The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-01-03

After days successful deer-hunting,
one of the sights of the seasons at Balmo-
raj or Abergeldie Castle, but chiefly at the
latter, is deer-dance, wherein the deer
do not dance, but lie impassive and dead
enough, head and tail, in numbers of two
three, or more, at the chief entrance. At
ter the royal dinner-and the darker the
night the better-long heavy torches, call
ed "sownack," made of splints of dry bog
fir bound together with green birchen
withes, are lighted and held aloft by num-
ber of stalwart killed Hilanders, piper or
two, splendidiy radiant in tartan and sill
yer, strike up a march, and the royal
sportsmen, accompanied by all the prin-
cesses, ladies, and gentlemen of their
suite, come forth into the lurid circle to
view the trophies of the day. After in
spection and remarks, 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 a
long line of jagers, keepers, foresters, and
gillies, each with a flaming torch, to dance
reel The piper manipulates straths-
pey and reel from his drones and chsnter,
and all foot the light fancastic "Highland
Fling" with whoops and yells and wild
hurrahs. To the quck pulsations of "Mon-
ymusk" and "Hulachan," tartan kits and
plaids, brawny limbs, and jewelled belts
and dirks, fleet and whirl vet 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 floor. A bonfire
is made of the 'sownack" stumps, amid a
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 its bedcham-
Der, the great clock overhead chimes forth
some hour near midnight, and the grand
spectacular display is over-for night.
All the royal family are fond of dane
ing, and among the events of their So
journ in the Highlands, balls, to which
tenantry and servants are all invited, have
held prominent place. AS might be ex-
pected, life is gayer at Abergeldie than at
Balmoral At these balls all social dis
tinctions are disregarded. The one fiat is
dance" which the Highlan lers are not
slow to do. Their dance characterized by
much vigorous lcaping, kicking, swinging.
reeling, thumb-cracking, and interjec-
tional "woochs."
Another occasion of merrymak;ng that
comes with birthday like regularity is the
great Scottish festal night of Halloween,
celebrated on the 31st of October Of each
year. The mystic rites of that evening,
so graphically portrayed by Burns, are
somewhat in allegiance in Bolmoral, but
instead the Highland custom of robbing
witch-spells of their terrOrs through the
cleansing agency of fire may here be wit
messed in all its pristine glory. Blazing
"sownacks," carried round the castle IL
terally in hundreds after sunset, consti-
tute the the purifying media, and form,
especially at distance, sight that must
be seen to be fully appreciated.
All these amusements are varied by the
attendance of first-class concert and dra-
matte companies. There is no monoto-
n.y. The tone of everything said and
done, grave as well as gay, is decidedly
healthy Life goes "merry as Il marriage
bell" whose chimes bring to recollection
the fact that Balmoral has never afforded
idyllic facilities for courtship. Besides the
Imperial Prince of Germany, here the
Grand Duke of Hess and the Marquis of
Lorne wooed and won their brides. In
each case there was far more wOoing and
fewer .'reasons of state than sentiment
tai outsiders are in the habit of believing.
Royalty in its free, unassuming, and
JOYOUS intercourse with the Highland
character of proverbial independence
meets with no coarseness of feeling or ac-
ton, not fawning formalties, no dissimu-
lation, and no mistrust. The social gap
between the monarch and the peasant is
here bridged with facility as graceful as
cordial that might well be inflated by
the noble and commoner elsewhere.
Character is always writing its name on
the face in indelible ink.