The Columbus journal., 1884-11-19
What the Queens Book is Not

As the Queens literary appreciation ~
so keen that she felt it presumptuous 10
SIGN her name in the journal of Sir Wal
ter Scott, it is doubtless in her power to
attain something higher than the very
commonplace level of the journal in
the Highlands." Almost all these bet
ter passages. however. appear to have
been suppressed. In the same way the
journal suggests an entirely mistaken
impression by the prominence that Is
given to John Brown. 1t is no doubt
natural enough that as Prince Albert
was the hero Of the first series of leaves
from the Royal journal, SO John Brown
should be the hero Of the second. for
both series relate solely to the days
spent by the Queen in her Highland re-
treat. But Judging only from this book
the casual reader would imagine that of
all her subjects no statesman. scholar.
poet. divine or man of letters held such
a HIGH place in the Queens estimation
as this Highland gillie. There is, OF
course, a Royal journal in which John
Brown is not the central figure. but that.
for reasons of State cannot see the light.
which is somewhat unfortunate.
There is another great omission from
the Queens new book. Everyone knows
how keenly her Majesty sympathizes
with all the sorrows of her subjects.
There is no railway collision, no mining
accident. that does no call forth ready
expressions of womanly sympathy. Her
public spirited patriotism Is no less no.
torious. Yet if we were tn judge from
this journal alone we might almost i'm
aeine that the slaughter of whole regi-
ments of her own subjects in the Zulu
campaign moved her less deeply than
the fate of the young French %adventurer
who was spcared in Il quarrel in which
he had no concern. In like manner, the
| ROYAL interest in the success of the cam
paign in Egyt seems to be overShadowed
by the mothers concern in the safety
| of the Duke of Connaught- All this is
natural enough, and when it is remem-
bered that these entries are but fraS-
ments representing the personal and do
nestle side of the Queens life, they &c
no harm. But everyone will not make
that allowance, and the impression
made bv these entries will not be good.
Most unfortunate of all the omissions,
however, is the almost entire absence ol
anv reference to the interest which hel
Majesty is known by all to take in the
amelioration of the condition OF tn,
DOOR. In her drives about a country
where thousands of the poorest crofter'
live in wretched kennels. hardly fit fol
cattle, her Majesty carefully refrain:
from allowing a single outburst o
shame and Indignation at the miser.
and degradation which such lodging in
wolves to appear in her published diary
This might not have attracted SO mucl
attention if it had not been that he
Majesty has printed two passages il
which she does make some reference t.
the very wretched little huts in whicl
she found her subjects living. But il
these instances although declaring tina
she can hardly believe that the cottage
were meant for human habitation. sh
seems to treat them rather from tn
artistic point of view. a. blots on tn
landscape. than as plague-spots calm;
aloud for the attention Of the social n
former. OF course the Queen mus
have felt a stronS desire to see the con
dition of these people improved. Tn
fortunately the entries expressing tina
anxiety are omitted from the publishc
diary, although to nave made room fo
them we could well have spare
somep ages of the Royal itinerary
or even the description of tn
upholstery of the bedrooms in Dunrobi
Castle. On the whole, therefore
although it shows a gracious dispositio
on the part of her Majesty to take he
people into her confidence so far, W
are inclined to believe that, unless sh
could have taxed them still further,
would have been more judicious not I
have published a diary from which a
the most important entries had to be lie
Out.-PGW Mall Gazette.