He spoke of Burns: men rude and rough And when he read, they forward leaned, Drinking with thirsty hearts and ears, His brook-like songs whom glory never weaned J. R. LOWELL. O Burns, Burns, come back to the banks of bonny Doon! It is worth while. JOAQUIN MILLER, 1870. So long as love is precious, and bereavement sacred, and hypocrisy hateful, and pretension ridiculous, and labour honourable, and true manhood noble —so long as poetry, simple, natural, eloquent, is the delight of mankind, alike in the halls of the opulent and by "wee bit ingle blinkie's family," so long shall the memory of Burns endure ! JOHN G. SAXE, 1870. At moments, wrestling with his fate Above the tavern door, lets fall But still the music of his song Its master-chords Are Manhood, Freedom, Brotherhood; Between the words. H. W. LONGFELLOW, 1880. Dear Rob! manly, witty, fond, friendly, full of weak spots as well as strong ones. Perhaps no one ever sang "lads and lasses "-that universal race, mainly the same, too, in all ages, all lands-down on their own plane, as he has. WALT WHITMAN, 1886. His poems will be SOME DIVINES read with admiration by the critic as long as the laws of poetry and criticism are suffered to accord with the dictates of nature. ABRAHAM REES, D. D., 1819. He is one of the builders of the new civilization of freedom and humanity. Robert Burns has taught men the thoughts of God in nature more than a great many pulpits have. HENRY WARD BEECHER, 1878. Life is a struggle, and any one who can, like Robert Burns, ease it, is a benefactor. Dr TALMAGE, 1880. His unadorned and simple verse has been an inspiration of beauty and love to the young poets of all the generations that have followed. Dr LEROY J. HALSEY, 1885. The poet of freedom and of the common human life-the man of the people, who, in "The Cottar's Saturday Night," painted a picture of a poor man's home such as even Shakespeare never dreamed of, and set it in a light sweeter and fairer than ever rested on a palace. Rev. ROBERT H. COLLYER, 1888. Burns's song has evoked the more hallowed poetry of generous deeds, of guileless charity, and of genuine brotherhood. Dr C. G. LORIMER, 1888. From his songs the spiritual anatomy of the heart might be reconstructed, and a true philosophy of life might be formed. Dr WM. S. SMART, 1888. This poem ["The Cottar's Saturday Night ”], in which purity, piety, and patriotism have their touching and memorable expression. time have I gone over it with pleasure. Many a Dr JOHN HALL, 1890. Burns loves. Here is the secret of it all. He wrote with the heart. He loved! He came near his fellows, he drew them to him. Rev KITTREDGE WHEELER, 1891. Burns was ever on the side of right. Rev. Dr COURT, 1893. The Poet-laureate of man. Dr BURRELL, at Ayr, 1895. In his family Burns was the watchful, kindly, diligent father. EDWARD EVERETT HALE, 1896. This child of sunshine and sweet song, with his flashing wit, and abundant laughter. NEWELL DWIGHT HILLIS, 1900. One of the most generous and loving hearts the world has ever known. SOME WOMEN. Poor Burns! how inseparably he has woven himself with the warp and woof of every Scottish association ! HARRIET BEECHER STOWE, 1853. Burns is full of the noble, genuine democracy which seeks not to destroy royalty, but to make all men kings, as he himself was, in nature and in action. MARGARET FULLER OSSOLI. If Spenser was responsible for the magnificent poetry of Keats, Burns was Whittier's literary godfather. MARY NEGREPONTE. This peasant poet who had so truly the tender, loving, suffering “heart of a man in him.” CAROLINE B. LE ROW, 1878. The genius and influence of Burns is beyond analysis and beyond criticism. AMELIA E. Barr, 1883. Does he listen, when in lands he never saw, great poets sing of him in words simple and melodious as his own? HELEN HUNT JACKSON, 1883. THREE SCOTO-AMERICANS. My knowledge of Americans in Scotland led me to expect a love for the songs and poetry of Burns in this country, and I have found it to be even more general and hearty than that which surprised me at home. The South is quite as enthusiastic for Burns as the North. Professor NAIRNE, at New York, 1859. His productions are the property and solace of mankind. General JAMES GRANT WILSON, 1876. Burns was an apostle of all we know by good-fellowship, and his supreme mission was to sing the brotherhood of man. ANDREW CARNEGIE. A. C. WHITE. BURNS'S STEWARTON RELATIVES. MEMORIAL UNVEILED. N Saturday afternoon, September 24th, 1910, the quiet little town of Stewarton presented a scene of unusual stir and animation, caused by the ceremony attending the unveiling of a handsome memorial in the peaceful churchyard to the relatives of the National Bard who have been laid to rest there. The memorial, which has been erected by the Stewarton Literary Society, is in the form of a graceful obelisk of Ballochmyle red freestone. Its design is simple but pleasing, and standing twelve feet high in the vicinity of the front entrance of the church, it will attract the attention and interest of all who may in years to come visit this quiet spot. On the front of the base is cut the following inscription: "Erected by the Stewarton Literary Society, 24th September, 1910, in memory of Robert Burns, uncle of the National Poet,'Poor Uncle Robert,' who died at Stewarton, 3rd January, 1789. Here also are interred the remains of his eldest son John, who died 17th February, 1846." On the north side is the sentence, "The connection between the Poet and his uncle's family was a very close one. See letter, Ellisland, 9th February, 1789"; and on the south side there is the following extract : 'My brother lives at Stewarton. He hath two sons and one douther named John, William, and Fanny. Letter of Wm. Burns (father of the Poet), Lochlie, 14th April, 1781." The whole workmanship has been excellently carried out by Messrs A. & W. Barclay, builders. Prior to the inauguration ceremony the Burgh Band marched through the town playing selections, and this was the signal for large numbers of the townspeople to make their way to the churchyard, where there were also present many members of the |