sphere of his studies." Returning to Mount Oliphant he next attended a dancing school for a season, “to give his manners a brush," as he puts it himself, which practically concluded his education—all at least that the schoolmaster could do for him. The farm enterprise, for the last few years, at Mount Oliphant, had, on account of the unproductiveness of the soil, loss of cattle and other causes, been a failure, and William Burnes had got into pecuniary difficulties, which we are told, brought threatening letters from the factor, plunging the distressed family into tears. Mount Oliphant was at last abandoned for a larger farm, Lochlea, in the parish of Tarbolton. For a little the cloud showed its silver lining, and all went well. Robert and his brother Gilbert had £7 per annum each, as wages from their father, and they also took land from him for the purpose of raising flax on their own account. Burns was now in the full flush of opening manhood, between the years of nineteen and twenty-three-the most gifted member of the "Bachelor's Club," Tarbolton, and the most popular young gallant among all the lads and lasses of the countryside— writing, in his leisure moments, such poems as, Winter.-a Dirge; The Death of Poor Mailie; John Barleycorn; and such songs as, It was upon a Lammas Night; Behind yon Hills where Stinchar Flows, &c.; and passionately cultivating the society of Ellison Begbie, the daughter of a small farmer near Galston whose hand he had asked in marriage and been refused. In the height of all this love making, and song writing, and speechifying at Bachelors' Clubs, he was suddenly taken, partly by whim, and partly with a view to better his prospects in life, with a desire to go to Irvine to learn the business of flax-dressing. This, however, turned out a most unlucky venture. The shop, in which he and his partner wrought, took fire during a welcoming carousal to the New Year, and consumed his all. Returning to the plough again at Lochlea, he found his father's affairs in utter ruin, and. the old man dying of consumption. His brother Gilbert and he rented a new farm, Mossgiel, parish of Mauchline, to which the whole family removed after the father's death, which took place on February 13th, 1784. Burns had been made a free-mason before leaving Lochlea. During his residence at Mossgiel he became more popular, and even celebrated, than ever, among the wits and New-Light LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS. The following, among others, have promised contributions to the CHRONICLE: ALEXANDER ANDERSON ("Surfaceman.") JOHN P. ANDERSON, British Museum. THOMAS BAYNE ("Dictionary of National Biography.") DR. WM. FINDLAY, President, Kilmarnock Burns Club. J. C. HADDEN ("Dictionary of National Biography.") JOHN INGRAM, Mitchell Library, Glasgow. JOHN H. INGRAM, Editor, "Lochart's Life of Burns," etc. DAVID JACK, Editor, "Lyric Gems of Scotland," etc. WM. MARTIN, ex-Editor, "Quiz." D. MACNAUGHT, Kilmarnock Burns Club. REV. DAVID MACRAE, Author of "Robert Burns," etc. J. B. MORRISON, Greenock Burns Club. J. B. REID, M.A., Author of "Burns Concordance." J. L. ROBERTSON, M.A., Editor, "Select Poems of Burns. ANDREW JAMES SYMINGTON, F.R.N.S.A. A. B. TODD, Author of "Poems, Lectures, etc., etc." EDITORIAL PREFACE. IN issuing the first number of THE ANNUAL BURNS CHRONICLE AND CLUB DIRECTORY, the Editor takes the opportunity of addressing a few words to the reader. As stated in the circular, the CHRONICLE was instituted on the 4th of September, 1891, so that we had hardly three months to prepare the Directory. This explanation, it is hoped, will account for the incompleteness of that part of the volume, as the Clubs located in the Colonies had not time to send in the necessary information; and some of the home Clubs have been most unaccountably reticent in the matter. Most of the Clubs, however, returned the forms properly filled up, accompanied, in many cases, by letters commending the proposal, and handsomely subscribing for the CHRONICLE. To the Secretaries of these Clubs, and numerous individual admirers of the poet, the Editor tenders his best thanks, and trusts that, with a year to prepare the second number, and more available space for the valuable contributions promised, and an extension of the Directory, the CHRONICLE Will meet with a corresponding increase of patronage and substantial support from all Burns Clubs and Scottish Societies. Regarding next year's issue: besides narrating the Burnsiana events of the year, and bringing the Directory up to date, the CHRONICLE Will contain important articles on Burns Clubs, Portraits, Monuments, Bibliography, Notes on the Poet's Family, and many other interesting contributions from Burnessian scholars of prominence and recognized ability. A list of contributors is given elsewhere. While the Editor is determined to spare neither labour nor expense in producing a respectable volume, it must not be forgotten, that unless the Clubs not only support us financially, but facilitate the work by filling up the forms correctly, and returning them in good time. for publication, we cannot reasonably be expected to produce a perfect work. The Ext aring me prenical Under the heading, 22 1 seres cf articles in the las entre are noted to furnish him win tl parts are as he rom history and at ere all the nature of the vrs :he and the icezi induence i ther Turs. Hemd as, axe as a favour to have sent him desapers mining rts of the meeting. and any other ni manen le tout worthy of preservation in the pages of the CAR NICLE The publication of me work having een delayed, we owe cur readers an apology and explanation. As the first edinen of the CHRONICLE WAs all subscribed fir before going to press, arrangements were made 30 increase the number of copies; and this encouragement warranted the Editor enlarging the size of the volume, and also introducing 1 few illustrations. These changes, unfortunately, together with the many unforeseen difficulties mcidental to a first issue. retarded the progress of the work, which is now sent out with many imperfections, which the indulgent reader will perhaps look over. The future numbers of the CHRONICLE Will he issued early in January, without fail. 2 KING STREET, KILMARNOCK, 25th January, 1892. JOHN MUIR. Owing to pressure of space, Reviews of New Publications had to be omitted. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE LIFE OF BURNS. HE fascinating life-story (more romantic almost than romance itself) of Robert Burns, the Scottish Poet, is already so widely known and familiar to the reading world, that it would seem an impertinence to obtrude it in any serious biographical shape into the forefront of this CHRONICLE, whose chief business, and we might say, justification, is to present in historical sequence the main facts and incidents in the posthumous history of Burns, which, of course, only properly begins after the Poet's death. Nevertheless, in order to give a certain amount of continuity and completeness to this historical narrative, it might, perhaps, be well to precede it with a very brief summary of the more conspicious events in the Poet's life, from his birth at Alloway down to his death at Dumfries, where the record naturally merges into the narrative of Burns-worship, the subject-matter proper of this CHRONICLE. One hundred and thirty-three years ago, then, this very month, on January 25th, 1759, Robert Burns, Scotland's dearly beloved, National Poet, first beheld the light of day at Alloway, parish of Ayr, in a clay-built cottage which had been erected by the hands of his own father, William Burnes, a native of Kincardineshire, who was at this period following the occupation of a gardener and farm over-seer in the neighbourhood of Alloway. His mother, Agnes Brown, was, like her husband, a child of the "mailen," being the daughter of a farmer in Carrick, Ayrshire; and the Poet was their first born. When Burns was six years of age, he was sent to a school at Alloway Mill where he had the good luck to be under a young teacher, Mr. John Murdoch, a gentleman of uncommon merit. C |