THOMAS AUGUSTINE DALY of Philadelphia, was the guest of honor at Burns Night of 1916. Mr. Daly's visit to St. Louis to participate in the annual meeting of the Burns Club was brought about by his personal friends, William Marion Reedy and Frederick W. Lehmann, both members of the club. Of Mr. Daly, Mr. Reedy said: "His verses in 'dago' dialect portray with tenderness and humor the aspects of life as it appears and appeals to Americans of Italian origin. His poetical interpretations of the spirit of the Irish in America are of like charm. His child verse is of as rare quality as that of Father Tabb or Robert Louis Stevenson. In the Lyric Year competition some years ago for the prize for the best poem of the twelve month, his lines "To a Thrush" received the second award, the first going to Orrick Johns, son of one of our club members, who read a fine poem on Burns at a former celebration. Mr. Daly's poems have been published in three volumes, entitled respectively 'Carmina,' 'Canzoni, and 'Madrigali.'" Mr. Daly read a charming narrative in verse written for the occasion, “The Birth of Tam o' Shanter." Members hailed this as a most valuable contribution to their next Burns Nights book. "The Birth of Tam o' Shanter" was printed and sent to Burns Clubs throughout the world. "Lines to Robert Burns," dedicated to the Burns Club of St. Louis by Irvin Mattick, the St. Louis poet, were read. A letter from James Whitcomb Riley made pleasant acknowledgment to President Bixby of one of the Burns Club books. It referred to Mr. Riley's own poem on Burns, speaking of Burns as his most loved poet, in these words: "Sweet singer that I lo'e the maist O any sin wi eager haste, I smacket bairn lips ower the taste O hinnied sang. I hail thee though a blessed ghaist In Heaven lang. Wi brimman lip and laughin' ee Thou shookest even grief wi' glee, Yet had nae niggart sympathy Where sorrow bowld, But gavest a thy tears as free The Birth O' Tam O'Shanter By Thermas Augustine Daly Badelphia w'r oer ter the Barbe Chub of St Louis and read by the author at the wearing January 25, 1916 a r. wide challenge Pros Copts u Grose we are indebted 11. Jabe Mounts? piec. Burns having entreated to make bono abis raention of Alloway Kirk in his im at Benawad, he promised notmpliance with the re**OR $50 or 10. nan ly, that the poet should supply a raw, ical witch stop, 23 an ace smpaniment to the Me Bart Mar who related to Kromek the spidity with which this poem was produced. Ac I was the work of a single day-one account Lai i W841 corposed between breakfast and Aletanus Fimith put it, with on exulant chuckle, the done fa Scotland, since Bruce won Banvarmt, during the early part of that memorable day, time Alone in pa'ng his favorite walk upon the By ther tically encen he was followed by his Toe of the V5 dren. Finding that he was and fearing lest their presence might be ༥° ་་་ 1ན! wife toffered some little disand healber with her brood of was caught by the poet's bim repeating ༈ ཝཱ #face. NOW Tam! O, Tam! menink, when the storm of 199 we are cold by M'Diarpod the top of a sod they were completed the fireside in a tone be Allowry Edition of Burns" sunlight gold the Nith at noon? who grows or cares? For on that morning, nging at his birth, on its face a mystic light; For in that moment reached its height The lyric fire, the zenith flare From out the heart of Burns of Ayr! |