A Duke's Reminiscences: Disraeti and Smoking: The Glory of the Tartan Faos Ove Ows Connesroxoexr, Edinburgh, Jan. 21.
This year the Duke of Montrose is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his accession to the Dukedom, and 'a number of social functions ate of course grouped round the event. At one pf the numerous dinners he was in a particularly interesting vein, and gave a number of reminiscences of his earlier years. Recalling his introduction: to Mr. Disraeli he said it was at a political banquet, and he thought what a delightful man Disraeli was, and how-sympathetic to the rising' generation. He hoped she had made a favourable impression on the great statesman, but his hope was soon dispelled. A few Jdays afterwards he had to go down to Windsor for an audience by the Queen. On arriving at Paddington Station smoking a big cigar he got into Mr. Disraeli's carriage, remarking, "I suppose you the presence of my Sovereign reeking of the fumes of tobacco it may. mean the fall of the Government." That was the first lesson he I Tt reminded him of occasion on which he had an interview with a. very eminent man. Among the friends of the family was the famous Judge, Lord Huddleston, who was frequently at Buchanan Castle. He was known among the children as "Huddie," and it was a name the Judge particularly appreciated. Some years afterwards when he (the Duke) was in the Sfth Lancers he was in the South of England for the autumn manguvres and was billetted at Lewes. One morning when taking the air he saw Lord Huddleston walking down the street with a number of gentlemen, one of whom was wearing a chain round his neck, and he cried—"Hullo, Hiuddie, ho. 2" The look he got froze him to the pavement, He was unaware that the Sussex Assizes was on, and that Lord Huddleston was on his way to it in company with the Mayor and Corporation of Lewes.
Another of his recollections rave thus. Most of them might in some round-about way have heard that for some years he was connect ed with the turf, and that amour other races he had on several occasions won the Blue Ribband of Scotland,—the Ayr Gold Cup. There was one occasion when he was very anxious to win that race for the third time in succession with the same horse. He was so nervous: that he would not even have his small investment, and he went up to the top of the stan to see the race from a good posi horse won, and when he heard two of reply' was, "Of course I did; T saw the Dake was hiding.
The Kilt and the Tartan An expensively got up volume on "The Romantic Story of the High-tand Garb and the Tarta: Mr.
Mackay, has just abe lished. A Highland soldier said it was the kilt that fought his battle for him, and at any rate one knows that there is no inspiration to be got from trousers. Certainly the kilt has had its prestige confirmed by the experience of the Great War, in which its moral and material advantages ce-equally approved themselves. The regiments thus clad appear to have been able to circumvent some of the discomforts of _water-logged trenches better than their fellows, since their limbs were not chilled and impeded to the same extent by soaked and clinging garments, and ity the kilt could be un-and carried round the shoulders. Will its convenience for most kinds of activity and its meri on grounds of general hygiene eventually bring it southwards in the awake of golf and Mr.
mackay is certainly righ ing for the tartan that it has done immeasurable service in preserving the military identity of Scotland, giving a symbolic medium of continuity to great chivalric tradition. As he somewhat pawki says, we never hear of Scottish sailors fu a corporate way, although.
[there are plenty of them, and'"were it not for this dress Scotland would be as undistinguished in military' as in naval annals." The kilt commands the eye, it carries with it a memory and a'standard, and its inspiration has been recognized on the baiitefield of Europe since the days of Gustavus Adolphus. It was only late in its history that. the Lowlands cast. idealising eye upon the garb of eld Gaul. Tr had but too. much Feason, indeed, for the contrary in the depredations against which it had to be on constant guard. So Painful were the associations of the tartan that the Town Council of Aberdeen in the 16th century imposed substantial penalties, anyone "find wer and one. pi and half a century later authority had to rebuke great mauve women in this burgh, of gude qualities, kirk and about thal from motives, Presumably, of "aesthetic caprice. The same embargo was ill-advisedly made general after the Jacobite re-hellions, and, from being imposed on the loyal as well as the disaffected clans, did not a little to impede the Progress of conciliation, The evolu ion of Highland dress is carefully traced by Mr. Mackay from. the original saffron shirt of linen down to the standard plaids and kilts of to-day. The plaid, in its primary form, was a parti-coloured woollen mantle worn above the shirt, and the author shows, with the assist ance of a series of admirable eolourplates, how the differentiation of the clan tartans followed a very distinct heraldic inst Athi Is there only aff running track and the mission-feld? Eric Liddell, the Olympic champion, an ordained missionary Souter, who ran for" Britai Stockholm Games in 1912, nuinister of the Church of Seotlai Now Ray Buker, the U. 8. mile champion, whom Nurmi, the Finn, has hailed hin tow, dangerous ing forthe South Buchan, who leaves for China in the course of Week oF two to take up a responsible post ax matron of one of the London Missionary Society's hi pitals, ix a clever young Scottish nurse who has already done useful work in her profession at Dundee Forres, and Motherwell, Now she Proposes to carry out the dual duties of nurse and missionary: in tie Far East,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.