A Fairy Tale The Hall of Eblis. Hymn to the Creator Valentine's Day A Character Fortune . . An Eastern Scene Pray Employ Major Namby Colin's Complaint The Baviad. The Enchantment Too Handsome for Anything. Love's Horoscope. The Mountain Torrent THE CASQUET. THE QUEEN'S LIFE AT BALMORAL.1 [Victoria I., Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. Was born in Kensington Palace, 24th May, 1819; succeeded to the throne 20th June, 1837; and her coronation took place in Westminster Abbey, 28th June, 1838. Her Majesty married his Royal Highness the late Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, on the 10th February, 1840. The Leaves from the Journal of our Life in the Highlands present a simple and, remembering her loss and the nation's, a pathetic record of the rare holidays which state cares permitted the Queen and the Prince Consort to enjoy together. The circumstances which led to the publication of the volume are explained by Sir Arthur Helps, the editor, in his preface. Her Majesty felt extremely reluctant to publish anything written by herself; but, thanks to her gracious readiness to sacrifice any merely personal feeling to the happiness of her people, this most precious gift was presented to them. The book was received with affectionate enthusiasm; it was immediately translated into almost every known language, and in order that it might reach the hands of the humblest of her subjects, her Majesty directed the issue of an edition at a very small price. Apart from the personal interest of the book, its moral value is great beyond measure; because it presents the reflection of a life, simple, pure, and noble in the highest sense-faithful in duty, appreciative in spirit, and earnest in doing good and generous deeds. The dedication forms one of the most beautiful and tonching pages of the work: "To the dear memory of him who made the life of the writer bright and happy, these simple records are lovingly and gratefully inscribed." These words will be the most enduring memorial of a great and good man, and of the tenderness of the gracious Lady who wrote them. There has never been a sovereign so loyally loved as our Queen; and never had subjects a sovereign so worthy of their devotion.2] tower and garden in front, with a high wooded hill; at the back there is wood down to the Dee; and the hills rise all around. There is a nice little hall with a billiardroom; next to it is the dining-room. Upstairs (ascending by a good broad staircase) immediately to the right, and above the diningroom, is our sitting-room (formerly the drawing-room), a fine large room-next to which is our bed-room, opening into a little dressingroom which is Albert's. Opposite, down a few steps, are the children's and Miss Hildyard's three rooms. The ladies live below, and the gentlemen upstairs. We lunched 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 from 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 reminded us very much of the Thüringerwald. It was so calm and so solitary, it did one good as one to the diary, Sir Arthur Helps says:-"These notes, besides indicating that peculiar memory for persons, and that recognition of personal attachment, which have been very noticeable in our Sovereigns, illustrate, in a striking manner, the patriarchal feeling (if one may apply such a word as 'patriarchal' to a lady) which is so strong in the present occupant of the throne. Perhaps there is no person in these realms who takes a more deep and abiding interest in the welfare of the household committed to his charge than our gracious Queen does in hers, or who feels more keenly what are the reciprocal duties of masters and servants. "Nor does any one wish more ardently than her Majesty that there should be no abrupt severance of class from class, but rather a gradual blending together of all classes-caused by a full community of interests, a con 1 From Leaves from the Journal of our Life in the High- stant interchange of good offices, and a kindly respect lands. 2 Regarding the notes which her Majesty added ZD SERIES, VOL. II. felt and expressed by each class to all its brethren in the great brotherhood that forms a nation." 121 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 sad turmoils. The scenery is wild, and yet 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 fine. 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 come down of an evening quite near to the house. A "DRIVE" IN BALLOCH BUIE. September 18, 1848. At a quarter-past ten o'clock we set off in a postchaise with Bertie, and drove beyond the house of Mr. Farquharson's keeper in the Balloch Buie. We then mounted our ponies, Bertie riding Grant's pony on the deer-saddle, and being led by a gillie, Grant walking by his side. Macdonald and several gillies were with us, and we were preceded by Bowman and old Arthur Farquharson, a deer-stalker of Invercauld's. They took us up a beautiful path winding through the trees and heather in the Balloch Buie; but when we had got about a mile or more they discovered deer. A "council of war" was held in a whisper, and we turned back and went the whole way down again, and rode along to the keeper's lodge, where we turned up the glen immediately below Craig Daign, through a beautiful part of the wood, and went on along the track, till we came to the foot of the craig, where we all dismounted. | We scrambled up an almost perpendicular place to where there was a little box, made of hurdles and interwoven with branches of fir and heather, about five feet in height. There we seated ourselves with Bertie, Macdonald lying in the heather near us, watching and quite concealed; some had gone round to beat, and others again were at a little distance. We sat quite still, and sketched a little; I doing the landscape and some trees, Albert drawing Macdonald as he lay there. This lasted for nearly an hour, when Albert fancied he heard a distant sound, and, in a few minutes, Macdonald whispered that he saw stags, and that Albert should wait and take a steady aim. We then heard them coming ..Dast. Albert did not look over the box, but through it, and fired through the branches, and then again over the box. The deer retreated; but Albert felt certain he had hit a stag. He ran up to the keepers, and at that moment they called from below that they “had got him," and Albert ran on to see. I waited for a bit; but soon scrambled on with Bertie and Macdonald's help; and Albert joined me directly, and we all went down and saw a magnificent stag, "a royal,' which had dropped, soon after Albert had hit him, at one of the men's feet. The sport was successful, and every one was delighted,--Macdonald and the keepers in particular;-the former saying, "that it was her Majesty's coming out that had brought the good luck." I was supposed to have "a lucky foot," of which the Highlanders "think a great deal." We walked down to the place we last came up, got into the carriage, and were home by half-past two o'clock. SALMON LEISTERING. September 13, 1850. We walked with Charles, the boys, and Vicky to the river-side above the bridge, where all our tenants were assembled with poles and spears, or rather "leisters," for catching salmon. They all went into the river, walking up it, and then back again, poking about under all the stones to bring fish up to where the men stood with the net. It had a very pretty effect; about one hundred men wading through the river, some in kilts with poles and spears, all very much excited. Not succeeding the first time, we went higher up, and moved to three or four different places, but did not get any salmon; one or two escaping. Albert stood on a stone, and Colonel Gordon and Lord James Murray waded about the whole time. Duncan, in spite of all his exertions yesterday, and having besides walked to and from the Gathering, was the whole time in the water. Not far from the laundry there was another trial, and here we had a great fright. In one place there was a very deep pool, into which two men very foolishly went, and one could not swim; we suddenly saw them sink, and in one moment they seemed drowning, though surrounded by people. There was a cry for help, and a general rush, including Albert, towards the spot, which frightened me so much that I grasped Lord Carlisle's arm in great agony. However, Dr. Robertson1 swam in 1 The gentleman who has had from the beginning the He is highly esteemed, and is a most amiable man, who entire management of our property at Balmoral, &c. has carried out all the Prince's and my wishes admirably. |