Burns — On Alexander Wilson. 141 



though I fear it will be a powerful addition to that attraction 

 which was fully sufficient before to make even a virtuoso quit 

 his owls and opossums and think of something else." ^ A very 

 bold hint ! To one of his temperament there was no conceal- 

 ment. He spoke and wrote as he thought. His next letter 

 written at the Union school, May 22nd, 1804, as usual con- 

 tains a message for the niece : " . . . . Mrs. Leech requests me 

 to send Miss Bartram two birds, and thinks they would look 

 best drawn so that the pictures may hang their length horizon- 

 tally. I send a small scroll of drawing papers for Miss Nancy. 

 She will oblige me by accepting it." - Soon there appeared 

 in the Literary Magazine a poem descriptive of Bartram 's gar- 

 den and its inhabitants, which Wilson has entitled ''A Rural 

 Walk." and dated from Gray's Ferry, August 10th, 1804, of 

 which the following is an extract : 



"One flower, one sweet and faithful flower. 

 Worth all the blossom'd wilds can give ; 

 Forsakes him not thro" seasons lour 

 Tho Winter's roaring tempests rave. 



But still with gentlest look and air. 



Befriends his now declining years ; 

 By every kind officious care. 



That Virtue's lovely self endears. 



When Science calls, or books envite. 



Her eye the waste of age supply ; 

 Detail their pages with delight, 



Her dearest uncle list'ning by. 



When sorrows press, for avIio are free? 



Her generous heart the load sustains ; 

 In sickness none so kind as she. 



To soothe and assuage his pains. 



Thus twines the hone.vsuckle sweet. 

 Around some trunk decay'd and bare ; 



Thus angels on the pious wait, 

 To banish each distressing care. 



' Ord's Life of Wilson. 



-Darlington's Memorials of John Bartram and Humphrey I\Iar- 

 shall. 



1 Literary Magazine, Vol. II, 1804, pp. 533-536. 



