Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-09
A REGIMENT RAISED BY KISSES.

The somewhat romantic interest in this
beautiful and romantic woman Jean
Duchess of Gordon)r rshas been lately re-,
vived, when the4brave deeds OF the Gordon
Highlanders have been so conspicuously
brought before the notice Of the public;
for it was entirely owing to the Duchess
of Gordon's loyal activity that the regi-
ment was originally raised in Aberdeen
shire The writer (as one of her great
grandchildren) may perhaps be pardoned
for the feeling Of pride in being permitted
to recall many of the personal Incidents
and traditions surrounding those first re-
cruits for this most popular regiment,
which now bears upon its colors the his
tpric names of almost every battlefield
where British troops have fought and con-
quered.
Married to Alexander, Duke of Gordon,
in 1867, Duchess Jean fairly took London
by Storm. and at once became one of the
great leaders in society. Her reputation
for wit and energy was almost proyerbial,
and had been well established during the
first twenty years Of her married life; so
1t was not surprising that the first ru-
mors of possible French invasion quick
ly reached the duchess, and were appar-
emily discussed In royal circles, for 1t is
the imperative necessity of increasing
very largely the number of his mAjesty's
forces, the duchess Joined In the discus
sion, and made wager with the prince
before his royal hfghness, though she did
not disclose the special manner in which
she proposed to gain the victory. At this
time the duchess must have been over for
ty years of age, and apparently still as
irresistibly charming as In the earlier days
of her life; while most certainly her ener-
gy was unabated, as in this very year the
gossiping diaries Of Miss Berry relate that
this lady spent sixteen hours out of the
twenty-four in constant round OF amuse-
ment, relating that upon one day just then,
''she had begun by attending HandePs
music at Westminster Abbey, then to
Hastings trial, q dinner and q play, Lady
Lucan's assembly, Ranelaugh, and Mrs:
Hobart's 'farse,' and herself gave a ball
in the evening before that morning, in
which she must have got good way, be-
fore setting out for Scotland" Probably
that ball was the occasion on which the
prince regent and his brothers, the Dukes
of York and Sussex, were frequent guests
at her house. But we must picture the
duchess and her son, Lord Huntley, a fine
ing off on their long journey to Scotland in
the spring of the year 1874, and we know
that an official sanction was sent to the
Duke of Gordon to raise regiment for
ruary 10, 1874 Lord Huntley, by her side,
no doubt spoke eioQuently OF the glories
of a soldiers life, and his mother urged
each stalwart Highlander to accept the
kings shilling with her sweet smiles and
winning ways; and then, when at last all
other persuasions failed, tradition, we'll
founded on fact tells that just a kiss from
the beautiful duchess completed the con-
quest; so no doubt all her charms had
outlived her youthful days, for the au
thorities at the war office in London were
very quickly informed that the regiment
was complete and a thousand strong -
Hon. Mrs. Armytage in the Pail Mall
Magazine.