New-York tribune., 1908-03-09
BLASTED HOPES.

Brethren, the world is full of blasted homes -
This was the opening phrase of the sermon Of the
maladFot clergyman i'll the parish church near
Hopetoun House, in Scotland. on the occasion
Of the coming -ofage festivities the Marquis of
Iinlthgow, who died few days ago. The mar
quis was the head of the great Hope family which
has many American affiliations. II is a family
which Is an immense one in point of numbers and
which has always been famed in England for
I2onopolizing large share of the official Ioaves
and fishes On the occasion Of this remarkable
discourse the majority of the congregation
composed of members of the Hope family and
they had been led TO believe that the minister
to preach q sermon especially appropriate to the
occasion. They disappointed
Lord Linlithgow. who is succeeded in his honors
and estates by his eldest son, still a minor and
only recently out of Eton had never been a well
after his return from Australia. where he
held office first Governor General of the
naonweath He had previously served Lord
Chamberlain 10 Queen Victoria. High Commits
sioner TO the General Assembly of the Church of
Scotland. as L4ord-in- Waiting, General of the
Royal Company OF Archers, which is the
ereigns bodyguard in Scotland. and heaven knows
all what besides; while his return from the
Antipodes he appointed Secretary for Scot
land with q seat in the Cabinet. Barely forty
eight years old, he was fral in physique and the
reverse of tall, but wholly free from that pom
pcusness which often characterizes men of
small stature. In Australia he all hearts by
his sporting procliviIies while his kindly wit and
keen sense of huTno7 made him welcome every
where.
The marquis extremely clever amateur
actor excelled in comic songs and could dance as
merry a pas seu George Grossmith- The latter
in his volume of "reminiscences" relates how one
evening at Sir Arthur Sullivans house King Ed
ward, then Prince of Wales asked him tAir
CfrossnlithD to sing the Lord Chancellors song in
.'Ioanthe." I could not remember 1t. ADDS
Grossmith, 80 Lord Hopetoun the title by which
tla,l ly,,oz n
self 4 humorous singer, volunteered TO
prompt me. The effect most ludicrous. for
Lord Uopetoun had to sing the whole song about
one bar ahead of After this Sir Arthur sat
at the piano and Lord Hopetoun and myself ar
rayed ourselves in q few anttma and per-
formed as graceful ballet the circumstances
would permit" PioCancy is lent to this anecdote
by IA that the marquis WAS at the time
Lord Chamberlain, and as such the censor of the
stage and the guardian of British respectability.
The marquis was fond Of Ireland. and in particu-
lar entertained great admiration for Irish women
Al A speech delivered on occasion he related
that when a young man. he had set out for tour
Of ireland IN search Of horsenesh At the start he
-gss told ~ horse dealer at Dublin named
N5,,r,,by that ms eye might alight q daughter
Of Erin who would make him happy for life. 1T
sf added the marquis. pointing his wife. VINO
* he daughter OF Irish peer. Lord Fentry. and
+. wound up by recommending all unmarried men
,.reseut TO follow his excellent example.
tonefoun House, the ancestral home of the
Family in Scotland, had window for every day
in the year. The present mansion is a little more
.nan 80 years old. stands on magnificent terrace
overlooking the estuary of the Forth. and Is full
of fine old masterpieces by Van Dyke. Ru-
hons and Titan. Lady Iinlithsows stables are
famous throughout the Kingdom ana she is cee-
tratad as n breeder OF Shetland ponies The late
marquis distinguished himself while IN Australia
Fv = long distance ride across the entire breadth
:. -, Australian continent. of the distance
,,,t,r rerforuied shirt sleeves. He was well
known c:er here. principally As Lord Hopetoun,
"a i,ne a considerable amount OF shooting In the
Rockies and in this age OF bridge remains on
rocord AS never having touched a card from the
lime when he came Of age