Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-03-30
THROUGH THE RYE

My good friend and former colleague, the Scion of
Valley Cottage is by alone in his views con-
corning meaning OF the rye" used in the
Scottish ballad Comm Through the Rye writes
correspondent the New York In certain recent
issues of the Scottish American several correspondents
support him both authorship and reading-that
they maintain Burns the author and a field
grain. a southron to challenge the
of any sons o Caledonia who already world
famous for the pertinacity with which they uphoo
their opinions. Yet perhaps be permitted to point
out first that Burns was not the original author u INC
ballad and its inclusion in collections of his poems Is
merely concession to national tradition Second one
be allowed to question whether writer VINO
needed word Of syllable, Through would use
of two sylables over" and thus spoil MS
rhyme. Third. OF the more common meanings OF
through" is from end. side surface to the
other and another is over the whole surface or extent
Of third complete from one step
another" OF these the second meaning dates from
about 1870. may found used indicated in Ben
Jonsons Bartholomew Fair (Act I, scene d. Fourth
in such available to except one-an
American reprintthe word rye" is printed with an
initial capital letter merely in the title line but
also in the of the ballad. Fifth, the words
"Oh, Jennys wat poor body,
Jennys seldom dry
She draiget a her petticoatie,
Comm through the rye
who maintain that parallel to these lines is to
be found in Burns Corn Rigs and Barley Rigs:
wi sma' persuasion she agreed
To through the barley
sixth. "draiglet" unquestonably used for the
English "draggle." which ito trail wet
line she draiget a her petticoatie'
suggests pettcoat poorly hooked that 1t draggled
in the stream.
the Scottish American in general.
w. c. Benet, a contributor to that publica-
ton in particular. ] the following:
Let us visualize the scene that was in the song
A bonnie,
Scottish country comes tripping along the
footpath, a short home through field Of
rye strappin country lad her and wi sma'
persuasion, and without fuss is allowed to pree
merry mon and then on she homeward,
through the rye which with rain dew, is hang
ing footpath and draiglin her petticoatie."
OF this is pretty picture and the rain
may the situation. If does how shall
account for the fact that
"Jenny's a wat, poor body,
Jenny's seldom dry"
this bonnie lass filled with the rosy wine
about which Burns sings elsewhere, early in the
morning dew time?
friends clear up. The is. who wrote the
original Scottish ballad dressed up by Burns? The
second is where the ballad written? The third is,
when it written? the fourth, as perhaps the
most important. when was the grain rye grown in
Ayrshire in such quantities to make it
that its might be used i'm the Of ballad
understood of the people?"
My investigations Of the last Of points all
show that prior 70 1900 the Scots Ayrshire raised
barley oats, wheat potatoes carrots. turnips and
manufactured such dairy products and cheese
but although I a score or more of the
authorities available have yet found single one
which indicates rye, Ns being grown at all in that
shire.-Savannah Morning News.