Annie Laurie was "born in the purple," so to speak, at Maxwelton House, in the beautiful glen of the Cairn--Glencairn. Her home was in the heart of the most pastorally lovely of Scottish shires--that of Dumfries. Her birth is thus set down by her father, in what is called the "Barjorg MS.": "At the pleasure of the Almighty God, my daughter Anna Laurie was borne upon the 16th day of December 1682 years, about six o'clock in the morning, and was baptized by Mr. George--minister of Glencairn," Her father was Sir Robert Laurie, first baronet, and her mother was Jean Riddell. [Illustration: MAXWELTON HOUSE, ANNIE LAURIE'S BIRTHPLACE.] Maxwelton House was originally the castle of the earls of Glencairn. It was bought in 1611 by Stephen Laurie, the founder of the Laurie family. Stephen was a Dumfries merchant. The castle was a turreted building. In it Annie Laurie was born. [Illustration: ANNIE LAURIE. From a painting now preserved at Maxwelton House.] This castle was partially burned in the last century, but not all of it. The great tower is incorporated in the new house, and also a considerable portion of the old walls was built in. The foundations are those of the castle. The picture shows the double windows of the tower. In places its walls are twelve feet thick. The lower room is the "gun-room," and the little room above, that in the next story, is always spoken of in the family as "Annie Laurie's room," or "boudoir." This room of Annie's has been opened into the drawing-room by taking down the wall, and it forms a charming alcove. Its stone ceiling shows its great age. In the dining-room, a fine, large apartment, we come again upon the old walls, six feet thick, which gives very deep window recesses. In this room hang the portraits of Annie Laurie and her husband, Alexander Ferguson. They are half-lengths, life-size. Annie's hair is dark brown, and she has full dark eyes--it is difficult to say whether brown or deep hazel. I incline to the latter. Whoever doctored the second verse of the original song--I heard it credited to "Mrs. Grundy" by a grandnephew of Burns--whoever it was, he had apparently no knowledge of this portrait, for you all know he has given Annie a "dark _blue_ e'e." [Illustration: Alexander Ferguson, Annie Laurie's husband. From a painting now preserved at Maxwelton House.] The nose is long and straight; the under lip full, as though "some bee had stung it newly," like that of Suckling's bride. A true Scotch face, of a type to be met any day in Edinburgh, or any other Scotch town. She is in evening dress of white satin, and she wears no jewels but the pearls in her hair. Alexander Ferguson, the husband of Annie Laurie, has a handsome, youthful face, with dark eyes and curling hair. His coat is brown, and his waistcoat blue, embroidered with gold, and he wears abundant lace in the charming old fashion.