A NIGHT WI' BURNS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 179, 28 January 1914, Page 3

A NIGHT Wl' BURNS.

SCOTLAND'S IMMORTAL POET

HONORED. GREAT GATHERING AT STRATFORD Scotsmen throughout tho world 'dearly reverence their immortal bard, Robert Burns, and wherever two or three of them at;e located they assemble on tho anniversary's birthday to do honor to his memory. Scotsmen throughout Taranaki assembled at the Town Ilall, -Stratford on Monday night at the invitation of'the Stratford branch of the Taranaki Scottish Society to commemorate the event, and it is certain that nowhere outside Scotland could a warmer display of national enthusiasm have been shown. Tho Town liall was brilliantly decorated, the most conspicuous object being the crest of the society, a shield bearing on its upper half Mt. : j Egmont and on its lower half the lion ! rampant. The tables were tastefully | decorated, plaided ribbon enhancing the floral effect, Mrs. Brooking excelled herself in the catering. The service was exceptionally satisfactory. Chieftain Geo. Sangster, president of the Stratford branch, was in the chair, on his right being Chief W. L. Kennedy and Mr. W. P. Kirk wood (Mayor of Stratford), and on his left Mr. •!. Craigie (M.P. for Timaru) and Mr. .1. B. Hine (M.P. for Stratford). Prior to the commencement Pipers Wade, Mather and Sangster (2) marched round Hie square playing tho "72nds' Farewell to Aberdeen.'' The haggis was brought in to the strains of the pipes, and presented with all the honors, Chieftain T. W. Smith giving the address. After full justice had been done to the good fare provided, a lengthy toast-list was discussed.

. The president, before proposing the first toast, extended, on behalf of the Society, a hearty welcome to all the visitors, particularly mentioning Mr. ,1. Craigie, M.P. lie then proposed the toast of the King, which the gathering loyally honored. . The toast of "The Imperial Forces of 'the Crown" was proposed by Or. T. L. : Faget. who pointed out that in the Army Scotland had always been a ' tower of strength. It was, lie said, ( ncccssary for the Army and Navy to he supported by the whole of the nation, ; •Wherever situated, both by our money ' 'and our manhood. In this New Zealand had set a grand example by l.er system of universal training. By giving i a Dreadnought New Zealand had shown her desire to strengthen the Navy. It could never be said, he. eoncludel, that New Zealand was afraid to give her! manhood when required to assist (lie ,Mothcr Country. ' Mr. B. Hino, M.P., in responding, eulogised Kow Zealand's defence scheme, urging that boys should .be trained to 1 "rough if in the playground iu* their early life and in their manhood. It was not the easy life, but grit and de-' .termiliati<m that would keep the nation in the forefront. He illustrated the recent trouble in South Africa, when burgher and outlander stood shoulder -to shoulder under the llag. whereas, some little time ago, they faced one another as foes. Referring to those 'who objected to the Dominion's universal servie scheme, the speaker expressed the hoped that, in time, the militant spirit 'would he moulded into proper form, so that in time of war the men would be quite ready to protect their homes, their loved ones, their King, and the llag un>'dcr which they had the honor to dwell. Mr. I). Maxwell proposed "Caledonia." After briefly referring to its topography Jill its history in a more or less humorous and anecdotal vein, he expatiated at length on the songs of Caledonia, the high moral tono which was emblematic of the people, and breathed of domestic love, patriotism and martial order. Scotchmen were, he said, to be found in responsible positions in all part of the world. They were-bold lovers, fierce haters, hard hitters, deep drinkers, bitter enemies and loyal •friends.

• Mr. .1. McAllister, .who responded, said I that the Caledonia lie knew best was that portrayed by tlie sijiih of Scotland, who were weilders of the pen, namely, •Scott, lau MaeLaren, and Burns, who depicted its scenery and described its homes and characters, and who made ■him love that home and its associations. He expressed the hope that the. younger generation abroad would not let the niaaic of the Scotch tongue die out. ■ The chairman then called upon Mr. .1. Craigie, M.P. for Timaru, to propose the principal toast of the evening, "The Immortal memory, of Robert Burns," and. in so doing', mentioned Mr. Craigie's patriotism by presenting to the town of Timani a magnificent monument of Burns, at a cost of £GOO. (Applause). Mr. J. Craigie, who was accorded a great ovation, was listened to with rant attention throughout, as for over an hour he gave gave a comprehensive and concise address oil the. Immortal Poet, giving from memory quotation after quoworks —:i remarkable fact in itself—to illustrate various phases of his life. Mr. Craigie lirst thanked them for the fine welcome he had received s'nee his arrival in Taranaki, after journeying from Wellington, where he had given an address at a similar gathering. It was, he said, a great honor to have been invited to come from South Canterbury to the famous Taranaki, of which he had heard so much, to do honor to his ■native poet, and in accepting he felt deeply conscious ol' that honor. To speak littingly and fully on Burns' life and works was hardly possible even within tlii' limits suitable to the special occasion, and to describe hia genius would require tlio pen or the tongue of a genius not unequal to his own. The .first difficulty was where to begin, and the second where and how to end. He would, however, let the poet speak for ! himself in many of his quotations, ,and ! as there were many present who had

not the advantage of Wins born in Scotland, he would interpret many .words which would be used in the quotations, so that they could be more leadily followed. Most of Burns' admirers, said the

• speaker, were surprised and indignant '.at the ignorant and erroneous opinions held by many, who believed Burns to be an uneducated man, and anserted that the reason he wrote so much in Scotch was because of his defective knowledge of English. ]le narrated the story supplied by a g'rey-lieadcd old man, who

j.worked beside him, that he was very j studious, and always hud a book witii ! him. lie was self-taught, and, by tlic I time he was twenty, was possessed of ! a good Scotch knowledge, and had an 'education ei|ual to thai of Shakespeare. There were a great many literary men in Edinburgh ,in those days, who considered his verse exceptionally good, his prose better, and his conversation most wonderful of all. A few years ago an angry controversy took place over a brilliant essay on Burns that j was written by W. E. Henley, who tried to belittle the poet's genius. He said that when Burns wrote English he was. stilted and artificial, and that it was to him like a foreign language. Naturally many Scotsmen rose to his defence. Burns has written verses in pure English, which will live as long as there arc British hearts to feel and tongues to articulate. Could they be askftd to think of any verses where love shone more than in his pathetic "To Mary in Heaven"? A couple of verses of this and a verse of the "Farewell to Ayrshire" were recited 'by Mr. Craigie, with telling effect. These, he said, would show whether Burns could not use the English language. It was, however, in I the ''Doric of Scotland" that Burns' expression was most powerful, his every line being a picture, full of life and light, and equal to any writer in clearness and distinction. Carlyle had said that if Burns' father had been wealthy and had sent his son to a university he would have inlluenced the literature of the whole of the nineteenth century. Mr. Craigie thought, however, that had Burns possessed the supposed advantages of wealth, lie would not have been the greatly-loved poet he was today, and they would not have been assembled to do him honor that night. Books of learning could not make him a poet: ho got his gifts from the Almighty. It was from the humble things or life that his poetry drew its sweetness, and the speaker illustrated "The um? 1 ' " Tllc Mountain Daisy" and Tho Mouse." Nature and circumstances combined to nuke Burns the poet of his native land.

There was another erroneous impression, continued Mr. Craigie, to the effect that liuins was a sinner above the average sinner. Much, said the speaker is he admired and adored Burns lie' certainly did not hold him up to 'be a Bftint. lie had many virtues, and he aso had his faults. He was bom with strong and warmed towards nature JI C had a pleasing personality, brilliant conversational powers and other attributes that were calculated to lead him into temptations that would not beset a man of duller perception. . al! 1118 s 'iSi be does not affect hypocrisy. He tells of his loves, of' his hatreds, and of all his faults. }oot even Rousseau in his confessions was more thorough. His weaknesses the speaker considered, had been much exaggerated. Customs changed as time went on, and in Hums' time it was the custom to have drink oa every occasion. Burns was never an habitual or solitary drinker, but sat at wine from good companionship. He was lionised as no other poet had ever been, and the wonder was that his head was not turned. At the death of his father he {became a second father to his younger brothers and sisters. He taught them and read the Bible to them night and morning. I| e worked for his mother for £7 per annum, and out of this he had to keep himself in clothes and buy , books, so that did not leave much to expend in riotous living, and he always kept his expenditure within his income. The first thing he did on receiving £-100 for the Edinburgh edition of his works was to send one half to his brother, so as to keep a roof over his mother's head. As an exciseman he received £BO per annum, and out of this he I had to keep horses sufficient to enable j him to travel over 200 miles .per week, I yet when he died he owed no man anything. Burns was a loving husband, an (.indulgent father, and. according to his wife's testimony, never had a frown on his brow nor an ill-natured word for her. All knew his contempt for servility or manners. Burns was funda- 1 mentally religious and attacked the cant and hypocrisy of his day as no other man could have done. If he had not had a deeply religious nature, he could never have written the "Cottar's Saturday Night," from which Mr. Craigie gave eloquent, extracts, emphasising the_ great strength of one phrase, ■"How guiltless blood, for guilty man jvas slain." The speaker strongly urged Bums' detractors to "let the spots on Burns' sun be forgotten under the lustre of his rays." Burns sprang from a class best suited to his mission. From association and sympathy he belonged to the people. He was a. great patriot. His poetry and songs gave Scotland a nationality, and many other poets had imitated them ever since. Tie loved his land because the history of Scotland was the history of freedom am! liberty, "flod help the people," said the speaker, "who have no thought or pride to bestow 011 the people of their race." liurns fanned the flame at his humble hearth before the fires had bunfei] too low, which, passing from hand to hand down the ages kindled afresh the. patriot's ■zeal. lie preached the true brotherhood of man; what he anticipated 'n that direction had not been r|:iliscd yet. The poet's sympathies were universal. Who could be cruel to dumb animals after reading his poems? In fact, his charity and sympathy extended even to the de'il himself. He had shown that the true poet, the inspired poet, need not go far afield for liis themes. "What his eye saw, and his heart felt, he put into verse. Bums as a, song-writer had done more to elevate the minds and souls of the Scottish people than had any reformer or law-giver that ever lived. Heaven and earth meant to take good care of his memory. At the conclusion of his address. Mr. Craigie was given unstinted applause, not one word having been lost by (he hearers, so impressively and simply bail it been delivered. "Thi> land we live in'' was (he next toast, ably proposed by Mr. \Y. Mr!., Kennedy, and seconded by Mr. J. (!. Richards.

Mr. ft rant, in proposing "Tin' \'i !loi'B," laid particular stress on the splendid address that. Mr. ('raifjie had given, And which ho said had been listened to with rapt attention. The Mayor, in re-ponding, referred in Lhe growth of the Scottish Soeiely in Stratford, which, lie said, wa« prhiank dne to lhe strong nflicers connected with its initiation, and he particularly referred to its president and eliiet. and its late secretary (Mr. A. Ilendresonl. Stratford, lie said, was named afl"r Shakespeare, but from present indications it seemed likely to have a statue of Burns before it had one of Shakespeare. Other toasts proposed were: "The I Ladies," proposed by Mr. E. S. Rutherford, and responded to by Mr. R. MaeAlister; "The Chairman," proposed by Mr. E. Jackson, and "The Press."

I All enjoyable programme of song and •story was romloictl at intervals throughout the evening. Items were contributed by Messrs Tarrant and Whittleboru (Jlawcra), W. Jf, Hawkins, 11. W. Duugks, .P. 11. Wilkie and Vincent. All wero encored, in some cases doubly so. Mr. J. H. Thompson played the accompaniments throughout.