The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-18
When the Duke Has a Birthday
BY HIS GRAcE's SECRETARY.

When the duke has a birthday there
is much more fuss in the ducal house
hold than the man in the street would
imagine. l do not say that his grace
openly approves of all the hustle and
preparations that are the outcome Of
the event, for, to judge by appearances,
stranger might receive the impress
sion that to the duke himself nothing
on earth really mattered.
AT the same time, even a duke may
be forgiven for having enough human
nature about him to prevent him
browning when his friends and &C
quaintances and servants set them
selves TO give him little surprises that
they hope will bring him diversion and
pleasure.
When the duke happens to spend his
birthday anniversary at one of his
three country houses, he permits him
self to enter much more heartily into
the festivities than he does when the
natal day is spent in town.
A duke in London has not a tenth
of the outward or public honor that he
has at a place in the country, where
every farm laborer and every dairy
| maid for miles around knows who he is
and what his influence is exactly
worth.
OF course, the birthday celebrations
are kept up at each of the dukes
homes, whether he is present in person
or not; but the doings at the one
where his grace actually is for the time
living are naturally of the liveliest de-
scription.
The day is begun by the receipt of
scores of congratulatory letters and
cards. A little later and kilograms
begin to arrive, first OF all one at a
time, and then in patches of half doz-
ems or more.
The front door steps of the town
house are scarcely left free of callers
boots between 10 O'Clock in the morn
ing and or o'clock in the afternoon.
Many of the callers are personal
| friends, who have come to sign the
| visitors book and to leave cards bear
| ing written messages.
Then there is quite little army of
messengers who bring boxes of flowers
! as offerings from friends who are out
! of town or too ill or infirm to leave
the gifts themselves.
Choice fruits daintily packed in
pretty baskets are also sent. Even live
stock, in the shape of a pedigree bull
dog, or a talking parrot, has been
brought for the dukes acceptance:
Towards noon personages call and
expect to be granted brief interview;
they perhaps are old friends who have
known the members of the dukes fam
lIy al lfiCiI ilNCoy VI pSOPlC
who are at the time abroad.
A number of the dukes oldest ten
ants will put in an appearance; some
Of them. perhaps, were tenants of the
present dukes father or grandfather.
These humble friends of his grace's
do not usually venture to offer a gift,
but they let it clearly be seen and I'M
derstood that they are satisfied with
their landlord, and that they hope he
may have many years in the same po-
| sition before him.
Some of the wealthy West End firms,
where the dukes family have been in
| the habit of dealing for very maDy
years, will dispatch some delicate spec
linen Of their goods, with a respectful
wish that his grace will be so good as
to give it a place in his residence.
For instance, last year the duke re-
ceived and was much pleased with, a
perfect little model of his own steam
yacht. The firm who sent this welcome