The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-01-18 00:00:00

iE QIILEWS JL . AL.

The follou lug revle, of onr beloved Queen', very interest-
ing book " Leaves from the Journal of our lie in the High-
land., from lk4B to 1861," jug published, is taken from
the London Times, and those of our reader* who have
lehture, will find a perusal of the work itaelf delightfully in-
structive, It, Royal author seeming to throw asula her robes
of state, and to charm the reader with the incidents attd
narrative of a familiar friend :

In the catalogue of Royal authors, now of cow&
derable length, there will be found no name more illus-
trious than that of Queen Victoria. Nor among the
volumes to which they have Pet their names will there
be found any which will interest such a multitude of
readers, and which appeals AO directly to the common
heart, 89 the one just published. No doubt works
of greater literary pretension have come from Boyal•
pens—as poems, histories, philosophical dissertations.
One of Her Majesty's ancestors, the First James of
Scotland, wrote a poem, The King's Quhair, which,
apart from the rank of its author, deserves a perma-
nent place in British literature, and which, laying
bare his secret heart in the story of his love, made him
the idol of his people. Our Queen makes no suoh
literary effort. Her work taken the simple form of an
ordinary journal of travel- no show about it whatever,
except the simple show of fine natural feeling. In the
green cloth dress of her hook she enters familiarly ,
Into our houses. She takes us by the hand, she sits
by our firesides, and she opens te us her heart.
Hitherto, when she has parleyed with her people as a
whole, it has been in stately speeches and formal pro-
clamations. Now she lays aside her robes of State and
enters into friendly conversation with her subjects on
the mere footing of a warmhearted, cultivated, gentle-
woman, sharing their tastes and their pursuits, and
feelings as one of them. We hear of all the little
likings and dislikes that make up the great sum of life
—of hunger and thirst, 14 waking and sleeping and
fatigue, of laughter and tears, of aches and anxieties
and pleasures. It may be gathered from the pages of
the journal now published that of all the days to
which they refer those were the most enjoyed, and the
pleasure of them was most eagerly sought to be
renewed, on which the Queen and her party could
go forth in disguise roaming among the hills and
at. the villages unrecognized, received as pri-
vate persons, roughing it at some poor inn, sleep-
ing in chambers where there was scarcely room
for the beds, served at dinner by a maid of all
work, the courses of the dinner reduced to a couple
of chickens, on which many pairs of eyes looked hun-
grily enough. And since her Majesty is pleased to
come to us in this way without ceremony, we venture
to meet her, as she would wish, without compliments.
As critics we give an honest welcome to the distin-
guished authoress, happy to assure her that her volume
will be deservedly enjoyed in myriads of homes
throughout an empire which encircles the globe. The
great charm of the book is to be found in its simplicity
and naturalness, in the fearless confidence with which
the writer jots down ordinary impreesiona Emerson
says it is the peculiar attribute of genius to see the
interest that attaches to common things and feelings
which ordinary observers pass by as unworthy of re-
gard. The definition, in au far as it relates to genius,
may provoke discussion; but there can be no doubt
that the Queen's Journal, dealing frankly with com
inn things open to common observation, and exciting
the well-known feelings of our kind, will touch the
popular heart as it cannot be touched by the extraor-
dinary and the unknown. And, indeed, in addition
to the common which so quickly reaches to the human
heart, there is here a touch of the uncommon
in that such a book should be written by such a lady.
There is a unity of interest preserved throughout the
volume by the fact of its relating to the Queen's expe-
rience of life in the Highlands of Scotland. She learnt
to regard the Highlands and the Highlanders with
peculiar affection, and she adopts as her own the words
of the poet who has done most to make Scotland
famous :

Land of brown heath and shaggy wood,
Laud of the mountain and the flood,
Land of my sires ! what mortal hand
Can e'er untie the filial hand
That knits me to thy rugged strand?
Still, as I view each well known scene,
Think what in now, and what bath been,
Seems as, to me, of all bereft,
Sole friends thy woods and streams are left ;
And thus I love them better still,
Even In extremity of ill
It should be here observed, what Englishmen as a
rule do not usually consider, that in Scotland there'
are two distinct races—on the one hand the Southron,
the Lowlander, the Sassenach ; on the other, the men
of the North, the Highlanders. chiefly Celtic and
and Norse. Between these two classes there is much
antagonism of feeling. The Highlander, however
poor he may be, Is inclined to look down on the Low-
land Scots as lowborn, and to esteem himself ao essen-
tially a " shentleman." He has his infirmities—
laziness and hot temper being very evident among
these; but he is almost always manly, courageous,
and courteous, without any shadow of cringing; he is
of strong build, often handsome of feature, and with
a natural grace f carriage. The Queen was delighted
with these people, and chose from among them her
most trusted attendants. She says, in one part of her
journal,—" All the Highlanders are so amusing, and
really pleasant and instructive to talk to—women as
well as men—and the latter so gentlemanlike." In
another passage she observes,—" We were always in
the habit of conversing with the Highlander+, with
whom one comes so much in contact in the Highlands.
The Prince highly' appreciated the good-breeding,
simplicity, and intelligence which make it so pleasant
and even instructive to talk to them."

----___
From among these men we have said that she chane
Nome of 'her most trusted servants. Thus, she speaks
of Mi. Grant, her head keeper, in these terms :
.

. . .
He had been nearly twenty years with Sir Robert Gorden
—nice as keeper. Ile was bone in Braemar, in the year
1510. He is an excellent man, most trustworthy, of singular
ahrewdrella and discretion, and most devotedly attached to
the Prince and myself. Ile has a tine, intelligent coun-
tenance. The Prince was very fond of him. Ile has six
sons. The second, Alick, is wardrobe-man to our son
Leopold. All are good, well.dlsposed lads, and getting on
well in their different occupations. Ills mother, a tine, hale
obi woman or eighty years, "atop." inn small cottage which
the Prince built for her in our village. He himself lives in a
pretty lodge called Croft, a mile from Balmoral, which the
Prince built for him.

She allot another note to Mr. John Brown, who
may well be proud of the character she gives him :-
--- -

The same who, in 1358, became my regular attendant out
of son everywhere in the Highlands, who commenced as
011ie in 1849, and was selected by Albert and me to go with
my caning*. In 1351 he entered our service permanently, and
began in that year leading my pony, and advanced step by
atop by his good conduct and intelligence. His attention,
call, and faithfulness cannot be exceeded, and the state of my
health, which of late years has been sorely tried and
weakened, renders such qualifications most valuable, and,
Indeed, most needful in a constant attendant upon all occa-
sion,. He has since, most deservedly, been promoted to be
an upper servant. and my permanent personal attendant.
(December. 1065 He has all the independence and elevated
feelings peculiar to the Highland race, and Is singu-
larly straightforward, simple-minded, kind-hearted, and
;disinterested ; always ready to oblige: and of a discretion
rarely to be met with Ile is now in hts fortieth year. His
father wis a small farmer who lived, at the Bush on the
opposite aide to Balmoral. Ile is the second .d nine brothers
—three of whom have died—two are in Australia and New
Zealand, two are living in the nelahhourhwd of Balmoral :
and the youngest. Archie Archtebald,' is valet to our son
Leopold, and is an excellent, trustworthy young man.

- -
And if her Majesty can speak thus generously of her
servants, they were not insemble to Nash kindness,
and could speak enthusiastically of their master and
mistress. The Queen says on one occasion :

We then rode on. Albert talking ea gaily with Grant.
Upon which Brown observed to me in simple Highland
phrase, vita very pleasant to talk with a person who Is
always 'content.'" Yesterday, in speaking of dearest
Albert's sport, when I observed he never was cross after bad
tack, Brown said, Everyone on the estate says there never
was so kind a master: I am sure 011 f only wish is to give
satisfaction." I said, they certainly did.
- - -

The Queen became very fond of her Highland home,
and thus wrote of it about a dozen years ago :
October 13, 1856.
Every year my heart becomes more toed in this dear
Paradise, and so much more so now, that ail has become my.
dearest Albert's men creation, own work, own building, own
laying out, an at Osborne , and his great taste, and the im-
press of his dear hand, have been stamped everywhere. lie
was very busy to-day, settling and arranging many things
for next year.
She loved, also, the Kirk, and thus speaks of the
service aA conducted by one of her chaplains :
_

October 29, 1824.

We went to kirk as usual at twelve o'clock. The service
was performed by the ftev. Nornion hi 'Lend, of Glasgow, son
of Dr. Al .1,11,111, and ati)thing finer I never heard. The sermon,
entirely extempore, was quite admirable; so simple, and yet
so eloquent, and so beautifully argued and put. The text
waif from the account of the coming of Nicodemus to Christ
by night; lit. John, chapter 3. Mr NI 'Leml showed in the
sermon how we all tned to please self, and live for that, and
In so doing found no rest. Christ had come not only to die
for us, but to show how we were to live. The second prayer
was very touching ; his allusions to us were no simple, saying,
after his mention of us, "bless their children." It gave me
• lump in my throat, as also when he prayed for the dying,
She wounded, the widow, and the orphans!' Every one came
back delighted; and how satisfactory it is to come hack from
chureh with such feelings ! The servants and the High.
buidersall—were equally dolighted.
-

She speaks with not less enjoyment of another
scotch rraniiter, whose sermon she commanded to be
published :