The record-union., 1899-09-25
John Browns Devoted Service to
England,s Ruler.


sweet with the scent Of the birks and
the frs, are many of the Queens me,
MORALS to those who, having served
their day and generation by their SOW,
ereign's side, have passed through the
valley of the shadow to their rest Is
there, in the history of monarchies, a
parallel to the dedication of her maj
esty's second book, More Leaves !?
ITO my loyal Highlanders," it runs,
"and especially to the memory of my
devoted personal attendant and faith
full friend, John Brown, these records
of my widowed life in Scotland are
gratefully dedicated
Prince Albert, when visiting the Bal
moral stables, saw a rough country
youth whose father occupied the Bush.
a farm in the immediate vicinity OF
Balmoral, on the north side of tbs
Dee. Prince Albert found that in his
stable boy he had no sycophantic
courtier, but a lad who spoke unaf.
fectedly to him, with the ease that sits
so we'll upon the Highlander. But let
the Queen tell the story of the promo
ton of John Brown, who "in 1898 be-
came my regular attendant out OF
doors everywhere in the Highlands,
who commenced as gillie in 1S49 and
was selected by Albert and me to go
with my carriage. In 1851 he entered
our service permanently, and advanced
step by step by his good conduct and
intelligence. His attention, care and
faithfulness cannot be exceeded. He
has since, most deservedly, been pros
NOTED to be an upper servant and my
personal attendant" What more Queen
Victoria has to say of John Brown, is
it not written in Leaves" and More
Leaves? Was the hill pony to be
led when the Queen scaled the bens
with her courtiers by her side-none
save the Highlanders who ate the breao
they earned at Balmoral--John Brown
was there. Was the royal carriage up
set, John Brown was 'indefatigable IN
his attention and care" Was break
fast to be served to the Queen in hef
sitting-room, John Brown-"BroWn,
who is always ready to do anything
required"-waited upon his mistress
Had the news of friends deaths to De
broken-such friends as DR.. Norman
Macleod and the Prince Imperial-lt
was John Brown who was called upon
to do the delicate work. 1t was Brown
who had the keen eye for white heath,
er. and it was Brown, too, who, with
the superstition of the Highlander,
would not pass a clump without pick
ing some.
John Brown dared to do what almost
every man in these islands would have
shrunk from. and to bear out this
statement there are stories still told
among the hills that have not yet found
their way into print. When driving
between Balmoral and Braemar one
day, the royal party was overtaken py
a sharp shower of rain. The carriage
was stopped, John Brown got down,
and suggested to her majesty that she
should put a plaid round her shoul-
ders. The Queen declined the ofIer.
and asked him to mount and let the
drive be continued. "HootS, lassle,
said Brown, taking the plaid and plac,
ing it in position; TAX the plaid roun'
yer shoothers (shouldefs) or ye'l get a.
wat skim. The story of the table at
Glassalt Slhel has already been told.
One day her majesty, not in the best
of humors, was sketching at the Glas-
salt Shiel She wished for\a table On
which she might sketch, and the ser
wants had exhausted the stock. put
still the sovereign was dissatisfied. In
their plight they went to Brown, VINO
seized one of the rejected tables and
set it down with bang. The Queen
looked up surprised, whereupon Brown
exclaimed: 'AThey Gamma max tables to
you UP here, your majesty" His mis-
tress took in the situation, and worked
it off with a laugh.
When, in 1872, the young madman
O'Connor rushed up to the Queens car
riage in Buckingham Palace Garden
with a petition in one hand and a pistol
in the other, it was appropriate that
the faithful retainer, Brown, should
seize and disarm him. For this act
Brown was presented by her majesty
with medal, which is shown on
flife-size bronze statue by Boehm which
stands in the Balmoral grounds.
John Brown died at Windsor in 1885,
aged 81 years, grieved for as friend
by the Queen, who afterward wrote:
"IJis loss to me is irreparable,
for he deservedly possessed my entire
confidence; and to say that he is daily
nay, hourly, missed by me IS
but a feeble expression of the truth
truer. nobler, trustier heart, more
loyal and more loving, never beat WIN
in a human breast" Over his grave
in Crathie churchyard his mistress anu
Queen erected block Of native granite.
on the pedestal of which Is Scotch
thistle. The inscription runs to the Ell
feet that John Brown, personal at
tendant and beloved friend of queen
Victoria was born at Craithenaird
December 8, 1926; died at Windsor
Castle. March 27, 1883. That friend on
whose fidelity you count: that friend
given to you by circumstances over
which you have no control. was God $
own gift Well done, good and faithful
servant
The Queen had erected large house
for her faithful servant, who. how
ever. was destined to rest in it but
one night, and that night he was IN
his doffin. for on the morrow he was
carried to the quiet churchyard: and
if is a remarkable coincidence that
John Browns successor, his cousin,
Francie Clark, who was also honored
by the Queen with the gift of a house,
was in it for only one night, and he,
too. was in his coffin, preparatory to
burial in Braemar Churchyard on the
following day.-Royal Magazine
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