New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-14

whatever has % do with London oVerpo"'.s "'o
una gination. and the place which man hoius III
London seems perhaps, TO tn" foreigner ~ u'
terminc his place in the general social scale IL
is not 50. or not always 20. II Is wh"' ni'" 70
in the country. in his own county. that has most
influence unon his life and upon the hves OF other
people and upon their opinion of him. IL IS inc
ov,ncr of Mar Lodge and SlSene House, ana Dnh
uouse and Balvenic Castle. and OF the ereat
estates which lie about them whom you arc ~
consider The people of Elgn asked MN,
spnncse os the laird Of Tunes, 20 preside over
them and he did lie had given them great
sum for their new town hall, and oeheVe nv
would have given twice as much more 10 wv "''N
from his share Of the ceremony OF opening IT,
But noblcSsc oblige, and he faced the h'"''r }"
that spirit OF stocal courage when Is rs niuo" az
onvtbinr characteristic of the young Ensilshinah
or Young Scot of the period
lie came 10 Tunes in state befittng his rank ana
nosition: with valet and piper win coacIliin"
and groom with two carriages ana three horSesi
rs IL railways had never been heard o. Inc
piper piped unto us after dinner IN the iuehhhu
manner which requires a very large room, or
better still outdoors. to be entirely agreeable.
If | sketch Lord Fife himself TO you, it must be
only as he appeared on the platform in Elgin, or
in his seat at the luncheon which followed the
audience you would have seen standing before
you a man of thrty-fvc whom, in or out OF
Scotland. you would have taken for Scot. He
has the National complexion, which is liorid
bronze and the blue eyes and brown hair which
90 with il: the eyes kindly: the face and features
strong and intelligent: the manner perhaps little
shy, but sympathetic. He is Of good stature,
broad shoudered, powerfully built, athletic;
looks like what he is q man renowned Tor MS
skill in Devastating; sport which perhaps more
than most others requires him who follows IT. to
be hardy, alert, agile and capable OF enduring
much Of what, were it not borne In pursuit oil
game and happiness, would be Thought phy>lcal
misery The fortitude needed for the hillside
is. in his opinion, nothing 10 that winch Is needed
at this moment in presence Of an audience whlch
is. after ALL not a very formidable audience Ills
nerve does not fail him. He goes through the
usual formaltics Of a public meeting with The
outward signs Of cOmposure; makes his speech
and makes it very well. OF course he IS not an
orator: he has not chosen to practise oratory
This meeting is itself very good practlce, LOT
which he will have cause TO be grateful when he
has TO go through more difficult ordeal at Tier
MaieStvs Theatre with 3, 900 people to listen to his
protestations of devotion to the union
between Great Britain and Ireland. For
|
who declined TO follow Mr.. Gladstone down the
primrose path which is TO lead, or as the case
may be. not lead. to Home Rule for the sister
island. The Home Rule papers have reminded
him Of his separation from Mr.. Gladstone. but the
occasion is such that their tone has been almost
gentle One of them goes so far as 10 assure its
readers that Lord Flies politics are not likely
TO corrupt the family into which he marries;
the royal family having politics. which is true
This public assembly at Elgin was followed by
IA luncheon, and again il was Lord Fife who
presided over the luncheon; festival of the
most elaborate kind. for it began at and lasted
till ;. ] sat through most of it; there were
toasts and speeches. and the Scot enters upon
la social function with the spirit of conscientious
thoroughness which is Characteristic of him IN
the other concerns of life. | forget how many
persons responded 10 each toast. but | remember
that counted up afterward the number of Lord
Flies speeches and they amounted to thirteen,
long and short | condoed with him, and !
think il must be admitted that he seemed glad
il was over. He had persevered to the end with
true heroism. | dwell little on the incidents
Of this day Few people, think have ever seen
so much of Lord Fife on any one day in public
when lie was the leading performer in a soemnty
where the making of speeches bore a chief part
In society, especially in the select circle which
surrounds his future father-in-law, be is familiar
figure, a genial companion, host whose hosp-
tahties, whether in Cavendish Square or Mar
Lodge have given him pleasant celebrity. lie
has superior in that difficult character, aud
if you ask everybody who has been his guest he or
she will give you interesting details Of his kindly
effectiveness and uniailing tact He is popular
with his tenants, which, in these anti-andlord
days, means more than ever and knows how TO
preserve game without eXaspcrating his fellow
men. There not, on the whole, many greater
noblemen, the name is here understood, nor
is there one whose choice as husband 10 the
eldest ghter of the Prince and Princess of
Wales the public would more entirely approve.
q. w. 5.