A NICHT WI' BURNS.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIII, 19 May 1922, Page 6

A NICHT WI' BURNS.

LECTURE BY

MR J. CRAIGIE,

M.P

Lovers of Burns were treated to one of Mr James Craigie’s popular lecture on Scotland’s national bard at the Olympia Hall last night. There was a good attendance, though the audience was. not so large as might have been for such an occasion, but no doubt the preyialing Scottish mist had made quite a lot of people think it better to have a nieht at hame.

The Mayor, Mr F. Nash, who presided, expressed pleasure at the' invitation he had received to be present. He was pleased to see that they appreciated the work of Burns. Mr Craigie was well-known as alecturer throughout New Zealand. He was a trademan like himself, and all tradesmen were good men (laughter) He had, much pleasure in extending to Mr Craigie a hearty welcome (applause). The proceedings were opened with the singing by the Presbyterian choir of “Ye Banks and Braes.”

Mr Craigie expressed thanks for the welcome acorded him. In his opening remarks he referred briefly to a previous lecture, when he had dealt with the early life of Burns. A lot of people, he said, were under the impresion that Burns was not educated, but that was not so. A prfoessor of the English language at a university at Home had declared, the works of Robert Burns to be equal to those of Milton and Shakespeare. He' spoke of the great influence Burns had over Scottish life and literature, which, he said, was due to the fact that he never considered the material things of life, and to his great affection for humanity : and kindness of heart. He referred to the devotion and affeetion which was felt for Burns from one end of the world to the other, as expressed every year at the aniversary of his birth, and in numerous monuments that had been erected to his memory. We in New Zealand, he said, Imd shown our appreciation of Burns by the erection of three statu les to his memory, two of which were in the South Island and one in the North. He did not know of any other poet who had been so honoured. He spoke of the “auld hame” of the poet, a humble thatched cottage in Ayrshire, to which an annual pilgrimage was made by people from hundreds of miles away, and of the poet’s last meeting with his bonny “Hielan’ Mary,” in reference to whom MV Craigie recited the well-known lines of Burns. To' illustrate the love and affection Burns had for his fellowmen, Mr Craigie recited many of the lesser-known verses of th e poet, displaying a wonderfully retentive memory, and holding the audiehce with rapt attention. Burns favourite quot- ; ahon from th e Bible was from' the Revelations, where it said, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more tears or crying,” and it had often been men tioned in the poet’s letters that he onged for the day when God would do that. Speaking of the poet’s great thought and affection displayed toward animals, Mr Craigie recited the first verses from “A Winter’s Night,” wherein the poet thinks of the cattle out in the cold blizzard The ideals of Burns, he speaker said, were well expressed in his “John Anderson, My John,” depicting 'an old couple of the. Darby and Joan.type “You don’t hear such sentiments expressed in the Divorce Court to-day” he said. He considered that such writings were worth a hundred of the rubbishy books that were printed these days. Burns was truly an educater of the heart, and no doubt his tender-heartedness towards humanity was one of the secrets of the great affection in which he was held. Though he lived in comparative poverty, and did a man’s work when he was only 14 years old, he stood in equal with persons of high rank and some of the greatest scholars of his time. He spoke of how Burn's had made himself disliked by the Church and remarked how eurio'uij it was that he should be speaking of him for the benefit of their Church. Burns he said, had also made himself dislike with those of high ranks, who objected to his sympathy shown with the American Declaration of Independence and the French Revoke tion. Burns, however, held it was hi-: duty to never lower his flag to rank. Referring again to the great influence of Burns upon the literature and songs of his day, Mr Craigie mention ed how h e had come across a lot of old books and songs that had been published in Scotland before the birth of the poet, many of which were of the most obscene character, and showed distinctly the great adlanee that Bad taken place since the advent of Burns. Speaking of the poet s love affairs Mr Craigie re- '

ferred to the well-knqwn lines concerning Mary Morrison —his “Hielan Mary,” as he called her. He had, however, previously had an affeetion for one Alice Bebee, but unfortunately for him, or for her, she was already rigaged to someone else. Mr Craigie here recited several verses in reference to Burns’ love affairs, including “Aui the airts the wind can blaw,” and many other poems.. In conclusion, Mr Craigie said that .Burns at all times stood for the people, his ideal being to give an equal opportunity for all. Burns, he thought, with his great broad-hearted humanity, was a gift from God. Though dwelling in poverty, he had enriched the world. (Applause). At th econclusion of the lecture, Mr J. Bitchener, M.P. moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Crqjgie, which was carried with 'applause. The rest of the “nieht” took the form of a Scottish concert, the following taking part:—Miss Arthur, “John Anderson, My John,” Miss Grant, “Robin Adair,” Mr Wallace, “The Auld House,” Miss Wilson and Mr Kirkpatrick, “Th eCrooked Bawbee, and “Oh, Wort the morn in the cold blast,” Miss Hanna, “Annie Laurie,” and Mr A. R. Cooper, pipe selections. Miss Menzies made a very capable accompaniste. A very enjoyable evening was concluded with the singing by the choir of “Coming through the Rye,” and "Auld Lang Syne.” z