Evening journal., 1913-09-19
GOSSIP OF THE COURTS
By TLANEU R.

There is a touch of romance in the
position OF King George as the Chief
tain OF Deeside Often in the days
gone by have the hills about Balmoral
echoed the pibrochs shrill note. while
in tho valley mustered the Gordons
the Farquharsons. and those who
served the Thane that was called
Macduffl But now those fighting
days are over. and the descendant of
the formerly hated house of Hanover
each autumn goes to his white castle
beneath the towering heights of Loeb
nRgar. and soiourns among High
landers who serve him as faithfully
as their forbears served the ill-fated
Stuarts. Disaffected clans have given
place to a people who pride them
selves on being loyal subjects.
The King goes to Scotland now,
however. not as a King He leaves
the atmosphere of the Court of St
James behind him. Dressed In the
kilt and the "bonny Glengarry." he
becomes Scottish chieftain. He
climbs the hills. fishes in the Dee,
kills his stag In the forest of Bal
lochbuie. and lives a hardy life among
the "bracken and heather" I'm the
evening he returns to the castle with
the spoils OF the chase and dimes to
the strains of the pipers marching 70
and fro in their kits of royal tartan
plaid On occasion Scotlands "hame-
~ fare finds a place at the royal Ia
BILE. for the King is not unmindful
Of the gustaterial virtues Of "hag-
gis." and the Queen reeales her
friends with scones peculiar to the
land o cakes favored dish with
royal shooting parties is trout cooked
with oatmeal. Such trout A luxury
handed down from the days Of John
Brown, who served II for his royal
mistress. Plain-spoken John lies in
the little churchyard by the Dee. his
tombstone engraved with Qpeen Vic
toria's tribute 10 an honest mans III
delity, though the statue she erected
TO his memory in the Balmoral park
was removed by her son as soon as he
ascended the throne
The people who served the king on his
highland estate have sprung chiefly from
pure Celtic stock Picturesque and
commodious cottages for the roval re-
tanners dot the landscape. and near the
castle itself are the "Balmoral cottages"
which have taken the place of the rude
huts. with the smoke from the peat fire
issuing through hole in the thatched
roof. in which the peasantry lived when
Queen Victoria came to the Highlands.
Nearly svery family in the parish has
lived there for generations. and the heads
of many of the households of today
PLAYED with the king when he was a
'wee laddie.' trying his luck with hls
rod and line in the Dee, over against
Abergelde
Every wear of his life with few ex
ceptions, when his naval duties kept him
away. the king has passed the fall at
Deeside. The old people have known him
from tine days when he and his "hrither'
rode about the glen in panniers on
either side of tiny pony. Things were
more primitive about the countryside
then. and the king remembers the time
when there was no bridge over the Dee
TO Abergeldie and parcels for the castle
occupied by his parents (as Prince and
Princess Of Walesl were conveyed across
from the opposite bank by a quaint ar
rangemcnttot cords and pulleys. Now a
little suspension bridge spans the river
and affords amusement for the king
younger children. for it has a glorious
sway when one stands in the center and
sets it oseillatinc
One of the best-rememhercd stories on
Deeside relates 20 the Kings boyhood
He and the late Duke of Clarence had
wandered far from the castle on fish
ing expedition and hired a trap to return
home. The driver was hoy from
above Ballster- and he did not know
tho nrinces.
"Wha may you chaps be?" he ask
ed. as they drove along the country
road
Il am Prince Albert Victor" said
the Duke of Clarence.
"Humph." said the lad with grin,
and after another pause he queried:
And wha is t'other chap"
Prince George" was the reply.
"and the Prince Of Wales is our
father"
And maybe Queen victoria's your
grandmother? retorted the lad sar-
castically.
yes. she is,D replied the young
princes.
The boy gave another prolonged
stare, and then asked: "Phaps
you'd like to know who | am?'
"Yes, we should" was the good
humored reply.
We'll. then" said the hoy. with a
CLEAN OF triumph, I'm the Shah of
Persiai"
Even in matters of religious wor-
shin tho King Is Al once with his Scot-
tish subjects when he soiourns in tho
Highlands On Sunday morning he
and his sons. wearing the kilt. walk
from Balmoral TO the parish church
at Crathie on the other side Of the
Dee. while the Queen and her daugh-
ter drive there. In the new white
granite church which has replaced
the picturesque ivy-covered little
sanctuary beloved of Queen Nictorl;
they Worship with peasant and laird
according to the rites Of the Scottisl
Church. The Balmoral pews occup'
one of the side wings Of the church
and in the opposite wing are the pevs
for the Princess Royal and ths