Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-17
GLORIOUS-HEARTED
BURNS
BY TOHN T. BOIFEUILLET

"A Woman'S face is fair, as long as the
= flowers blossom and the birds sing, as
long as the grass is green and the sky is blue
as long as the night cutters with starry splen'
dor and the day bathes the earth with sun
shine as long as the gentle dew pearls the
morning landscape and the tinkling Of the
bells Of the grazing flock is heard IN the
meadows as long as the purling streams muir
muir onward to the sapphire seas and COO
arch of promise spans the pathway OF the
storm. as long as sentiment is the life and
soul of noble emotion and love binds rain
bow hopes around the darkest despair, SO
long will the songs of Robert Burns echo and
re.echo in all hearts where music and feeling
abide.
All over the world the lovers of melodlous
verse are this day happily uniting with the
sons and daughters of Scotland in celebrating
the one hundred and sixty-fourth anniversary
of the birth of Robert Burns-a genius VINO
had IAN inspiration for every fancy, music
for every mood" The observance OF the
poets natal day has grown in public favor
with each recurring anniversary, until 1t
seems that the commemoration has become
more general and popular with the people
than the anniversary celebration Of the birth
of any other singer. Many of the songs Of
Burns have become loving houseworld words
in numerous climes and in many languages,
so it has come to pass that the AYRSHIRE
ploughman," as the author of dear AUD
Lang Syne" is frequently called, cannot be
claimed by Scotia alone.
The Melody of His Harp
The stream of his song flows on forever
and ever with beauty, tenderness, pathos,
"a NV
man and Astounding affection for mankind.
His melody touches the deepest chords OF
our being Some of his strains are sad,
sweet and plaintive as the last rose of sum
mer itself The cadences of his tuneful Tyre
are imbued with the unalloyed sweetness of
human nature. Much of his verse appeals
to the purest emotions of the heart.
Burns poetic musings cover wide range.
He strikes his harp and from it's golden
strings never to be forgotten strains float
away into the realms of the pathetic, melan-
choly, sentimental sympathetic tender,
witty humorous, relcitous descriptive, mar
tal patriotic graphic, grotesque, picturesque
and statistical. AS a lyrist, Burns shines with
unusual strength.
His "Clarinda correspondence" consists OF
a series of "extravagant and fantastic" let
tiers addressed to Mrs. McLehose, of Edin-
burgh. These epistles are the more general
ly known of his amatory writings.
Robert Burns Club of Atlanta
The Robert Burns club of Atlanta is one
of the most unique and interesting organize
tions in this city. Some time ago the great
pleasure was mine Of being present at brill
liant and delightful entertainment given at
the clubs beautiful and artistic cottage by
that golden-hearted gentleman, DR.. Joseph
Jacobs, in honor of Mr.. Joseph Fried, former
ly of Macon, but now a prominent lawyer in
New York. The fragrance of the flowers OF
that night havelong since exhaled, the echoes
of the oratory of the evening have died away,
but as for me and that festal time, | must
exclaim in Burns exquisite words to Mary
in Heaven:"
still DER these scenes my memory wakes,
And fondly broods with miser care,
Time but the impression deeper makes,
AS streams their channels deeper wear
You will remember that Burns in his verses
to MARY in Heaven feelingly asks if he
could forget that sacred hour and the hall
lowed grove, where by the winding Ayr they
met, to live one day of parting love? He
describes how the Ayr, gurgling, kissed the
pebbled shore, o'erhung with wild woods;
the fragrant birch and hawthorne twined
ANONYMOUSLY; the flowers that sprang wanton
to be pressed and the birds singing love on
every spray while the lowing west proclaim
ed the speed of parting day.
Highland Mary and Nancy
Critics point out that no imaginary char
acter is the heroine in any of Burns love
songs some of which are among the finest
in the language. His "Highland Mary has
always impressed me as an exceedingly pa
thetic poem. He had love affair with the
subject of these lines. Here is the closing
verse:
ooh pale, pale now, those rosy lips
aft haze kissed fondly!
And closed for aye the sparkling glance
That dwelt on me sac kindly.
And mould'ring now in silent dust
That heart that loved ME dearly!
But still within my bosoms core
Shall live my Highland Mary"
Burns seems to have been very versatile
in his love affairs, of which there was an in
finite variety He had a charming person
atty, was vivacious, handsome, tall, and fine
ly formed. 1t is written that he was one of
the very few poets who was attractive-lOok-
ing. He had no physical deformities, and in
this respect was unlike Scott and Byron, the
crpples; and Pope, the hunchback. He was
very fascinating to women. Here is another
of his touches of love, as seen in his Fare
we'll to Nancy"
But to see her was to love her,
Love but her, and love forever,
Had we never loved so kindly,
Had we never loved so blindly,
Never met--or never parted,
We had ne'er been broken-hearted."
"But Tam Was Glorious"
Tam o. Shanter' is considered by numer-