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ANIMAL LIFE ON THE 
and staring eyes to view the depicted scenes, and went 
away filled with admiration and praise But what has been 
the influence of his presence and the outcome of our contact 
with him ? Nothing but the imitation by our young men 
of the Billingsgate slang of his music-halls, couched in the 
gutter poetry of "Along the Strand with Nancy." Seldom 
now do we hear, along with many others, the sweet strains 
and beautiful words of TannahilFs " Lass o' Arranteenie." 
Slowly but surely the frivolous poetic taste of our English 
neighbours is casting out of sight the poetic grandeur of our 
Scottish songs. The leaders of fashion have much to do 
with this. It is but a short time ago since we heard the 
son of a knight of the realm, whose father's lordly mansion 
is within four miles of the birthplace of Tannahill, delight- 
ing the ears of a fashionable audience with this fulsome 
trash, singing about his " Jermima falling upon her stern- 
sheet;" and this "elegant sentence" was actually applauded 
by a minister of the gospel lustily clapping his hands. 
Alas ! alas ! how lowly has our poetic taste fallen ? Listen 
to this, ye dames of fashion — 
" Yon mossy rosebud down the howe, 
Just opening fresh and bonnie, 
Blinks sweetly 'neath the hazel-bow, 
And 's scarcely seen by ony ; 
Sae sweet amang her native hills, 
Obscurely blooms my Jeanie ; 
Mair fair and gay than rosy May, 
The flower o' Arranteenie." 
Is not this a contrasting picture of unassuming modesty 
worthy of being preserved, and worthy of imitation ? But 
excuse this digression, gentle reader. Our poetic ardour 
possibly has carried us too far. The clatter of our steamer's 
paddles again brings us to our path. We are now skirting 
