New Britain herald., 1915-01-27
SCOTCANEN HONOR
 BIRTH OF BURNS
Burns Cub Hold Seventh Annual Ba[Quet Commemorative of Poet.

Upwards of 100 local Scotch men and women enjoyed, last evening, the seventh annual banquet of the Burns club of this city The affair was com memorative of the 154th anniversary of Robert Burns birth It was held in Jr. o. U. A. M. hall, While the former affairs of this nature held by the Burns club it was stated by one of the officers that many more tickets might have been sold but it was the purpose of those in charge to make the event less formal than heretofore owing to the condition of so many Scotchmen abroad.
 A tasty banquet, not pretenciOus, but consisting of many of the old familiar dishes and goodies, was served by a. committee of ladies' aided by some of the younger lassies of the club.
 Musical Program.
 Introductory remarks by the presi- dent Robert Middlemass prefaced a musical program that was made up exclusively of favorite songs of the Highlands. Vice President Andrew Brown responded to the toast "Robcrt Burns during the course of the pro- gram, which was as follows:
 Introductory Remarks - President Robert Middlemass
 Songs-(a) There Was a Lad Was
 Born in Kyle.
 (b) Green Grow the Flashes.
 William Blair. Song-"Afton Waters"
 Miss Jean Cochrane. Address-Robert Burns,
 Vice President Andrew Brown. Songs-(a) The Message Boy.
 ,b) Ta-Ta My Bonnie Maggie,
 John Aitchison. Song-The Star of Robbie Burns.
 Thos. N. Mckay. "Auld Lang Syne'
 Everybody.
 Miss Jean Cochranc attra cted the usual heavy applause by her custom arily good rendition of the vocal solos which fell to her part. The other singers on the program were well encored,
 Remarks on Bobby.
 Upon the introduction of the speaker of the evening, who made his maiden appearance before the club as a speaker, MT. Brown remarked as fol- lows:
 MT President, members and friends of the Burns club; the committee in charge of this, our seventh annual Burns celebration have asked me to give short address on Burns. l am glad to have the honor of re- spending to the imm ortal memory in my own humble way when you con- sider the many elaborate addresses we have had at our previous celebrations. I must thank the committee for ask ing for short address, otherwise l would have found it beyond my ability to respond at this time. The out lines of the life of Robert Burns are we'll known, no doubt, to all of you. Born in the year 1759 near Ayr, Scot land, the son of a poor but intelligent and pious farmer his early life was spent laboring upon the farm. In 1736 at kilmarnock he had published a small volume of brilliant poems written mainly during the preceding year and a half. including The Cot ters' Saturday Night" "Hallowe' en-" "The Holy Fair" Holy Willie's Prayer" Address to the Dail," and addresses to the mouse and the daisy Success attended the publication and in November he was invited to Edin- burgh where was accepted as the lion of the season.
 Burns Marriage
 After various tours throughout Scotland, Burns married and settled on the farm of Ellisland, near Dunn fries. After this date his finest songs were written and in 179O he wrote in one day his Immortal Tam O'Shanter. Farming did not prosper with him and later he engaged in the calling of an exciseman At the early age of thirty seven he died at Dumfries. What concerns us here is the mission of the poet and the songster to his coun- try and to the world, and iA that re- gard, as Wadsworth says, Deep in the general heart of man, his power survives, he came at a period when the feeling of nationality was in dan ger of extinction, and he not only saved, but succeeded in glorifying and idealising it.
 Among Scottish songsters a posi- ton of assured pre- confluence belongs to Robert Burns, as he is admittedly the foremist national songster of the world. Many of his songs owe their principle charm of the artless sim plicity and absolute naturalness of their words. The best humorous songs of Burns, I think, are Duncan Gray and Last May Braw Wooer' The spirit of purest poetry he has rep resented in o Vert Thou in the Could Blast 'Ye Banks and Braes,' to Mary, In Heaven and many others just as good. The love that has stood