BURNS AND HIS HIGHLAND MARY. BURNS AND HIS HIGHLAND MARY. 135 We extract the following interesting article, from the Montreal Herald. It will be read with a melancholy pleasure, by many of our subscribers; for few poets have a deeper hold on the hearts of the New-Englanders, than Robert Burns, whose errors are forgotten in the contemplation of his genius and his worth: "We had in our possession on Saturday, the identical pair of bibles presented by the immortal Burns to the dearest object of his affections, Highland Mary, on the banks of the winding Ayr, when he spent with her "one day of parting love." They are in remarkably good preservation, and belong to a descendant of the family of Mary's mother, Mrs. Campbell, whose property they became on the death of her daughter, and subsequently Mrs. Anderson, Mary's only surviving sister, acquired them. The circumstance of the bible being in two volumes, seemed at one time to threaten its dismemberment, Mrs. Anderson having presented a volume to each of her two daughters; but on their approaching marriage, their brother William prevailed on them to dispose of the second volume to him. On the first blank leaf of the first volume is written, in the hand writing of the immortal bard, " And ye shall not swear by my name falsely-I am the Lord.-Levit. 19 chap. 12th verse; and on the corresponding leaf of the second volume, "Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shall perform unto the Lord thine oath.-Matt. 5th ch. 33d verse." On the second blank leaf of each volume, there are the remains of "Robert Burns, Mossgiel," in his hand writing, beneath which is drawn a masonic emblem. At the end of the first volume, there is a lock of Highland Mary's hair. وو There is a mournful interest attached to these sacred volumes-sacred from their contents, and sacred from having been a pledge of love from the most gifted of Scotland's bards, to the artless object of his affections, from whom he was separating, no more to meet on this side the grave. The life of Burns was full of romance, but there is not one circumstance in it all, so romantic and full of interest as those which attended and followed the gift of these volumes. He was young when he wooed and won the affections of Mary, whom he describes as "a warmhearted, charming young creature as ever blessed a man with generous love." The attachment was mutual, and forms the subject of many of his earlier lyrics, 136 BURNS AND HIS HIGHLAND MARY. as well as of the productions of his later years, which show that it was very deep-rooted. Before he was known to fame, steeped in poverty to the very dregs, and meditating an escape to the West Indies from the remorseless fangs of a hardhearted creditor, he addressed to his "dear girl" the song which begins, "Will ye go to the Indies, my Mary, And leave old Scotia's shore, And cross the Atlantic's roar?" But neither Burns or his Mary were doomed to cross the Atlantic's roar," nor to realize those dreams of mutual bliss which passion or enthusiasm had engendered in their youthful imaginations. Burns was called to Edinburgh, there to commence his career of fame, which was to terminate in chill poverty, dreary disappointment and dark despair -while Mary's happier lot, after a transient gleam of the sunshine of life, was to be removed to a better and a happier world. Her death shed a sadness over his whole future life, and a spirit of subdued grief and tenderness was displayed whenever she was the subject of his conversation or writings. Witness as follows: "Ye banks and braes and streams around The castle o' Montgomerie, Green be your woods, and fair your flowers, There simmer first unfolds her robes, An' there they langest tarry, O' my sweet Hieland Mary!" In a note appended to this song, Burns says:-"This was a composition of mine in my early life, before I was known at all to the world. My Highland lassie was a warm-hearted charming young creature as ever blessed a man with generous love. After a pretty long trial of the most ardent reciprocal affection, we met by appointment on the second Sunday of May, in a sequestered spot on the banks of the Ayr, where we spent a day in taking a farewell before she would embark for the West Highlands, to arrange matters among her friends for our projected change of life. At the close of the autumn following, she crossed the sea to meet me at Greenock; where BURNS AND HIS HIGHLAND MARY. 137 she was seized with a malignant fever which hurried my dear her her illness.ve in a few days, before I could even hear of It was at this romantic and interesting meeting on the banks of the Ayr, that the bibles before us were presented to Mary; and he must have a heart of stone indeed, who can gaze on them without his imagination's calling up feelings in his bosom too big for utterance. On that spot they exchanged bibles and plighted their faith to each other, the stream dividing them, and the sacred book grasped by both over its purling waters. This was the only token of affection each had to give the other, and the wealth of the Indies could not have procured a better or more appropriate one. 66 In Lockhart's life of Burns we are informed that several years after the death of Mary, on the anniversary of the day which brought him the melancholy intelligence, he appeared as the twilight advanced, (in the language of his widow,) very sad about something;" and though the evening was a cold and keen one in September, he wandered into his barnyard, from which the entreaties of his wife could not, for some time, recal him. To these entreaties he always promised obedience, but the promises were but the lipkindnesses of affection, no sooner made than forgotten, for his eye was fixed on heaven, and his unceasing stride indicated that his heart was also there. Mrs. Burns' last approach to the barn-yard found him stretched on a mass of straw, looking abstractedly on a planet which, in a clear starry sky, "shone like another noon," and having prevailed on him to return into the house, instantly wrote, as they stand, the following sublime verses, "To Mary in Heaven," which have thrilled through many breasts, and drawn tears from many eyes, and which will live the noblest of the lyrics of Burns, while sublimity and pathos have a responding charm in the hearts of Scotsmen. TO MARY IN HEAVEN. Thou lingering star, with less'ning ray, Again thou usher'st in the day My Mary from my soul was torn. O Mary! dear departed shade! Where is thy place of blissful rest? Seest thou thy lover lowly laid? Hear'st thou the groans that rend his breast? 138 BURNS AND HIS HIGHLAND MARY. That sacred hour can I forget? Eternity will not efface Those records dear of transports past; Ah! little thought we 'twas our last! Ayr gurgling kissed his pebbled shore, The flowers sprang wanton to be pressed, Still o'er these scenes my memory wakes, My Mary, dear departed shade! Where is thy blissful place of rest? Hear'st thou the groans that rend his breast? The bible is, as we said before, the property of a descendant of Mrs. Campbell, the mother of Mary, who lives in Upper Canada, and who is in such reduced circumstances that he has sent the invaluable heirloom to this city for the purpose of disposing of it. Of its genuineness we have not the slightest doubt, as we have, times without number, seen original letters from Burns, and the writing on the bible corresponds exactly with that in the letters we have seen. It is to be deplored, that stern necessity should decree the separation of such a tribute of the affection of one of the noblest of hearts that ever graced humanity, from the family of the darling object of that affection, and that the token of an attachment which almost ennobled the family of Mary Campbell, must fall into the hands of a stranger; but since such must be the case, we hope the Natural History Society will not allow such a valuable relic to become private property. NEWTON MATERNAL ASSOCIATION. [Written for the Mother's Assistant.] NEWTON LOWER FALLS MATERNAL ASSOCIATION. 139 We must apologize to our young readers for the insertion of a few pages not s rictly adapted to their department, but in the contents of which, we trust they do not feel entirely indifferent. In connection with this remark we would also say, that the interesting report which follows, has been accidentally delayed a number of months-ED. The Newton Lower Falls Maternal Association was formed three years since. The illness of the Secretary prevented her offering a report of the second year, so that we have the two past years to review. In making this retrospect, we find abundant reason to thank our Heavenly Father, who has graciously assisted us in the important object for which we are associated. Our monthly meetings have been regularly held, and well attended; and, when we consider the distant residence of some, and the domestic avocations of most of us, this fact evinces a degree of interest highly encouraging. The course of reading has been such, as to instruct and assist us, in the discharge of the important duties which devolve upon us, as Christian mothers. The Mother's Assistant, Mother's Magazine, and other periodicals of the kind, are in circulation among us, and contain much interesting and valuable information. Many important topics have been proposed for consideration, and freely discussed at our meetings, so that the ideas and experience of each, are made common property, and become useful to all. And who can estimate the value of those prayers which have here been offered? The heartfelt pleadings of a mother, for the immortal souls which God has committed to her charge, must be heard at the throne of grace, and will doubtless be answered in the eternal welfare of those so dear to us. Once in three months, our children have met with us, and have repeated passages of Scripture, which they have selected, in answer to previously-proposed questions. It has been customary, at such times, to receive an address, by way of exhortation and encouragement, from the Rector of St. Mary's Church. These meetings are particularly useful, in impressing upon the minds of our children a sense of the privileges and advantages which they derive by their connection with the association. During the time which now passes in review before us, an All-wise Providence has often commissioned the solemn messenger, Death, to warn us of the uncertainty of |