AN ingenious prose-writer and respectable poet, James Telfer was born on the 3d December 1800, at Newbigging, near the head of Oxnam Water, in the parish of Southdean and county of Roxburgh. Like his father, he originally followed the humble avocation of a shepherd. He was an enthusiastic admirer of Scottish ballads; and when Hogg's "Queen's Wake,” was published, he procured a copy, and made the book his constant companion. He first essayed verse by composing imitations of the more striking portions of the Shepherd's poem. In 1820 he became a contributor to the Newcastle Magazine, and in the following year published at Jedburgh a volume of "Border Ballads and Miscellaneous Poems," which he inscribed to his poetical preceptor, the Bard of Ettrick. Abandoning the crook, he now sought employment as a teacher, having duly qualified himself by a course of study. In 1827 he opened a school at Saughtrees at the head of Liddesdale. Here, in a state of seclusion from the learned world, he continued to reside, engaged during the day in the arduous duties of the schoolroom, and in the evenings devoting himself to reading and composition. He became a great authority in the poetical literature of his country. With his admirable friend, Mr Robert White of Newcastle, he maintained a literary correspondence for the period of thirty years. "Barbara Gray," an interesting prose tale proceeded from his pen in 1835. His last publication, a collected edition of his best productions in prose and verse, appeared in 1852, with the title of "Tales and Sketches." By his published writings, the poet did not add materially to his means; his school emoluments did not exceed twenty pounds a year, added to the free occupation of a wretched tenement, which formed the Saughtrees schoolhouse. In 1860 his school-buildings were restored, but not before the occupant had, by long exposure in the old wind-pierced hovel, contracted a severe pulmonary ailment. He succumbed to this complaint on the 18th January 1862, in his 62d year. Telfer was unhappily disposed to indulge in a sarcastic vein against those who had offended him; he was otherwise possessed of genial and benevolent qualities.

OH, WILL YE WALK THE WOOD WI' ME?*

"Он, will ye walk the wood wi' me?

Oh, will ye walk the green?

Or will ye sit within mine arms,

My ain kind Jean?"

"It's I'll not walk the wood wi' thee,

Nor yet will I the green;

And as for sitting in your arms,
It's what I dinna mean.'

Portions of the first and second verses of this song are fragments of an older ditty.-Note by the Author.

"Gang up to May o' Mistycleugh,

Ye saw her late yestreen;
Ye'll find in her a lightsome love
Ye winna find in Jean."

"Wi' bonny May o' Mistyclengh
I carena to be seen;
Her lightsome love I'd freely gi'e
For half a blink frae Jean.

"Gang down to Madge o' Miryfaulds,
I ken for her ye green;
Wi' her ye'll get a purse o' gowd-
Ye'll naething get wi' Jean."

"For doity Madge o' Miryfaulds
I dinna care a preen;

The purse o' gowd I weel could want,
If I could ha'e my Jean."

"Oh, yes! I'll walk the wood wi' thee;
Oh, yes! I'll walk the green;
But first ye'll meet me at the kirk,
And mak' me aye your Jean."

I MAUN GAE OVER THE SEA.

"SWEET summer now is by,
And cauld winter is nigh,

The wan leaves they fa' frae the tree;
The hills are white wi' snaw,
And the frosty winds blaw,

And I maun gae over the sea, Mary,
And I maun gae over the sea.

But winter will gang by,

And summer come wi' joy,

And Nature again will be free;

And wooers you will find,

And mair ve 'll never mind

The laddie that's over the sea, Mary,
The laddie that 's over the sea."

The rowin' tear down fell,
Her bosom wasna well,

For she sabbit most woefullie;
"Owre the yirth I wad gang,
And never count it lang,

But I fear ye carena for me, Willie,
But I fear ye carena for me.'

Nae langer could he thole,
She tore his vera soul,

He dighted her bonnie blue ee;
"Oh, what was it you said,
Oh! my ain loving maid?

I'll never love a woman but thee, Mary,
I'll never love a woman but thee!

"The fae is forced to yield,

And freedom has the field;

Away I will ne'er gang frae thee;
Only death shall us part,
Keep sic thoughts frae my heart,

But never shall part us the sea, Mary,
But never shall part us the sca."

JAMES D. BURNS.

JAMES DRUMMOND BURNS was born at Edinburgh on the 18th February 1823. A pupil of Heriot's Hospital, he attended the High School, and in due time entered the University. Distinguished as a student, he obtained the degree of Master of Arts, and commenced a course of theological study. As a Divinity student, he left the Established Church in 1843, and attended the prelections of Dr Chalmers and his colleagues in the Theological Hall of the Free Church. In 1845, he was, on the strong recommendation of Dr Chalmers, elected to the pastorate of the Free Church congregation at Dunblane. In impaired health he sought the mild climate of Madeira in the autumn of 1847, and on attempting to resume his duties in the following year, found himself compelled, from continued weakness, to retire from his charge. He

returned to Madeira to undertake ministerial duty in a Presbyterian congregation at Funchal. In 1852 he made a tour through Portugal, Spain, and Italy, and in the following year returned to Britain. After ministering to Presbyterian congregations at Brighton and St Helier's in Jersey, he accepted the invitation of a Presbyterian congregation at Hampstead to become their pastor. He was inducted on the 22d May 1855. In his new sphere he was eminently successful; a large and attached flock attended his ministrations. But a pulmonary weakness continued to oppress him, and at length, in January 1864, he was compelled again to seek a milder climate. After several changes he reached Vevay, in Switzerland-there he died on Sabbath the 27th November 1864. His remains were brought to Britain, and interred in the Highgate Cemetery, London.

Mr Burns published in 1854 "The Vision of Prophecy, and other Poems," 12mo. The volume, which contains compositions chiefly of a scriptural or sacred character, was hailed as manifesting evidence of a vigorous poetical fancy. A memoir of Mr Burns has lately been published, from the pen of the late Rev. Dr James Hamilton, of London.

RISE, LITTLE STAR.

RISE, little star!
O'er the dusky hill,-
See the bright course open
Thou hast to fulfil.

Climb, little star!
Higher still and higher,

With a silent swiftness
And a pulse of fire.

Stand little star!
On the peak of heaven;
But for one brief moment
Is the triumph given.

Sink, little star!
Yet make heaven bright,
Even while thou art sinking,
With thy gentle light.

Set, little star!
Gladly fade and die,
With the blush of morning
Coming up the sky.

Each little star
Crieth, Life, O man!

Should have one clear purpose
Shining round its span.

THOUGH LONG THE WANDERER MAY
DEPART.

THOUGH long the wanderer may depart,
And far his footsteps roam,

He clasps the closer to his heart
The image of his home.

To that loved land, where'er he goes,
His tend'rest thoughts are cast,
And dearer still through absence grows
The memory of the past.

Though nature on another shore

Her softest smile may wear,

The vales, the hills, he loved before,
To him are far more fair.

The heavens that met his childhood's eye,
All clouded though they be,

Seem brighter than the sunniest sky
Of climes beyond the sea.

So Faith, a stranger on the earth,
Still turns its eye above;

The child of an immortal birth

Seeks more than mortal love.
The scenes of earth, though very fair,
Want home's endearing spell;
And all his heart and hope are where
His God and Saviour dwell.

He may behold them dimly here,
And see them as not nigh,
But all he loves will yet appear
Unclouded to his eye.

To that fair city, now so far,
Rejoicing he will come,

A better light than Bethlehem's star
Guides every wanderer home.

JOSEPH MACGREGOR-WILLIAM DUNBAR.

JOSEPH MACGREGOR.

313

JOSEPH MACGREGOR was born about the year 1805; he followed the profession of an accountant in Edinburgh. Expert as a man of business, he negotiated the arrangement of the city affairs at the period of the municipal bankruptcy. A zealous member of the Liberal party, he took a prominent interest in the Reform Bill movement, and afterwards afforded valuable assistance in the election of Francis Jeffrey as one of the representatives of the city in Parliament. He latterly occupied Ramsay Lodge, the residence of the poet Allan Ramsay, where he died about the year 1845. The following songs from his pen are published by permission of Messrs Robertson & Co., musicsellers, Edinburgh.

LADDIE, OH! LEAVE ME.

Down whar the burnie rins wimplin' and cheery,

When love's star was smilin' I met wi' my dearie;

Ah! vain was its smilin'-she wadna believe me; But said wi' a saucy air, "Laddie, oh! leave me; Leave me, leave me, laddie, oh! leave me." "I've lo'ed thee o'er truly to seek a new dearie, I've lo'ed thee o'er fondly through life e'er to weary,

I've lo'ed thee o'er lang, love, at last to deceive

thee;

Look cauldly or kindly, but bid me not leave thee;"

Leave thee, leave thee, etc.

"There's nae ither saft ee that fills me wi'
pleasure,

There's nae ither rose-lip has half o' its treasure,
There's nae ither bower, love, shall ever receive

HOW BLYTHELY THE PIPE.
AIR-"Kinloch of Kinloch."

How blythely the pipe through Glenlyon was
sounding,

At morn when the clans to the merry dance hied;

And gay were the love-knots, o'er hearts fondly bounding,

When Ronald woo'd Flora, and made her

his bride.

But war's banner streaming soon changed their fond dreaming

The battle-cry echoed, around and above Broad claymores were glancing, and war-steeds were prancing;

Up, Ronald! to arms for home and your love.

All was hush'd o'er the hill, where love linger'd despairing,

With her bride-maids still decked in their gay festal gear!

And she wept as she saw them fresh garlands preparing,

Which might laurel Love's brow, or be strew'd o'er his bier!

But cheer thee, fond maiden-each wild breeze is laden

With victory's slogan, through mountain

and grove;

Where death streams were gushing, and warsteeds were rushing,

Lord Ronald has conquer'd for home and for love!

WILLIAM DUNBAR, D.D.

WILLIAM DUNBAR was born at Dumfries in October 1780;* he received his elementary education in that town. Having studied at the University of Edinburgh, he was in 1805 licensed as a probationer of the Established Church. During the vacations of his theological curriculum, and the earlier portion of his probationary career, he resided chiefly in the Hebrides. At this period he composed the popular song,

* Dumfries Register of Births and Baptisms.

entitled, "The Maid of Islay," the heroine being a Miss Campbell of the island of Islay. In several collections the song has been erroneously ascribed to Joseph Train. Mr Dunbar was, in May 1807, ordained to the ministry at Applegarth, Dumfriesshire. Long reputed as one of the most successful cultivators of the honey-bee, Dr Dunbar was, in 1840, invited to prepare a treatise on the subject for the entomological series of the "Naturalist's Library." His observations were published, without his name, in a volume of the series, with the title, "The Natural History of Bees, comprehending the uses and economical management of the British and Foreign Honey Bee; together with the known wild species. Illustrated by thirty-six plates, coloured from nature, with portrait and memoir of Huber." Dr Dunbar died at the manse of Applegarth on the 6th December 1861, in the 81st year of his age, and the 54th of his ministry.

ELLIOT AITCHISON was born early in the century, in the Border town of Hawick. His uncle, Mr Robert Shortreed, Sheriff-Substitute of Roxburghshire, was an intimate friend of Sir Walter Scott, and the great Minstrel's first conductor into the romantic scenery of Liddesdale. The influence of his relation did not avail the future poet. His parents being in poor circumstances, and as he was the youngest of a numerous family, his education was very circumscribed. He was early apprenticed to a stockingweaver, and while still young, was necessitated to support himself and his youngest sister, owing to the death of his father, and the emigration of the other members of the family. With the exception of a short period, when, owing to feeble health, he accepted employment as a clerk, he continued throughout life to labour in a stockingfactory. He informed the editor of this work that so engrossing was his occupation that he seldom found leisure to peruse the weekly newspaper, or to engage in any other species of self-culture. Possessed of a most diffident and retiring nature, he shrunk from publicity. The present writer had the mortification to incur his grave displeasure by having unwittingly mentioned his name in a public lecture, as a man of poetical genius, deserving of encouragement. Aitchison died in his native town on the 7th October 1858. A tombstone has been raised to his memory in the parish churchyard of Wilton, where his remains are interred.