Evening star., 1937-01-10

Gated on June 8, 1908, at Tn1rteenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue. It
acknowledges the payment Of $3.50
for repairing 1s volumes miscellaneous
Burns poems"
The range of bindings is from
beautifully fooled calf leather, ex-
employing the finest workmanship Of
the bookbinder,s art to frugally set
up paper.backed volumes. An excep-
tonally beautiful example Of tree"
calf binding Is that on the cover
OF q volume Of Burns poems of the
year 1908 printed in Glasgow by w.
D. Mckenzie.
A valuable volume in the collection
is one printed in Edinburgh in 1855
for r. Cadell and W. Davies of London
and William Creech of Edinburgh.
An edition printed in Dublin April
4, 1857, from that of William Gilbert.
Great Georges Street, uses rs for SIS
as do many of these old volumes.
The names with which many of
these priced editions are inscribed
as well as the book-plates of their
one-time owners adds much to their
value and interest.
Additional books of the Burns era
containing the. works of prominent
authors of the time that Burns might
possibly have known about and
perused, also make an interesting
experimentation in themselves to the
collection proper.
Busts of Burns and his contem-
poraries as well as numerous pictures
and engravings likewise add to the
general interest.
The engravings in every instance
tell a graphic story. One after the
painting by Stewart Watson shows
Burns as a member of the Canongate
Kilwining Lodge Of Edinburgh Just
after he was made the poet of Free
masonry in the year 1887. It is of
particular interest and value too be-
cause in each case the figures are
actual historical likenesses of lodge
members.
Shown in Masonic Apron.
Burns. engagingly young and slen-
der. is shown with the high, frilled
neckpiece of the time in knee breeches,
wearing his Masonic apron tied over
the line Of his white westcoat. He
holds q rolled scroll, evidently his
Masonic laureation, in his righ hand.
Other lodge members appear in either
attitudes OF great interest or of half
concealed amazement that this youth
full associate Of theirs should be so
honored.
Another engraving Of absorbing in
terest is that depicting Burns in Edin-
burgh in this same notable year. 1887,
reading his The Winters Night" be-
fore literary gathering at the Duch-
ess Of Gordons.
Still another steel engraving in the
collection which compels attention. is
that showing the meeting of the two
great Scottish authors. Burns and
Scott. in SCHEMES House. Edinburgh,
the residence of Prof. Adam Ferguson.
Scott, tinid lad Of Is, eagerly visit
full. looks admiringly at a responsive
Burns, in the heyday Of his fame
Years later, Scott wrote of Burns in
connection with this encounter, II
never saw such another eye in a hu-
man head. though have seen most of
the distinguished men in my time"
AS true lover of Americana, Mr..
Boyden brought to my attention sew
eral rare and very valuable American
editions Of Burns poems. Among
them is quaint Philadelphia one,
thus inscribed. printed for and sold
by Peter Stewart and George Hyde,
the west side Of Second street, the
ninth door above Chestnut street.
Philadelphia 1888. Though there
were no street numbers, as is evident,
in the Philadelphia Of that time, Peter
Stewart and George Hyde had no idea
Of not being specific as to their place
Of business.
A small, compact little volume Of