During a later visit to the widowed Queen at Balmoral, Dr. McLeod writes:
"After dinner, the Queen invited me to her room, where I found the
Princess Helena and the Marchioness of Ely. The Queen sat down to spin on
a fine Scotch wheel, while I read Burns to her--'_Tam O'Shanter_,' and
'_A Man's a Man for a' That_'--her favorites."
In the Queen's book I find frequent pleasant mention of the young
Highlander, John Brown--a favorite personal attendant, first of Prince
Albert, and afterwards of Her Majesty.
She had the misfortune to lose this "good and faithful servant," in the
early part of this year. In a foot-note in her "Journal," she paid a
grateful tribute to his "attention, care and faithfulness"--to his rare
devotion to her, especially during a period of physical weakness and
nervous prostration, when such service as his was invaluable. She also
says of him, "He has all the independence and elevation of feeling
peculiar to the Highland race, and is singularly straightforward, simple-
minded, kind-hearted and disinterested."
If there is something touching in the nearly life-long service and
devotion of the Highlander, almost always seen so close behind his Liege
Lady, when she appeared in public, that he was named "the Queen's
shadow"--there is something admirable in her grateful appreciation of
that service, in her frank acknowledgment of all she has owed of comfort,
in a constant sense of security, to this man's steadfast faithfulness;
and now that the "shadow" has gone before, I hold it is only fitting and
loyal in her to acknowledge for him, as she does, "friendship," and even
"affection"--not only to lay flowers on his grave, but to pay more
enduring tribute to his honest memory.
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