Westmont Hilltop Senior High School - Phoenician Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

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glowing soul. We have Burns, then, before he went to Edin- burgh, gay, humorous, buoyant, content and loving the world. What a new world, however, was stretched be- fore his eyes when he went to Edinburgh! There lived the literary favorites, there the “intellectuals,” but alas, also lived those who would grasp at the chance to be entertained by some novel or interest- ing character at that “character’s” expense. There lived those parasites of fame, those “convivial Maecenases,” insincere “patrons” of literature whose main purpose in life was to satisfy their own selfish ambitions rather than to bring to light any genius or talent they might find. It was into such company Burns fell while he was in the capital, and his warm, sociable and con- fiding disposition ruled over his keenness of charac- ter-judgment so that he accepted and took to him as warm sympathizers and confidants those who were unworthy of the name, friend. It is a certainty that these people found pleasure in Burns’ company. He was such a fascinatingly clever and humorous young man that it would have been impossible not to feel his charm. As we have said before, it was not any lack of power to judge character that led him to confide in these unworthy men—it was an- other cause. There are some persons who always feel, not only the desire, but almost the necessity to tell others what is near to them, what they cherish and hold high. In Burns, it bespoke a boyish eager- ness and enthusiasm, a wide and generous warmth of encircling good-feeling toward all men. It indi- cated such an utter lack of vain sophistication, such eternal youth, such fundamental simplicity, it im- parted to his nature such a vividly whimsical color that he seems all the more lovable for a character- istic which some of our granite-souled atheists call a fault. We call them atheists because atheists do not believe in God. This quality in Burns is funda- mentally, clearly and characteristically good. Good, of course, is synonomous with God and those who cannot recognize good do not recognize God and are therefore, in practice, if not in theory, atheists. We might forgive those who cannot see good when it is hidden, but those who will not see good when it is so boldly displayed as it is here, never will see it. This desire to express himself is not to be con- fused with “gushing.” The latter is found in people who are shallowly affected by everything and deeply affected by nothing. Certainly Burns was no such man, but he had a nature so warmly affectionate and sociable that it included everyone in his love, if not in his admiration. He loved everyone and was al- most pitifully eager to have everyone love him. We must not, however, for one moment suppose that Burns cringed or fawned for this love. Much as he wanted it, that, he would never do: it must be given freely and sincerely or he scorned it. That his head was not turned by all the lavish attention he received in Edinburgh is a proof that he did not take flattery seriously. Nevertheless, he was deeply wounded by the falling off of these very flatterers whom he knew were insincere. This cruel hurt was particularly disastrous to him at this time— while he saw before his eyes the unequal distribu- tion of fortune, saw those unworthy of any oppor- tunity. lavishly showered with all worldly advant- ages while others more worthy, under favorable conditions would have produced really great things with only half a chance. These two events, coming as they did, one on top of the other, produced in

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asperated until at last Sir Roger quarreled with the gentleman behind him. I succeeded in putting a stop to this by explaining to the man that Sir Roger was new to this experience and being a little eccen- tric he would have to excuse his actions. The man replied (hat if any more of this disturbance hap- pened he would call the manager and have Sir Roger put out. Twice during the picture Sir Roger rose and scanned the audience exclaiming that he was unable to recognize any one. Much to my relief the picture ended and we departed without any further mishap. Upon arriv- ing at the hotel Sir Roger exclaimed that he had been afraid that we would be held up by robbers and as he said so he revealed from under his coat a stout oak club. ALBERT BAKER. 25. CHARACTER SKETCH OF BURNS We may divide the life of Burns into three parts—before he went to Edinburgh, while he was in Edinburgh, and after he returned from that city. We make these divisions because at each period there were new elements and influences which en- tered upon and changed the course of his life. Up to the time he went to Edinburgh. Carlyle says of him. “He was the gayest, brightest, most fan- tastic, fascinating being to be found in the world.” There were no dreams of worldly ambition, save a desire to rise up out of extreme poverty; there was no bitterness toward the world, for, did he not live among a devoted family, a loving father and mother, and sincere friendly peasants? He was perfectly content in his little world with its fresh flowers and happy skies, seen through the light of his poet eyes. Here was no jealousy, no strife nor bitterness; here only content and a blessed life with a devout family. To be sure, there must have been some little longing in his heart to devote himself more to what he loved; to cease for a while his eternal struggle to wrest from the unyielding soil a scant livelihood. Hut not until he had tasted the sweet of another life did this one seem really bitter. Also, if, occasionally, he had any such feelings, the inherent buoyancy, gaity, and lightness of heart, together with his bub- bling humor, were enough to banish shortly such forebodings as would threaten to plunge him into gloom. There was one quality in Burns that, although found in most children, is usually outgrown by the time manhood is reached. That quality was his sus- ceptibility to outside agents, the ease with which he was impressed. Not one action of another person, not one sight of a flower, lilt of a song, or vision of a painted sky, but left its trace forever upon his re- ceptive being. He absorbed everything, took into himself everything that was beautiful and stored it in his exhalted soul. Certainly this is no weakness, no fault. Yet there are those who maintain that it was this quality in him that caused his down-fall, maintain that had he not been so impressionable he would not have been so affected by the companions with whom he later associated. To say that, is to say that he absorbed, took into his being qualities which were base through the same channel by which all that was beautiful in him passed. While he was, undoubtedly affected by bad company on account of, or through this quality, it was only on the surface. Burns was too inherently fine, too splendidly big ever to let anything that was base or little enter into his

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Burns’ sensitive soul a bitterness, a sense of futility that was fatal to one of such a disposition. What a different creature was this sad, broken- hearted, melancholy Burns when he returned, from that gay and light-hearted youth who had gone away. Had he never even gone to Edinburgh, it is very probable that at some time he would have de- veloped that desire for a little more of the worldly advantages that were bestowed on others, but he never would have developed it so strongly that it almost equaled his love for pure poetry. Now he had that double purpose which was responsible for wrecking his life. Never more could he be the poet absolute in a consistent way. There would, of course, be moments when he would soar above all such things as material worries, but always in the back- ground. brooding, bitter, fatal, was the ambition that acquired its recognition in Edinburgh. With what a feeling of pity do we see this splendid Burns struggling and trying so desperately, so childishly, to have both things at once, and tiring his poor weary soul out in the struggles so cruelly unequal, trying to win at the game of Life which he never did under- stand, which he was too good to understand. Worn out with the battle, though still trying to understand at the end what it was all about, he went out of the place where men always cry at their benefactors, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” VERA MEEHAN, ’24. THE MAGIC PENCIL Margretta, I am sorry to say, did not like to study, and was getting along very poorly in school. Every month her examination marks were lower than they were in the month before, and although the teacher would keep her in after the other pupils were dismissed, and her mother would send her books, she would not study. One day after she had made very poor marks, her mother sent her to her room, but instead of studying, she lay down on the bed and chewed her pencil until she finally chewed the eraser off. Im- mediately a very tiny fairy flew out. She was not larger than a gnat, but kept growing larger and larger until at last she was almost as large as Marg- retta’s hand. She flew over and sat down on the pillow and said, “My dear child, I was imprisoned in that pencil years ago, when I was flying in a factory. Just as I sat down on the top of the pencil to rest, the eraser was put in and, although I am a fairy, I am unable to do anything when imprisoned. As a result I was not able to free myself. I want to thank you for freeing me and I will reward you. I have heard all your troubles and know that you are very poor in your studies. I will help you.” “Oh, do do!” cried Margretta, “I hate school. I can’t learn like the other children and everybody is scolding me about it.” “Well,” said the Fairy, waving her tiny jewelled wand over the pencil, “This pencil is now a magic- one. Take good care of it, for it will never fail you as long as you do as I tell you. Always use it when doing your lessons, and they will always be written correctly.” “How grand,” said Margretta, “You couldn’t give me anything to make me happier. I can hardly wait until tomorrow to try it at school and then hear what the others say when all my lessons are perfect.” But wait.” said the Fairy, “There is one thing you must do. Every school day you must study at