, 1890-09-18

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Rutherford addenda coming from
marriages with worthless men of
her race--wes an affair of great
note at Yetholm. Her majesty was
attended by royal brother, several
princes and princesses of the blood,
Prince Henry, her son, now u worth
less vagabond, many grandchildren
and great rotinue of over 300 gip-
sies, with as many townspeople and
gentry of the surrounding country.
The cavalcade proceeded to the Yet
holm Cross. a jolly old blacksmith
named George Gladstone, who had
performed n like office for Charles
Blythe, and thus assumed the title
of "Archbishop of Yetholm,"
wrought a resplendent coronet Of
tin, sustaining tremendous Scotch
thistle. In presence of the great
multitude he made proclamation
of his right to exercise the
high office, and having in the most
solemn fashion set the emblem of
royalty upon her head, proclaimed
the swarth heroine, "Her Royal
Majesty, Esther Faa Blythe Ruther-
ford, Sovereign and Queen of all the
Gipsles in the Kingdom of Scot
land-Challenge who dare! Ad-
dresses of congratulation were read
from loyal subjects in the different
shires, from the citizens of kelso
and other near cities and villages,
and from Yetholm townsfolk; after
which a levee was held at the royal
palace, n thatched cottage with II
hard clay floor, and the night was
passed In all manner of rustic revel-
ries. AT her death in July, 1888,
gypsy royalty In Scotland came to
an end. No one ever aspired TO the
enjoyment of her gypsy bonors; and
even old Princess Helen, with
whom / am quite n favoritc, tells
me that she was so "weel and fairly
licket," that she completely lost all
her ambition for royal life.
QUEEN EsTHER's BURIAL.
Qeen Esther died at Kclso. Her
cortege from kelso to Kirk Yetholm,
where she was buried beside hun
dreds of her race, was II memorable
one. Thousands of people came to
Yetholm. Upon the coffin lay the
royal red cloak of the queen, and an
enormous white wreath of roses, sent
by Lady John Scott, of Spottiswood,
surmounted this. Both were in
tered with the body of the queen.
The Rev. Mr.. Davidson, for twenty.
nine years minister of the parish
church, here tells me he never wit
messed Il more remarkable scene than
ut this burial. The services were
held ut Kelso; but such vast crowds
massed about the grave ut ietholm
that though Mr.. Davidson made
effort to reach 1t to say few words
over the body the grief Of the gip-
sizes and the density of the crowd
prevented. He also tells me other
things gained from his ministry
among these strange people which
may interest maly who believe
giysies no better than wolves
Among these, were the statements
that no more onorable folk in all
their business dealings ever lived in
Scotland. They never would pay
their rent at fixed time; but they
always paid it. Their word I'm all
matters could be absolutely de-
| pended upon. For over seventy
i've years no Hetholm gypsy has
ever been accused of crime. Their
home and family relations have al
ways been slngularly free from un-
faithfulness and unhappiness. And,
| In short, he believes that In all
things upon which estimate of char
acter may be based they have ever
excelled the non-gipsy townspeople
about them.
Notwithstanding this, gipsydom
has 50 declined here that it is but
u wrath OF its former self. When
here a year since 1 found but four.
teen families, comprising no more
than eighty souls. At that time |
predicted that should yet live to
wander with the tawny Yetholm
crew in my own loved land. Three
| Of those families are already with
| the roadside pilgrims in America.
/ Those remaining are held to the spot
10y the old, old folk who beg to be
allowed the last privilege OF laying
their bones alongside of those of
their kin in the little church yard
behind the manse When that la
done, gipsydom at Yetholm will pe
no more. 1t all will have been
| transplanted to that grand and
wondrous land across the sea, the
gipsy's haven and heaven of op-
portunity and delight.
EDGAR l.. WAKEMAN.