New Britain herald., 1917-01-26
ROBBIE BURNS HAS
 A BIRTHDAY PARTY
And All True SCOtChmen Gather
 To Celebrate the Event
Aye, lad, twas a grand nicht!

Aye, lad, twas grand nicht! Celebrating tho one hundred and i, fiftieth anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns the Burns club of New Britain last night held it's ninth an- nual banquet at Jr. O. U. A. M hall on l Arch street. Members and friends of members | to the score of almost 200 gathered , around the festive board, told stories | heard recounted the glories of the 1 great Scotch bard, listened to the 1 lyrics he wrote for some of Scotland's | lifting melodies and after the regular program danced into the wee sma' | hours.
 The Rev. Warren F. Cook, frae the Methodist Kirk, was the principal speaker of the evening. He treated the character of Burns from a novel angle, giving an insight into the many emotions that swayed the poets heart during the days of his earlier and later life.
 President Alexander Gordon out lined the history of the Burns club, told of it's work during the past year, and then turned the speakers chair over to John Sloan, who acted as toastmaster Miss Jean Cochrane favored with the old Scotch ballad, There Was a Lad Was Born In 1 Kyle;' Miss Clara Oakes Usher sang | t"Scottish Blue Bells" and Joseph c. Ames and Wesley w. Howard each contributed solos. Together these singers rendered several wonderful 1 Quartette numbers.
 When all these things were disposed of the banquetters stood at their places, formed the chain of friend ship and sang what Toastmaster Sloan designated "the universal an them,' "Auld Lang Syne." After that the tables were cleared away, the or chestra struck up a lively tune ana Professor M. J. Kenney led the grand march, three times around the hall.
 Aye, lad twas indeed a grand nicht!
 Mir. Cooks Address.
 MT. Cook said in part:
 II have to thank you for month of keen pleasure. When your com- mittee came to me about a month ago and asked me to make this ad- dress I had but very general idea of the life and work of Burns. My English teacher in college was a woman who was more than less puri- tanical in her ideals and standards; consequently l got an idea of Burns
 that was something like this: He
 was brilliant humorous genius who
 cared a great deal for his wine and
 more for women-then for more
 women, more and more. During the
 last month 1 have had an opportunity
 for 8 better judgment of Burns, ano 1 while there can be no question a!
 to the fragrant outbursts of immor = ality in his eareer, nevertheless i - { you go deep enough into his motives r. you will find that these immoral deed = were the result of uncontrolled pow
 CTS which. had they been rightly di , rected would have been deeds o 5 valor' and virtue.
 " At heart Burns was fair even il . his dealings with Jane Armour. Ever
 in his badness Burns showed a cer
 tain virtue in that he was not hypo s critical but open and frank. He wa: l not small or mean in soul. He wa!
 not a rheater. God only knows how v he deplored his weakness, and ofter
 he prayed to be delivered from i e that he might enter into the fullnes: s of his possibilities unhindered by hi:
 temptations.
 Mir. Cook then spoke of the inf1u-
 ences which helped to overthrow t Burns moral character, and named
 the weakening influence of poverty Q which diseased his body and nerves
 the strctness of the times, the tyranny :, 1 of the church, with it's underlying r hypocricy. which Burns so clear
 ly: the influence of one Robert Brow1
 at Irvine, who did Burns much mis- chief, of whom Burns said. He was
 the only man he had ever known who = was a greater fool than he was when
 if camc to women." This man put t into Burns mind a wrong ethica
 standard that held for too long g ,t while.
 II When, however, we consider
 Burns love for reality and truth ir
 human nature; when we know hi:
 sympathy with even the least o
 creatures when VIC find his con II science speaking through his prayer!
 we realize that this man was not ir n reality what he would seem to be or \. the surface" MT. Cook continued Il With just a little more strength,
 little better company-possibly tht x influence of one strong friend to have e challenged his best nature, or witt
 more real teaching from thu " church Burns might have given t.
 the world in years the fruit of hi
 mind much. very much that we d. d not now have and never can have be 1 cause of the blemish of wrongly al if 1 rected energies. When we consider ,s Burns as a poet we do not have tt J., make apology"
 Burns the Poet.
 if MT. Cook here named the follow ,t ing traits of character which he fel
 made Burns the powerful poet of hu
 man nature. First he had a won derful power to read into the realit, Il of mems natures. He saw men a
 they were. Then he had the wonder U. full gift to tell what he saw there il