CHAPTER V. Balmoral and Osborne.

Te Aroha News, 21 June 1887, Page 7

CHAPTER Y. Balmoral and Osborne.

MUCH of what we know of the Queen's loveable homely qualities is derived from Her Majesty's own books. " Journal of life in the Highlands " and " More Leaves." The first, containing records of the happy days spent with her husband amongst the " bonnie hills " of the noithein kingdom, gives a perfectly natural and complete pourtrayal of that halcyon period ; the second little volume, only recently published, contains accounts of visits to spots hallowed by the dear associations of the happy dual existence cut short by the early death of her beloved husband. In this chapter we propose chawing largely on the Queen's Journal. Balmoral, a little Highland Castle in the county of Aberdeen, was purchased by Her Majesty in 1848, but she had personally paid visits to Scotland, viz., in 1842 and in 1847. On the latter occasion she first made the acquaintance of the little Marquis of Lome, afterwards her son-in-law — the husband of the Princess Louise. Regarding this matter the Queen records " The pipers walked before the carriage and the Highlanders on either side as we approached the house (Inveraiy Castle, the Duke of Argyle's seat.) Outside stood the Marquis of Lome, just two years old, a dear white, fat, fair, little fellow with reddish hair, but very delicate features like both his father and mother ; he is such a merry independent little child. He had a black velvet dress and jacket, with a sporran, scarf and Highland bonnet." The future wife of " the fat, fair little fellow '' was born on the following year. Balmoral is a fine old Scottish castle with a glorious setting of mountain and glen, and the pure "caller" air from the Grampians renders it a healthy place of residence. The castle was, however, not commodious enough for the rapidly increasing Royal family, and it was enlarged on designs suggested by Prince Albert himself. Her Majesty's first impressions of Balmoral are thus recorded: "We arrived at Balmoral at a quarter to-three. It is a pretty little castle in the old Scottish style. There is a picturesque tower and garden in front, with a high wooded hill ; at the back there is a wood down to the Dee, and the hills rise all around. There is a nice little hall with a billiaid room upstairs (ascending by a good broad sta'ncase) — a fine large room — next to which is our bedroom, opening into a little dressing room, which is Albert's. Opposite, down a few steps, are the childien's and Miss Hillyard's three rooms. The ladies live below, and the gentlemen upstairs. We lunchf.l almost immediately, and at half-past four we walked out, and went up to the top of the wooded hill, opposite our windows, where there is a cairn, and up which there is a pretty winding path. The view Irom here, looking down upon the house, is charming. To the left you look towards the beautiful hills surrounding Loch-na-Gar, and to the right towards Ballater to the glen or valley, along which the Dee winds, with

beautiful wooded hills, which reminds us much of the Thiiringenwald. It was so calm and so solitary, it did one good as one gazed around ; and the pure mountain air was most refreshing. All seemed to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world and its turmoils. The scenery is wild, and vet not desolate ; and everything looks much more prosperous and cultivated than at Laggan. Then the soil is delightfully dry. "We walked beside the Dee, a beautiful rapid stream, which is close behind the house. , The view of the hills towards Invercauld is exceedingly line. When I came in at half-past six, Albert went out to try his luck with some stags, which lay quite close in the woods, but he was unsuccessful. They came down of an evening quite close to the house." Some years later Her Majesty wrote of Balmoral, " Every year my heart becomes more fixed to this dear paradise, and so much more so now that all has become my dear Albert's own creation, own work, own building, own la) ing out, as at Osborne ; and his great taste and the impress of his dear hand have been siamped everywhere." Dining the erection of the new house at Balmoral a fire broke out, and the workshops were destroyed. The Prince Consort worked hard to stay the progress of the flames, taking his place in the bucket brigade formed to convey water from the river to the castle. Her Majesty, who was also present, encouraged the workers with kind words and smiles. When all was over, it came out that a considerable sum of money, saved from their earnings by the workmen, had been in their chests at the time of the fire, and had been destroyed. On learning this fact, the Queen had the entire sum restored to the losers, and in performing this kindness she took the opportunity to express the sympathising interest which she felt in the welfare of themselves and t.ieir families. These workers were of course temporary sojourners in the locality, but the resident poor of the district were constantly kept under notice. " Not a cottage was left unvisited ; not a family uncared for; not a cottager without his work, his wages, and his croft; not a child without education. An excellent library was established, and one of the last projects of the Prince Consort was to lay out a model farm, and to construct new roads. The Royal Family would call at the school, hear the children sing and read, give them books as prizes, and in various ways evince their interest in the welfare of the young." A simple, earnest piety characterises all the Queen's writings, and though a firm member of the Established Church she has not infrequently expressed her pleasure at listening to the sermons of divines of other denominations. The late Rev. Norman McLeod, of the Presbyterian Church, on many occasions preached before the Queen, and Her Majesty always entertained a warm liking for him. Writing of one of the services in a little Highland church near Balmoral, Her Majesty says: — " We went to church as usual at 12 o'clock. The service was performed by the Rev. Norman McLeod, of Glasgow, son of Dr. McLeod, and am thing finer I never heard. '1 he sermon, entirely extempore, was quite admirable ; so simple and yet so eloquent, and so beautfully argued and put. The text was from the account of the coming of Nicodemus to Christ by night, St. John, chapter iii. Mr. McLeod showed in the sermon how we all tried to please jW/and live for that, and in so doing found no rest. Christ had come not only to die for us, but to show how we were to live. The second prayer was very touching. His allusions to us were so simple, saying after his mention of us, 'Bless their children.' It gave me a lump in my throat as also when he prayed for ' the dying, the wounded, the widows, and the orphans.'* Everyone came back delighted, and how satisfactory it is to come from church with such feelings ! The servants and the Highlanders — all — were equally delighted." Writing on another occasion of her experience in the same little church, she says : " The Rev. J. Caird, one of the most celebrated preachers in Scotland, pei formed the service, and electrified all present by a most admirable and beautiful sermon, which lasted nearly an hour, but which kept one's attention rivetted. The text was from the 12th chapter of Romans and the nth verse, 'Not slothful in business; fcivent in spirit, serving the Lord.' He explained in the most beautiful and simple manner what real religion is, how it ought to pervade every action of our lives ; not only for Sundays, or for our closet; not a thing to chive us from the world; not a peipetual moping over good books ; but being and doing good, letting everything be done in a Christian spii it ! it was as fine as Mr. McLeod s sermon last year, and sent us home much edified.'' During a great portion of the pciiod occupied by the Crimean war, Her Majesty lesided at Balmoial, but she neveilheless took her full part in the great national agitation of these stirring times. She was present at the embarkation of her Guards, and bade them " Adieu " and " God Speed " with maternal solicitude, and when they leturned crowned with lam els, she personally decorated the valiant warriors with the customary lewaids of bravery. She instituted the Victoria Cross, a reward for personal valour more highly prized by the British soldier than any other decoration. And writing of decorations reminds us that we must not forget to make alluJon to the founding of the * The Crimean War had just begun.

Order of St. Michael and St. George, the first ceremonial in connection with which forms the subject of one of our illustrations. It has peculiar interest to colonials, as the older was intended as a reward to such of Hei Majesty's colonial subjects as h.ue distinguished themselves in the service of the lunpiie. A vivid picture is gi\en by the Queen of the receipt of the news of the fall ot SebastopoL She writes: "All Mere in constant expectation of more telegraphic despatches. At half-past ten o'clock two arrived — one for me and one tor Lord Granville. I began reading mine, whkh was from Lord Clarendon, with detail:-, Imm Marshal Pelissicr oi the further destruction ol the Russian ships , and Lord Granville said, " I have still bettei news, on which he read, " From Geneial Simpson: Sebastopot is in the hands of the allies-." God be praised toi it ' Our delight was great ; but we could hardly behe\e the good news, and from having so long, so anxiously expected it, one could not realise the actual fact. Albeit said they would go at once and light the bo i ir \ which had been prepaied when the lalse lepoit o) th<* fall of the town had ai rived la-at yea ( , and ha 1 lomanu I 1I 1 ever since, waiting to be lit. On Xo\ ember sth, ill.day of the Battle of Inkerman, the win 1 upset it, s'i.ui^v to say ; and now again most stiangely it only seemjil to wait for our return to be lit. The new house seeing to be lucky indeed, for from the first moment ot outarrival we hail received good news In a few momentsAlbert and all the gentlemen, 111 e\er) species of attne, sallied forth, followed by all the seivants, and giadiully all the population of the \illage-— keepers, gillies, workmen — up to the top ot the cairn. We wailed and saw them light the bonfire, accompanied by geneial cheering. It blazed foith biilhanllv. and we could sec the numerous figures surrounding it— some dam mir, all shouting; Ros-s playing his pipes. Grant an II McDonald tiring off guns continually, while pooi old Francois d'Albertaiuon lighted a number ot s-juibs below, the greater part ot which would nn go olr. About three-quarters ol an hour after, Albeiti t camedou n, and said the scene had been \\\\d and exciting beum-l everything. The people had been chinking healths id whisky, and were in great ecstasy. The whole ho'ise seemed in a wonderful state of excitement. The boys were with difficulty awakened, and when at hist this was the case, they begged leave to go up to the top ol thecairn. We remained till a quarter to twelve, and just as I was undiessing all the people came d»mrr under the windows, the pipes playing, the pjople singing, firmg 1 off guns, and cheering — fust for me, then for Albert, the Kmperor of the French, and ilie downfall of Sebastopol. ' Queen Victoria's name will long remain a household word amongst the simple Highlanders of Balmoial and the cotters on the Osboine estate. She has alwa}S taken an unfeigned delight m usiting the people in their own homes, lejoicing with them when, they rejoiced and mourning with them when they mourned. Uf one ot these vibits she has published the following record :—: — "Albeit went out with Alfred foi the day. and I walked out with the two girls and Lad} Churchill: stopped at the shop and made some purchases tor poor people and others; drove a little way, got out and walked up the hill to Balnacroft (Mrs. Farquhai son's), and she walked round w ith me to some of the cottagesto show me where the poor people lived, and to tell them who 1 was. Before we went into any we met an old woman who, Mrs. Farquharson said, was \ery poor T eighty-six years old, and mother to the former distiller. I gave her a warm petticoat, and the tears rolled down her old cheeks, and she shook my hand, and prayed God to bless me. It was very touching. 1 went into a small cabin of old Kitty Kear's, who is eighty-six years old, quite erect, and welcomed us with a great air of dignity. She sat down and spun. I gave her also a warm petticoat. She said, ' May the Lord ever attend you and yours here and hereafter ; and may the Lord be a guide to ye and keep ye from all harm.' She was quite surprised at Vicky's height ; great interest is taken in her. We went on to a cottage to visit old Widow Simmons, who is 'past fourscore,' with a nice rosy face, but was bent quite double. She was most friendly, shaking hands with us all, asking which was I, and repealing many kind blessings. We went into three other cottages — to Mrs. Symons, who had an ' unwell boy,' then across a little burn to another old woman's, and afterwards peeped into Blair the fiddler's. We drove back, and got out to see old Mrs. Grant, who is so tidy and clean, and to whom I gave a dress and handkei chief. She said, ' You're too kind to me ; ye give me more every year, and I get older every year.' Really the affection of these poor people, who are so heaity and happy to see you taking an interest in everything, is very touching and gratifying." The Queen's regard for her personal attendants is strikingly shown in almost every page of her journal As Sir Arthur Helps writes : " She never take 1 ? foi granted the services and attentions which are rendered to her, and which we all know would be rendered te her fiom dutiful respect and regard, but views them as special kindnesses to herself, and to which she makes no claim whatever from her exalted position as a Sovereign." In the Journal we read on one occasion with iereren.ee to a mountain excursion to the source of the Dee : " Albeit went on faither, but I letumed with Grant to my seat, as I could not scramble about well. I and Alice rode part of the way, walking whenever it was vsry steep. Albert and Bertie walked

the whole time, Albert talking so gaily with Grant, upon which Brown observed to me, in simple Highland phrase : ' It's very pleasant to walk with a person who is always content.' Yesterday, in speaking of dear Alberts sport, when I observed he never was cross after bad luck, Brown said : ' Every one on the estate says there never was so kind a master ; lam sure our only wish is to give satisfaction/ I said they ceitainly did." The John Brown here referred to was in the Queen's service from 1849 imt '^ lwo or tnree years ago, when death took him from the lady whom he had served so well ; and the Queen writes of him that his attention, care, and faithfulness, could not be exceeded, " and the state of my health, which has of late years been sorely tned and weakened, renders such qualifications most valuable, and indeed most needful, in a constant attendant upon all occasions. He had all the independence and ele\ated feelings peculiar to the Highland race, and was bingularly straightforward, simple-minded, kindhearted, and disinterested; always ready to oblige, and of a discretion rarely to be met with." Before concluding this chapter it will be necessary to say a few words about Obborne, her Majesty's beauuful seaside residence at the Isle of Wight. It was, vns a contemporary writer, for several years perhaps the happiest royal home in the world. There was a house-warming festival when the family took possession, and Prince Albert repeated the hymn sung in Germany on such occasions, and which (when translated) began thus :—: — God bless our going out, nor less Oui coming in, and make them sure; God bless our daily bread, and bless Whate'er we do — whate'er endure ; In death unto His peace awake us, And heirs of His salvation make us. There is on the estate at Osborne a Swiss cottage, which with its grounds was given to the royal children. It is a brown, picturesque building, in front of which are the nine flower-gardens of the nine children of the Queen. Here also are vegetable gardens where the royal children worked under the direction of a gardener. In the cottage is a carpenter's shop for the boys, and a well-appointed kitchen, larder, dairy, etc., where the princesses were taught to be accomplished housewives. The poor of the neighbourhood benefited largely by the results of this practical instruction. A museum of natural history and of curiosities collected by members of the Royal Family form another department of the Swiss cottage. Here are seen the clothes af two infants, sole survivors of a shipwreck who were rescued and brought up on the Osborne estate under her Majesty's supervision. The poor of Osborne, like the poor of Balmoral, had much reason to be grateful for the presence of a benevolent and God-fearing Queen in the midst of them. Not many years ago a clergyman calling on an aged parishioner near Osborne, found as he entered the invalid's room, that a lady in deep mourning was sitting by the bedside. As he came in he heard her finish reading a verse from the Bible. lie was about to go away, when the lady said, " Pray stay. I should not wish the invalid to lose the comfort which a clergyman might afford.'' The lady then retired, and the clergyman found lying on the bed a book with portions of Scripture suitable for sick persons. The lady who had been reading was the Queen of England. The incident is but a sample of her continuous practice towards her lowly neighbours at Balmoral and Osborne.