Year: 1872




The Queen at Crathfe Kirk.


Do the audience clap hands when
the Queen comes into church2' asked
a wd-looking foreigner near me, who
had been quietly observing the excita-
bility OF his neighbors, and he would not
have been surprised TO hear that British
podsnappery went thus far Judging
from what he saw going on around him.
On a sudden, however, the bell stopped
ringing, and the hush Of expectancy
made pause" in the tumult, as the
royal household began to file in About
the first to appear on the scene was the
Queens piper--a fine looking High
lander--who, being mistaken. for John
Brown, by some, was stared at with un-
tagging interest, until lady in black
noiselessly entered and proceeded to the
royal pew, To bow her head in silent
prayer. The Queen, in a hushed
whisper, passed from lip to lip, aud
simultaneously every face frightened as
If the presence touched tender chord in
the warmly beating hearts around her.
Pretty Princess Beatrice, simply dressed
in white, came next. The little royal
lady is growing up beauty, and prom
ises to be the fairest of the Queens
daughters. Then came the Duke Of
Edinburgh, brown and hearty looking,
in his highland costume-the youthful
Prince Leopold following, also in kits,
dress that suits him we'll When the
royal family we're seated, there was a
fresh scramble for places, and the pas
sages we're crammed down to the edge Of
the Queens pew. But the reverent de.
meanor of the royal family was sort of
check in their fellow-worshipers, and
when the minister rose to begin the ser
vices it is but fair to say that he was fol-
lowed with attention throughout, al
though sometimes prying eyes would
wander to the royal pew, and forget TO
turn away when their persistent stare
became visibly annoying to the gracious
lady who had come TO worship, in
common with her subjects, their
common Father. The old forms
are still respected in Crathie Kirk.
The congregation sit during the
singing of the psalms, and rise to
prayer, and the queen set the example
Of conforming to the ancient rule as still
observed. With the aid Of her glasses"
she looked up the place in her psalm
book and joined in the singing, which,
by the way, is conducted in well-trained
choir. She rose to her feet with the con-
gregation, and remained standing du-
ring the long prayers TO the end The
collection is lifted at the conclusion of
the. services by means Of long g-handled
ladies, which are showed along the pews
to receive the offerings, and no reserya-
ton is made when the ladle comes to the
royal pew. Steadily advancing. it holds
on its way to the right and left, almost
brushing the Queens bonnet as it zig
zags along in the hands of the patriarch
ial elder in charge 1t is pretty heavy
before it arrives at the Queen, but Her
Majesty is ready with her collection" "
in her hand, and as the ladle, backing
out of the opposite pew, wheels round
into hers, she quietly drops the
royal Offering, which am after
wards told is a ten pound note in
among the jingling brown coppers. The
Princess then drops in her collection,
and the ladle then goes on its way to
arrive at the other end Of the royal pew,
in due time for the Princes offering,
and those seatednext to them in their
order. During the lifting of the collec-
ton, the cher sing a doxology-aud
very beautifully it was sung. Before
leaving the church the Queen steod with
her head bowed in silent prayer for a
few moments Then her daughter threw
a black mantle around her, and as qui-
etly as she had entered, her Majesty de-
parted. There can be little doubt that
the crowd pressing so closely upon her,
and the ill-bred staring to which she was
subjected, must have been discomposing
to the Queen. but she bore it
all with unrufiled countenaace, and
with gentle graciousness. OF course,
the instant the Queens back was
turned there was mad rush 10
see her get into her carriage, and the
getting out was about as fraught with
peril to limb as the getting in. In the
hurry seurry, little children we're toppled
over, and old folks were nearly driven
off their legs; but there was not mo-
ment TO lose, for the royal carriage was
drawn up at the door, aud the impatient,
snow-white steeds were painting to start.
And now John Brown mounts the box,
the order is given home, and, ike a
flash Of lightning the Queen is whirled
away to the peaceful shades Of Balmo-
raj, and there is time to breathe and TO
smooth out rumpled forms, and TO feel
the extent Of damage done to the ribs
and ribbons, and TO hold fans and shut
up opera-glasses, and look out fot the
special vehicle which belongs to your
party, and to congratulate yourself that
you have seen the Queen at Crathie
Kirk.