The state journal. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1883-1885, 1884-02-16
orrrs VICTORIAN nnnu.
Sketches Relating Entirely to Fainilv an
Domestic Affairs,

London dispatches announce that thu
Queen new book was distributed to thu
press yesterday morning. 1t consists O
disconnected diary from August 81
1852, to September, 1882, with long gar
from October, 1879, to the final date
covering the period Of transition from the
administration Of Lord Beaconsfeld to
that of Mr. Gladstone. The entire book
! is devoted to family and domestic affairs;
political illusions are only incidental.
The illustrations are numerous and in
clude portraits of the Queen end Of the
Princesses Eleanor, Louise and Beatrice.
There is also a portrait of Grant, the
Queens body servant and one of her at.
PENDANTS, John Brown. There are por-
traits, too, of the Queens Collie dogs,
Sharp and Noble, and several views of
scenes in the Highlands from sketches by
the Princess Beatrice.
In the preface the Royal authoress
says: Remembering the feeling with
which Our Life in the Highlands was
received, the present volume may equally
evoke sympathy as, while describing a
very altered life, it shows how her sad
and suffering heart was soothed and
cheered by the excursions and incidents
it recounts, as well as by the simple
mountaineers from whom she learned
many lessons of resignation and faith in
the quiet of the beautiful Highlands.
After the dedications to the loyal High
landers, and especially to the memory of
the faithful attendant and friend John
Brown, the diary opens with the build
ing of the memorial cairn in honor of the
Prince Consort. 1t reads as follows: eve
started off in little pony chair, led by
Brown; BERTHE (the Prince of Wales) in
front, Eleanor and Louise on ponies, and
the two little boys, Arthur and Leopold
| actually drove in the little carriage to
the very top of Craig Lowrigan, Grant
and Duncan pushing the carriage behind.
Sweet baby Beatrice we found at the top
The view was so fine, the day was so
bright, the heather so beautifully pink,
but no pleasure, no joy-all dead. Here
at the top is the fountain of the cairn to
be erected to my precious Albert. and
my poor six orphans all placed stones on
it, and our initials are to be placed on
stones all around it.
Several succeeding entries in the diary
mention other visits to the Princes cairn,
along with family records and remarks of
the domestics. Others relate to domestic
and religious affairs and the royal excur
siOns, in most Of which the name Of John
Brown figures prominently
In June, 1870, the Queen records the
90 a. al NFt Al 4 a.,
of the young Prince Imperial: Brown
knocked and came in. He said there was
bad news. When |. in alarm, asked what,
he replied: The young French Prince is
killed. IcOuld not take it in, and asked
several times what it meant Beatrice
then came in with a telegram in her hand,
and said: oh, the Prince Imperial is
killed = feel the thrill of horror now
while write the words. put my hand
to my head and cried out, No No 1t
cannot be true. Then dear Bea-
trice, who cried very much, as |
did, too, gave me the telegram. To die
in such an awful, horrible way Poor,
dear Empress, her only, only child, her
all, gone! | was quite beside myself.
Brown was so distressed Every one
was quite stunned. Little sleep did get.
thinking of the poor Empress, who did
not yet know it. The Prince was good
and so much beloved. TO think of that
that dear young man, the apple of his
mothers eye, born and nurtured in the
purple, dying thus, is too fearful, too aw-
ful, and it is inexplicable and dreadful
that the others should not have turned
around and fought for him"
noo CaotiOp Of tho Jiorrr 0iv roCnl1oo-
tons of my "dear, valued friend" DR..
Norman Macleod, Scotch Chaplain TO
the Queen, who is $50 clever, so agreea-
Bile, so kind and good" Or Macleod
is greatly alarmed for the Established
Church of Scotland, as he fears the at
tempt will be made to pull it down.
though, thank God. shoald this happen,
the Free Church and the United Presby-
terians, with the present Established
Church, would become one very strong
Protestant body. l asked him about
Lord Lorne, and he said he had very
high opinion of him.
The concluding page is devoted to the
death of Brown. 1t contains these SEN
fences: "His loss to me is irreparable, for
he deservedly possessed my entire con-
tidence. He served me truly, devotediy,
untiringly. TO say that he is daily, nay,
hourly, missed by me, whose life long
gratitude he won by constant care and
devotion, is but feeble expression of the
truth.
SO far as its political interest is con
cerned the book throughout is intensely
disappointing. All the Queens remarks
have a direct relation to personal emo
tons Even in her illusions to the Egyp-
tan campaign and the battle Of Tel-el
Kebir, her only thought is for the safety
of the Duke of Connaught.