The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1884-04-09
QUEEN VIC1ORIA'S BOOK.
EXTRACTS FROM HER RECENTLY
ISSUED JOURNAL.
A Scottish ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
HallOWccn-"Jui cing the Shcep''
"A HiphIand CHRISTMAS.

"A Highland Christmas.
The last work of Victoria Alcxan-
drina, Queen of Great Britain and Ire
land and Empress of India, is entitled
More Leaves from the Journal of Il Life
in the Highlands" of i0i pages, printed
in large type ON thick, heavy paper. 1t
contains Il number of cngravings, among
them i portrait Of the Queen. John
Brown, ESD, Princess Beatrice, Helena,
Louise. John Grant, General Grey, Jane
Churchill. the ~favoritc collie dog-mcn-
toned quite often in the book-anothcr
dog named Sharp. a sketch of Geldcr
Shicl, and il view of the cross erected at
Balmoral in memory of Princess Alice.
We give a number of extracts from the
book. Here is an account of Il Scotch
dance which took place in the neighbour
hood of Killiccrankic:
".Again heavy miSts on the hills-most
provoking-but without rain. The duch-
css came to ask if | had any objection to
the servants and gillics having Il dance
for two hours in the evening, to which |
said certainly not. and that | would go
to it myself. At 1920 we went down
Through the lower passages to the scrv-
ants hall. in which the little dance took
place. All the duchess servants, the
wives of the mcn-scrvants, the Keepers,
the wood. forester ID. Mctircgor. who has
IN extensive charge over all the woods
on the Atholc property, the gardener,
and some five or six others who belong
to my guard eight people, belonging to
the duchess or to the town, who take
their turn of Watching two by two ut
nirht,, beside all our servants, were
there: only Grant and two of the @illics
did not appear, which vcxcd us; but the
gillics had not any proper shoes. they
said. and therefore did not comc. jamie
Ely came; also Mr.. Kerr, and both were
very active; General Grey only looked Ill
for Il moment, as he was suffering severe
" from cold. The tiddlcrs played in very
good time, and the dancing was very
animated. and went on without ccasing.
Louise and Arthur both danced a good
deal. Nothing but reels were danced.
Even the duchess old French maid,
Claricc, danced.
Of Halloween and its celebration in
the Highlands the queen says:
"Whilc we were at Mrs. Grants we
saw the commencement of the keeping
of Halloween. All the children came
out with burning torches, shouting and
jumping. The Protcstants generally keep
halloween on the old day, November -,
and the Catholics on this day; but hear
ing | had wished to see it two years ago,
they all decided to keep it to-day. When
we drove home We saw ali the gllllcS
coming along with burning torches, and
torches end bontircs appeared also on the
opposite side of the water. We went
upstairs to look at it from the windows,
from whence it had a very pretty effect.
"On the same day in the following
year, viz, Thursday, October 81, 1867,
We had an opportunity of again seeing
the celebration of Halloween, and even
of taking part in it. We had been out
driving, but we hurried back to be in
time for the celebration. Close to Don
aid Stewards house we were met by two
uillics bearing torches. Louise got out
and took one, walking by the side of the
carriage, and looking like one of the
witches in "Macbcth." AS VI ap-
preached Balmoral, the keepers and
! their wives and children, the gillics
and other people met us all with torches,
Brown also carrying one. We got out
at the house, where Leopold joined us.
and Il torch was given to him. We
walked round the whole house, preceded
bv Ross PLAYING the pipes, going down
the steps of the terrace. Louise and
Lcopold went first, then came jamie Ely
and |, followed by every one carrying
torches. which had Il very pretty effect.
After this Il bonfire was made of all the
torches, close to the house, and they
danced reels while Ross played the
pipes
of the ceremony of ''.Juicing the
Sheep" the queen thus writes:
At II ~ | drove off with Louise and
Leopold in the w%aggoncttc up to near
the Blush" thc residence of William
Brown, the farmer, fourth brother of
john, to see them '%'.iuicc the sheep"
This is apracticc pursued all over the
Highlands before the sheep are sent
down to the low country for the winter.
1t is done to preserve the wool. Not far
from the burnside, where there are n few
hillocks, was Il pen in which the sheep
were placed, and then. just outside it, a
large sort of trough filled with liquid to-
bacco and soap, and into this the sheep
were dipped one after the other: one man
Games Brown, my shepherd. the elder
brother, who came up on purpose to
help, took the sheep one by ono out OF
the pen and turned them IN their backs,
.and then William and he, holding them
by their legs, dipped them well in, after
which they were let into another pen into
which this trough opened, and here they
had to remain to dry. TO the left, Il
little lower down. vas a cauldron boiling
over Il fire and containing the tobacco
with water and soap. This was then
cmpticd into a tub, from which it was
transferred into the trough. y very
rosy-faccd lassic, with a plaid over her
head. was experimenting this part of the
work, and helped to fetch the water from
the burn. while children and many collie
dors were grouped about, and several
men and shepherds were helping. 1t
was a very curious and picturesque sight.
Here VIZ have the Queens account Of Il
Highland "Kirstnin:"
AT 4 30 | drove, with Louise, Beatrice
and Lady Ely to John Thompson, the
wood fore,ter's house, for the christening
of their child, three weeks old. Here, in
their little sctting-room, in front of the
window, stood a table covered with a
white cloth, on which was placed Il basin
with water, a Bible, and Il paper with the
certificate of the child's birth. We stood
on one side, and John Thomson in his
Highland dress next the minister, who
was opposite me at the head of the table.
Barbara. his wife, stood next to him,
with the baby in her arm $, and then the
| old ThomSons and their unmarried daugh-
ter, the Donald Stewards, Grants, and
Victoria. Morgan and sister and Brown.
DR.. Taylor (who wore his gown then
began with an address and prayer, Civ
Inc thanks ''lora living mother and Il liv-
ing child" after which followed another
PRAYER; he then read few passages from
Scripture, after which came the usual
questions which he addressed to the
father, and to which he bowed assent.
Then the minister told him: present
your child for baptism" After this the
father took the child and held it while
the minister baptized it, sprinkling it
with water. but not making the sign of
the cross. saying first to those present:
''Thc child'S namc is Victoria, and then
to the child:
"Victor:a, | haptize thee in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, one God blessed for ever. Amen.
"The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The
Lord make His face to shine upon thee and
he gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up His
countenance upon thee and give thee peace"
"Thc service was concluded with
another short prayer and the usual bless
in"S. | thought it most appropriate.
touching and impressive. | gave my
present Ia silver mug to the father,
kissed the little baby, and then we I'LL