The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-10-09

better-long heavy torches, called
 "sownacks," made of splints of dry bog
 fir bound together with green hirchen withes, are lighted and held aloft by
 number of stalwart kilted Highlanders, piper or two, splendidly radiant In tartan and silver, strike up a march, and the royal sportsmen, accompanied by all the princesses, ladies and gentle
 men of their suite, come forth into the lurid circle to view the trophies of the day. After inspection and remarks, a torch is handed to each of the princes, | invariably dressed in full Highland costume, four or more of whom take their places at the head of long line of jagers, keepers, foresters and gillies, each with a flaming torch, to dance reel, The piper manipulates a strath- spey and reel from his drones and
 chanter, and all foot the light-fantastic 'Highland Fling" with whoops and yells and wild hurrahs. To the quick pulsations of 'Monymusk" and Hula chan" tartan kilts and plaids, brawny l limbs, and jewelled belts and dirkS, | fleet and whirl in wild yet measured confusion beneath the lines of scintilla- | ting flame. But the powers of muscle | and lung soon flag on the dull gravelly | surface that serves for dancing-foor. A bonfire is made of the "sownack' l stumps, amid chorus of cheers that | resound far through the dark Welkin.
 Jingling glasses are charged with the
 strong wine" of the country, and emptied to toasts, by the dancers; then royalty seeks it's bedchamber the great clock overhead chimes forth some hour
 near midnight, and the grand spectacu-
 lar display is over-for night.
 1 All the royal family are fond of dan cling, and among the events" of their sojou Tn in the Highlands, balls, to | which tenantry and servants are all in- vited, have held a prominent place. As might be expected, life is gayer at | Abergeldie than at Balmoral. At these
 balls all social distinctions are dirse- l garded. The one fiat is dance" which ! the Highlanders are not slow to do. 1 Their dancing is characterized by much
 vigorous leaping, kicking and interjec- l tional "woochs"
 | Another occasion of merrymaking l that comes with birthdaylike regulari- ty is the great Scottish festal night of Halloween, celebrated on the 31st of ! October of each year. The mystic rites l of that evening, so graphically DOT trayed by Burns, are somewhat in l abeyance at Balmoral but instead the ] Highland custom of robbing witch
 spells of their terrors through the cleansing agency of fire may here be ! ;fy,ae on | Blazing "sownacks," carried round the | castle literally in hundreds after sun 1 set, constitute the purifying media, and | form, especially at distance, a sight | that must be seen to be fully apprecia- l ted.
 All these amusements are varied by | the attendance of first-class concert and dramatic companies. There is no l monotony. The tone of everything said l and done, grave as well as gay, is de- | cidedly healthy Life goes merry as a
 marriage bell" who's chimes bring to
 recollection the fact that Balmoral has ever afforded idyllic facilities for court l ship. Besides the Imperial Prince of | Germany here the Grand-Duke of l Hesse and the Marquis of Lorne wooed ! and won their brides In each case l there was far more wooing and fewer l reasons of state' than sentimental
 outsiders are in the habit of believing. Royalty in it's free, unassuming and l joyous intercourse with the Highland character of proverbial independence meets with no coarseness of feeling or l action, no fawning formalities, no dis stimulation and no mistrust. The social gap between the monarch and the peas ant is here bridged with facility as graceful as cordial. that might we'll be initiated by the noble and commoner elsewhere.-From Queen Victoria's s
 Highland Home" by J. R. Hunter, in
 Harper's Magazine for october.