The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-07-09

MxS-za 7SAs4HA Eveaing Star, fr'
TNSM1SEA the pen of Joh
y LXl tIlV ,HS6 Russell Young, ex
~l 1IDH% Minister to China
. \SEm yI~/E;W and veteran new
. E&M i paper writer, give
IN a graphic pictur'
4N of Sir William Go
~ SYN DON Cumming.
In view of the result of the recen
trial as the outcomeof the Prince O
Wales little game of baccarat at tn,
house of the Wilson's, what is said of Si
William by disinterested outsider
will throw peculiar light upon tn.
true character of the man. Mr.. YOUNG
says:
| l know Sir William Gordon Cum
ming we'll, and for weeks was his as
sociate, journeying with him in India
Egypt and Albania. l had, before ]
met him, known of his relative, the
famous Gordon-C Cumming, whose
works have told us SO much about
China, Japan and the islands of the
Pacific. found him of a type we
never see in the United States hard
to understand when seen with Amer.
ican eyes, such a character as you read
about in novels-a spare, 1.-THE, active,
well-formed man, with clear cut face,
deep, intense gray eye, a face that
had good deal of the Grant in
1t, as | once told him, with an almost
family resemblance to Jesse Grant,
the generals youngest son. He had
the fair reddish complexion of the
Highlands, and a clear, high tenor
voice, ringing, commanding, metallic
tones, with occasional touches of pa
thos. He was an accomplished man,
with thorough continental training,
speaking French as he spoke English,
a hint of Scotch in his accent, but
quite the Piccadilly manner. His read
ing was wide and scholarly, with a
fondness for drifting into more literary
themes. | remember one evening
when we discussed the merits of Ten
nyson and Byron, their place and per-
petuity in English literature, and his
earnest challenge of my opinion that
Tennyson would outlive his noble
predecessor. Speaking as 1 was, to a
kinsman of Byron, 1 might we'll give
way in the argument. l knew at the
time of the intimacy of his relations
with the Prince of Wales. He rarely
referred to His Royal Highness, but
always in affectionate appreciation.
Sir William Gordon Cumming is
about torty-fve, younger, perhaps,
and lieutenant colonel in the Scots
Guards, one of the crack regiments of
the British service, their special duty
to guard the person Of the sovereign.
There are all kinds of traditions and
legends twisted around his family tree,
but as blood goes, blood in direct de-
scent and alliance, the family of Cor
don-Cumming is better than that of
the Prince of Wales. There was a De
Comyns, Thane or something under
the Scottish kings, who was killed at
the battle of Ainswick. The special
king whom he served to the death was
Malcolm-the same young Malcolm
who was to succeed Mackbeth, and
who is generally assigned to the COM
edlan or walking gentleman Of the
theatres. Malcolm was slain in the
siege of Ainswick castle, and De
Comyns at his side-so we may know
there was likewisehghting blood in his
family 500 years ago. 1t is odd to see |
nobleman whose ancestry runs back to
the historic days of Mackbeth sitting
in an English court listening to an
Irish lawyer abuse him as card
sharper and filcher of sovereigns from
the pockets of a prince.
There was likewise Bruce, dear to
all Scotchmen-Robert, the Bruce,
renowned sovereig igp, who died in 1920,
70 the lasting sorrow Of Scotland, as
We must dutifully believe. He had a
laughter, Margaret, who married a
Switzerland, and among other mate
.lal duties was the production through
ancestries of Sir William
Jordon- Cumming. Likewise, through
mother ancestor, there is link with
ames l., and by these ties interlaced
With Austrian Archdukes, the royal
'tuarts, the Plantagenets and other
peCleS OF princes to a degree quite in
:alculable.
Cumming was an inherent sports
nan. The Highland blood tingled
q every vein. | could we'll under
tand his relationship to his uncle,
Iordon Cumming, the famous lion
unter. He seemed a part of the
orest and the moor. He had dared
he tiger in the jungle, the elephant ,
D the Indian forests, had traced the
>ockly Mountains and the Mexican I
>ordillearas in his craving for
port. l could see the man
'ho won fame as a gallant SOL
ier in the army, could realize his
airing deeds in the Soudan and Africa,
is invincible, joyous courage. his s
highland nature, which danger affected |
5 though with wine, and 1 could quite
elieve what an officer said to me in s
,ondon that Cumming was, in the
foods of the Duke of Cambridge, /
the best soldier in war, and the I
'orst in time of peace in the British :
rmy." Plainly the routine, the bar