Her , derson also responded to an invitatiu ! to sing The IdeRAcal Flute. and u