LIFE AND LETTERS 
 
 ELISABETH LAST DUCHESS OF GORDON. 
 
Jt-mwafhahmfih l-v G.T.Jauhtrt 
 
 W.KUcte/a 
 
 j^ ^-zu-^. 
 
 ^5 
 
<& 
 
 #&*> 
 
 . gj.&& Jtjr -zg^ 
 
 "f 
 
 &&&* Wm ^B @ i 
 
 K 
 
 % 
 
 
 %; 
 
 ^Amf^P 
 
 So 9 
 
 ^^S) 
 
 M(S)(0)B^ 
 
 < 
 
A. 
 
 <& Sd^&7 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS 
 
 OF 
 
 ELISABETH 
 
 LAST DUCHESS OF GORDON 
 
 BY 
 
 REV. A. MOODY STUART 
 
 AUTHOR OF 'THE THREE MARYS,' ' CAPERNAUM,' ETC. 
 
 THIRD EDITION. 
 
 LONDON 
 JAMES NISBET AND CO., BERBERS STREET. 
 
 1865. 
 
/8LS 
 
 EDINBURGH : T. CONSTABLE, 
 PRINTER TO THE QUEEN, AND TO THE UNIVERSITY 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 I.-THE GOOD LORD BRODIE. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Brodie House burned by Lord Lewis Gordon, . . 3 
 
 Lord Brodie's Diaries, ..... 9 
 
 His Son and Daughter, ..... 22 
 
 II. ELISABETH BRODIE. 
 
 Her School-days, . . . . . .31 
 
 Her Youth, ....... 40 
 
 III. THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 Her Early Married Life, ..... 55 
 
 Her Conversion, ...... 68 
 
 IV. THE DUCHESS OF GORDON. 
 
 The Old Castle of Huntly, ..... 87 
 
 V. GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 First Years at Gordon Castle, . . . . 101 
 
 London in 1830-1832, . . . ... .109 
 
 JVii6909G 
 
VI CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Outward and Inward Life in 1833, . . . .118 
 
 Prophecy: Edward Irving : Books: Doctrine: Household, 130 
 
 Letters : Captain J. E. Gordon : Jewel-stones in Chapel- 
 walls, ....... 143 
 
 Gordon Castle in the Seventeenth and Nineteenth Cen- 
 turies : The Ten Commandments : 1834, . . . 154 
 
 Jewel-chest stolen in London : Tour on the Continent : 
 
 1835, ....... 168 
 
 Death of George Duke of Gordon : 1836, . . . 176 
 
 VI. HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 Huntly Lodge, . . . . . . .189 
 
 Its Daily Life, ....... 204 
 
 Its Sabbaths, ....... 220 
 
 Letters : Meeting of Ministers : the Gordon Schools. 
 
 1837-1841, ....... 228 
 
 Deepening of the Lord's Work in the Soul : 1844-1847, . 238 
 
 VII. STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 Lights in a Dark Land : Prayer for Faithful Pastors. 
 
 1837, 1838, ...... 259 
 
 The unlooked-for Answer to Prayer : 1839,1840, . . 265 
 
 Progress of the Gospel in Strathbogie : Letters on the 
 
 Church: 1840, ...... 279 
 
 Huntly Lodge in 1840 : M'Cheyne, Macdonald, Chalmees, 
 
 Bonar, ....... 287 
 
 The Mental Conflict : 1840-1844, .... 292 
 
 The Accepted Cross, . . . . . . 307 
 
 The Quiet Kest : 1847, ..... 324 
 
CONTENTS. vii 
 
 VIII. THE CONTINENT. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Pau: Gibraltar: St. Sauveur: Spain: 1841-1843, . . 335 
 
 WURTEMBURG : ARCHDUCHESS OE HUNGARY ! 1846, . . 343 
 
 Cannes: 1847, 1848: 1855, 1857, . . . . 347 
 
 Incidents at Home : 1853-1858, . . . .351 
 
 IX. THE CASTLE PARK. 
 
 The Castle Park : Revival of the Lord's Work : Large 
 
 Meetings in the Park, ..... 357 
 
 X. THE END. 
 
 The Preparation, . . . . . .375 
 
 The End, ....... 382 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE GOOD LORD BRODIE. 
 
 1 As sometimes in a dead man's face, 
 To those that watch it more and more 
 A likeness hardly seen before 
 
 Comes out to some one of his race : 
 
 So . . . now thy brows are cold, 
 I see thee what thou art and know 
 Thy likeness to the wise . . . 
 
 Thy kindred with the Great of old. 
 
 But there is more than I can see, 
 And what I see I leave unsaid 
 Nor speak it, knowing death has made 
 
 His darkness beautiful with thee." 
 
 In Memokiam. 
 
THE HOUSE OF BRODIE BURNED BY YOUNG 
 LORD LEWIS GORDON. 
 
 In the troublous times of the unhappy Charles I., 
 and within four years of his lamentable death, there 
 lived at Brodie, in the county of Moray, a Scottish 
 laird of ancient family in the prime of manly youth ; 
 a man singularly attractive and loveable, whose one 
 woe seemed to be that " all men spoke well of him." 
 He was himself twenty-eight years of age, his son 
 James a boy of eight, and his daughter Grissel a girl 
 of nine. The children had been bereft of their mother 
 when only three and four years old ; their father had 
 been widowed at twenty-three, and he took upon 
 himself the responsible charge of their training. For 
 his own loss, being convinced in the depth of his 
 sorrow that no earthly joy could ever repair it, he 
 earnestly besought the Lord to give Himself as a 
 portion instead ; and having been assured that he 
 had heard the prayer and sealed the exchange, he 
 wa]ked with God in a not un cheerful widowhood for 
 forty years ; remembering every year the anniversary 
 
' 4' ' ' ; - : / ' , \ THE GOOD LORD BRODIE. 
 
 of his bereavement, till death recalled him to the 
 fellowship of the sainted wife of his youth. 
 
 The Laird of Brodie passed his quiet days in 
 bringing up his children in the nurture and admoni- 
 tion of the Lord, praying in his family, catechizing 
 his servants, counselling afflicted souls, warning the 
 unholy, suppressing vice, promoting schools, and 
 feeding the poor. Indoors he read many books in 
 theology and history, and spent much of his time in 
 secret prayer and meditation ; out of doors he was 
 occupied with building farm-houses, and planting, 
 grafting, and pruning trees ; in sunshine with securing 
 the stacks of corn for winter food and the stacks of 
 peat for winter fuel, and in rain with the oversight of 
 his workmen hewing stones in the quarry and fetching 
 them home for his various buildings. He enjoyed the 
 esteem and affection of all his neighbours for his jus- 
 tice and his charity, hospitably entertained strangers, 
 honoured all that feared God, but avowedly con- 
 temned the vile, and consistently testified for the 
 faith once delivered to the saints. The Most High 
 had set a hedge about him and all that he had ; the 
 candle of the Lord shone upon his tabernacle, and the 
 dew lay all night upon his branch. 
 
 From the Castle of Strathbogie, the ancient seat 
 and fortress of the Earls of Huntly, there often sallied 
 forth at that time the youthful and bold marauder 
 
HIS HOUSE BURNED BY LORD LEWIS GORDON. 5 
 
 Lord Lewis Gordon, whose wayward mood seems to 
 have been a trouble to his family, as his arms were a 
 terror to the neighbourhood. Though lauded by his 
 friends as fearless in fight, he had the character of 
 attaching his followers by shunning the foe in the 
 field and plundering the peaceful and defenceless 
 home. They rejoiced in victories that enriched them 
 with booty at little cost of blood, and extolled his 
 attractions in the rhyme : 
 
 "If you with Lord Lewis go, 
 
 You '11 get reif and prey enow ; 
 If you wi+u Montrose go, 
 
 You'll get grief and wae enow." 
 
 Descending from his rocky stronghold, Lord Lewis 
 made a winter raid upon the fruitful plains of Moray ; 
 where he fell first and suddenly on the fair lands of 
 the Laird of Brodie, with their quiet mansion, pleasant 
 trees, and thriving home-farm. Eifling the house 
 of what was precious for a spoil, he destroyed or 
 carried off the ancient charters of the family ; whilst 
 his followers ravaged the farm-yard, with its well- 
 cared for stacks of corn, and loosed the cattle from 
 the stalls, or drove them from the fields for a booty. 
 The stores of peat prepared for the household hearth 
 lent a ready fuel to the aggressor, and he burned to 
 the ground mansion-house and mains, barn, stable, 
 and dovecot, till of all that was pleasant to the eye 
 of the man of God, in his own and his forefathers' 
 
G THE GOOD LORD BRODIE. 
 
 cherished home, there was left only a black and smoul- 
 dering waste. 
 
 The good man murmured not, but bore all with 
 submission, meekness, and hope. He fled with his 
 boy and girl, and took refuge in the house of his 
 cousin at Lethen ; which they fortified first with such 
 outward defence as they could command, and then 
 with earnest supplication and the dedication of them- 
 selves anew in solemn personal covenant to God in 
 Christ. The Lord accepted the sacrifice, and the foe 
 withdrew from the unavailing siege. The father and 
 children came forth from their hiding-place, but only 
 to visit the desolation of many a cherished remem- 
 brance and many a budding hope, and to find them- 
 selves shut up to the Lord alone as their refuge, their 
 one help in the time of need. 
 
 Winter passed into summer, the marauding foray 
 gave place to the bloody field of battle, and there the 
 restless Lewis was not to be found. But his eldest 
 brother, George Lord Gordon, who was much beloved 
 by his kinsmen and vassals, drew around him under 
 Montrose the well-mounted gentlemen of his power- 
 ful clan, and with a valour worthy of a better cause 
 led them into battle against the Covenanters at 
 Alford. After a successful onset on one part of their 
 army, he dashed forward against another in a final 
 and triumphant charge ; but in the crisis of victory 
 
THE MARQUIS OF HUNTLY. 7 
 
 he was pierced by a ball from the retiring foe, and 
 fell dead from his horse into the arms of his comrades. 
 The triumph passed in a moment into the bitter 
 weeping and loud sobbing of the brave over their 
 fallen chief. They embalmed the body and conveyed 
 it with a strong escort to Aberdeen, where they buried 
 it with military honours in an aisle of the old cathe- 
 dral ; his next brother, Lord Aboyne, died in exile ; 
 and now the roving and impetuous Lewis was Lord 
 Gordon, and at his father's death became third Mar- 
 quis OF HUNTLY. 
 
 A hundred and seventy years passed away ; a cycle 
 of seven generations had run its course at Brodie 
 since the darkly memorable day of the Gordon Kaid ; 
 and George, afterward fifth Duke of Gordon, was 
 then the gay and handsome Marquis of Huntly. 
 Inheriting the military zeal of the family, he had 
 served in the army under the Duke of York while 
 quite a youth, and had fought in various sieges and 
 battles abroad. In the alarm throughout Britain that 
 followed the French Eevolution, his father, Duke 
 Alexander, undertook to raise a regiment in the north 
 of Scotland, and the offer was gladly accepted by the 
 Government. By his active personal exertions, chiefly 
 amongst his numerous tenantry or his own and the 
 neighbouring clans, backed by the flattering smiles of 
 the Duchess in enlisting the recruits, he formed in 
 
8 THE GOOD LORD BRODIE. 
 
 little more than three months the noble regiment of 
 the 9 2d Gordon Highlanders, of which the young 
 Marquis was appointed colonel. By him the regi- 
 ment was nine years later led into a bloody conflict 
 with the French in Holland, in which the Gordon 
 men fighting hand to hand put their foes to flight ; 
 but only after their young chief had been disabled 
 by a gunshot wound in the shoulder, and obliged to 
 retire from the field. The ball was soon removed, but 
 it took years for the red wad of the charge to work 
 itself out through the flesh and leave the wound to 
 heal. After this battle the Marquis returned home ; 
 and although employed in the army both in Ireland 
 and Scotland, and advancing to higher military 
 honours, he took little further part in foreign warfare. 
 In Scotland Lord Huntly's lot had not fallen, like 
 that of Lord Lewis, amidst the civil commotions of 
 the reign of Charles i., but in the peaceful times of 
 George in. ; and unlike his wayward ancestor he ran 
 no warlike raid through the plains of Moray, and 
 brought back no forceful prey to replenish his Castle 
 at Huntly. But the gallant soldier made a better 
 conquest. In the ever strange circling of events, he 
 sought and won the hand of the young and beautiful 
 Elizabeth Brodie, the subject of the present Memoir, 
 and conducted his bride with festive rejoicings to his 
 ancestral home in Strathbogie. There she shone a 
 
HIS DIARIES. 9 
 
 far nobler treasure than the ancient spoil of her 
 father's house ; for in due time she was called to 
 inherit the untold riches of that father s grace, and 
 so to shed a brighter lustre on the coronet of Gordon 
 than it had ever worn before, illuminating it with a 
 heavenly radiance ere it was buried in her tomb. 
 
 lord brodie's diaries. 
 
 In a memoir of the Duchess of Gordon, some 
 notice is due to the family of Brodie ; for Brodie 
 House, though not her own, was her father's birth- 
 place, and having herself no children her cousin of 
 Brodie was her heir as next of kin. Her grandfather, 
 Alexander Brodie, held the distinction of Lord Lyon 
 of Scotland for many years, towards the middle of 
 last century ; and the name of her aunt, Lady Mar- 
 garet Brodie, wears a memorable badge of mourning 
 through the melancholy fact of her having been burned 
 to death in a second but accidental conflagration which 
 consumed the family mansion eighty years ago. 
 
 But the most noted in all the family was her an- 
 cestor Alexander already referred to, who lived in the 
 time of the Charleses and of Cromwell. He was com- 
 monly called Lord Brodie, as one of the Judges in 
 the Court of Session, although he did not serve long 
 in that capacity, and had no opportunity of becoming 
 
10 THE GOOD LORD BRODIE. 
 
 distinguished in it. But he was much respected as a 
 man of talent and high character ; was a ruling elder 
 in the Kirk of Scotland, a Member of Parliament, 
 one of the Scotch cited to London by Cromwell to 
 attempt a union of the two kingdoms, though he 
 declined the call, and one of the Commissioners sent 
 abroad for the recalling of Charles n. His great 
 distinction, however, was by grace ; for the memory 
 of the just is always blessed, and the fragrance of 
 their character gives them a memorial through all 
 generations, even in the cold annals of the world. 
 In his case that memory has been specially preserved 
 by means of his Diaries, which were partially pub- 
 lished in a small volume in the last century, and 
 much more fully last year in a quarto of six hun- 
 dred pages printed by the Spalding Club. As this 
 book may be in the hands of few of our readers, we 
 are induced to present some extracts from its pages ; 
 both because the Duchess of Gordon was deeply in- 
 terested in the Diary, and earnestly desired its publi- 
 cation twenty-five years ago ; and because there were 
 closely resembling features between her own and her 
 ancestors character, as well as between the religious 
 histories of the periods in which they lived. 
 
 After the dangers and immediate privations at- 
 tending the burning of his house were past, Lord 
 Brodie's losses were more than repaired by a watch- 
 
PROVIDENTIAL HELP. 11 
 
 fill providence, as he thus records : " My estate was 
 made desolate, and no place left me, nor means to 
 subsist ; and my dear friends and Christian brethren 
 were besieged and blocked up, and in fear of their 
 lives by Huntly. But when we and our race and 
 family were in other mens appearance ruined and 
 undone, then did the Lord begin in mercy to blink 
 and raise up, and lifted up our head. He made every 
 affliction to me a rosebud for smell and sweetness ; 
 and withal was adding to my outward estate some- 
 times one thing, sometimes another." His most per- 
 manent grievance was in the family charters and all 
 his papers having fallen into the hands of his foe. 
 But any direct inconvenience from that source was 
 remedied by Act of Parliament ; and the chief loss to 
 his successors was of documents that might have 
 thrown light on the history of their ancestors, who 
 are supposed to have received the lands of Brodie 
 from Malcolm iv., about the year 1160. Notwith- 
 standing, the family tree descends from the reign of 
 Alexander in. through the long period of six hundred 
 years ; and the present Brodie is the twenty-third in 
 direct descent from Malcolm, Thane of Brodie in 
 1249. 
 
 In the heritage which a good man leaves to his 
 children, a moral resemblance may often be traced 
 even through intervening generations. One of the 
 
12 THE GOOD LORD BRODIE. 
 
 most marked features of character alike in Lord 
 Brodie and the Duchess of Gordon, with an interval 
 of two hundred years between them, was extreme 
 kindness of disposition which led them both to do 
 good to all men as they had opportunity, striving in 
 every way they could to be of use to any. The temp- 
 tation attending that kindliness was often lamented 
 by the Duchess, as her besetting sin of trying " to 
 please everybody ;" and is expressed by Lord Brodie, 
 as if they had been brother and sister, in what he 
 calls * the facileness and plausibleness of his nature 
 by which he laboured to please men more than God," 
 and against which he thus earnestly prays : 
 
 " Oh remember the prayers at Clatt and since, that 
 Thou wouldst set my heart against, edge the affections 
 against complying with any evil or appearance of evil. 
 Fill with discerning and zeal that I may not care for 
 men, nor self, nor safety, but may offer up all for and 
 to the Lord. Oh for light, conviction, strength, en- 
 couragement in Jesus Christ. Lord, my heart has 
 to do with this devil : All men speak well of him : 
 Woe unto you then, saith the Lord. I have made this 
 my aim, at least it has been a strong, dreadful temp- 
 tation ; I have been loath to incur the ill report and 
 opinion of men, or to displease them, but have been 
 for pleasing all men, complying with all men. Oh 
 for strength and uprightness to be emptied of secret 
 
HIS FACILE DISPOSITION. 13 
 
 self ! . . . These, these are the sins, the lusts, the idols 
 which I desire to slay before the Lord. Where is 
 the knife ; where is the fire to burn them ? They 
 are readier to burn me and kill me, than I to kill 
 them. Lord, these or my soul must be presently 
 killed and undone ; break in therefore forcibly and 
 effectually. Let me be hated, persecuted, torn in 
 pieces by the world and wicked men ere I sinfully 
 keep silence at, consent unto, approve or comply 
 with any wickedness. 
 
 Persuasions, as Answer to them all. 
 
 1. Yield a little to the time. 
 
 2. Save thyself and thine. 
 
 3. Art thou wiser than such and such ? 
 
 * Get thee behind me, 
 Satan.' 
 
 There are a hundred similar struggles recorded by 
 Lord Brodie against his " facile and complying" dis- 
 position ; but there is another element frequently 
 mingled, as in the folloAving confession : " I found 
 my niggardly and saving nature encroaching, and I 
 feared to be overcome with it, and made my suppli- 
 cation to God for grace to escape." Partly from differ- 
 ence of natural disposition, and partly from diversity 
 of providential circumstances, it was quite otherwise 
 in this respect with the Duchess of Gordon ; and if 
 she had likewise filled a large quarto volume with 
 diaries, there would probably not have been found 
 in them all one of those complaints of niggardliness 
 
14 THE GOOD LORD BRODIE. 
 
 which, flow by scores from Lord Brodie's pen ; for her 
 temptation was always rather to a generous disregard 
 of money. But whatever he had to strive against 
 within, it must not be inferred that he was not liberal 
 by grace, as well as most conscientious both toward 
 the Lord and toward the poor. " I was counting with 
 tenants of this bounds. Lord, help me to sobriety, 
 moderation, charity, compassion, tenderness in dealing 
 with poor tenants, and to do to others as I would have 
 them do with me, if I were in their room and place." 
 This is taken from his son's diary, but quite agrees 
 with various remarks about poor tenants in his own. 
 When in London he makes the following entry : " My 
 heart did challenge me that I could so freely lay forth 
 money for books, plenishing, clothes to myself, and 
 the like, and was so straitened and loath to lay out for 
 the Lord. Oh ! what does this presage and witness, but 
 that I am of the earth and believe not ! . . . Moved 
 with (Lord) L/s want, I gave him the lend of some 
 money ; I desire to do it to the Lord." 
 
 Lord Brodie never lost a lesson of contentedness, 
 whether from children in the parish-school or from 
 Eed Indians across the Atlantic : " The storm of water 
 detained me in Forres ; I saw the children of the 
 school act and personate the two great vices of pro- 
 digality and covetousness, and saw something of the 
 evils and nature both of these and other deficiencies. 
 
LESSONS OF CONTENTMENT. 15 
 
 . . . An Englishman came to me this night. By him 
 I heard much of the Lord's providences in New Eng- 
 land, the richness of his goodness, the variety of his 
 wisdom ; also the misery of the poor infidels, that by 
 all they enjoy do not know nor acknowledge the Lord, 
 hut worship the devil that is frequent among them ; 
 yet is their land for outward things better than ours, 
 although they make small use of it. Oh that, as these 
 infidels are easily contented with food and a little 
 clothing, desire not land, care not for it, that I were 
 so also, and could learn something from them ! " 
 
 He had great delight in his grounds, and when in 
 London was fond of inquiring after new plants : "At 
 noon, I saw beyond Bishopgate a variety of trees, 
 plants, flowers, and seeds, that I had some desire to 
 have." But having sown acorns and planted birches 
 at Brodie, and having watched the young trees grow- 
 ing into beauty, he thus records their sudden deso- 
 lation : " This day came Captain Deal and his troop, 
 and quartered on my land in their march. They de- 
 stroyed the young oak and birch, which I had sown 
 and planted in the little park. Now this was in my 
 estimation a very great loss : but by it the Lord re- 
 proved my too much care of my planting and young 
 tender trees, and my too little care of the desolation 
 of his Church, ordinances, and people, which are his 
 delight ; my taking too much pleasure in these out- 
 
16 THE GOOD LORD BRODIE. 
 
 ward comforts, and he would have that mortified ; 
 my not trying to cherish the cause of his vineyard, 
 which was far more beautiful and delightsome than 
 my perishing plants." 
 
 His diaries are full of touching examples of the 
 most sensitive tenderness of conscience : " It was put 
 in my thought to go and visit a sick woman, that I 
 might have that occasion to speak a word for the 
 Lord ; but I did not obey, for which my heart was 
 smitten. Oh so fearful a thing as it is to refuse or 
 disobey the Lord's Spirit in a motion to any duty ! I 
 desired to be cast down under this, and to go back 
 next day. ... I prayed in (Lord) Warriston's family 
 yesternight, but oh so little solid grace; for there is 
 much difference betwixt that and a gift of prayer 
 that passes like water through a spout. . . . Hervie 
 gave out an ill report of me, and in this I acknow- 
 ledge the Lord ; for I had earnestly flattered and com- 
 mended him, and used carnal policy that he might 
 not report ill of me, and now he thus requites. ... I 
 called (Archbishop) Sharp Lord ; I desire to examine 
 if I sinned in it- ... I read something of the romance 
 of Cassandra, and was so impotent that my affections 
 were wrought on more by these inventions and fictions 
 than by truth. I desire to be instructed and know 
 what the importance of this is ; Lord, teach me what 
 is lawful, and what sin is in it." When in London he 
 
HIS NOTES OF SERMONS. 17 
 
 bought many books ; and on one occasion he examines 
 himself afterwards with self-distrust, because he found 
 the books he had bought that day were almost all 
 in history or literature, and few in theology, which 
 seemed to him to indicate a declining of soul. 
 
 Not the least of the employments in the life of the 
 Duchess of Gordon was taking and transcribing notes 
 of sermons, of which she has left a very large number. 
 This strongly developed taste w^as quite hereditary, for 
 Lord Brodie left not fewer than four volumes of ser- 
 mons, many of them by the most eminent ministers of 
 the time. Amongst these are sermons by Rutherford, 
 Gillespie, Henderson, Hutchison, Leighton, Blair, Dick- 
 son, M'Kail, Guthrie, and about fifty other ministers. 
 They are all, however, written in a short-hand that 
 has not been deciphered. After hearing the celebrated 
 Andrew Gray of Glasgow, on the occasion of the bap- 
 tism of Lord Warris ton's son, he makes one out of 
 many notes on renewing his covenant with God : 
 " This day I did again enter in covenant solemnly, 
 and gave in my name, consent, subscription, and ac- 
 ceptance of the Lord Jesus to be my Head, Lord, 
 Husband, Guide, my All in all. Being required by 
 Mr. Andrew Gray in the Lord's name to declare if I 
 would refuse him or not, I said before the Lord I 
 could not refuse, but with my heart gave over myself, 
 poor, miserable, sinful, weak, ignorant as I am, to God 
 
 B 
 
1 8 THE GOOD LORD BRODIE. 
 
 in Christ to be his. Little use can he make of me ; 
 but if he can, His I am, and shall be, totally, perpetu- 
 ally, thoroughly, if he will be at the charge to maintain, 
 confirm, make good and perfect his work in me." 
 
 At that time Lord Brodie was honoured with the 
 freedom of the city of Glasgow, and entertained by its 
 burgesses with an abundance of good things in eating 
 and drinking, such as he had not found at the tables of 
 the noblemen and gentlemen whom he visited by the 
 way. This profusion, in which that city still rejoices, 
 he describes in the following homely fashion : u This 
 day I was made a burgess of Glasgow, and saw some 
 plenty of God's creatures, and the finest, and the 
 strongest, and the sweetest. Oh so little as meat pro- 
 fits ! The meat for the belly, and the belly for meat, 
 and both fur destruction/' A seasonable memoran- 
 dum for the rapidly increasing luxury of our own day. 
 
 In the course of his journey from the north, there 
 is one notice which subsequent events have invested 
 with a very peculiar interest : " We came to Moulin 
 in Athole. There did we acknowledge the Lord's pro- 
 tection in bringing us over these hills ; and we prayed 
 for that place, where we saw much ignorance of God, 
 and unkindness and inhumanity to ourselves. Oh the 
 gospel's coming in and being received, would reform 
 and change their nature !" The good man was moved 
 to pray for the people, because they were so ignorant 
 
HIS PRAYER FOR MOULIN. 19 
 
 toward God and so inhospitable to himself ; and that 
 not in a hopeless unbelief, but under a lively impres- 
 sion of the glorious change that would be wrought in 
 men so barbarous by the entrance of the blessed gospel. 
 A hundred and fifty years later the minister of that 
 parish, who married one of Lord Brodie's own descen- 
 dants, was the Kev. Dr. Stewart, afterwards of Edin- 
 burgh, and father-in-law of Sir John Herschel, of whose 
 closing days this characteristic anecdote is told : Being 
 unwell, he sent for Dr. Gregory, who announced, with 
 much expression of sorrow, that his case was one of 
 danger, to which he made the memorable reply, " But, 
 doctor, is there any danger in going to heaven V* Dr. 
 Stewart, when first settled at Moulin towards the end 
 of last century, was a high type of what is called in 
 Scotland a moderate minister. But the prayer offered 
 of old was heard in the Lord's own time. The minister 
 had been awakened to earnest desire ; and the glad 
 tidings of salvation came home to his soul in connexion 
 with a visit of Simeon of Cambridge and James Hal- 
 dane, whom he called " messengers of grace." The 
 gospel came with saving power to the pastor and then 
 to the people ; and so changed and refined them, that 
 they became more noted for grace and the beauty of 
 love and holiness, than they had ever been for ungod- 
 liness and inhumanity. 
 
 Lord Brodie's deep sense of the deaclness of his own 
 
20 THE GOOD LORD BRODIE. 
 
 and the surrounding parishes, and his setting apart 
 special time to pray for power from on high to descend 
 upon them, were all literally renewed again in the 
 Duchess of Gordon : " I purposed on the day following 
 to set myself apart to seek for this, that He would 
 cause the gospel to have a full and free course, as in 
 those lands where it is not received, so particularly in 
 this poor country. Oh ! my soul cannot tell the fear- 
 ful judgment of a dead, ineffectual ministry. I found 
 much corruption, unsoundness, and darkness ; the case 
 of Auldearn and Dyke was my sole burthen ; that the 
 Lord would shine in on this dark place, and breathe 
 on these dead bones, is one of the great desires of my 
 heart. . . . This evening I prayed for the setting up 
 of the Lord's work in the dead North-country. I 
 desire to be affected with the withered, cold, dry 
 state of Dyke and Auldearn : Oh ! does there fall 
 any rain upon them ?" 
 
 There is more introspection in these diaries, and less 
 of a simple looking to Jesus than believers now seek 
 to cultivate, in which we have run into the opposite 
 extreme to our great loss. But they are full of Christ 
 though in a rather different form. The following sen- 
 tences represent, as exactly as words can describe, the 
 thoughts of the Duchess of Gordon at one period of 
 her life, alike in the darkness and longing, and in the 
 subsequent rejoicing : " The Lord Jesus is hid from 
 
HIS FAITH. 21 
 
 me, and I cannot stand or be established out of him ; 
 if he be hid, my soul may give over and renounce 
 salvation, safety, and defence. And is he not hid from 
 thee, my soul ? Is he not unapplied ? Is he un- 
 beautiful, unmade use of, lying by ? Once the Lord 
 Jesus was known to be the All in all ; that I may never 
 unknow, forget, nor unlearn that, is my soul's desire 
 this day. Therefore will my soul wait, breathe, look, 
 pant, and desire to believe ; and in the meantime re- 
 nounce all confidence, hope, or comfort out of him, 
 and shall desire never to be at rest until he appear. 
 ... Oh, good news ! my soul shall bless thy name for 
 ever and ever. I dare not question but thou wilt for- 
 give and hear. Ere I come to glory and my journey's 
 end, I will spend much of thy free, grace ; what in 
 pardoning, what in preventing, what in convincing, 
 what in enlightening, what in strengthening and con- 
 firming and upholding ; what in watering and making 
 me to grow ; what in growth of sanctification, know- 
 ledge, faith, experience, patience, mortification, upright- 
 ness, steadfastness, watchfulness, humiliation, fruitful- 
 ness, resolution, self-denial, discerning of snares and 
 avoiding them ; what for the public, what for the 
 private, what for the family ; what against snares on 
 the right hand and on the left. Lord, I can conceive 
 thy grace to be above and beyond my need and wants : 
 Lord, let me see the sufficiency of it." 
 
22 THE GOOD LOKD BRODIE. 
 
 HIS SON AND DAUGHTER. 
 
 The care that Lord Brodie took of his own soul 
 was extended to his children and grandchildren, which 
 makes us wonder the less at finding the same grace 
 appearing in his family even in our days. " I spoke a 
 word this night to the children, and inquired at them 
 if they desired to serve a good master, and were willing 
 to give up themselves, soul and body, to God, to take 
 him to be their Father, their Master, their God, and to 
 engage themselves to be his children, to do his will, 
 that he may serve himself of them whilst they lived in 
 this world. They professed that they desired it and 
 were willing. . . . This night I did before the Lord 
 admonish, examine, reprove, and exhort my daughter ; 
 and that it may the more deeply sink in her heart, I 
 caused her to write down her confession and purpose 
 and promise with her own hands. * This day I desired 
 to give up myself again to God ; it is my heart that I 
 desire to give him, and not my tongue only. I desire 
 not only that the Lord would be witness, but that he 
 would be cautioner and surety in this covenant, that 
 by grace I may overcome. This Lord's day I have 
 taken new resolutions upon me to be the Lord's wholly, 
 and not to live any more to sin. And in sign and 
 token of my unfeigned desire and purpose, I have in 
 
HIS CARE OF HIS CHILDREN. 23 
 
 the sight of God subscribed this confession and cove- 
 nant with my heart and hand. Grissel Brodie.' " 
 
 As with his daughter, so there are many records of 
 his dealings with his son James. " My son's first 
 covenant and my offering him up to God was regis- 
 tered in my first diary book. But my first oblation 
 was as soon as he was born, even before his baptism ; 
 and then at the Lord's solemn ordinance of baptism, 
 where he received his mark and seal upon him to 
 be his. Having yesternight put the family in mind 
 of their duty, and stirred them up to prepare for a 
 solemn fast against this day, we acknowledged our 
 sins and made supplication to God for forgiveness. 
 My son acknowledged his sins were more than all, for 
 none had such means of knowledge, nor had been so 
 often and solemnly engaged to the Lord. This is not 
 his first vow to God, and he therefore took shame to 
 himself for his forgetfulness and slackness, and pro- 
 mised himself anew to be the Lord's, and to walk 
 more closely with God than ever." In the same 
 manner his son's wife, a daughter of the Earl of 
 Lothian, subscribed her covenant to God on the 
 third day after their marriage : "28 July 1659. My 
 son was married with Lady Mary, and on the 31st 
 she did subscribe her covenant to and with God, and 
 became his and gave up herself to him." 
 
 Lord Brodie frequently laments the want of the 
 
24 THE GOOD LORD BRODIE, 
 
 fruit of holiness in his family, but much of that regret 
 is probably of the same character as his grief for his 
 own defects. " I was told of my son's irreverence 
 and incogitancy in time of prayer and divine wor- 
 ship/' is one of the earlier records of this kind ; but 
 he afterwards grew up to be a man singularly devout. 
 His daughter Grissel having been married to a neigh- 
 bouring proprietor, James and his wife Lady Mary 
 with their children lived under his father's roof, The 
 arrangement was not always agreeable to the young 
 people, and at one time they asked for a separate 
 establishment of their own. Lord Brodie, while will- 
 ing to grant this if necessary, felt it most deeply, 
 because he had given his whole life to his chil- 
 dren ; and they lived on happily without any change. 
 After the restoration of Charles n., in which he was 
 actively instrumental, and to whom he was ever in- 
 tensely loyal, he was in constant fear of fines and 
 even forfeiture on the charge of favouring conven- 
 ticles ; so that he once thought of resigning the estate 
 to his son, but he was not called to make the sacrifice. 
 He died in 1680, in his sixty-third year, seeing his 
 children's children walking in the way of the Lord, 
 and through his instruction entering into covenant 
 with their God. His last words to his son were, 
 " My son, be strong in the Lord and the power of 
 his might ; my son, to the law and to the testimony." 
 
HIS DEATH. 25 
 
 James Brodie took up the broken thread of his 
 fathers diary on the very day of his death, and car- 
 ried it on with similar watchfulness and spirituality. 
 The son honoured his father with an intense affection, 
 and embalmed his body as " the cask which kept a 
 noble jewel; the body still united to Christ, and 
 therefore to be taken care for, to rise again in glory 
 though sown in corruption." 
 
 The controversy regarding the exclusive headship 
 of Christ over his Church in matters spiritual, which 
 issued in the Disruption of the Church of Scotland 
 in our own day, was carried on, not perhaps more 
 earnestly, but in the midst of more violent measures 
 in those early times. In substance it was the same 
 question, whether in things purely spiritual Christ or 
 Csesar was to rule in the Church ; but then the State 
 went a step further, not only controlling the appoint- 
 ment of ministers and the ordering of worship, but 
 compelling the people to attend on the ministry and 
 worship appointed by the civil authority. In the 
 case of the Duchess of Gordon, and many in later 
 times, there was no trial except the reproach of the 
 cross, but for the Laird of Brodie and his lady there 
 was the addition of pains and penalties. He did 
 sometimes go to hear ministers in whom he had no 
 comfort, and from whom he derived no profit. " I 
 staid this day at Elgin, and heard Mr. James Straquhan 
 and Mr. Turnbull of Inverness. Alas! are not such 
 
26 THE GOOD LORD BRODIE. 
 
 given in wrath? Are these the Lord's ministers, 
 servants?" But his partial conformity did not save 
 either himself or his lady from citation before the 
 Court as " delinquents." Lady Mary's deposition is 
 the briefer of the two, and is in these terms : 
 
 " Elgin, 3 February 1685. In presence of the Earls 
 of Errol, Kintore, and Sir George Munro, Lady Mary 
 Ker, Lady Brodie, being examined upon the libel, de- 
 clares she abstained from the church till September 
 last, and that Mr. Alexander Dunbar was a servant in 
 their family, and has prayed and read the Scriptures 
 there when the Laird of Brodie has been from home. 
 Depones he was a servant to the Lord Brodie, and was 
 recommended by him to the Laird, and that the Laird 
 used to exercise in his own family himself when at 
 home. Depones she has had no children baptized 
 irregularly since the Indemnity, nor been at nor heard 
 conventicles, nor entertained any vagrant preachers 
 since that time. The Lady Brodie, being examined 
 upon oath, depones to the truth of the above written 
 declaration in all points. Maeie Ker." 
 
 James Brodie having also been examined, the fol- 
 lowing judgment was delivered : " The Lords of the 
 Committee of His Majesty's Privy Council having 
 considered the deposition of the Laird of Brodie, 
 whereby he confesses half a year's withdrawing, and 
 the keeping of an unlicensed chaplain, and the Lady 
 
his son's nonconformity. 27 
 
 Brodie's deposition, whereby she confesses three years' 
 withdrawing and more after Lord Brodie's death, at 
 which time they became heritors and masters of their 
 own family : They therefore fine and amerciate him, 
 for his own and his Lady's delinquencies, disorders, and 
 irregularities, in the sum of 24,000 Scots money." 
 
 In the Diary the record of this severe fine, for his 
 own and his Lady's delinquencies, is made by Mr. 
 Brodie in these submissive terms : "One of these 
 days I was fined in two thousand pounds sterling, or 
 24,000 Scots. The world has been my idol, and 
 covetousness the root of much evil, and the Lord 
 justly may punish in this." Walking together in the 
 fear of the Lord, and suffering together for the sake 
 of Christ, they died in peace together nearly twenty- 
 five years after these events, presenting in this re- 
 spect a great contrast to the long widowhood of the 
 elder Brodie. Lady Mary died only a few days 
 before her husband, and they were interred together 
 according to his dying request, his last words of 
 direction being that he might be buried with his Lady 
 on the same day. " They were lovely and pleasant 
 in their lives, and in death they were not divided." 
 
 From so truly noble an ancestry sprung Elisabeth 
 Brodie, the last Duchess of Gordon ; and when we 
 recall it we marvel the less, yet rejoice all the more 
 
28 THE GOOD LORD BRODIE. 
 
 at the grace that was so conspicuous in her. Her 
 greatest ancestor recorded that he would not be 
 detained " one hour from glory, to see those come of 
 him in chief honour and place in the world." But 
 how his soul would have rejoiced, could he have fore- 
 seen one " come of him * so highly honoured and use- 
 ful in the Church of God ; and how he would have 
 marvelled could he have anticipated her using all for 
 the Lord, yet advanced to "a chief place in the world" 
 through her marriage to " Huntly," a name so memor- 
 able in his Diary as the source of his heaviest calamity, 
 and prayed for only as numbered among his enemies. 
 In connexion with this genealogy, there is another 
 element of interest worth noting. The wife of Dr. 
 Stewart of Moulin was Emilia Calder, whose mother, 
 Margaret Brodie, was aunt to the Duchess of Gordon. 
 This relation moved that man of God to bear his 
 youthful cousin as a special burden before the Lord, 
 and to engage others to pray for her salvation, espe- 
 cially after she was called to occupy the high position 
 of Marchioness of Huntly. And so the prayers of the 
 minister of Moulin formed a link in the conversion of 
 the Duchess of Gordon, even as the prayers of her 
 forefather, Lord Brodie, had been made a link in the 
 conversion of the minister of Moulin. " This also 
 cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, who is wonder- 
 ful in counsel and excellent in workicg." 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 ELISABETH BRODIE. 
 17 94-18 13. 
 
 And what if there be those, 
 
 Who in the cabinet 
 Of memory hold enshrined 
 
 A livelier portraiture : 
 And see in thought, as in their dreams, 
 
 Her actual image verily produced : 
 Yet shall this memorial convey 
 
 To strangers, and preserve for after time, 
 
 All that else had passed away ; 
 For she hath taken with the Living Dead 
 
 Her honourable place, 
 Yea, with the Saints of God 
 
 Her holy habitation." 
 
 Southey. 
 
HER SCHOOL-DAYS. 
 
 Elisabeth, last Duchess of Gordon, was born in 
 London on the 20th of June 1794. Her father was 
 Alexander Brodie, a younger son of Brodie of that 
 Ilk ; who returned home after acquiring a large for- 
 tune in India, purchased the estates of Arnhall and 
 the Burn in Kincardineshire, and was elected member 
 of Parliament for Elgin. Her mother was Miss Elisa- 
 beth Wemyss of Wemyss Castle, a grand-daughter of 
 the Earl of Wemyss ; and her grandmother, Lady 
 Betty Wemyss, was one of the Sutherland family. 
 
 Her early life, though possessing little notable in 
 itself and bearing no mark of grace, may help along 
 with some later incidents to bring out the features of 
 natural character by which grace is so modified in 
 every child of God. The first six years were passed 
 at Leslie house in Fife, and were rendered memorable 
 to her by the early loss of her mother. A sun-dial 
 in the garden, with its flight of broad steps, presented 
 to Mrs. Brodie's eye a fair and tempting seat ; and 
 
32 ELISABETH BRODIE. 
 
 she availed herself of the pleasant rest, not dream- 
 ing of the cold death that lurked for her beneath 
 the surface-warmth and brightness. The fatal stone 
 struck disease into her frame, for which she was taken 
 to Wales, not to return again but to die. The child 
 was only six years old when thus left motherless in 
 the world. Her solitude was the greater, because she 
 had already lost an only brother in his infancy, and 
 her father now remained to her alone. Of a parent 
 removed so early, it was impossible that she should 
 retain a very defined or lively remembrance ; yet she 
 never forgot her, and kept to the last what she called 
 " her mother's box," in which were found after her 
 death little reminiscences of her mother, and of her 
 own infant days. 
 
 Leslie House is not far from Melville, the residence 
 of the Earls of Leven ; and Lady Leven took a warm 
 interest in the motherless girl, and maintained it till 
 after her marriage. But before her mother's death, 
 the three young Ladies Melville had Eliza Brodie for 
 their companion, one of them having been born in the 
 same year with herself. After their respective mar- 
 riages their lots were cast far apart, and they seldom 
 or never met, but they were dear to each other as the 
 children of one heavenly Father ; for the four com- 
 panions of childhood were all made partakers of a 
 grace that was " exceeding abundant with faith and 
 
IN FIFE AND ELGIN. 33 
 
 love that is in Christ Jesus." They were all of the 
 seed of the righteous, for Lord Leven had married one 
 of the Thornton family, so noted in the Church of 
 Christ in England, and the Countess, his mother, was 
 one of the most eminent among Scottish Christians. 
 
 One of their remembrances of those early years in 
 Fife was of a poor man seeking alms who,* before 
 eating the food that was given him, asked a blessing 
 in these weighty words, which were found after the 
 Duchess's death written on a small slip of paper in her 
 own hand : " Lord, give me grace to feel my need of 
 grace ; give me grace to ask for grace ; give me grace 
 to receive grace ; and, Lord, when grace is given, 
 give me grace to use it. Amen." 
 
 After her mother's death Miss Brodie stayed for 
 some time with her maiden aunts at Elgin, a happy 
 mirthful child, robust in frame and vigorous in mind, 
 extremely amiable, but possessed of a strong and 
 resolute will ; wanting less than most girls a mother's 
 arm to lean on, however much she needed a mother's 
 eye to guide. She was not strictly fettered by her 
 kind old aunts, but allowed to run about in a liberty 
 healthful both to body and mind. Elgin, therefore, 
 she always remembered with affection as the home of 
 her early years : little thinking then, while she played 
 in a merry childhood under the shadow of the broad 
 and lofty pile of its august Cathedral, that she was to 
 
 c 
 
34 ELISABETH BRODIE. 
 
 sleep within its ancient aisles as the last Duchess of 
 Gordon ; and little caring now that she was ever called 
 in providence to be a Duchess, but for ever grateful 
 that she was called by grace into the number of the 
 children of God. 
 
 When about eight years old she was sent to a 
 boarding-school in London, where there were some 
 twenty-five young ladies all motherless like herself, 
 or fatherless, or orphans. Here first of all, the broad 
 Scotch of Fife and Elgin was to be eradicated by 
 every means, alike from lip and thought. While* 
 therefore, she was thoroughly educated in all other 
 respects, her memory was allowed to lie waste ; be- 
 cause the Scotch was so engrained in her thoughts, 
 that after the solitary exercise of learning poetry by 
 heart, it all came out Scotch instead of English. The 
 rigid discipline was thoroughly effectual, and she 
 spoke, as she did most things else, remarkably well. 
 The penalty for acquiring English was a defect of 
 verbal memory, which she often regretted ; yet her 
 natural power in this respect must have been good, 
 for in her latter years she learned and repeated a large 
 number of hymns, in which she greatly delighted as in 
 the songs of her pilgrimage. The proscribed Scotch, 
 also, she reacquired, and spoke it well both in its 
 northern and western dialects. She would not have 
 stumbled for a moment at the question, " A' ae J oo ? * 
 
HER SCOTTISH TASTES. 35 
 
 put by the Duchess Jane to the hosier in Aberdeen 
 for the trial of an English friend ; nor at his assuring 
 reply, which so puzzled the southern ear with its 
 string of vowels, " Ou ay, a' ae W" 
 
 Along with a world-wide benevolence the Duchess 
 had a strong feeling of nationality and a great love 
 for everything Scotch, including Scotch reels in the 
 days of her gaiety. She had great musical talent, 
 and this likewise took the direction of our national 
 music, for which she had quite a genius, both playing 
 it with exquisite skill and adding variations of her 
 own. She never quite lost the taste, or laid the 
 practice aside ; but in later years her great pleasure 
 was in the songs of Zion, and the utterance of her 
 heart was that of Israel's captives : " If I forget thee, 
 Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning." 
 
 Her education was thorough in all the ordinary 
 branches, as in French, which she wrote and spoke 
 with fluency. It also included some mathematics, 
 which she thought of use to her afterwards in think- 
 ing out subjects and in business ; but irrespective of 
 such aid her Grace decidedly excelled both in faculty 
 for business and in powers of reasoning. She could 
 sketch well ; and tradesmen were surprised at the 
 quickness of her eye for proportions, inherited perhaps 
 from Lord Brodie's love for building. The instant 
 she saw the alterations at Huntly Lodge after her 
 
36 ELISABETH BRODIE. 
 
 widowhood, she told the gardeners that they had 
 sloped the ground at the entrance toward the house 
 instead of from it. They had done so as the only 
 way of saving the trees which she cherished, but so 
 slightly as to make sure that it would escape notice, 
 and were pleasantly surprised when she directed 
 them very simply how to spare the trees and yet 
 rectify the slope. So with the Duke's monument at 
 Kinrara, at the first distant glimpse she remarked 
 that it was not straight ; and on inspection there was 
 found a slight deviation from the perpendicular at the 
 centre of the column. 
 
 Her early dispositions are described by those who 
 knew her as remarkably amiable and attractive. 
 Amongst her school-fellows was a young lady who 
 became afterwards the Princess de Polignac, and who 
 ever retained the highest regard for the Duchess. Her 
 account of those school-days is that Miss Brodie "made 
 herself liked by all the world, small and great," exceed- 
 ingly beloved both by teachers and companions. This 
 attractiveness of her childhood increased with years 
 and with grace, and she wielded through life a singular 
 power of winning the devoted attachment of all around 
 her ; we cannot say quite unconsciously, for she saw 
 it, but with a deep feeling of its being undeserved on 
 her part, and of wonder why she was so beloved. 
 
 In partial contrast to her amiableness, the friends 
 
HER AMIABLENESS AND INDEPENDENCE. 37 
 
 of her youth all agree in ascribing to her an innate 
 and strong independence of character. "She had 
 a very independent spirit," was the deepest impres- 
 sion regarding her left in the memory of the young- 
 Ladies Melville. This moral element characterized her 
 throughout life, and, when she had become the subject 
 of divine grace, stood her in good stead in many a 
 severe trial of principle. Those who had seen only 
 her kindly and yielding disposition were often taken 
 with surprise by her immovable firmness ; for while 
 she would give way to others in things indifferent, and 
 yield even too easily in points where she had not 
 made up her mind, no opposition had the slightest 
 effect in moving her from the position she had once 
 deliberately taken. The Baroness de Cetto, at whose 
 mother's house she visited whilst at school in Lon 
 don, writes of her : " She was amiable, affectionate, 
 and upright as a child. I have heard from my 
 mother all through life of dear ' Eliza Brodie's ? 
 visits to her, and of her excellent and endearing 
 qualities that seemed innate ; and the strong moral 
 courage that led her steadily to follow her sense of 
 right-doing on occasions where others of her age, and 
 left as she was much to her own guidance, might have 
 failed." 
 
 Along with independence of mind, and helping to 
 sustain it, physical courage was strongly marked in 
 
38 ELISABETH BRODIE. 
 
 her character from childhood upward, till after her 
 severe illness three years before her death, so that in 
 travelling or otherwise she rather enjoyed that kind 
 of risk for which her friends required to brace their 
 nerves. She was at the same time most thoughtfully 
 considerate for the feelings of others, that is to say, of 
 other ladies ; for she had little patience for timidity or 
 nervousness in men, or making much of little difficul- 
 ties, which either annoyed or amused her as the case 
 might be. " The Duchess was a woman of remarkable 
 courage/' said her grey-headed groom, who had served 
 her forty years. " When the bridge over the Spey 
 was carried down by the floods in '29, I took her 
 Grace across in a pony-chaise on a boat, along with 
 Lady Madalina Palmer (the Duke's sister). The horse's 
 hoofs were within two inches of the water in front, 
 jand the wheels within two inches of the water behind, 
 and I was myself rather uneasy. Lady Madelina 
 became alarmed and asked, ' Isn't this dangerous, 
 Duchess ? ' ' I never see danger,' she replied ; and 
 with this quiet remark we crossed the river." 
 
 As with Elgin, so with London ; her early days were 
 ever fresh in her remembrance, her walks into the 
 Kegent's Park and to Primrose Hill, then quite in 
 the country, her youthful joy at a great illumination 
 for some Peninsular victory, and her sorrow in 
 witnessing Lord Nelson's funeral. 
 
EARLY LIFE IN LONDON. 39 
 
 But in the midst of many natural attractions for 
 the present, and germs of promise for the future, 
 there was then no seed of grace in Elisabeth Brodie, 
 and she enjoyed no teaching fitted to enlighten her in 
 the way of salvation. The moral training was excel- 
 lent, as well as the intellectual ; but there was nothing 
 specially religious, still less any light shed on the pecu- 
 liarities of the gospel ; while in the church she was 
 taken to attend, all was formal and lifeless. Still, 
 some awakenings of conscience would gleam across 
 her mind, as they do with most children, but only to 
 vanish away. One day at school the truth of that 
 special providence, in which she so trusted afterwards, 
 having been called in question, and the doctrine turned 
 into ridicule, she had the courage not to join in the 
 laughter but was silent, feeling the necessity of an 
 ever-watchful eye to preserve her from accident every 
 moment. On another occasion, her father sought to 
 instil humility of mind regarding her own efforts and 
 attainments. " It made," she said, " a great impres- 
 sion upon me, when he told me that if I did all I 
 ought to do, I should still only be an unprofitable 
 servant." The words sank deeper than she knew 
 herself, or than her father ever imagined ; for when 
 afterwards she really did all as few others have done, 
 there is not one saint in a thousand who has so 
 thoroughly or so constantly felt the worthlessness of 
 
40 ELISABETH BRODIE. 
 
 their whole service in the Lord's vineyard. This text, 
 dropped on the soil of her still unbroken heart, ex- 
 presses the deepest and most habitual of all her future 
 thoughts, " I am an unprofitable servant ; " or, trans- 
 lated into her own words, "a useless log" was her 
 written estimate of herself 
 
 HER YOUTH. ] 
 
 At fifteen or sixteen years of age Miss Brodie left 
 school, and spent her summer months at the Burn, 
 and her winters at Bath with her father ; taking with 
 him summer tours through England and Wales, which 
 she enjoyed all the more, as they had riding horses 
 with them as well as their carriage. Her governess 
 now was an eccentric and clever woman, who taught 
 her geometry, and whom she described as a sort of 
 Dominie Sampson in petticoats. But the completing 
 of her education came now to be very much under 
 the charge of men, wise and intelligent friends of 
 her father, who cared for his motherless child with a 
 deep and painstaking interest. Amongst these she 
 derived most benefit and pleasure from the teaching 
 and counsel of Colonel Imray, her father's most inti- 
 mate friend, and her rides and walks with him she 
 always remembered with gratitude. His conversation 
 imbued her with a taste for intellectual and scientific 
 
INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD. 41 
 
 pursuits, and implanted in her the seeds of a know- 
 ledge of minerals, shells, and geology, which enabled 
 her to read books on natural history with intelligence 
 and lively pleasure ; and though she ceased to pursue 
 those studies, she never lost her interest in them. 
 This manly superintendence must have done much to 
 cultivate that masculine vigour of mind, which the 
 Lord so used for enabling her to discover the truth 
 of great doctrines to which even the good men whom 
 she first knew were not alive, and to take her own 
 decided course through all conflicting elements. 
 
 While not yet seventeen, Miss Brodie " came out " 
 into society at the Fife Hunt in Cupar with her cousin 
 Miss Wemyss, afterwards the Countess of Eosslyn, who 
 drew every eye toward her by her beauty ; while none 
 more sincerely joined in the admiration than Miss 
 Brodie, for she was singularly free from jealousy, and 
 beauty was always a great attraction to her. For 
 herself, the Duchess of Gordon had a fine face with a 
 smile of peculiar sweetness. Singularly attractive in 
 manner, her expression, which in later years was quite 
 heavenly, so lighted up all her features as to convey 
 the impression that she had been beautiful in youth. 
 But she appears to have been then admired, not so 
 much for handsome features, as for her tall and grace- 
 ful form, with a, countenance beautified by intelligence 
 and life and winning gentleness. 
 
42 ELISABETH BRODIE. 
 
 She was introduced into the world under the pro- 
 tection of Mrs. Eigg of Tarvet, her father's asthmatic 
 habit keeping him at home. That young entrance 
 into gaiety was a step which the knowledge of a 
 higher and more joyful freedom caused her to retrace 
 without a sigh for the fancied loss : with the clear 
 conviction that all such assemblies, whether public or 
 private, are " not of the Father, but of the world ; " 
 and with deep sorrow for the present mingling of the 
 Church with the world, as working manifold death. 
 But kindness in any form she never forgot, and always 
 remembered with gratitude the kind friend under 
 whose roof she then dwelt, and beneath whose shield 
 she had launched into life " falsely so called." After 
 the festivities were over, so far as we know, they 
 never met on earth again ; but in her own widowhood 
 the Duchess heard with peculiar pleasure of that lady's 
 daughter and granddaughter dying in the Lord, and 
 of herself becoming a partaker of the ame grace in 
 her old age, though with more doubt and fear. How 
 many who began life together in a common thought- 
 lessness, have been led by widely separate paths to 
 rejoice in the common salvation ; like those two 
 entering that glittering ball-room as mother and 
 daughter, not to meet again till they should welcome 
 each other in the light of the Lamb above. 
 
 About this time, when on a visit to a family in 
 
RECEPTION OF EEPKOOF. 43 
 
 England, there was a beautiful child staying in the 
 house, who was greatly attracted to Miss Brodie, and 
 pleased to be noticed by her; and her own love 
 of beauty and of children made the little one's fond- 
 ness highly gratifying. On Sabbath she bad joined 
 the company in playing cards. Next day the child 
 kept aloof from her, giving no heed to her overtures 
 of kindness, and when invited to sit on her knee flatly 
 refused, saying, " No, you are bad ; you play cards on 
 Sunday." Her Scotch training told her that the child 
 was right, and she replied, " I was wrong, I will not 
 do it again ; " and she kept her resolution, for even 
 then she was remarkable for the decision with which 
 she gave up any sin of which she was once convinced. 
 In her gradual reception of grace afterwards we know 
 of some, and there must have been many, successive 
 steps like this, as her conscience became enlightened ; 
 and in due time she obtained the gracious fulfilment 
 of the promise, " If any man will do his will, he shall 
 know of the doctrine whether it be of God." 
 
 While accepting reproof from a child, she did not 
 refuse it from older monitors. As a young lady she 
 was on one occasion warned with some severity, by 
 her faithful friend Colonel Imray, against the sin of 
 trifling with the feelings of any one whose affections 
 she did not intend to reciprocate. She took the 
 counsel meekly, scrupulously obeyed it ever after, and 
 
44 ELISABETH BRODIE. 
 
 transmitted it as a valued lesson to her young friends 
 in the generation following. 
 
 But the interval was brief till she left her father's 
 home for her husband's. The burning of the house of 
 Brodie by Lord Lewis Gordon had not so estranged 
 the two families, as to prevent all renewal of social 
 intercourse between them even in the same genera- 
 tion ; for after many years we find Lord Brodie 
 lamenting in the conduct of one of his relatives the 
 hurtful influence of Lord Huntly's society. In later 
 times Mr. Brodie used to be honoured at the Burn 
 with a visit, on her way from Gordon Castle to Lon- 
 don, by Jane Duchess of Gordon ; so celebrated for her 
 gaiety, her unchastened but exuberant wit, and her 
 successful ambition in having three Dukes and a 
 Marquis for her sons-in-law. On one of those occa- 
 sions, observing the great care he bestowed on the 
 education of his daughter just entering into society, 
 she said to him, " You are surely training her for a 
 wife to Huntly," to whom she was ardently attached. 
 With all her famed sagacity, how little at that moment 
 did she foresee the future ! With her skill in con- 
 triving, and her tact in securing matrimonial alliances 
 to perpetuate the greatness of her family, how little 
 did she suspect that the wealthy union she was now 
 forecasting would far more than neutralize the great- 
 ness of all the rest, by leaving her cherished son 
 
THOUGHT OF BY DUCHESS OF GORDON FOR HER SON. 45 
 
 childless, the noble name and title of Gordon extinct. 
 Doubtless she fancied that she saw in the open coun- 
 tenance and buoyant spirits of the young heiress, in 
 her noble figure and hale and blooming youth, at once 
 a wife who would make her son happy, and a fit and 
 likely mother for the future Dukes of Gordon. But 
 " the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they 
 are vain/' 
 
 The marriage which the Duchess thus initiated took 
 place only after her own death ; and that death pre- 
 sented a striking contrast to her life, of which the 
 following account is given in an article on the Sea- 
 forth Papers in the North British Review. The 
 romantic story of her early sorrow has been represented 
 as unfounded ; but if true, it is alike honourable to 
 her feelings, and explanatory of her subsequent course, 
 about which there is no question. "Early in life 
 Alexander, the fourth Duke of Gordon, married Jane 
 Maxwell, ' The Flower of Galloway,' and a handsomer 
 couple has rarely been seen. As a girl she was 
 strongly attached to a young officer, who recipro- 
 cated her passion. The soldier, however, was ordered 
 abroad with his regiment, and shortly afterwards was 
 reported dead. After the first burst of grief had spent 
 itself, she sank into a state of hstlessness and apathy 
 that seemed immovable. But the Duke of Gordon 
 appeared as a suitor, and partly from family pressure, 
 
46 ELISABETH BRODIE. 
 
 partly from indifference, Jane accepted his hand. On 
 their marriage tour the young pair visited Ayton 
 House, in Berwickshire, and there the Duchess re 
 ceived a letter addressed to her in her maiden name, 
 and written in the well-known hand of her early 
 lover. He was, he said, on his way home to complete 
 their happiness by marriage. The wretched bride 
 fled from the house, and, according to the local tradi- 
 tion, was found, after long search, stretched by the side 
 of a burn, nearly crazed. When she had recovered 
 from this terrible blow and re-entered society, Jane 
 presented an entirely new phase of character. She- 
 plunged into all sorts of gaiety and excitement ; she 
 became famous for her wild frolics, and for her vanity 
 and ardour as a leader of fashion ; her routs and 
 assemblies were the most brilliant of the capital, 
 attracting wits, orators, and statesmen." 
 
 In most cases the death is only too like the life, and 
 a course of thoughtless pleasure commonly conducts to 
 an unthinking and callous end ; yet not with all, and 
 not with the last but one of the Duchesses of Gordon. 
 In the dark and earthly day in which her lot was cast, 
 " the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride 
 of life" rose like a swollen flood, before whose proud 
 waves the Cross and all its fastenings seemed to be 
 swept irresistibly away. She had all the pleasures of 
 the world at her command, and she freely drank the 
 
DEATH OF JANE DUCHESS OF GORDON. 47 
 
 poisoned cup. But the cold hand of death arrested 
 her gay career. Her years indeed had not been few, 
 for Lord Huntly was now more than forty years old ; 
 but she was at the moment saying, " To-morrow shall 
 be as this day, and much more abundant." Having 
 been summoned to Carlton House to visit the Prince 
 Begent, she procured a magnificent dress ; and, willing 
 to make the most of it, she arrayed herself in the 
 splendid attire to receive her own friends in her apart- 
 ments at the Pulteney Hotel. A few weeks inter- 
 vened, and those gay rooms were thrown open a second 
 time ; but it was now for the reception of her friends, 
 amidst the pomp and pageantry of death, to admire 
 the gorgeous coffin of crimson velvet in which she lay 
 in state. 
 
 Three or four years before this event the Duchess 
 had a severe affliction in the death of her sou, Lord 
 Alexander Gordon, a young nobleman whose life had 
 been "immersed in the sins and vices of the day." 1 
 Being taken ill at Edinburgh, as soon as he was made 
 aware of his danger he cried aloud with heart-rending 
 complaints, often started up and called to God for 
 mercy, and then declared that there was no hope for 
 him and his soul was lost. The nurse who waited on 
 him was a pious and well-instructed woman, selected 
 
 1 This account of Lord Alexander is abridged from a little volume en- 
 titled Plain Truth, by the Rev. Dr. Thorpe of Belgrave Chapel. 
 
48 ELISABETH BRODIE. 
 
 for him by his physician, Dr. Stuart of Dunearn. She 
 told him kindly of Jesus Christ, as the Saviour of the 
 chief of sinners ; while she spoke he raised himself on 
 his elbow, gazed intently on her till she ceased, and 
 falling back on his pillow clasped his hands and ex- 
 claimed, " Oh, if that were true !" She then read the 
 Bible to him to prove the truth of her statements, 
 prayed with him at his urgent request, and brought 
 her minister to converse more fully on the great 
 salvation. In his few dying days Lord Alexander 
 appeared to receive the truth as it is in Jesus. 
 
 Meanwhile the Duchess had arrived, and the day 
 before his death he solemnly addressed her : " I re- 
 member all your kindness with love and gratitude ; 
 but you omitted the most important thing of all, reli- 
 gion, my sinfulness before God, the judgment to 
 come, and the love and compassion of our Saviour. 
 Look at this poor old woman : she has been to me 
 more than a parent : my merciful God has made her 
 the instrument to raise me from despair. Death is at 
 hand, but I am at peace." Eeturning to England, the 
 Duchess overtook on the road one of the itinerant 
 missionaries sent out by the noble -hearted Eobert 
 Haldane, and with her usual kindness stopped the 
 carriage to take him up. By and by the coachman, 
 alarmed by his disclosures of the world to come, in- 
 sisted on his alighting ; but the Duchess, taking him 
 
DEATH OF JANE DUCHESS OF GORDON. 49 
 
 into the carriage beside herself, was surprised and 
 affected by hearing from his lips the same awakening 
 and saving truths that had been uttered by her dying 
 son, and cordially thanked him for his faithfulness. 
 
 These lessons, though not lost altogether, did not 
 lead at the time to repentance unto life ; and there 
 was a painful awaking of the soul at the last. On 
 being seized with sudden and fatal illness, the Duchess 
 sent for the daughters of Lord Eeay, who weice related 
 to her by marriage ; and the last survivor of the two, 
 the Honourable Miss Mackay, often spoke with inter- 
 est of the closing scene, and expressed her full convic 
 tion that the repentance was genuine and spiritual. 
 A penitence so unproved must remain doubtful ; but 
 it was at least a testimony by one of the worldliest in 
 the world to the bitter end of a thoughtless life to an 
 awakened conscience. The dying Duchess, seeking in 
 death the counsel which she had slighted in life, ear- 
 nestly asked one of those two sisters to be with her 
 every day to the last, for she had found them faithful 
 before, and knew that she could rely on their sincerity 
 now. The Sabbath had been the day for her most 
 select assemblies, because she could then secure the 
 coveted presence of the graceless Prince Eegent ; and 
 the highest compliment she could think of for her 
 friends was to invite them to the distinguished parties 
 which he honoured as a guest. The two ladies were 
 
 D 
 
50 ELISABETH BRODIE. 
 
 missed by her in the gay scene, and in answer to her 
 kind inquiries they gave a full statement of their views 
 on the sacredness of the day of holy rest. " You are 
 perfectly right, my dear cousins," her Grace replied ; 
 " and I mean soon to do so likewise." 
 
 The passing purpose of repentance appears to have 
 taken little effect, till the strong hand of the last 
 enemy had seized her with a grasp from which there 
 was no release. Her ungodly life now returned to her 
 memory in its real character ; for the past there was 
 an awakened conscience with its terrible sting, and for 
 the future a fearful looking for of judgment. The sal- 
 vation of her soul was the great subject of conversa- 
 tion with her two friends day by day during those 
 anxious weeks. Through them she sent for the Eev. 
 Dr. Nichol, of the Scotch Church, Swallow Street ; and 
 before her death she bequeathed a service of commu- 
 nion-plate to his church. She narrated to him at 
 large her son's last words, and the traveller's repetition 
 of the message, wdiich seemed now to have sunk into 
 her heart. The faithful minister dealt honestly with 
 her conscience as a dying sinner, and was persuaded 
 that she had been moved to look on Him whom she 
 had pierced, and enabled to trust in his salvation. 
 She then earnestly desired the communion of the 
 Lord's Supper, which he hesitated to grant contrary to 
 the use of the Church of Scotland. But he' consented 
 
THE TWO LAST DUCHESSES OF GOKDON. 51 
 
 in the peculiar circumstances of the case ; assembled 
 a few friends, her own kind counsellors and others, 
 to constitute a little church in her house ; and, after 
 a very faithful admonition addressed more specially to 
 her, gave the Holy Supper to them all, to the living 
 as well as the dying, in remembrance of the Saviour's 
 death for our eternal life. The Lord alone knoweth 
 them that are his, yet we are warranted to hope 
 that her awakened soul may also have been saved, 
 although so as by fire. We are permitted to take 
 the consolation that if Jane Maxwell rushed in the 
 wildness of an early grief to the false refuge of the 
 world's gaiety, she may have been drawn by grace on 
 her dying pillow to that Saviour who invited her, 
 " Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy 
 laden, and I will give you rest." But in that case, as 
 in Manasseh's late repentance, the good was personal 
 to herself alone : while a long and brilliant life with- 
 out holiness or the fear of the Lord had exerted its 
 baneful influence through a wide circle. 
 
 The two last Duchesses of Gordon were both widely 
 known, with a fame far beyond the lot that is wont 
 to fall to woman even in the highest ranks of life. 
 Which was the more noted of the two it were hard to 
 decide ; the one in the world, and the other in the 
 Church, yet both before the eyes of the whole com- 
 munity. The first was imbued with the world, in- 
 
52 ELISABETH BH0D1E. 
 
 tense and undiluted the second imbued witli grace 
 in all its heavenly power. Each proved for herself 
 the inmost happiness of the life she had chosen, and 
 both spread their principles to the uttermost of their 
 respective circles. The first lived for self, and time, 
 and sense ; the second lived for God, for eternity, and 
 for the profit of many that they might be saved. The 
 one exhausted life to its dregs, and then at the sum- 
 mons of death looked back upon the past with sorrow, 
 and forward to the future with fear. The other 
 counted the reproach of Christ greater riches than the 
 treasures of Egypt, forsook the world when it was all 
 in her grasp, with youth, and health, and every ele- 
 ment of earth-born joy; fought the good fight, kept 
 the faith, and finished her course, thankful for all the 
 way by which the Lord had led her, joyful in the 
 hope of the future, resting from her labours, and her 
 works following her. Yet all is of God's grace alone ; 
 and it might be, we trust it hath been, that having 
 called that thoughtless idler, even at the eleventh 
 hour, the Lord of the vineyard hath decreed concern- 
 these two, " I will give to this last even as unto thee ;" 
 and that casting their crowns together before the 
 Lamb in the midst of the Throne, they are now both 
 praising the grace that aboundeth to the chief of sin- 
 ners, and both loving Him much by whom to both 
 " much hath been forgiven." 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 ; 1813-1827. 
 
 " A good that never satisfies the mind, 
 A beauty fading like the April flowers, 
 A sweet with floods of gall that runs combined, 
 A pleasure passing ere in thought made ours, 
 To me this world did once seem sweet and fair : 
 Now, like imagined landscape in the air 
 And weeping rainbows, her best joys I find. 
 
 " Therefore, as doth the pilgrim whom the night 
 Hastes darkly to imprison on his way, 
 Think on thy Home, my soul, and think aright 
 Of what 's yet left thee of life's wasting day. 
 The wary mariner so fast not flies 
 An howling tempest, harbour to attain ; 
 Nor shepherd hastes, when frays of wolves arise, 
 So fast to fold his bleating train, 
 As I . . . . * . 
 
 Now fly the world and what it most doth prize, 
 And sanctuary seek, free to remain. \ 
 
 Drummond of Hawthornden. 
 
HER EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 
 
 The Marquis of Huntly was possessed of many 
 attractions. He was tall, and handsome in form and 
 feature ; was amiable, affectionate, generous ; and was 
 endowed with excellent natural talents, though they 
 had been little cultivated either in boyhood or in his 
 youthful service in the army abroad. A great favourite 
 in his own circle, he was likewise highly popular with 
 all classes of the community. But he was a thorough 
 man of the world, and made no conscience of keeping 
 himself from its follies and its sins. Miss Brodie her- 
 self was still only of the world, and in that sense the 
 yoke was not unequal, while the marriage was both 
 approved of and desired by her father. But the 
 reasonable prospect of its yielding true happiness was 
 slender ; the step was a hazardous one for a simple- 
 minded girl to take ; and her old friend Lady Leven 
 affectionately warned her of the risk she was about to 
 run. The marriage, however, turned out on the whole 
 a happy one to them both during the twenty-three 
 
56 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 years of its duration ; and in the end she believed that 
 they were made both one in Christ. Her love to him 
 was ardent, and there were few relative claims to divide 
 her affection. Her mother she had lost in infancy ; 
 she had a strong attachment to her father, and a re- 
 verential respect for his memory ; but there was no 
 brother or sister to draw out her affections before her 
 marriage, no son or daughter to share them afterwards. 
 The difference of twenty-five years .between her hus- 
 band and herself only made her regard such a dis- 
 parity as trivial ; and if disparity of age in a proposed 
 marriage was spoken of as an objection, she would 
 remark, "You forget how much older the Duke was 
 than myself." After his death her love continued 
 unabated, and grew in strength to the close of her 
 life ; extending itself to every person and every object 
 associated with his memory. On the part of the world, 
 the marriage was regarded as one of interest on both 
 sides ; his high rank on the one hand, and her large 
 fortune to repair his extravagance, being the supposed 
 inducements. But whatever it may have been in its 
 origin, it was afterwards a union of mutual affection. 
 As in her toward him, so likewise on his part toward 
 her there was not only the highest esteem, but sincere 
 and growing attachment. 
 
 Fifteen years after their marriage, the famous 
 Morayshire flood made great devastation on the Duke's 
 
THE MAEQUIS. 57 
 
 property, carrying down the fine bridge over the Spey, 
 while one of the wings of Gordon Castle had shortly 
 before been consumed by fire. On the occurrence of 
 this second calamity it seemed to him as if all were 
 going to wreck ; the flood destroying what the fire 
 had left, with both evils coming upon him soon after 
 his accession to the estates, and these found to be 
 heavily burdened. In the sorrow of the moment the 
 thought of his heart broke forth in the exclamation : 
 " All things are against me : I've been unfortunate in 
 everything except a good wife." 
 
 Still she had undoubtedly much to try her ; in the 
 past many things to forget, for the present much to 
 overlook ; and after her conversion there were added 
 the strongly conflicting elements of the world and the 
 Spirit. From the first she conducted herself with 
 singular discretion. Her position was beset with dif- 
 ficulties, both from its great elevation, and other 
 elements of trial which must have burdened her. 
 
 "But she strove against her weakness, 
 Though at times her spirit sank ; 
 Shaped her course with woman's meekness 
 To all duties of her rank. 
 
 " And a gentle consort made he ; 
 And her gentle mind was such 
 That she grew a noble lady, 
 
 And the people loved her much." 
 
 The marriage took place at Bath, where Mr. Brodie 
 usually passed the winter, on the 11th of December 
 
58 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 1813. After living a few months at Southampton they 
 went up to London in spring, and the Marchioness 
 was introduced into the gay circle of rank and fashion 
 in which her husband was so popular. There, as 
 everywhere else, her lively and amiable disposition 
 made her liked by all, and her skill in Scotch music 
 rendered her a favourite. But, while she never pos- 
 sessed the brilliancy that would make her shine above 
 others in such a circle, the change must have been 
 great from her previous pursuits and studies ; and 
 little trials were frequent for the first few years. The 
 ladies of the Gordon family were at home in society 
 in a way to which she was a stranger, and which she 
 found it hard at first to acquire. They captivated 
 every one by their fascinating manners, and by their 
 manifold attention to all that was going on around 
 them ; so that, after being engaged in conversation 
 with one friend, they delighted others with the cordial 
 and intelligent interest which they showed at once in 
 whatever was occupying them. The acquisition of 
 this courtly art, of attending to several things at the 
 same time, the Duchess afterwards regretted when her 
 mind became more earnest, for she found that she had 
 thus impaired the power she formerly possessed of 
 concentrating her mind on one subject of thought. 
 
 In the course of the year they went to Geneva,, 
 where they remained for the winter. Lord Huntly 
 
WATERLOO. 59 
 
 had been partly brought up there under a Genevese 
 tutor, and was always fond of the society, the scenery, 
 and the sports of Switzerland. Lady Huntly was 
 extremely popular in the town, and greatly liked by 
 the families with which she associated, forming also 
 more intimate friendships which she retained ever 
 after. In the spring of 1815 they made a tour 
 through the most interesting towns of Holland, the 
 Marquis desiring to recall the memory of his early 
 campaign in the Low Countries. The Duke and 
 Duchess of Eichmond had passed the winter at Brus- 
 sels with their family, and it was arranged that they 
 should visit that city before returning to England. 
 Their tour brought them into that neighbourhood in 
 the midst of the exciting events which signalized the 
 middle of June ; but they approached within two or 
 three stages of Brussels in entire ignorance of all that 
 was occurring so near them. The Duchess of Rich- 
 mond had already given, on the night of the 15th, 
 her famous ball to the officers of the Guards, 
 
 " And Belgium's capital had gathered then 
 Her beauty and her chivalry. . . . 
 But then and there was hurrying to and fro, 
 And gathering tears and tremblings of distress, 
 And cheeks all pale, and choking sighs 
 That upon night so sweet such awful morn should rise." 
 
 They were too late for that night of mirth and 
 morning of alarm ; but the day following they found 
 
60 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 themselves unexpectedly in the midst of a scene of 
 fear and distress. On the road to Brussels on the 
 Saturday, there was nothing but tokens of apparent 
 disaster and defeat amongst our allies. As they drove 
 forward they passed carts of wounded men, or were 
 themselves overtaken by foreign soldiers flying past 
 them in the haste of panic. In the confusion they 
 could learn nothing of what had occurred, till at last 
 a Hessian officer came up whom Lord Huntly knew, 
 and his removal of their doubts was only to inform 
 them that all was lost. " Mon General," inquired Lord 
 Huntly, " ou est votre regiment V' " Je ne sais pas/' 
 was his reply; "tout est perdu, je m'enfuis." As 
 they were on their way to England at any rate, the 
 Marquis asked Lady Huntly if she would like to make 
 for the coast ; and few young ladies would have had 
 the nerve to refuse so reasonable a proposal in circum- 
 stances of such alarm. But she declined it instantly, 
 and insisted on going forward to Brussels, because 
 his presence would be a great comfort to his sister, 
 the Duchess of Eichmond ; as she would be in great 
 anxiety both for her daughters, who were with her, 
 and for her son, Lord March, who was in the army. 
 Their progress, however, was not so easy now, as there 
 was a scramble for horses at every stage, but they 
 reached Brussels in the evening, and found rooms at 
 a hotel. 
 
WATERLOO. 6 1 
 
 Next morning Lord Huntly, with a soldier's interest 
 in the army, could not rest in the city, but rode out to 
 see what was going on at the scene of action, leaving 
 his young wife with the Duchess of Richmond, whose 
 son was meanwhile wounded in the battle. It was a 
 day of dreadful suspense for them all. The rooms 
 which three nights before had shone so brilliantly, 
 while all " went merry as a marriage-bell/' were now 
 a scene of harrowing distress ; with the incessant roar 
 of cannon within ten miles, the conflicting and dis- 
 tracting reports from the field of battle that reached 
 them continually, and the numbers of English, as well 
 as others, hastening to escape from the town. There 
 were many proposals at their hotel for packing and 
 taking to flight. But Lady Huntly had with her 
 an English maid called Cossens, often mentioned in 
 her letters under the kindly contraction of " Cuzzie f 
 who had been selected for her, in her own youth and 
 inexperience, by old Lady William Gordon on ac- 
 count of her age and character ; and who remained 
 with her for more than forty years, first rendering 
 service, and afterwards receiving it as an object of 
 kindly interest. In the confusion Cossens remained 
 imperturbably cool, and by her resolute attitude helped 
 * to keep the whole party quiet. She had perfect con- 
 fidence in the kindness and care of the Marquis, was 
 sure that he would make every arrangement for their 
 
62 THE MAKCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 safety, and, in the midst of tumult and fears from 
 hour to hour of the long day, steadily refused to put 
 forth her hands for any preparation to depart. Their 
 remaining still where they were enabled them to hear 
 the glad news of victory the earlier, with the unspeak- 
 able relief it brought them after tasting the bitter cup 
 so often. That night those rooms were lighted up 
 with a quieter joy than the exciting whirl of the 
 dance, and we trust there was mingled with it praise 
 to the Lord of Hosts from some hearts and lips now 
 prepared to exclaim, " Thanks be to God who giveth 
 us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 Next day they left for Ghent, where they dined 
 with Louis xviit., exulting in the fresh joy of a great 
 deliverance. While sitting at breakfast that morning, 
 the King had received by a special messenger the 
 news of Napoleon s defeat ; and the windows of the 
 room where the royal party sat coming down to the 
 ground, the embraces and ejaculations of the little 
 court on the joyful tidings were said to have been 
 observed by a spy of the Eothschilds, watching for 
 the issue and so contriving to convey the first news 
 of the victory to London. On the 20 th they sailed for 
 Dover in a vessel which Lord Huntly chartered at 
 Ostend, where with his usual frank kindness he had 
 taken on board many people who were anxious to get 
 home. Their passage was unexpectedly prolonged; 
 
HUNTLY LODGE. 63 
 
 and the little stock of provisions laid in for them- 
 selves, being all they had in the ship for the whole 
 company, fell so far short of their wants that they all 
 suffered great hunger before reaching England. 
 
 In the autumn of 1815 they came to Scotland for 
 the first time after their marriage, first to the Duke of 
 Gordon's Highland Lodge of Kinrara, then to Gordon 
 Castle, and finally to their home at Huntly Lodge. 
 Finding here all that belonged to her at the Burn, her 
 books and various youthful remembrances which she 
 had not seen since her marriage, Lady Huntly felt at 
 once that she had " come home;" little surmising how 
 many years she was to spend in it, but drawn to the 
 place from the first with an attachment that was never 
 weakened till it had received her dying breath. They 
 passed a quiet winter, slightly diversified except by 
 the marriage of the Marquis of Tweeddale to their 
 niece, Lady Susan Montagu, who was living with them. 
 But Lord Huntly desired to give his bride a festive 
 reception by the people on her coming home to Strath- 
 bogie ; and because the winter was not suitable, he 
 deferred it till her birthday in June. That day was 
 celebrated by a large assembly with feasting and 
 dancing. The place of meeting, though not on the 
 same spot, was in the same Castle Park where the 
 silver trumpet of the gospel sounded the year of 
 jubilee to assembled thousands after the lapse of more 
 
64 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 than forty years. Some who were present at the last 
 could remember the first rejoicings, when the people 
 danced on the green sward, and Lady Huntly dis- 
 tributed small silver coins to the children, with that 
 large-hearted love for the young which so marked all 
 her future course. A year later is the date of her 
 first note in our possession. It accompanied a little 
 present to one of her earliest friends, and tells too 
 plainly that to our only true talisman, the " peace of 
 God keeping the heart and mind through Christ Jesus," 
 she was quite a stranger : 
 
 " Accept, dearest, with kindest wishes for your wel- 
 fare, this little Thistle. May it act up to its motto, 
 and become a talisman ever to preserve your Heart 
 or Happiness from being ' touched with impunity/ 
 Your very affectionate 
 
 " E. Huntly. 
 
 " Gordon Castle, Oct. 29th, 1817." 
 
 The first public 'rejoicing was limited to the neigh- 
 bourhood of Huntly ; but a few years later it was 
 followed by a festive Highland tour in which she took 
 far greater pleasure, the mountain scenery delighting 
 her taste, while the cordial welcome touched her heart. 
 On this occasion the spirit of. the old Highland clan- 
 ship was revived ; fiery crosses were lighted from hill 
 to hill ; and Lady Huntly made a progress in Celtic 
 
PRINCE LEOPOLD S VISIT. 65 
 
 style over all the Gordon estates in the Highlands, 
 receiving the homage of her vassals as she passed from 
 place to place. 
 
 In the year 1819 they had the honour of a visit 
 from Prince Leopold, the present King of the Belgians, 
 who had been a friend of the Marquis, and always 
 showed great kindness both to him, and to the Duchess 
 after his death. It was arranged that the visit should 
 be received, not at Huntly, but at the beautiful High- 
 land Lodge of Kinrara, that the Prince might enjoy 
 himself among the red-deer and all sorts of game, 
 which were there so abundant ; and Lord Huntly 
 thought to give his royal guest a Highland welcome 
 worthy of his rank. He possessed the energy and 
 munificence to accomplish such a design ; whilst his 
 singular power of fancy and imitation, by which he 
 could personate different characters so as to deceive 
 his most intimate friends, lent its aid to create a 
 picturesque scene and to carry it through without 
 mistrust or mishap. He circulated far and wide 
 
 amongst his vassals and retainers, and the Surround- 
 ed J 
 
 ing clans, a summons to meet the Prince at Kinrara. 
 His great personal popularity went far of itself to 
 secure a cordial response to the call ; but with the 
 ardent loyalty of the Highlands, the husband of the 
 Princess Charlotte was sure of an enthusiastic wel- 
 come, and the kilted clansmen held themselves ready 
 
 E 
 
66 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 to honour their own chief and to welcome his royal 
 guest. 
 
 The time of the Prince's arrival being still early in 
 the day, and the weather being extremely fine, his 
 host invited him to ascend the Hill of Tor Alvie ; 
 which was in the neighbourhood of the Lodge, and 
 commanded a fine view of the lofty mountains and 
 magnificent scenery around, with the noble Spey 
 carrying the breadth of a river along with the rush of 
 a mountain-torrent. With his Highland bonnet and 
 eagle's feather, and kilted in the dark tartan of his 
 clan, he quietly conducted the stranger to the summit, 
 where they found the Marchioness and her party 
 waiting to receive them. But the host of tartaned 
 Highlanders, for whom the Prince was not looking 
 but whom Huntly had summoned to greet him, was 
 nowhere within the wide range of vision. With his 
 tall, handsome form, graced by his free and picturesque 
 garb, 
 
 "Their Chieftain stood with eagle plume; 
 But they with mantles folded round 
 Were couched to rest upon the ground, 
 Scarce to be known by curious eye 
 From the deep heather where they lie ; 
 So well was matched the tartan screen 
 With heath-bell dark, and brackens green. 
 The Mountaineer then whistled shrill, 
 And he was answered from the hill ; 
 Instant through copse and heath arose 
 Bonnets, and spears, and bended bows, 
 
prince Leopold's welcome. 67 
 
 And every tuft of broom gave life 
 To plaided warrior armed for strife ; 
 Watching their Leader's beck and will, 
 All silent there they stood, and still. 
 Short space he stood, then raised his hand 
 To his brave clansman's eager band ; 
 Then shout of welcome, shrill and wide, 
 Shook the steep mountain's steady side; 
 Thrice it arose, and brake and fell 
 Three times gave back the martial yell." 
 
 " All," exclaimed the Prince, surprised and highly 
 pleased, "we've got Koderick Dhu here !" 
 
 In the course of the following year, 1820, Lady 
 Huntly made the acquaintance of Sir Walter Scott, 
 who was captivated with her Scotch music, to which 
 he thus refers in one of his letters : " Lady Huntly 
 plays Scotch tunes like a Highland angel. She ran 
 a set of variations on ' Kenmore's on and awa'/ which 
 I told her were enough to raise a whole country side. 
 I never in my life heard such fire thrown into that 
 sort of music." 1 
 
 1 Two years later Sir Walter published the tragedy of "Halidon Hill," 
 in which he introduces one of the early chiefs of the Gordon family, soon 
 after their transference from the Borders to the North, who, in conversa- 
 tion with Swinton, a Border chief, speaks of "his Elizabeth" as the "fairest 
 grace and honour" of "an ancient northern house," and so extols her 
 musical gifts as to leave no doubt that the description is that of Elisa- 
 beth Brodie : 
 
 " Gordon. And if I live and see my halls again, 
 Each haixly follower shall have his field, 
 His household hearth and sod-built home, 
 And my Elizabeth shall smile to see it ! 
 
 " Swinton. Hath thy Elizabeth no other name ? 
 
 " Gordon. Kay, then, her name is hark {whispers.) 
 
G8 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 HER CONVERSION. 
 
 The slow and successive steps of Lady Huntly's 
 entrance into the narrow way, we cannot undertake to 
 trace either minutely or clearly, because the materials 
 for such a narrative have partly been destroyed and 
 partly been withheld. But if the source be hid in 
 mist, all men saw the flowing of the broad river. Her 
 own letters, on which we depend chiefly afterwards, 
 are of no service here ; because her friends with one 
 exception were not then like-minded, and she did not 
 
 " Swinton. I know it well, that ancient northern house. 
 
 " Gordon. 0, thou shalt see its fairest grace and honour 
 In my Elizabeth ; and if music touch thee 
 0, her notes 
 
 Shall hush each sad remembrance to oblivion, 
 Or melt them to such gentleness of feeling 
 That grief shall have its sweetness. Who but she 
 Knows the wild harpings of our native land ? 
 Whether they lull the shepherd on his hill, 
 Or wake the knight to battle ; rouse to merriment, 
 Or soothe to sadness ; she can touch each mood. 
 Princes and statesmen, chiefs renowned in arms, 
 And grey-haired bards, contend which shall the first 
 And choicest homage render to the enchantress. 
 
 Swinton. You speak her talent bravely. 
 
 Gordon. Though you smile, 
 I do not speak it half. The gift creative 
 New meaning adds to every air she wakes ; 
 Varying and gracing it with liquid sweetness, 
 Like the wild modulation of the lark, 
 Now leaving now returning to the strain ! 
 To listen to her, is to seem to wander 
 In some enchanted labyrinth of romance, 
 Whence nothing but the lovely fairy's will, 
 Who wove the spell, can extricate the wanderer. 
 Methinks I hear her now !" 
 
WARNED OF HER NEED. 69 
 
 open her heart to them on the subject. That one 
 spiritual friend was Miss Home, and the letters to her 
 are more than we have had patience to number, though 
 we have read them with deep interest. The kind con- 
 tribution of another early correspondent embraces 
 two hundred, but the correspondence with Miss Home 
 is vastly more copious. These letters, however, are 
 all from the Duchess of Gordon, and none from the 
 Marchioness of Huntly ; the earlier ones having doubt- 
 less been destroyed at her Grace s own desire, or by 
 her own hand, just as on a large parcel of Miss 
 Home's letters to her she had left the direction, " To 
 be burned without being read." 
 
 While Marchioness, her winters were for many years 
 spent at Huntly Lodge, her springs in London, her 
 autumns at Kinrara, and all in a life both uu profitable 
 and idle. The gaieties at the annual county meetings 
 in Aberdeen, and at the Highland gatherings in Inver- 
 ness, made a break in the routine ; and in going and 
 returning, the evenings of her little travelling party 
 were enlivened with overflowing mirth by the buoy- 
 ancy of her spirits. A reproof by a cousin of her own 
 for the way in which she spent the Lord's clay, going 
 to church in the morning and passing the rest of the 
 time in novel-reading and other frivolities, entered so 
 far into her heart ; but it did not turn her to God, 
 and her whole life continued idle and useless. 
 
70 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 One of her oldest friends has stated that a Highland 
 servant whom the Duchess Jane had left at Kinrara, 
 while glad to see her young lady so happy in this 
 life, was deeply grieved with her entire thoughtless- 
 ness about eternity. The little maid waiting on 
 Naaman's wife has often dropped a word that has 
 issued in healing the leprosy of the soul ; and the 
 clanswoman, with all her reverence for her Chieftain's 
 lady, ventured to utter a quiet remark, a word of the 
 wise heard in secret, which clung to the hard soil of 
 her unbroken spirit till the softening rain quickened 
 it into life. 
 
 In the year 1821 another, and less likely incident^ 
 was the first hammer of the Lord's hand for the real 
 breaking of her heart. " God can make use of poison 
 to expel poison," writes the old Lord Brodie. "In 
 London I saw much vanity, lightness, and wantonness. 
 Oh that the seeing of it in others may cure and mor- 
 tify the seeds of it in myself." And in his ennobled 
 daughter it was the very same deadly poison, met in 
 the high places of England, which the Lord first used 
 to kill the seed of all sin in her soul. Her own train- 
 ing, though not religious, had been in the principles 
 of the highest morality ; and ere this the gay sphere 
 in which she now moved must sometimes have tried 
 her nobler sentiments; but at length, unconsciously 
 to herself, her heart had been secretly prepared by 
 
DRIVEN TO HER BIBLE. V 1 
 
 the Lord for his own work. And now the unavoidable 
 sight of revolting vice, that did not care to veil itself, 
 gave a shock to her moral sensibility that reached her 
 inmost soul. To escape from her distress she sought 
 refuge in reading the Bible ; and became at once so 
 deeply interested in its unfamiliar pages that, instead 
 of finding there a mere soothing balm for an hour's 
 relief, she could not refrain from searching the hidden 
 treasure daily. 
 
 One day, unhappily at the moment but happily in 
 the issue, one of her friends found her ensued in this 
 new and strange employment. To the brilliant circle 
 around her, the leaders of aristocratic gaiety, life at 
 best was only a lengthened holiday; and the young 
 Lady Huntly discovered in the act of Bible-reading 
 was a fresher incident to jest upon than most of the 
 table-talk that beguiled their idle hours. As for any 
 graver results they could have no fear ; because a 
 little clever quizzing, in which they were so thoroughly 
 at home, would soon make her glad to return to her 
 old ways. They were goading a young spirit keenly 
 sensible to the loss of their good-will, as they well 
 knew ; but they little suspected that beneath her 
 placid temper lay a deep heart-courage, which they 
 were rousing to stand at bay against all odds of 
 numbers ; and far less did they imagine that the Lord 
 Most High was using their sharpened words as his 
 
72 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 own keen arrows to drive her to the Kock that was 
 higher than her, whence they could never more cast 
 her down. 
 
 They called her " Methodist/' and the taunt sounded 
 strange to her ear, for she had done nothing to earn 
 so peculiar a title. But she said within herself, "If 
 for so little I am to be called a Methodist, let me have 
 something more worthy of the name ;" and instead of 
 desisting on account of the reproach, she set herself 
 to read the Bible all the more earnestly. While left 
 thus alone among her equals, she could not even 
 fall back for help on " old Cuzzie," who had been of 
 such service in the tumult of Waterloo. This new 
 battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil, was 
 both contrary to her tastes and above her com- 
 prehension ; and ere very long her vexation broke 
 out in the same complaint, "My lady has turned 
 Methodist." 
 
 Hitherto Lady Huntly had lived thoughtless of 
 God and disobedient ; yet conceiving of him as a 
 Father who loved her, and had crowned her with many 
 mercies, and liking always to look at everything as 
 done for the best. She was sadly ignorant of scrip- 
 tural truth, having no solid conviction even of the 
 divinity of Christ, much less any knowledge of his 
 redemption ; and even now she had no deep convic- 
 tion of sin or fear of an offended God. But in her 
 
PRAYING FOE THE SPIRIT. 73 
 
 new course of Bible reading she had not advanced far 
 till she came upon the promise, " If ye being evil 
 know how to give good gifts unto your children, how 
 much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy 
 Spirit to them that ask him?" The words arrested 
 her, " and from that time," she said, " I began to 
 pray for the Holy Spirit." Always slow in receiving 
 any lesson, she held it firmly when once apprehended. 
 She prayed for the Spirit to lead her into the truth ; 
 and when she had learned that truth as it is in Jesus, 
 in the fulness of its length and breadth, she never let 
 go her first teaching, but magnified the Person of the 
 Spirit, his work, and the constant necessity of his 
 teaching, more and more unto the end. 
 
 Lord Huntly could not sympathize with this change 
 of tastes, but he was not offended. He had seen so 
 much of the world and its hollo wness that he did not 
 object to his wife becoming more retired, and begin- 
 ning to withdraw from it ; while the change in her 
 own views on conformity to the world was singularly 
 slow. Meanwhile her attachment to him, along with 
 her great discretion, imparted a growing strength to 
 the hold she had on his affections, notwithstanding 
 this element of division in the want of religious sym- 
 pathy. He both permitted her to pursue the course 
 which she chose for herself, and did all he could to 
 gratify her desires, even when it took him out of his 
 
74 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 own line of things. Such an occasion occurred a few 
 years after this, when she set up a school in one of 
 the parishes of Strathbogie in which she was specially 
 interested. The parents and children had assembled 
 for its opening ; and the parish minister having been 
 requested by the Marchioness to pray for a blessing, 
 and having declined on the ground of not being pre- 
 pared, she turned to her husband, and said, " Huntly, 
 will you do it ?" He complied at once, and offered a 
 brief prayer, to the great delight of the people. 
 
 The year following her commencement of Bible 
 reading in England, she was led to spend some time 
 along with Lord Huntly in Geneva ; not with the 
 design of finding friends who would show her the way 
 of salvation, yet secretly prepared to follow those who 
 knew the road and could direct her into it. Such a 
 guide she found in Madame Vernet, who spoke to her 
 with affection and faithfulness on her lost condition, 
 showed her her need of conversion, and opened clearly 
 the plan of redemption by Jesus Christ. Through her 
 teaching Lady Huntly appears to have apprehended 
 the truth as it is in Jesus to the enlightenment of her 
 mind, although she had not fully embraced him with 
 the heart unto salvation. " If any one is to be called 
 my spiritual mother," she said, "it is Madame Vernet 
 of Geneva." 
 
 From Geneva they went to Paris, where Lady Olivia 
 
HELPED BY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS. 75 
 
 Sparrow was residing, accompanied in the journey by 
 their nephew, Lord Mandeville, who was engaged to 
 be married to Lady Olivia's daughter. "While travel- 
 ling, she read in the carriage Erskine's Internal Evi- 
 dences, which she found very profitable to her soul ; 
 and wrote soon after to a friend, " If you have not 
 read Erskine's Internal Evidences of Christianity, or 
 his Essay on Faith, pray get them." 
 
 In Paris she made the acquaintance of Lady Olivia, 
 and through her of other religious people, both there 
 and in England after their return. She had not yet 
 abandoned the gaieties of the world, probably ima- 
 gining a certain necessity for their continuance ; but 
 as her heart was now turning to the Lord, so it was 
 also turning toward the excellent of the earth. For 
 several years she visited much at Lady Olivia's, got 
 religious books from her, mingled with religious society 
 at her house, and always looked back to that period 
 as of great advantage in her Christian course. An- 
 other family, to whom she was much indebted at this 
 time for the Christian fellowship she found in their 
 guests, parted with her by and by on the road ; for 
 while Lady Huntly threw off the remaining trammels 
 of earth, and firmly chose the narrow path with all its 
 steepness, they returned again to the world and the 
 smooth descent of its alluring way. 
 
 After leaving Paris Lord and Lady Huntly passed 
 
76 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 the winter at Kimbolton Castle, the residence of his 
 brother-in-law, the Duke of Manchester. There first 
 "she hoped she was brought to believe savingly on 
 the Lord Jesus," and enabled to commit her soul to 
 Him to be kept till the Great Day. She afterwards 
 said, "I knew Christ first, if I really know him, at 
 Kimbolton ; I spent hours there in my dressing-room 
 in prayer, and in reading the Bible, and in happy 
 communion with him." And as her eyes now saw 
 the King in his beauty, so also they beheld the land 
 that is very far off. " Oh ! where is that verse," she 
 inquired at one of the maids in the house who was 
 likely to know it, " i In my Father's house are many 
 mansions V it is so beautiful ;" for love to her heavenly 
 Father had now begun to transfer her affections from 
 things on earth to things in heaven, though the trans- 
 ference manifested itself slowly by outward tokens. 
 The change was deep and everlasting in her soul, and 
 must have been great in all her tastes and feelings ; 
 but for a while it was very partially made known to 
 others. Some of them knew that she had sympathies 
 now into which they could not enter ; but she saw 
 afterwards, that she was not dealing fairly by them in 
 bearing so faint a testimony against the way that was 
 leading them down into the chambers of the dead. 
 But the slowness of her own withdrawal from the 
 world made her always tender in judging the state of 
 
RETRACING HER GRADUAL PROGRESS. 77 
 
 others who remained in too much conformity with it, 
 while she decidedly condemned their inconsistent walk. 
 
 To this first period of her Christian life the Duchess 
 referred three months before her death. An observa- 
 tion having been made to the effect that deep convic- 
 tion of sin is almost invariably the beginning of the 
 work of God in the soul, she remarked : " I did not 
 quite agree with that statement, and do not think it 
 is by any means always the case. In my own case I 
 believe that for two years I was a saved sinner, a 
 believer in Jesus Christ, and yet that during all that 
 time I did not see the exceeding sinfulness of sin. I 
 believed in a general way that I was a sinner, who 
 deserved the punishment of a righteous God ; I 
 believed that whosoever came to Jesus Christ should 
 be saved ; but I had no deep sense of sin, of my sin. 
 Since then, I believe I have passed through almost 
 every phase of Christian experience that I have ever 
 read or heard of; and now I have such a sight of my 
 own utter vileness and unworthiness, that I feel that 
 the great and holy God might well set his heel on me, 
 so to speak, and crush me into nothing." 
 
 Lady Huntly's next step was the renewal of a youth- 
 ful acquaintance with Miss Helen Home, daughter of 
 Sir George Home, Bart,, of Blackadder; and finding 
 now that they loved one Saviour, she was knit to her 
 with a strong attachment which continued through 
 
78 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 life. Miss Home, without the calmness and delibera- 
 tion of the Marchioness, had quickness of perception, 
 clearness of doctrinal knowledge, singleness of eye, 
 energy and decision of character, and was of great use 
 to Lady Huntly both by her counsels and her prayers. 
 Lady Huntly had other religious acquaintances, but 
 few personal friends of her own age who were taking 
 up the cross. She was therefore drawn to her, as by 
 a great attraction, out of the weary circle of the world, 
 and consulted her in the varied trials and difficulties 
 of her path. In calling on her young friend in Lon- 
 don, she sometimes alarmed her a little by joyfully 
 saying that she had ordered the carriage to return in 
 three hours. In her own hunger for the bread of life 
 no time seemed long enough, while her companion 
 doubted how she might be able to entertain her so 
 long. But while Lady Huntly unburdened her mind 
 of its cares, first to her friend and then along with 
 her before the Lord, and while they searched the 
 Scriptures together, the hours passed rapidly as well 
 as profitably away. Those Bible readings were often 
 referred to by Lady Huntly, as of great service in 
 leading her to more decided views on separation from 
 the world. Through them she first learned that the 
 converts, addressed as "adulterers" in James iv. 4, 
 were not open sinners; but followers of the Lamb 
 with divided hearts, retaining the world's friendship 
 
PRAYING IN THE FAMILY. 79 
 
 which is enmity against God. About this time she 
 began to have morning prayers with her maids at 
 Huntly Lodge, and with such of the lady visitors as 
 could appreciate the privilege. Such a commence- 
 ment of the day was a novelty in the house ; and had 
 to encounter various difficulties in the household for 
 a time. But they were all overcome by decision 
 and steady perseverance in the path of duty ; and 
 thus a good beginning was made in the way of that 
 family devotion which was afterwards to embrace the 
 whole establishment, and to endure for nearly forty 
 years to come. 
 
 After Lady Huntly s conversion, there was no 
 change more remarkable to her friends and household 
 than the diligence with which she began to redeem 
 time, in contrast with her previous idleness and 
 frivolity ; yet we must in faithfulness present the 
 following extracts from her letters. They are dated 
 from Kimbolton, where she first tasted that the Lord 
 is gracious, but two or three years later, when first 
 impressions are often weakened ; and the worlclliness 
 indicated in the outward walk is probably not so 
 much retrograde, as the remnant of old habits that 
 had not yet been broken off. The absence of religion 
 in them is doubtless owing to the circumstance of its 
 being a theme little known to her correspondent, who 
 was afterwards, however, instructed in the truth by 
 
80 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 Lady Huntly herself. But while there is nothing 
 higher throughout the two letters, the extracts we 
 give seem rather to indicate a heart carried away 
 with other things : 
 
 " Kimbolton Castle, New -Year's- Day, 1826. 
 
 " I must begin the year by offering you and your 
 family party the most cordial good wishes of Huntly 
 and myself. We have had the merriest Christmas 
 party I ever remember. May the new year bring you 
 all good things. February 6th. I have been obliged 
 to delay answering your letter for some days by ex- 
 treme fatigue, having had the house full of people for 
 a ball at Colonel L/s. This is a very bad excuse, but 
 the true one. Huntly joins me in thanks to you and 
 your kinsfolk for your kind wishes on his birthday. 
 I tired myself on that day, and the ball next night put 
 a finishing stroke, so that I am not yet recovered. I 
 have been writing many letters for Huntly this morn- 
 ing, and also been busy looking over accounts and 
 business with poor Wagstaff, who is almost out of his 
 senses with grief about his wife. They have really 
 been cruel in not writing to him oftener, after saying- 
 she was ill, and we have allowed him to go home. 
 Old Cuzzy cries with him to his heart's content, which 
 cannot improve his spirits. The fete at Wollaston 
 was magnificent. Ever your truly affectionate 
 
 " E. Huntly." 
 
NAPLES. 81 
 
 Later in the same year Lord and Lady Huntly went 
 abroad on account of the health of their niece, Lady 
 Emily Montagu, who was living with them as their 
 daughter, along with her sister Lady Caroline ; taking 
 Switzerland first, and going to Naples for the winter. 
 Lady E. is one of the young ladies who send remem- 
 brances in the following letter, written to Miss Mar- 
 garet Gordon of Wardhouse, one of Lady Huntly 's 
 earliest and dearest friends, to whom we are indebted 
 for many subsequent letters and extracts : 
 
 "Naples, January 2\st, 1827. 
 
 " My dearest Margaret, A few days ago I had 
 the pleasure to receive your letter of the 1 Oth Decem- 
 ber, and to learn by it that you were all well at Gordon 
 Hall, notwithstanding the severe storm. From all I 
 hear of the accounts of the weather in Britain after 
 November, it has been much worse here than with 
 you. We have not seen above three clays which would 
 do credit to Italy ; and at this moment the ground is 
 covered with snow, though a bright sun has been 
 melting it till near four o'clock. It was full three 
 inches deep this morning, and even the rocks which 
 overhang the Strada Nuova di Posilipo, opposite my 
 windows, appear quite white across the bay. We all 
 like Naples very much, indeed too well I think, as 
 there is very much to disapprove of in the most essen- 
 
 F 
 
82 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 tial points. No one seems to live here for anything 
 but pleasure, or to think of anything but the amuse- 
 ment of the hour. But yet every one is so kind and 
 good-humoured, so anxious to please, that one must- 
 be strong-minded indeed to resist the attraction of a, 
 society where nothing outwardly offends, and where 
 truly I have not been able to discover any of the 
 improprieties which are supposed to exist. 
 
 " Huntly made a flight after his own heart on 
 Friday, setting off at four o'clock in the morning 
 thermometer 48 in the room to join the King's shoot- 
 ing-party thirty -five miles off. He returned in time 
 to accompany us to a party at Lady Drummond's, 
 bringing intelligence that the day before his Majesty 
 had killed 43 wild boars, the Queen 14, and the Prin- 
 cess Christina 11. The whole party killed about 120. 
 
 "Huntly goes to-morrow to Venafro to stay a week 
 with their Majesties ; and as we are assured there will 
 be fine weather after the snow, we mean to go to 
 Vesuvius one day during his absence. He has hitherto 
 neither had riding nor shooting, but was in the highest 
 possible health and spirits till he heard of the loss we 
 have all sustained in the dear Duke of York. It is a 
 sensible affliction to us. 
 
 "Prince Leopold is here now, very unwell. The 
 sickness here this winter has been general and fatal. 
 We have entirely escaped, thank God, and intend 
 
NAPLES. 83 
 
 remaining here as long as we can to admit of seeing 
 Rome before the Holy Week. The English of this 
 winter here, besides Prince Leopold and sundry bache- 
 lors of no note and numbers of unknown travellers, are 
 the Lambtons, Sir G. Talbot and daughters, Dowager 
 Lady Warwick and three daughters, Lord and Lady 
 Cork ; Mr. and Lady Julia Lock wood, just come from 
 Eome to take apartments for Lady Abercorn ; Sir 
 Grenville, Lady, and Miss Temple, and I am not 
 acquainted with any more. These, with Sir William 
 Drummond, ci-devant ambassador, and his Lady, the 
 Actons, the Eussian, Austrian, Prussian ministers, 
 some Poles higher in birth than in reputation, and 
 the Austrian troops, form our society, with a very few 
 extras and still fewer Italians. I write, as usual, in 
 haste in this idle place. The weather has prevented 
 our excursions though we are all well enough to 
 undertake any exertion. Huntly joins me in kindest 
 regards to all your kin, and the girls desire best love 
 to you. Ever your truly affectionate 
 
 " E. Huntly." 
 
 Lady Emily Montagu died suddenly of an inflam- 
 matory attack, ten days after the date of this letter. 
 The chastening seems to have been needed at the time. 
 The Marchioness felt the bereavement severely, and 
 it appears to have been blessed in a special manner to 
 
84 THE MARCHIONESS OF HUNTLY. 
 
 the quickening of her soul. About the same time she 
 read Leighton on Peter, to which she attributed a 
 great deepening of the Lord's work within her ; and 
 she wrote of it afterwards to the same friend : " Pray 
 keep Leighton for my sake, as I have a particular 
 value for that copy. I truly rejoice to find you can 
 read Leighton with pleasure. I know by experience 
 it is a test of the state of the mind." 
 
 Of this season the Duchess of Gordon used to talk 
 as almost a kind of second conversion, and the pre- 
 vious and subsequent correspondence amply confirms 
 that conclusion. The difference, indeed, is so great be- 
 tween the letters of the Marchioness and the Duchess, 
 so far as they are preserved, that judging by these 
 alone we should infer that this was not a second, but 
 her first conversion. From her own testimony, as well 
 as that of others, we know that she had been drawn 
 to Jesus Christ two or three years earlier ; but this 
 season of chastening and teaching was the Lord's 
 accepted time both for deepening his work in her own 
 soul, and bringing out her Christian character quite 
 differently before the world. Six months after Lady 
 Emily's death the Marquis of Huntly succeeded to 
 the Dukedom ; and the Marchioness had meanwhile 
 been graciously prepared to take up the cross more 
 lovingly, and to unfurl its standard more boldly. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE DUCHESS OF GORDON. 
 1827. 
 
 " Near the town are the ruins of the once magnificent fabric of Huntly 
 Castle. On the avenue that leads to it are two large square towers which 
 had defended the gateway, adorned with the arms of the family, cut out 
 in stone. Great part of the Castle seems to be very old, and is nearly 
 demolished ; but there is a massy building of a more modern date, bear- 
 ing the names of ' George Gordoun first Marquis and Henriette Stewart 
 Marquise of Huntly.' 1 A spacious turnpike stair leads to what has been 
 a very grand hall, sixteen feet in height, and which still bears the marks 
 of splendour and magnificence. There is another grand apartment imme- 
 diately over this ; the chimneys of both are highly ornamented with 
 curious sculpture of various figures. 
 
 " Some of the apartments, and in particular their curious ceilings, are 
 still preserved pretty entire. They are painted with a great variety of 
 subjects in small divisions : a few lines of poetry underneath each describe 
 the subjects of the piece. In these the virtues, vices, trades, and pursuits 
 of mankind, are characterized by emblematical figures. In the chamber 
 which was appointed for a chapel, or place of worship, the Parables and 
 other subjects are represented in the same style. The whole opens a 
 field of various reflection and entertainment, well enough adapted to 
 amuse a leisure hour." Old Statistical Account; and Cobdiner's Anti- 
 quities of the North of Scotland, 1776. 
 
 1 This inscription is in large letters outside the Castle ; and the reader will find its seven 
 initial letters in the monogram in the centre of the interior wall, which is shown in the 
 Vignette on the title-page. 
 
THE OLD CASTLE OF HUNTLY. 
 
 The next great event in our narrative is the death 
 of the old Duke of Gordon, which occurred in the 
 summer of 1827, when he was at the advanced age of 
 eighty-four. Lord and Lady Huntly were still abroad 
 and were in Geneva at the time, but they immediately 
 returned to England and soon, after to Huntly Lodge. 
 When Miss Brodie had become Marchioness of Huntly 
 at the age of nineteen, it was in all the ardour and 
 hope and gaiety of youth ; without the least serious 
 thought of the responsible position on which she 
 entered, and for which toward God she was so unfit. 
 Now when she became Duchess of Gordon, she was 
 thirty-three years of age, had seen much of the world 
 and its attractions, had tasted something of its bitter- 
 ness, had tried and known its emptiness, and above 
 all had tasted that the Lord is gracious. In all 
 respects she was now better fitted to occupy the posi- 
 tion of Duchess, than she had been at first to fill the 
 place of Marchioness ; but this very fitness made her 
 
88 THE 
 
 DUCHESS OF GORDON. 
 
 feel the responsibility very differently in the second 
 instance from the first. 
 
 Her husband had now succeeded to a title, than 
 which there were few higher or more illustrious in the 
 kingdom ; to estates which were still of vast dimen- 
 sions, and had once stretched from sea to sea, winding 
 across the entire breadth of the country between the 
 Atlantic and the German Oceans ; and to an heredi- 
 tary influence which in other days was scarcely short 
 of regal in the North of Scotland, and even then 
 retained the strong element of clanship added to those 
 of wealth and rank. In the last century a learned, 
 though servile historian of the Gordon family dedi- 
 cates the first of his two volumes in these high- 
 sounding terms : 
 
 " To the high, puissant, and noble Prince Alexander, 
 Duke of Gordon, Marquis of Huntly, Earl of Huntly 
 and Enzie, Viscount of Inverness, Lord Gordon of 
 Badenoch, Lochaber, Strathavin, Balmore, Auchin- 
 doun, Gartly, and Kincardine : May it please your 
 Grace." 
 
 To this high rank of Duchess of Gordon, Lady 
 Huntly had succeeded by her father-in-law's death; 
 but it was only after she returned to Huntly Lodge 
 and was about to leave it for Gordon Castle, that 
 she fully realized the greatness of the change and 
 the weight of responsibility that was now to rest upon 
 
OLD CASTLE OF HUNTLY. 89 
 
 her. There was a double trial at the moment. She 
 had already felt that she must confess Christ more 
 boldly than she had yet done, that she must become 
 more devoted for herself and bear the cross more 
 openly before others, irrespectively of any altered 
 circumstances ; and now in her higher rank she must 
 be not only as decided, but more decided for the Lord 
 than before, and in circumstances where such deci- 
 sion would be more trying, the worldly influence 
 and temptations more powerful, and the singularity 
 and offence of the cross more marked. Along with 
 this providential weight on the spirit there mingled a 
 natural sadness. With her intense attachment to old 
 remembrances, she felt at removing to a new home ; 
 and at leaving Huntly where she had lived happily 
 so many years, where she had learned to walk with 
 God through its green woods and by its rushing river, 
 and where so many pleasing associations of various 
 kinds were to be left behind. 
 
 One of the chief of those associations, and by far 
 the finest object in the neighbourhood, was the Old 
 Castle of Huntly, standing on a rising ground on 
 the banks of the Deveron, occupying the angle formed 
 by that river and the Bogie above their junction, and 
 commanding a wide view of the surrounding country. 
 Its dilapidation was not such as to destroy or even 
 greatly to mar its imposing appearance ; but it re- 
 
90 THE DUCHESS OF GORDON. 
 
 mained, as it still does, a noble building extremely 
 picturesque in its ruins. Its present name of Huntly 
 is comparatively modern, as well as the chief part of 
 the existing ruin, which is built on the site of the 
 demolished and very ancient Castle of Strathbogie. 
 
 The family of Gordon is of Norman origin, and is 
 supposed to have removed from England into Scotland 
 in the time of Malcolm Canmore. They were origi- 
 nally settled at Gordon and Huntly in Berwickshire, 
 and took a prominent part in Border warfare. But in 
 1376 John de Gordon obtained from Bobert II. a 
 grant of the lands of Strathbogie, forfeited by the 
 Earl of Athole, and transplanted his martial clan from 
 the Borders to the Highlands. The Earldom of Huntly 
 was created in 1449, and the Castle of Strathbogie 
 was afterwards called Huntly, though it long retained 
 its more ancient name. But in 1594 the Earl of 
 Argyle having been sent by James vi. against the 
 Popish Earls of Angus, Huntly, and Errol, and having 
 been defeated by Huntly at the battle of Glenlivet, 
 the king marched north in person with an army and 
 reduced the Castle of Strathbogie to ruins. It was 
 soon rebuilt, however, for the present ruin bears the 
 date of 1606 ; the Earl of Huntly having been restored 
 to royal favour and created Marquis in the interval 
 (1599) ; a title which was again exchanged for that 
 of Duke of Gordon in 1684. 
 
OLD CASTLE OF HUNTLY. 91 
 
 Just before leaving Huntly for her new home there 
 was a party of friends, including the Marchioness Corn- 
 wallis and her daughters, staying with the Duchess 
 at the Lodge, among whom it was proposed to visit 
 the Old Castle. The curiously painted ceilings, de- 
 scribed at the commencement of this chapter, no 
 longer remained " to open a field of various reflection 
 and entertainment," with their emblematic figures and 
 quaint rhymes portraying "the virtues and vices, 
 trades and pursuits of mankind." But the words of 
 the antiquarian of last century still held good, that 
 "the whole was well enough adapted to amuse a 
 leisure hour ;" and the party at the Lodge agreed so 
 to occupy the leisure of that forenoon. Some of them 
 were going probably to examine the ruins for the first 
 time with a fresh curiosity, and others to survey them 
 with a parting glance ; but ail full of hope and glee 
 in the prospect of quitting the quiet Lodge and upland 
 neighbourhood of Huntly, and accompanying their 
 loved hostess to her new home in the spacious ducal 
 residence of Gordon Castle, with its large and beauti- 
 ful domain. 
 
 The Duchess went along with them, thoughtful at 
 one generation having gone that another might come, 
 saddened at leaving scenes she had loved so well, and 
 deeply burdened with the vast responsibility of which 
 the princely palace was to be the index and the centre. 
 
92 THE DUCHESS OF GORDON. 
 
 The other ladies, with lighter heart and nimbler foot 
 that day than hers, were climbing the broken stairs 
 and exploring the ancient stronghold from its dungeon 
 beneath to its battlements above ; and with quicker 
 eyes, for she was not long-sighted, were trying to 
 trace the sculptures and decipher the legends of the 
 olden time. She alone found nothing to attract or 
 interest. 
 
 A century ago there was still "the grand hall 
 sixteen feet in height, with another grand apartment 
 immediately over it, and the chimneys of both highly 
 ornamented with curious sculpture." But the ceiling 
 of the one, along with the floor of the other, was 
 already gone, and the interior of the northern wall 
 of the Castle remained very much as at the present 
 day ; with the stag-hounds of the Gordon arms and 
 other sculptures, as shown in the photographic Vignette 
 of our title-page, surrounding the desolate hearth of 
 the oldest home of the now extinct family. The 
 carved figures on the fine old chimney-piece are still 
 well preserved. The inscriptions are at a great height 
 above the e}^e from the present floor, but they are 
 fresh and entire ; the longest of them running along 
 the whole breadth of the lintel, with others briefer 
 chiselled upon scrolls on the right and left. The 
 ladies looked at them, but failed to make them out ; 
 they asked the Duchess if she knew what they were, 
 
TEXT ON THE CASTLE WALL. 93 
 
 but she had to confess her ignorance ; and as she 
 made no effort in a vain attempt to help them at the 
 moment, they all passed on in search of anything else 
 that might present itself to their curiosity. But 
 
 " Place in stony hands that pray for ever, 
 
 Tender words of peace ; and strive to wind 
 Hound the leafy scrolls, and fretted niches, 
 Some true loving message to your kind. 
 
 And think when years have floated onward, 
 
 And the stone is grey, and dim, and old, 
 And the hand forgotten that has carved it, 
 
 And the heart that dreamt it still and cold ; 
 
 There may come some weary soul o'erladen, 
 
 With perplexed struggle in his brain, 
 Or it may be fretted with life's turmoil, 
 
 Or made sore with some perpetual pain : 
 
 Then I think those stony hands will open, 
 And the gentle lilies overflow 
 With the blessing and the loving token, 
 That you hid there many years ago." 
 
 Left alone the young Duchess stood pensive and 
 burdened, absorbed in the past and the future, while 
 gazing vacantly on the cold and voiceless stones on 
 the other side of the old saloon. Just then the sun 
 burst suddenly from behind a cloud through the broken 
 window mullions over her head, his beams shone bright 
 upon the opposite wall, and in their light she read 
 these words taken nearly from our old Bibles : 
 
 TO . THAES THAT LOVE GOD AL . THINGIS . 
 VIRKIS . TO THE BEST , 
 
94 THE DUCHESS OF GORDON. 
 
 The letter written and engraven on stones was 
 glorious to the outward eye ; but its glory was 
 dimmed by the glory that excelled in the light of 
 the Spirit, which shone in that moment on the word 
 written with the ringer of God upon her heart. The 
 burden was lifted in an instant from her spirit ; and 
 she went forward relieved and gladdened. " It was," 
 she often said, " a message from the Lord to my 
 soul, and came to me with such power that I went 
 on my way rejoicing." 
 
 Ever after, Eomans viii. 28 was one of the pillars 
 that upheld the temple of God in her heart ; one of 
 the elements that leavened her spiritual life. Usually 
 her memory was not precise, nor her recollection 
 quick for chapter and verse of Scripture ; but if 
 Eomans viii. 28 was ever wanted, she would joyfully 
 repeat it ; or if any one sought to find " All things 
 work together for good to them that love God," her 
 countenance brightened, and she would answer, " Oh, 
 I know very well where that is." 
 
 This text pertains to support and consolation rather 
 than to guidance, yet it serves to bring out a deep 
 element in the inner life of the Duchess of Gordon ; 
 and to illustrate the combined leading of providence 
 and grace through all her life. The word of God 
 shone upon by the Spirit was the light to her path 
 during all her pilgrimage, and imparted to her whole 
 
PROVIDENTIAL LEADING. 9 5 
 
 walk a singular decision, consistency, and persever- 
 ance. " My web of life he wove" was in later years 
 a favourite expression often on her lips, and her eyes 
 were ever toward Him for the ordering of all her 
 footsteps. In this view she read with interest, but 
 with sorrow, the life of the Earnest Student, and its 
 touching account of one now entered into the rest of 
 his Lord ; remarking that she looked upon the course 
 of young Mackintosh as an affecting example of a 
 talented and devoted youth who, with all his qualifi- 
 cations literary and spiritual, seemed to have missed 
 his providential path by delaying so long to enter the 
 ministry, and had died at nearly the same age as 
 Eobert M'Cheyne without having begun the great 
 work of his life. Special providential leading after 
 the manner of Newton and Boston, with application 
 of the Word to the soul and then to the way, lay very 
 near to her heart ; and entered largely into the firm- 
 ness with which she took her steps, always more dif- 
 ficult, as well as more momentous in so conspicuous 
 a position as hers. 
 
 Such guiding, in its combination of quietness with 
 decision, is probably more characteristic of a bygone 
 generation than the present. It was deeply marked 
 in her old friend, the widow of the Eev. Dr. Buchanan 
 of the Canongate, and the friend and correspondent of 
 Simeon, who was amongst the few that had prayed 
 
96 THE DUCHESS OF GORDON. 
 
 for her in youth, and who closely resembled her both 
 in large-hearted bounty and in steadfastness of course. 
 That old lady, reserved and silent on subjects of spiri- 
 tual experience generally, on taking some very impor- 
 tant step after thought and secret prayer, would, rarely 
 yet very significantly, make such a remark as this : 
 "The word of the Lord came to his servants of old, 
 and it is the same still." 
 
 In such leadings the Duchess knew well that the 
 soul is never safe without severe self-discipline, and 
 that acting on special guidance is always safest in 
 time of trial j and along with this lesson she had 
 learned also the command, " Hast thou faith ? have it 
 to thyself before God." Yet she had been taught that 
 " the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him," 
 and that " the sons of God are led by the Spirit of 
 God ; " and she firmly believed in the promise, " I will 
 teach thee in the way which thou shalt go, I will guide 
 thee with mine eye." 
 
 On the day following her visit to the old Castle, or 
 the next day after, she was to set out for her new 
 home ; and she read that morning, as her daily habit 
 then was, a portion of Bogatsky's Golden Treasury. 
 She had missed the proper passage the day before, 
 from two leaves of the book having accidentally stuck 
 together ; and this morning the omitted portion pre- 
 sented these words to her earnest eye : " Have not I 
 
OMITTED TEXT IN BOGATSKY. 97 
 
 commanded thee ? Be strong and of a good courage ; 
 be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed : for the Lord 
 thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." 
 (Joshua i. 9.) " That was another message from the 
 Lord," she used to say, "that put strength into me;" 
 and the verse was greatly loved by her to the end 
 of life. 
 
 Several years after her widowed return to Huntly 
 Lodge, she writes from it on 16th August 1843 : "It 
 was this day sixteen years that the text in Bogatsky 
 was given to me from Joshua i. 9, and truly I have 
 found the goodness of the Lord with me, and every 
 thing temporal that I committed to him he has indeed 
 kept. It is really most wonderful when I see trials 
 and troubles all around me, to see how everything I 
 prayed for regarding my own home has been accom- 
 plished ; and shall I not trust him for my soul, and 
 for all that guidance I so greatly need in all that 
 he would have me to do ? Surely he will guide 
 me in spiritual as well as in temporal things ; and 
 the more I cease from man, and from any child of 
 man, the more I shall be enabled to live simply to 
 his glory." 
 
 After the lapse of another sixteen years, and within 
 a fortnight of her death, hearing that a young man in 
 whom she was interested was burdened about his way 
 in preparation for the ministry, she said : " He looks 
 
 G 
 
98 THE DUCHESS OF GOEDON. 
 
 to difficulties ; give him for a New- Year's message 
 from me, Joshua i. 9 : * Have not I commanded thee ? 
 Be strong and of a good courage ; neither be thou 
 dismayed/ These words were given to me after Duke 
 Alexander's death, and from that day onward they 
 have been a help to me." 
 
 Strengthened thus once and again by the word of 
 the Lord given through providence as well as by grace, 
 she left Huntly Lodge for Gordon Castle ; and trust- 
 ing in it she was not put to shame, for " the Lord her 
 God was with her whithersoever she went." Trans- 
 ferred to a more trying sphere, the Duchess of Gordon 
 took up her cross more boldly than the Marchioness of 
 Huntly, made a more open profession of her faith in 
 Christ, kept a wider separation from the world and its 
 vanities, and amidst all the allurements of earth set 
 her affections more firmly on "things above, where 
 Christ sitteth at the right hand of God." 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 GORDON CASTLE. 
 1827-1836. 
 
 Fame, honour, beauty, state, train, blood, and birth, 
 Are but the fading blossoms of the earth. 
 Would the World now adopt me for its heir, 
 Would beauty's queen entitle me the fair ; 
 Could I be, more than any one that lives, 
 Great, fair, rich, wise, all in superlatives : 
 Yet I more freely would those gifts resign, 
 Than ever fortune would have made them mine ; 
 And hold one minute of this Holy Leisure 
 Beyond the riches of that empty pleasure ; 
 And if contentment be a stranger then, 
 I'll ne'er look for it but in heaven again." 
 
 Sir Henry Wotton. 
 
FIRST YEAES AT GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 After the memorable visit to the Old Kuin, Huntly 
 Lodge was left by the Duke and Duchess for Gordon 
 Castle. The Marquis had been well known and ex- 
 tremely popular amongst the tenantry on the Gordon 
 estates, not through any efforts for obtaining applause, 
 but from his own noble and most generous nature, 
 aided by genuine frankness and affability ; and they 
 were not disappointed in their confident hopes of 
 finding in him a kind and liberal landlord. Amongst 
 many tokens of his popularity in a wider sphere there 
 are handsome monuments erected to his memory in 
 various places ; and there was a magnificent silver 
 candelabrum presented to him by the County, as 
 Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire, which was a heavy 
 burden for several men to carry. It was left by him 
 to the Duchess, by whom it was bequeathed as an 
 heirloom. 
 
 On their arrival at Fochabers the tenantry met 
 them with the demonstrations of kindly feeling that 
 
102 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 are usual on such occasions ; and in this case with the 
 warm expressions of an affection most sincerely felt. 
 But while the Duchess quite enjoyed such tokens of 
 attachment as the fiery cross blazing on the Highland 
 mountains, it was no pleasure to her, but a pain to see 
 the tenants unyoke the horses and draw the carriage 
 down to the Castle. The customariness of this mode 
 of showing respect made it little thought of by others, 
 but she felt it to be a degradation for men to humble 
 themselves before their fellow-creatures by taking the 
 place of beasts of draught. Such a homage was re- 
 pulsive to all her feelings both as a woman and as a 
 Christian, and she never mentioned it but with pain 
 and aversion. 
 
 Her Grace's letters in our possession are for the 
 first few years at Gordon Castle merely brief notes, 
 but the change in the tone of her correspondence is 
 marked and immediate. Whoever the correspondent 
 may be, or whatever the subject, there is always some 
 reference to that which chiefly engaged her heart. In 
 her shortest notes she qualifies a report of unfavour- 
 able weather with the brightening ray " but it is 
 good ;" her disappointment at not meeting a friend 
 with the consolation " but it is better not, or it would 
 be ; " and so in everything else. 
 
 The morning prayers with her servants and lady 
 visitors, which she had begun at Huntly Lodge, were 
 
FAMILY PRAYERS. 103 
 
 maintained from 'her entrance into Gordon Castle. 
 In the following year, while she was thus engaged 
 one morning, the Duke unexpectedly entered the 
 room. She rose, laid her hand upon his shoulder, and 
 whispered some remark in his ear, when he gave a 
 good-natured shrug and withdrew. Immediately after 
 she procured the assistance of a catechist to conduct 
 worship in the family till his place was more ade- 
 quately supplied by the Eev. David Dewar, a licen- 
 tiate of the Church of Scotland. The Duke became 
 a regular attendant at the morning devotions, and 
 afterwards in case of necessity he read the family 
 prayers. 
 
 The Duchess appears never to have kept any con- 
 tinuous account of her life, although she was in the 
 habit of jotting down her thoughts in pocket alma- 
 nacs ; but among some other papers we find a Diary 
 for a single week at Gordon Castle, in the year fol- 
 lowing her husband's accession to the dukedom. This 
 journal, which is marked by her own sterling honesty, 
 is so brief that we transcribe it entire. 
 
 Now. 16th, 1828 (Sabbath). Rose at 8. After 
 dressing offered up my prayers for the grace and 
 assistance of God's Holy Spirit to strengthen my 
 faith. My heart is harder than stone, with a mind 
 convinced of the truth of the Divine word. I find 
 my love and. gratitude to Jesus so cold, so dead, that 
 
104 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 I cannot even command my thoughts while offering 
 up my short prayers. 
 
 " I desired to have resolution to commence and 
 continue a journal, that I might obtain a clearer view 
 of my own heart, which I know, alas ! to be deceitful 
 above all things and desperately wicked. Well may 
 I say with Job, I abhor myself and repent in dust 
 and ashes. 
 
 " 9 o'clock Decided with Mrs. K. that I should 
 continue to choose prayers myself, and not to follow 
 the morning form of the Church. Looked out prayers, 
 lesson, and sermon : prayers, Cotteril ; Lesson iii. John ; 
 sermon, Simeon, Eomans vi. 8-11. 
 
 " Ten. Breakfast : joined in the conversation about 
 horse-racing, for which I am sorry ; as, though but a 
 few words, it might seem to approve, and I dreaded 
 lest unpleasant discussion should be the consequence. 
 
 " Went to the English chapel ; cold and indifferent 
 in the prayers. I listened to the sermon more with 
 hope to find fault than to profit. It was, however, 
 good : a comparison between the righteous and the 
 wicked, here and hereafter. Text, Proverbs. 
 
 " At home, returned to look over prayers and sermon. 
 
 " At 3 went up to Cossens ; began Anne Murdoch 
 with 'Shorter Catechism/ which she seemed to un- 
 derstand. 
 
 " 2>\. Prayers : enabled to pray with less wan- 
 
DIARY. 105 
 
 dering and more fervour, but afterwards found poor 
 Cossens very ill ; indeed, she asked me to pray but 
 I could only join her, and felt bitterly the hardness 
 of my heart and want of grace. But God hath pro- 
 mised that where any two are agreed their prayer 
 shall be granted, and he will have, he has had mercy 
 on her soul for Christ's sake. 
 
 "Six. Dinner. At 8 returned to her, found her 
 better, with much hope in the Saviour ; and although 
 she has not yet the clear view of Jesus we desire, she 
 feels an assured hope that she shall see him as he is, 
 and she knows that he who cannot lie has said that 
 all those who come unto him shall not be cast out. 
 Sermon, Noel's ; Prov. i. 3 3 ; good. 
 
 " How wretched is this review of the Lord's day ! 
 ' Lord, take away this heart of stone and give me a 
 heart of flesh. Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbe- 
 lief.' Let me count all but loss for the glory of the 
 Cross of Christ, and let me have no other desire but to 
 accomplish thy will. And now, Lord, I commend 
 myself to thee this night, body and soul ; guard my 
 dear husband from all evil, and teach us both that 
 the peace of God passeth all understanding, and is 
 of more value than anything this world can give. 
 
 "Vltk, Monday. A day lost though well begun : 
 more peace, more clear belief, but alas ! not less indif- 
 ference, not less hardness of heart ; great idleness ; 
 
10B GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 after breakfast little or nothing done. Lord, deliver 
 me from pride and vanity, and make me a humble and 
 devoted follower of the meek and lowly Jesus. He 
 indeed is our peace. 
 
 "18^, Tuesday. Another unprofitable day, but 
 when, alas ! is any day otherwise with me ? In the 
 morning continued ' Samuel ; ' may I be always ready 
 to say, 'Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth;' and 
 let me constantly lean on Jesus as the Eock of Ages. 
 
 " 19 th. I had some little time for reflection while 
 sitting for my picture, but still the actions are like 
 Martha., ' cumbered about many things/ But blessed 
 be God who has given me more hope and joy in 
 believing. May he keep me from presumptuous sins, 
 and enable me to look with a single eye to God. 
 
 " 20th. Before breakfast as usual studied ' Henry's 
 Bible ;' 6th Samuel. How apt indeed is the natural 
 man to seek and find excuses for all that is wrong ! 
 How apt am I in my idleness, coldness, lukewarmness, 
 to say to myself, Oh, I cannot do otherwise, circum- 
 stances will not permit, etc. ; and on the contrary, 
 when trusting simply on the word of God, how won- 
 derfully are ' the valleys exalted and the high places 
 made low.' Still an unprofitable day ; will it ever be 
 otherwise ? Yet I must acknowledge mercies innu- 
 merable even this day and every day of my existence. 
 Lord, make me truly thankful, and take away, I 
 
. DIARY. iQft 
 
 beseech thee, this heart of stone ; and let me love, as 
 he ought to be loved, that Jesus who saved us from, 
 our sins, who is the Lord God blessed for ever. 
 ' Hide not thy face from me ; be thou my salvation/ 
 
 " Novr. 21. Lord God, deliver me, I beseech 
 thee, from lukewarm indifference to the blessed tid- 
 ings of salvation. Thanks be to thee that I can now 
 feel that Jesus is my Saviour ; but alas ! alas ! what 
 does this profit ! All that belongs to me is only evil 
 continually ; each day is as unprofitable as the last. 
 Still this unprofitableness may be because I am still 
 disposed to look to my own works which are worse 
 than nothing, like Martha troubled about many things. 
 I cannot wait humbly on the Lord. But thy grace is 
 sufficient, and I know that the desires of my heart 
 offered up in prayer shall be accomplished, and that 
 if I commit my way unto the Lord he will surely 
 bring it to pass. ' Wait, I say, on the Lord/ 
 
 "22<i, Saturday. On a review of the past week, 
 what have I to observe but unprofitableness and 
 indifference ! In the beginning of the week positive 
 unbelief, because I would not look simply with a 
 single eye to Christ, but wished reason and argumen- 
 tative proofs to convince me of what can only be 
 taught of the Spirit. that I could pour out my 
 soul in thankfulness to God for the blessed revelation. 
 
 " Bless my dear husband, and make him taste that 
 
108 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 peace which the world can neither give nor take 
 away. Bless all that belongs to us ; purify my heart 
 more immediately, that I may know him who is of 
 purer eyes than to behold iniquity. Enable me to 
 support all the trials, great or small, which in thy 
 good providence thou seest fit for me. Give me 
 strength and courage to be useful, but oh let me not 
 trust in anything that I do. 
 
 " Sins of the week : unbelief proceeding from pride 
 of reason, selfishness, carelessness, hardness of heart, 
 vanity, evil speaking. Against thee, thee only, have 
 I sinned ! The blood of Christ washes away all sin. 
 Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief." 
 
 Her self-accusation for the sin of evil-speaking is 
 noteworthy ; because it was impossible for any one 
 acquainted with her not to remark in her conversa- 
 tion a remarkable freedom from that vice, which so 
 easily besets us all, and also from its kindred habit 
 of taking pleasure in idle gossip. 
 
 From this journal it appears that the Duchess was 
 at this date conducting prayers herself, but that she 
 did not use her own words. Her maid Cossens, suf- 
 fering under sickness, did not now despise the Bible- 
 reading Methodism of her Grace, but sought the same 
 consolation for herself ; yet it seems that the Duchess 
 felt unable to pray by her sick-bed. Afterwards, in 
 her widowhood, she always prayed in the family 
 
QUEEN ADELAIDE. 109 
 
 without a form ; and her prayers were characterized 
 by unction, fluency, and power. 
 
 LONDON IN 1830-1832. 
 
 The vigilance of the Duchess over her own heart 
 now extended itself to all that was under her control. 
 In Gordon Castle " the world and the fashion thereof " 
 were disowned by her from the first ; as one distinctive 
 token, there were no balls there during the nine years 
 of her residence ; and she set herself, according to the 
 wisdom given her, to seek the spiritual good of her 
 guests. There was much of course that did not fall 
 under her own sphere, and which she could not regu- 
 late after her own mind, but as far as in her lay the 
 house was now ruled in the fear of the Lord. 
 
 Her zeal was at the same time so tempered with 
 the meekness of wisdom, and in her secret sorrow 
 for slighted mercy she so remembered the precejDt to 
 "anoint the head in fasting," that the affections of 
 the Duke were not estranged, but strengthened by her 
 heavenly grace. The year following the date of the 
 Diary which we have already quoted was 1829, so 
 memorable at Gordon Castle by its great flood, pre- 
 ceded by the burning of one of the wings of the house ; 
 and it was then, after making full proof of the un- 
 bending steadfastness and daily progress of her reli- 
 
'HO GORDON castle: 
 
 gious course, that the Duke said, " I am unfortunate 
 in everything except a good wife." 
 
 Next year, in May 1830, the accession of William iv. 
 to the throne brought the Duchess of Gordon into terms 
 of great intimacy with the Court. Queen Adelaide 
 selected her as Mistress of the Bobes at the Corona- 
 tion, and honoured her ever after with her special 
 friendship. Too often in the Christian life, every ad- 
 dition to the cares and allurements of the world tends 
 to deaden the higher affections for a season, and we 
 should now have feared some arrest of spiritual pro- 
 gress in the midst of the highest honours and strongest 
 attractions of earth. But just as in her own personal 
 elevation to the rank of Duchess, so now in her beino- 
 called to share largely in the royal favour, we come 
 upon deeper tokens of earnestness of spirit, and further 
 footsteps in the narrow way. 
 
 The ministers whom she had been accustomed to 
 hear in Scotland, either parochial or Scotch Episcopal, 
 had not been men in whose services she could find 
 much either to instruct or to edify. But her awakened 
 spiritual instincts now discovered in the Eev. Mr. 
 Howels of Longacre a pastor who presented living 
 bread to her hungering soul. She was deeply inter- 
 ested in his preaching, as in that also of Mr. Haring- 
 ton Evans, and of Mr. Blunt of Chelsea. But Mr. 
 Howels came first, and his teaching both greatly 
 
REV. MR. HOWELS. Ill 
 
 furthered her spiritual progress at the time, and left 
 the deepest and most lasting impression on her mind. 
 
 Long after his death she used often to quote his 
 pithy sayings, such as " If a Christian is only a shoe- 
 black, he should be the best shoe-black in the parish ;" 
 his striking illustration of the complete corruption of 
 fallen man : " When the tiger saw his own image in 
 the glass, he sprang upon it and broke it into a hun- 
 dred pieces, but every piece reflected the image of the 
 tiger ;" and his picture of the remembrance of sin in 
 heaven : " God puts his people's sins behind his back, 
 that he may never see them any more, but that they 
 may see them as a dark cloud behind Him, causing 
 the brightness of his glory to shine forth the more 
 transcendently." 
 
 Mr. Howels w T as invited by her Grace to Gordon 
 Castle, as Mr. Blunt and others were afterwards, as 
 an honoured servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose 
 fellowship in the gospel would be a privilege and joy 
 to herself, while his presence in the house might further 
 the highest welfare of her friends, and his preaching 
 be blessed to the profit of many. In her widowhood 
 there was no house in the land more open than hers 
 to every minister of Christ for his Master s sake ; but 
 Mr. Howels was probably the first who was invited on 
 this footing of spiritual friendship. He accepted the 
 invitation on the condition, most acceptable to her, 
 
112 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 that they should have daily Bible-readings together ; 
 but he did not accomplish the visit the first year, and 
 when two years were passed his Lord called him home, 
 to her deep grief and the great loss of the Church of 
 Christ. 
 
 It is under his ministry, in May 1830 and the 
 following months, that we find the first notes of ser- 
 mons taken by the Duchess, just when the highest 
 honours of the Court were enjoyed by her through the 
 accession of Queen Adelaide. She then commenced 
 that course of note- taking, in which she persevered 
 with singular diligence for thirty years to come. This 
 exercise formed ever after quite an important part of 
 the occupation and enjoyment of her life ; for the notes 
 were taken very fully in pencil at the time, and care- 
 fully copied out during the week. They embraced 
 two sermons every Sabbath, and often included the 
 less elaborate remarks of a week-day service. The 
 manual effort did not appear to interrupt in the least 
 the emotions of her heart ; the preacher's words had 
 evidently the same effect in convincing, comforting, 
 and instructing her, as if she had been only engaged 
 in hearing them. The same freedom, however, could 
 not always be affirmed on the part of the minister, 
 especially in less formal services ; for her seat was 
 never distant from the pulpit, and the sound of the 
 rapid running of her pencil over the page would some- 
 
NOTES OF SERMONS. 113 
 
 times suggest the thought, that what he was uttering 
 was not worthy of being so recorded. 
 
 The Duchess always enjoyed a sermon preached 
 greatly more than a sermon read, of which she also 
 found the notes more hard to take ; and the ministers 
 of her choice, as Mr. Howels in London, and Dr. Eainy 
 and Mr. Williamson at Huntly, prepared their sermons 
 carefully, but did not read them. Yet she could not 
 endure mere talking in the pulpit, or the slovenly 
 discharge of its high and holy work ; and even at the 
 hands of good men, it was a severe deprivation when 
 her spiritual food for the week was spoiled by remiss- 
 ness in preparing it for use. But if the light of the 
 Spirit was absent in the ministry, and the bread of 
 life was not broken, no gifts, however great, were of 
 any account to her; the painted stone was no food 
 for her hunger ; the flickering sparks of mere natural 
 eloquence left to her on]y a dark blot, for what was 
 ever looked to by her waiting eye as the central light 
 in the week. 
 
 For the last quarter of a century, the large stores of 
 her manuscript sermons are chiefly taken from Scotch 
 ministers ; we are therefore the happier in being 
 enabled to present a specimen of her notes from an 
 English divine. Amongst her manuscripts there are 
 between twenty and thirty sermons by Mr. Howels ; 
 the notes are very copious, as they usually were when 
 
 ii 
 
1 1 4 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 she was deeply interested ; but instead of giving a 
 single sermon entire, we have extracted a number of 
 detached sentences from nearly as many sermons. 
 These thoughts, so valuable in themselves, will serve 
 to show the truths that were arresting the mind of the 
 Duchess, and feeding her soul at this period ; and also 
 to indicate her own sentiments, because she would 
 occasionally mark her expression of dissent from par- 
 ticular statements. 
 
 " Professors of the present day want to keep both 
 worlds ; but we must determine to press into the 
 kingdom so earnestly, that the loss of what is dear to 
 us as a right arm may not deter us." 
 
 " Come to the Saviour as you are ; yes, but come 
 to be what you are not. If faith is the fountain, obe- 
 dience will be the stream flowing from it ; delightful 
 filial obedience is always the consequence of justifica- 
 tion through Christ." 
 
 "When God's children under chastisement learn 
 that the rod is in the hand of a tender Father, it 
 becomes endeared to them. God is good in giving, 
 but is better in taking away, for then he leaves him- 
 self in all his goodness. God loves his family as well 
 upon earth as he will do in heaven ; the soldier is as 
 much esteemed in the field as at home." 
 
 " To make sin offensive to the sinner is a mightier 
 work of God than the creation of the world." 
 
NOTES FROM HOWELS' SERMONS. 115 
 
 The defect in the profession of the day is that it 
 makes not God its object ; all finite being is infinitely 
 unworthy of the whole human heart. Spirituality is 
 that virtue which embraces God as the supreme good 
 of creation. Woe to that man or woman who inter- 
 meddles with anything without having intercourse 
 with God." 
 
 " Election is absolutely necessary, even on the sup- 
 position of one sinner being saved. God gives his 
 Son as fully to each one of us as if he had only one 
 child to redeem God only can do this. The whole 
 earth proves that God is merciful." 
 
 (" Thank God unceasingly, and be diligent ; do not 
 rest satisfied : while you work for others, begin with 
 God and end with God, and with yourselves ; but ever 
 be ashamed of yourselves and give God all the glory." 
 
 " The obedience of the Church during the millen- 
 nial period is the obedience of faith, differing only in 
 degree, not in kind, from what it now is. When man 
 is so full of love to God that his cup runneth over, 
 then he will know the millennium/' 
 
 " The humanity of Christ was as free from sin as his 
 deity, else they could not have been united." 
 
 " Heaven cannot contain all the love of God, nor 
 hell all his hatred of sin ; but the covenant contains 
 both in the sacrifice of his Son." 
 
 It is not surprisiDg that the shepherds could not 
 
 
116 GOKDON CASTLE. 
 
 remain silent, but surprised the people by telling the 
 wondrous tale of Bethlehem ; but Mary kept all these 
 things and pondered them in her heart, for her faith 
 could even tame the tongue." 
 
 " The best reasoner who ever spoke disarmed Satan 
 by the word of God, saying, ' Thus it is written/ In 
 Christ we have a speaker, from whose lips flowed the 
 universe in more than its' present beauty, and we will 
 not listen to him. He alone has an ear for music, who 
 has an ear to the will of God." 
 
 " Punishment is not an arbitrary act of Deity ; 
 the law without a penalty would be nothing. If 
 God has not passions, he has principles in the highest 
 degree." 
 
 " Sin must die many deaths : one is famine ; give 
 it nothing contrary to God's word. There is now a 
 general profession of Christianity, but very slight con- 
 viction of sin, which prevents the reception of the 
 truth. We cannot know too much of our weakness 
 and depravity ; the danger is knowing too little. May 
 God convince us of the evil and desert of sin, and 
 hold us in his hand while he does so, that we may not 
 sink under the load of such horror. We cannot see 
 the deformity of sin till we contrast it with the mercy 
 of God, neither can we appreciate the mercy of God 
 till we know in some degree the evil from which we 
 are saved." 
 
NOTES FROM HOWELS' SERMONS. 117 
 
 " All finite beings are destitute of more life than 
 they are possessed of. Everything in Deity is incom- 
 prehensible and must be so for ever; but we shall 
 know much more than we do, especially of the moral 
 perfections of Jehovah." 
 
 " All the beauty of colour proceeds from light. The 
 diamond is the brightest emblem of the child of God ; 
 buried in the depth of its parent earth, when brought 
 forth to the light of day it receives all its beauty and 
 lustre from the sun ; and so does the believer from 
 Christ, the Sun of Righteousness." 
 
 " A preacher has but one voice ; example has ten 
 thousand tongues." 
 
 " It is more to Daniel's honour that he continued 
 in his distress to pray three times a day than if he 
 had prayed four times ; for it showed the efficacy of 
 his prayer, and that he was unmoved : * He that be- 
 lieveth shall not make haste/ A conscience at peace 
 with God gives a man invincible fortitude." 
 
 " Consider the intimate union between Father, Son, 
 and Holy Ghost, closer even than that between the 
 deity and humanity of Christ ; the Son, Father, and 
 Spirit in infinite love and fellowship with each other, 
 and this including the love and fellowship to fallen 
 man. God, Father, Son, and Spirit our delightful 
 theme morning, noon, and night ; the angels also filled 
 with the love of God, bending towards each other, cry, 
 
118 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 1 Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,' to whom be 
 glory, honour, and power, for ever and ever." 
 
 OUTWARD AND INWARD LIFE IN 1833. 
 
 Gordon Castle was visited in 1833, to which our 
 narrative now brings us, by an American gentleman, 
 who portrays the surface of the scene with the pen of 
 a clever and lively writer. In several circumstances, 
 which we omit, his description is inaccurate ; it always 
 tends to exaggeration, and is highly coloured through- 
 out. When most faithful, it is the account of a 
 foreigner detailing nothing that was peculiar to Gor- 
 don Castle, but only what he would have found in 
 the mansions of other noblemen and gentlemen. The 
 Duchess was annoyed with it in various respects, as 
 well as by its publicity ; and, to a friend who playfully 
 inquired for some particular features that had amused 
 her, she replied that she had never seen them. 
 
 But the writer, after travelling through various 
 lands, had been in other noblemen's houses in our 
 own ; and there must have been something extremely 
 fascinating in the one which he designates by the 
 title of a "Castle of Felicity;" and to its attrac- 
 tions the accomplishments, affability, and good 
 sense of the Duchess largely contributed. Some 
 extracts from his glowing pages will serve to show 
 
ITS OUTWARD LIFE. 119 
 
 the allurements through which she was threading the 
 narrow path to life and walking humbly with her 
 God ; while it is not a little instructive, that the ten 
 days which he most sentimentally " set apart in his 
 memory as a bright ellipse in the usual procession of 
 joys and sorrows, a little world walled in from rude- 
 ness and vexation in which he had lived a life," were 
 spent under the roof of a lady who at that very 
 moment was counting all her wealth and rank only 
 loss for the excellency of Jesus Christ. 
 
 " The immense iron gate surmounted by the Gordon 
 arms, the handsome and spacious stone lodges on either 
 side, the canonically fat porter in white stockings and 
 gay livery lifting his hat as he swung open the massive 
 portal, all bespoke the entrance to a noble residence. 
 The road within was edged with velvet sward, and 
 rolled to the smoothness of a terrace walk ; the wind- 
 ing avenue lengthened away before, with trees of every 
 variety of foliage ; light carriages passed me, driven 
 by ladies or gentlemen bound on their afternoon air- 
 ing ; keepers with hounds and terriers, gentlemen on 
 foot idling along the walks, and servants in different 
 liveries hurrying to and fro, betokened a scene of busy 
 gaiety before me. I had hardly noted these various 
 circumstances before a sudden curve in the road brought 
 the castle into view, a vast stone pile with castellated 
 wings ; and in another moment I was at the door, 
 
120 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 where a dozen powdered footmen were waiting on a 
 party of ladies and gentlemen to their several car- 
 riages. I passed the time till the sunset looking out 
 on the Park. Hill and valley lay between my eye 
 and the horizon ; sheep fed in picturesque flocks, and 
 small fallow deer grazed near them ; the trees were 
 planted, and the distant forest shaped by the hand of 
 taste ; and broad and beautiful as was the expanse 
 taken in by the eye, it was evidently one princely 
 possession. A mile from the Castle wall, the shaven 
 sward extended in a carpet of velvet softness as bright 
 as emerald, studded by clumps of shrubbery like 
 flowers wrought elegantly on tapestry, and across it 
 bounded occasionally a hare, and the pheasants fed 
 undisturbed near the thickets. This little world of 
 enjoyment, luxury, and beauty lay in the hand of 
 one man, and was created by his wealth in these 
 northern wilds of Scotland. I never realized so for- 
 cibly the splendid results of wealth and primogeniture. 
 "... I was sitting by the fire when there was a 
 knock at the door, and a tall, white-haired gentleman, 
 of noble physiognomy, but singularly cordial address, 
 entered, with a broad red ribbon across his breast, 
 and welcomed me most heartily to the Castle. . . . 
 The Duchess, a tall and very handsome woman, with 
 a smile of the most winning sweetness, received me at 
 the drawing-room door, and I was presented to every 
 
ITS OUTWARD LIFE. 121 
 
 person present. Dinner was announced immediately, 
 and the difficult question of precedence being sooner 
 settled than I had ever seen it before in so large a 
 party, we passed through files of servants to the 
 dining-room. It was a large and very lofty hall, 
 supported at the end by marble columns. The walls 
 were lined with full-length family pictures, from old 
 knights in armour to the modern dukes in kilt of the 
 Gordon plaid ; and on the sideboard stood services of 
 gold plate, the most gorgeously massive and the most 
 beautiful in workmanship I have ever seen. There 
 were among the vases several large coursing cups, 
 won by the Duke's hounds, of exquisite shape and 
 ornament. . . . The Jacobite songs, with their half- 
 warlike, half-melancholy music, were favourites of the 
 Duchess of Gordon, who sang them in their original 
 Scotch with great enthusiasm and sweetness. 
 
 " The aim of Scotch hospitality seems to be to con- 
 vince you that the house and all that is in it is your 
 own, and you are at liberty to enjoy it as if you were, 
 in the French sense of the French phrase, chez vous. 
 The routine of Gordon Castle was what each one 
 chose to make it. The second afternoon of my arrival 
 I took a seat in the carriage with Lord A., and we 
 followed the Duchess, who drove herself in a pony- 
 chaise, to visit a school in the grounds. There were 
 a hundred and thirty little creatures, from two to 
 
122 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 five or six, and it was an interesting and affecting 
 sight. They went through their evolutions, and 
 answered their questions with an intelligence and 
 cheerfulness that were quite delightful ; and I was 
 sorry to leave them, even for a drive in the loveliest 
 sunset of a lingering day of summer. . . . The 
 number at dinner was seldom less than thirty, but 
 the company was continually varied by departures 
 and arrivals. No sensation was made by either one 
 or the other. A carriage drove to the door, was dis- 
 burdened of its load, drove round to the stables, and 
 the question was seldom asked, ' Who is arrived ? ' 
 You are sure to see at dinner ; and an addition of 
 half a dozen to the party made no perceptible differ- 
 ence in anything." 1 
 
 So the outer picture smiles to the eye of the stranger, 
 and such we find it transferred to his printed page : 
 " A castle of felicity, where the gene of life seemed 
 weeded out, and into which, if unhappiness or ennui 
 found its way, it was introduced in the sufferer's own 
 bosom." But the inner side of the canvas presents a 
 very different scene, when we turn to our manuscript 
 for what was passing meanwhile within the breast of 
 his noble hosts. Duke Alexander had left the estates 
 heavily burdened, and it had been found neces- 
 
 1 Pencilling* by the Way, by H. P. Willis, Esq. Date of the visit not 
 given, but the public events referred to appear to make it 1833. 
 
ITS INWARD LIFE. 123 
 
 saiy to place them under trust, for the sale of large 
 portions in order to relieve the rest, and for confining 
 the yearly expenditure to a limited portion of the entire 
 income. Before the Duke's death these measures were 
 becoming effectual to allow him a free use of his 
 revenues, but meanwhile there was a fixed sum al- 
 lotted by the trustees for the expenses of his establish- 
 ment. This included all that befitted his ducal rank ; 
 but the allowance for charities would scarcely be on 
 a generous scale, and would not include extraordinary 
 efforts that demanded a large amount. The Duchess, 
 who was always anxious for infant-schools, was now 
 also set on building and endowing a chapel in con- 
 nexion with the Church of England, that both she 
 and the people might enjoy the pure preaching of 
 the gospel, which she could not find in the neigh- 
 bourhood. The Duke entered cordially into her 
 views, and having an ample allowance for horses, 
 proposed of his own accord to sell some of these 
 to assist. 
 
 Meanwhile the state of his feelings is described in 
 the following letter, written to a friend in the south, 
 and evidently referring to a grant of 300, which 
 the Duchess mentions as having been made by the 
 Trustees to assist in the erection of the school. The 
 letter is highly honourable to the feelings of the Duke, 
 and although it is dated about ten months earlier than 
 
124 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 the visit of the American traveller, there had been no 
 alteration of circumstances in the interval : 
 
 " Gordon Castle, November \0th, 1832. 
 
 "My dear Sir, I really cannot express how 
 much I feel obliged by your ready attention to my 
 request, for I certainly was most anxious to do what 
 I knew would be agreeable to the Duchess, the more 
 so as it was in a good and useful cause, and there 
 is no saying but the schoolroom may rise up to be 
 a small chapel. Had I the means, the work would be 
 accomplished, but there never was in my life the 
 power of doing so little. . . . My situation vexes me, 
 but I bear up as well as I can ; for did my excellent 
 wife know my feelings she would be miserable. You, 
 who know the world well, may easily believe that it 
 annoys one with a generous heart not to be able to 
 meet the constant applications made to me. You 
 will excuse this long story, for I am convinced you 
 take a warm and friendly interest in everything con- 
 cerning me. Believe me, my dear Sir, yours very 
 sincerely, Gordon." 
 
 A greater contrast cannot well be conceived than 
 between the stranger's surface picture and the Duke's 
 confidential account of his own feelings. The tourist's 
 memorandum made in Gordon Castle : " A season 
 of unalloyed happiness, a bright ellipse in the usual 
 
ITS INWARD LIFE. 125 
 
 procession of joys and sorrows; no unhappiness find- 
 ing its way into the Castle, but w T hat was introduced 
 in the sufferer's own bosom." The Duke of Gordon's 
 private record : " My situation vexes me, but I bear 
 up as well as I can ; for did my excellent wife know 
 my feelings she would be miserable." 
 
 Let us now turn to the " excellent w T ife," from 
 whom her husband was so careful to conceal his 
 own sorrow lest it should burden her, " the tall 
 and very handsome Duchess with her smile of most 
 winning sweetness," the bright centre of the charm- 
 ing circle. The travellers eye is attracted by the 
 splendid sideboard laden with services of gold plate, 
 the most gorgeously massive, and the most beautiful 
 in workmanship he had ever seen, and vases of 
 exquisite shape and ornament. The eye of the 
 Duchess rests upon it also ; not thinking however 
 on the golden vases that now glitter there, but on 
 one, doubtless the finest of them all for it cost 
 1200, which she has left in London to be sold for 
 the chapel, and wondering if it has yet found a 
 purchaser. 
 
 The traveller came down to breakfast, and found 
 the guests already seated round the table. But there 
 had been long before this time a room fitted up in 
 the Castle expressly as a little chapel for morning 
 family prayers. Hence the voice of psalms had 
 
126 GOEDON CASTLE. 
 
 already risen, aided by the tones of an organ ; which 
 the Duchess had introduced for the special purpose of 
 playing and singing hymns on the Sabbath evenings, 
 and so rendering them profitable to the mixed society 
 with which the house was often filled. The Duke 
 was always present at these morning devotions ; and 
 about this time had begun occasionally to conduct 
 them himself,, when called upon by the absence of 
 the chaplain and the Duchess. The family had thus 
 assembled elsewhere half an hour earlier than their 
 guest found them in the dining-room : and while he 
 was enjoying and noting the fascinating ease of the 
 breakfast-table, the Duchess had already written, " I 
 get but little time to myself ; but not being so lazy as 
 I used to be, find from 8| to 10 the most profitable 
 hours of the day." 
 
 He describes her infant-school as very delightful, 
 part of an entire scene of life of which the Duchess 
 was the sunny centre ; but at a somewhat earlier 
 period, the pen of the noble hostess in his paradise of 
 " unalloyed happiness" wrote other thoughts in these 
 simple terms : " I have got a little infant-school, but 
 am wofully alone here." Even the "phaeton and 
 four," and the " beautiful blood-horses prancing along" 
 which so charmed the stranger s eye, were not without 
 the "gene" that seemed to him so thoroughly "weeded 
 out." The Duke left her Grace four Flemish mares, 
 
ITS INWARD LIFE. 127 
 
 which she drove for some years after his death till 
 they were unfit for work. They were very hand- 
 some creatures, excelled in speed of pace as well as 
 symmetry of form, and were great favourites with the 
 Duchess for his sake. But about this time the glossy 
 beauty of their jet-black coats sometimes rendered 
 them useless when their services were most needed ; 
 for we find her writing in London to one of her 
 intimate friends, "I could send for you on Tuesday 
 evening, but my own mares are rather delicate, and 
 appear to me rather useless, since there is such a fuss 
 made about their coats, that I dare not promise to 
 send them if it rains." 
 
 But, a few months later in the year than the tra- 
 veller's rose-coloured autumn, we find the contrast 
 between the seeming and the real marked in all its 
 breadth in the following winter scene at the Castle. 
 It is the Sabbath evening, the eve also of the coming 
 year, and the ducal party in the dining-room are not 
 to separate till the old year has given place to the 
 new. For the Duchess, there is not one there that 
 night like-minded with herself, and the kindness of 
 the Duke cannot reach the inner sympathies of her 
 soul. Hour passes on after hour, chattily, gaily, 
 quickly with all the rest, but for her dragging slowly 
 over a crushed and weary spirit. Not a word is 
 uttered fit either for the sacredness of the Sabbath 
 
128 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 or the solemnity of the dying year, while she has not 
 power either to quiet the babbling of the ceaseless 
 talk, or to cast any seasoning salt into its insipid froth. 
 At last the iron pierces her soul ; she can endure it 
 no more, and rising suddenly she rushes into her own 
 room to weep the tears she can no longer restrain. 
 The fair world so " walled in from vexation/' had 
 brought to her nothing but a rankling sting, because 
 the Lord was not in it all ; but sitting alone by the 
 fire with her face buried in her hands, she finds sup- 
 port and . relief in Him who receives the heavy laden 
 into his bosom for rest. " Here I heard these words, 
 as if a voice had spoken them audibly to myself: 
 ' Will he plead against me with his great power ? No, 
 but he will put strength in me/ " 
 
 One extract more, from a letter at the commence- 
 ment of this year, will conclude the section, with an 
 outpouring of heart which cannot fail to touch the 
 hearts of others. Many who earn their bread by the 
 sweat of their brow plead their occupation in this life, 
 as an excuse for not labouring for the life everlasting. 
 But there is a wonderful balancing of opportunity in 
 all positions ; and almost every letter of the Duchess 
 during the Duke's life complains of excessive distrac- 
 tion, and is full of longing for time and quiet. Yet 
 in the midst of every allurement that the world could 
 offer, and in the throng of an unceasing bustle, though 
 
ITS INWARD LIFE. 129 
 
 so quietly conducted as to look to the stranger like a 
 perpetual calm, the longings of her heart are ever 
 toward the Lord, and the remembrance of his holi- 
 ness : 
 
 " Seven days of this year are passed over my head, 
 and I have not yet written to my dearest frieud. Your 
 complaints, my Helen, are mine, especially that hard- 
 ness of heart and insensibility both to the love and 
 commands of God ; and oh, how much greater is my 
 sin than yours ; for I fear the evil with me is not only 
 apparent to myself but to others, for I am evidently 
 less disagreeable to worldly people and feel them less 
 so to me. Sometimes I think it is because, knowing 
 my own sin better, I am more indulgent ; but then 
 I should be more zealous to warn and carry on the 
 gospel message. I am quite worn out in mind by the 
 constant succession of company we have had, and to 
 how few, if any, have I been faithful as I ought ! 
 Oh! my dearest Helen, I cannot see how I can do 
 otherwise than I have done ; I cannot see how to 
 redeem the time, and yet my health is good. I can 
 only cry, Woe is me, unprofitable ! and we have 
 mounted another step of the ladder towards eternity. 
 One thing is clearer every day, this is not our rest : 
 '0 that I had wings like a dove!' Jane left us on 
 the third ; we have not been as much together as we 
 might have been, but then I have so little time to 
 
 I 
 
130 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 myself that I cannot give a part of that little every 
 day even for Christian communion. You know it is 
 a relief to me to pour out my heart to you ; and is not 
 this permitted, is it not indeed one of the greatest 
 comforts which the Giver of all good has bestowed V 
 
 PROPHECY EDWARD IRVING BOOKS HOUSEHOLD. 
 
 As in most other questions of the day, so with the 
 subject of prophecy, then so largely discussed, the 
 Duchess made herself well acquainted ; meeting also 
 with many of its ardent, if not excited students. 
 During these years she sought for a time to interest 
 some of her visitors at Gordon Castle in the subject 
 of religion, by presenting one of its more attractive 
 aspects in the shape of books on prophecy to engage 
 the intellect and the imagination. The bait was suc- 
 cessful in some cases, and eagerly swallowed : but she 
 was by and by mortified to find that it concealed no 
 barbed hook beneath, and that the soul, though allured, 
 was not taken and brought safe to the shore. "I 
 saw," she said, " that people would take the crown 
 without coming to the cross, and that cannot be." 
 She therefore gave over the expedient for other more 
 reliable efforts. This subject is referred to in the fol- 
 lowing letter of this year (1833) : "Have you heard 
 of Captain Gambier fasting nine days, and walking 
 
PROPHECY. 131 
 
 twenty-five miles at the end of the time without 
 fatigue? The Duchess of Beaufort is a good deal 
 troubled about it. I do not feel so, perhaps from the 
 deadness that overwhelms me almost, but I think 
 rather from the conviction that believers have nothing 
 to do with miracles, as all that is necessary is in the 
 Bible. We need no further proof. I don't know 
 what this was intended to prove ; for if it be a proof 
 of ' the redemption of the body/ which is said to be 
 w T hat he sought, why did our blessed Lord eat after 
 his resurrection? Captain G. has given everything 
 he possessed in charity, except 7s. a week, which he 
 shares with the Jew (Mr. Simons), with whom he 
 lives ; and he has reduced himself to the poorest fare 
 in ordinary. How sorry I am for dear old Mr. Tait ; 
 I cannot understand it ; it seems to me some positive 
 disbelief of the Word, which teaches us to expect no 
 other manifestation. This is what old Bridge told me 
 long ago, but I feel it now. 
 
 "I had a most delightful letter from Lady Dal- 
 housie, with an account of Lord Kamsay's death. But 
 the greatest triumph of faith I have ever read of in 
 our day was the death of Mrs. Boswell; she really 
 went forward as seeing Him who is, and those things 
 which are invisible. 
 
 " I sent Lady Grace's Boston's Christian's Walk by 
 Mr. Gordon ; I am very much obliged by it ; it ought 
 
132 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 to be reprinted. Lady Denbigh is going to reprint 
 some sermons of Boston ; she is very fond of him. I 
 have a folio volume of his works belonging to her ; I 
 am reading ' On the Covenant when I can find a quiet 
 half hour. Is it not to be found in a smaller shape ? 
 I think I should quite agree with you now in all 
 points of doctrine ; not sure, however, about prophecy. 
 You were beginning to study it, and I have quite left 
 off, being satisfied that my former view of the per- 
 sonal reign was inconsistent with the holiness of that 
 glorious God in Christ Jesus, who shall appear the 
 second time without sin unto salvation. But this is 
 not doctrine, for we both love and wait for his 
 appearing ; and oh, what comfort is there in those 
 words of Paul, ' of whom I am chief/ when he spake 
 of the fulness of salvation through the crucified and 
 glorified Bedeemer and Mediator. I do need your 
 prayers, and may the Spirit of grace and truth be to 
 us effectually the Comforter promised to lead us into 
 all truth, and to keep us from the evil that is in the 
 world." 
 
 The fanatic feat of Captain Gambier leads us to a 
 portion of another letter, referring to the views of the 
 lamented Edward Irving, so richly endowed with 
 many gifts, but so sadly misled by his wayward fancy 
 in his latter days. " Mandeville pointed out a very 
 strong thing to me in consequence of the expressions 
 
EDWARD IRVING. 133 
 
 used by those who speak in c tongues/ and of Irving 
 himself; see 1 Cor. xii. 3. Is not everything 'sinful' 
 accursed ? It is most painfully satisfactory to have 
 the matter made so plain. Have you heard that Mr. 
 Percival, Irving, some other man, and one of the 
 gifted sisters, believe that they have raised a child of 
 Mr. P.'s, who had been in a state of lethargy for 
 fourteen days ? I can believe it without being much 
 impressed, when I have heard of a lady that believes 
 in these views who sent for Mr. Blunt's curate to pray 
 with her, and declined his ministration because he 
 refused to pray unconditionally, that is, in subjection 
 to the divine will. She said she knew that it would 
 be for the glory of God that she should recover, and 
 therefore he must pray for her recovery uncondition- 
 ally. Can there be any doubt that answers to such 
 prayers would be in anger? It is very awful." 
 
 The secret of her being kept through so long a life 
 in the narrow path of doctrinal truth, as well as prac- 
 tical holiness, is found in the sentiments expressed at 
 this time to another friend : " We must, indeed, in 
 these times, most earnestly pray to be kept by His 
 mighty power, that we may discern truth from error, 
 devotion from enthusiasm, and caution from coldness ; 
 for oh how cold, how dead are some, how ready to be 
 cautious, instead of being truly so through the Spirit 
 of love and of power and of a sound mind, and the 
 
134 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 wisdom which is from above, promised to those who 
 ask it. When we pray to be kept from error, let it be 
 from what God knows to be error, not always what 
 we think so, and this will keep us from prejudice. 
 I did not intend this when I began, but I have told 
 you what I need, and therefore I desire for you what 
 I do for myself." 
 
 In several of these letters there is reference to books 
 that she had been reading, and there are few subjects 
 more frequently referred to in all her letters. With 
 the Duke's confidential agent, William Paul, Esq., the 
 Duchess had much correspondence, not as the Duke's 
 amanuensis, but writing for him in her own rapid 
 manner, yet with a precision and clearness which a 
 man of business might envy. The entire spirit in 
 which the letters are written is admirable : "I, con- 
 fess it grieves me to think of these poor children in 
 Bencroy, and that quarter, more than of any other 
 particular respecting the sales of Lochaber. Can 
 nothing be done for them ? I know you will let me 
 know when you hear." 
 
 While the business of the letters is conducted in 
 such a tone, there is also a frequent allusion to the 
 nobler subjects that were nearest her own heart. After 
 giving instruction or asking advice on the sale of large 
 portions of the vast Gordon estates, and the entailing 
 of others, she will add a postscript of a very different 
 
BOOKS. 135 
 
 tenor. The following is one of these additions to a 
 letter of pure business : " I continue reading Boston 
 on the Covenant, and I do most strongly recommend 
 it for perusal when you have time, as the book of all 
 others which shows the fitness with which the difficult 
 doctrines of the gospel mystery are all brought together 
 for the salvation of the redeemed. I would, however, 
 recommend to those who do not like to dwell on the 
 doctrine of election, to read the head which treats of 
 the administration of the covenant in that part which 
 is open to the world, before they study the deeper 
 mysteries. I wish the Glasgow reprinters would give 
 us this most valuable work" A month later she 
 writes again from London : " There is so much diffi- 
 culty in London in procuring a copy of Boston on the 
 Covenant, that I am induced to ask you if you could 
 get me one, however old, as the object is to get it 
 reprinted. I do think it most valuable and useful. I 
 find the loss of my old friend Mr. Howels a sad 
 blank." 
 
 In her later days she looked back with interest and 
 profit to the views of " the everlasting covenant, well- 
 ordered in all things and sure," which she received at 
 this time from Boston and similar writers. Owen and 
 Durham were also favourite authors ; but perhaps the 
 one to whom she referred oftenest, was " her old friend 
 Bridge" of Yarmouth, in whose works, full of "the 
 
136 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 great things faith can do, and the great things faith 
 can suffer," she found much good for her soul. Amongst 
 later writers, she took great delight in O'Brien's Ser- 
 mons on Justification by Faith, his well-weighed views 
 commending themselves to her clear judgment. The 
 following notes are to different friends : " I know 
 Newton's works very well. Did you ever see his ob- 
 servations on the Oratorio of ' The Messiah V I have 
 been much pleased lately with Brougham's Sermons 
 (an Irish clergyman), a small volume, and short, but 
 very full and strong ; truths most plainly stated in 
 beautiful language. Have you ever seen Christ our 
 Example by Caroline Fry ? It is one of the most 
 useful modern books I have read, and so practical." 
 
 The following letters of the same year will help to 
 show both her diligent examination of doctrine and 
 her earnest striving after holiness : " I have had but 
 little of religious society this year, but that has been 
 sweet, and on the whole I think the season has given 
 many practical lessons, from which I hope to profit. 
 I have much to be thankful for. My dear husband 
 has not been well sometimes, but every now and then 
 there is such a bright gleam of sunshine to nourish 
 hope, that the idea of sickness and sorrow flees away. 
 I was a day and a half with Lady Olivia ; Mr. Dods- 
 worth there. It was very pleasant, and we had none 
 of that sort of unprofitable disquisition which I have 
 
DOCTRINE. 137 
 
 too often met with. Perhaps her having the house 
 full of young people made the subjects discussed more 
 simple, and that suits me best : the sincere milk of 
 the Word that we may grow thereby. I have thought 
 much of that promise, ' If ye do his will ye shall 
 know of the doctrine whether it be of God/ 
 
 " There was a young clergyman at Brampton, who 
 was as decided against the doctrine of general redemp- 
 tion as Mr. D. is for it. They said little in public about 
 it to each other, and every word that passed was 
 truly Christian ; but each spoke to me separately, and 
 I own I find myself completely convinced that Mr. D/fl 
 view is unsatisfactory and almost contradictory. So 
 that I do think we are quite of one mind as to doctrine, 
 and also I am sure in desiring for ourselves and each 
 other more love, more zeal, more light and life and 
 strength, to do all to the glory of God. May the grace 
 of God abound in you richly with love and knowledge." 
 
 " I must tell you how much I have been delighted 
 with an exposition of Phil. iii. from the 3d verse. St. 
 Paul proves that the Christian can have no confidence 
 in the flesh, that all the righteousness wherewith to 
 appear before God must be in Christ, and that even 
 walking according to the law blameless he counts but 
 as dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus 
 Christ our Lord ; yet his object here is, c if by any 
 means he might attain unto the resurrection of the 
 
138 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 dead/ What then is this ? The verses which follow 
 show that it cannot allude to that which is to come at 
 the great day. It means therefore that all things are 
 possible to him that believeth ; that he who is in Christ 
 can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth 
 him, and therefore that we must press forward toward 
 the mark for the prize of our high calling in Christ 
 Jesus, if so by any means we may attain to that 
 likeness unto him here which we shall bear when we 
 shall see him as he is. Even now we may, by looking 
 unto Jesus, be changed more and more into the same 
 image as by the Spirit of the Lord. 
 
 " I have really more to do than I can accomplish, 
 which has too often this year ended in my doing 
 almost nothing at all that can be called doing. 
 that we could have, as a dear friend of mine expresses 
 it, Mary's head and Martha's hand, never cumbered 
 about many things, never slothful, but always doing 
 right things at right times, and all to the glory of God, 
 looking up, pressing forward, and waiting patiently, 
 redeeming the time." 
 
 The subject of doing good to others directly was 
 one of great difficulty with the Duchess to the end of 
 her life. There was no complaint oftener on her lips 
 than that " she was of no use, she did good to no- 
 body ;" with a special reference to her sense of inapti- 
 tude for speaking directly to others on the subject of 
 
ON FAITHFUL DEALING. 139 
 
 religion. With those who were like-minded with 
 herself she had no difficulty whatever, but delighted 
 in their fellowship, and took her full part in the 
 conversation. Nor did she ever rest satisfied without 
 more aggressive effort for souls ; and while she was 
 still Marchioness of Huntly, one of her earliest friends 
 was led to Christ through her faithful conversation. 
 But she ever remembered that she was a woman, and 
 exercised great wisdom in all her walk, and could not 
 bear its being thought that she presumed upon her 
 rank to press her sentiments on others. The follow- 
 ing letter is in reply to one from Miss Home, who 
 had evidently urged her to personal dealing with her 
 servants : 
 
 " Gordon Castle, July 27. 
 
 " You do not know how much good your letters do 
 me, my beloved Helen; we do need in this world 
 to help one another. St. Paul, who had been thrice 
 told by the Lord, f My grace is sufficient for thee/ 
 yet complained mournfully of the absence of his 
 fellow- labourers. True it is, I am not called to 
 labour like St. Paul, but "Wisdom hath said, 'It is 
 not good for man to be alone/ And I am not alone 
 in one sense ; there are, blessed be God, some Chris- 
 tians amongst us ; bat they are not such (except 
 Wilson, who is just now much engaged, having two 
 houses on his hands and a gate to watch alone, 
 
140 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 besides liis usual avocations, so that I have only 
 seen him once for a conversation) as would speak a 
 word in season. 
 
 " My bustle is so different from yours, that nothing 
 but the fortnight's quiet we had on our first arrival 
 could have shown me what it is. But, dearest, I 
 grieve to say I do not feel as you do about my inter- 
 ruptions; I grieve because I am too ready to yield 
 to them, too ready to let that pass as an excuse 
 which on reflection seems a very bad one ; too ready 
 to say in my heart, l The Lord requires it not/ 
 when he hath commanded us to do whatsoever our 
 hand findeth to do with all our might. I should 
 prefer, it is true, to sit down quietly to read or 
 make extracts according to my own taste; but I 
 feel, even when a headache or some other excuse 
 makes writing or business unpleasant, it is not doing 
 what I ought to do, because the others are things 
 that ought to be done. If my heart were right, 
 full of love and truth, I think I should have time 
 for all and no bustle. It is that speaking, of which 
 you complain, which is often my bane. 
 
 " Alas ! I cannot answer your questions as I should 
 wish about my household, altogether, at least. I 
 think my housekeeper well disposed, anxious to do 
 right, and without prejudice, though very ignorant 
 of the truth. She is a bustling little woman, and 
 
HOUSEHOLD. 141 
 
 seems to know her worldly business. The Duke's 
 servant I have many opportunities of speaking to. 
 He is much prejudiced, and a strange Irishman ; but 
 extremely attached to the Duke, and attentive to 
 him, and honest, I do think, in every sense of the 
 word, for even in his prejudice he means to be 
 honest. The butler is very attentive indeed at 
 family prayers, a quiet unobtrusive creature, and 
 very stupid in many things. Mr. Dewar sees him 
 often when we are away ; I have never spoken to 
 him directly, but have given him books and tracts. 
 
 " But, dearest Helen, you do not know the diffi- 
 culty I have in speaking to any one who does not 
 meet me half way. I think if I could see my way 
 clearly, I might get over this painful shyness, which 
 I know would then be want of faith. But I cannot 
 see that, situated as I am, it is my duty ; and more- 
 over, 1 fancy I have not the talent, and it is not one 
 which I have to account for; for I have so often 
 clone more harm than good, even when I have prayed 
 to be directed ; indeed, I trust I have not often had 
 to speak without that prayer. Again, in family 
 prayer, and in a simple word without more than the 
 general desire for the glory of God, I have been 
 greatly blessed in more instances than one. So I 
 trust that, continuing earnestly to pray for that 
 mind which was in Christ Jesus, for living faith and 
 
142 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 the power of the Spirit, I may in time be fitted for 
 a more active station in my Masters service : 'for 
 he that is greatest among you let him minister/ 
 
 " We have got a most excellent coachman in the 
 place of poor B. (who had died of apoplexy on the 
 coach-box). He was one I had some opportunities 
 of speaking to, who discouraged me the most ; it 
 was very awful ! Dixon comes to prayers regularly, 
 and was never known to swear. I have not had 
 anything like an opportunity (to my mind) of 
 speaking to him yet ; but I daresay, dearest, you 
 would have found one. Oh ! I do pray for more 
 zeal for souls, more true sense of their infinite value ; 
 for I think if I felt it as / see it, I should do more. 
 Oh that we may both be filled with that love 
 which filleth him in whom dwelleth all the fulness 
 of the Godhead bodily ; may we in every dispensa- 
 tion be enabled to feel that He is love. Yet I would 
 pray, my beloved Helen, that your prayers may be 
 heard, and that you may unite your voice in this 
 world, with those of your dear brother and sister, in 
 praise and thanksgiving ; and that it may not still be 
 the ear of faith alone which heareth those praises in 
 a beloved voice, which shall be poured forth through- 
 out eternity. I have not ceased to read the chapter 
 with you daily. May we learn obedience through the 
 sufferings of our great High Priest, and be enabled 
 
LETTERS. 143 
 
 by his spirit to discern good and evil. A Dieu. 
 
 Yours most affectionately, 
 
 " E. Gordon." 
 
 LETTERS CAPTAIN J. E. GORDON JEWEL-STONES IN 
 CHAPEL WALLS. 
 
 In reading these letters, it is to be borne in mind 
 that they are all written with a very swift pen ; not 
 thoughtlessly, yet in the free and rapid outpouring of 
 the thoughts without premeditation, and in the midst 
 of interruptions. The most earnest parts of them are 
 often broken with a parenthesis like this : " Lord 
 Arbuthnot waits," which we have omitted as inter- 
 fering with the sense ; and to several of her corre- 
 spondents she speaks of the letter she is writing as 
 the ninth she had written that morning. At Gordon 
 Castle she mentions six or seven letters daily as 
 part of her occupations ; but after the abolition of 
 franks and the introduction of the penny postage 
 had abridged all correspondence, the number was 
 sometimes doubled. There is never an attempt at 
 elaborate writing ; and more than once she closes 
 abruptly with such a remark as this, " But I think 
 I have said this well, and it is therefore time for 
 me to stop." The letters dated from London are 
 briefer than those at Gordon Castle, yet full of the 
 same spirit. 
 
144 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 " Carlton Terrace, March 1833. 
 
 " My dearest Helen, ... My friend had a most 
 providential escape on her return from Windsor. The 
 axle-tree of her carriage broke, her maid and two little 
 girls were thrown out over her, and two men on the 
 box, the carriage falling flat on its side ; not one 
 hurt. It is singular that her pencil-case in her pocket 
 was bent, yet she not bruised. I feel very much for 
 this dear friend and her family. Their situation is a 
 slippery one, but by grace she sees her danger in some 
 respects ; yet she likewise sees her place to be there ; 
 and many things which she could not avoid without 
 an 6cldt, she thinks will have no bad effect if taken as 
 matters of course. She was much pleased with the 
 last visit to Windsor, inasmuch as, being a juvenile 
 party, she was the only one of her Majesty's friends 
 there, and therefore she had more quiet and serious 
 conversation with her. 
 
 " Oh, how thankful ought I to be that I am kept 
 out of the way of those who talk much without prac- 
 tice ! I am thankful that I have been very quiet ; 
 have only dined out once since I came, a family- 
 dinner at Lady Cornwallis's. I am never asked (I 
 don't mean I have no invitations) to go out of an 
 evening. The Duke does not object to my going to 
 Mr. Evans's. Did I tell you he read prayers to the 
 
LETTERS. 145 
 
 servants without my asking him, the morning I was 
 too ill to get up ?" 
 
 " 1st May. If I could have time to write without 
 interruption I could now do so with much more com- 
 fort than when I last addressed you, for I was then 
 almost in despair at my utter helplessness even to ask 
 for strength. Mine was much of physical as well as 
 moral debility. The former, I am thankful to say, is 
 greatly relieved ; and the latter, though seen (and felt) 
 even more strongly, is seen in something of the light 
 of the Sun of Eighteousness, who has arisen with 
 healing under his wings. I think I may seek for 
 strength to bear these interruptions, rather than to 
 have them removed. Indeed, all along this has been 
 clearly my duty, but my heart has been very impa- 
 tient under it ; but it may be a means of helping 
 the attainment of one great desire of my soul. I am 
 now hardly ever alone, and as seldom have anything 
 that interests me, though now and then there are 
 precious morsels to cheer and encourage. Have you 
 read Miss Graham's Memoirs ? I have only looked at 
 them, but am told that though Mr. Bridges is disap- 
 pointing, Miss G/s own is most excellent and useful. 
 Tell me if I can do anything for you here. I think 
 we mutually do the best thing we can for each other 
 pray ; and I am most thankful I can again feel that I 
 do pray. Oh for a quickening Spirit of grace and love." 
 
 . K 
 
146 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 Toward the close of this year the letters from Gor- 
 don Castle have frequent reference to a meeting for 
 religious objects, held apparently in the adjoining- 
 town of Fochabers. " I have unspeakable reason to 
 be thankful for the manner in which the truth seems 
 steadily progressing in this country, or rather corner ; 
 and in which I have been upheld and kept in my 
 difficulties, which seem to force me closer to the only 
 source of strength, or comfort, or peace, or hope. He 
 hath promised and he will perform : ' As thy day is so 
 shall thy strength be ; in thy weakness my strength 
 shall be found/ I have very great reason to be thank- 
 ful for much that is doing here. Our little meeting 
 is to take place, D. V., on Tuesday next, when I trust 
 some progress will be reported. Mr. S. Mackenzie of 
 Seaforth, I hear, is to attend the meeting ; Lord Sal- 
 toun is going on purpose. How many kind friends 
 we have ! Lord Gray, too, offered to go." And again : 
 "Mr. Stewart Mackenzie and J. E. Gordon did 
 wonders at our little meeting yesterday." 
 
 James Edward was Captain Gordon, then M.P. for 
 Dundalk ; he was noted for his zealous efforts against 
 Popery; and, though really of a thoughtful and tender 
 spirit, was apt to be looked upon by strangers chiefly 
 as a Protestant champion. He was a man of sterling 
 Christian principle, undaunted courage, and great 
 logical powers ; and set himself so assiduously to his 
 
CAPTAIN J. E. GORDON. 14? 
 
 one great subject of the antichristian character and 
 stealthy encroachments of Popery, that he was irresis- 
 tible in argument, till shattered health compelled him 
 to retire from public life. He was a religious friend 
 of the Duchess before her own sentiments had become 
 so decided, and the Duchess cherished his friendship 
 to the end, and called upon him very frequently 
 during the last winter she was in London. The strong 
 man of a quarter of a century before was sadly altered 
 now, and tottered most feebly under sickness and age ; 
 but his intellect was clear, his memory fresh, and his 
 spiritual affections lively. To those who knew him 
 before, it was intensely interesting to mark how the 
 soul of the keen and sometimes fiery disputant had 
 become like a weaned child, and the root of grace had 
 so grown as quite to overshadow all besides. He was 
 longing for a sense of the Lord's presence, like those 
 who watch for the morning, yet giving thanks for 
 "glimpses of sunshine" in his heart. All the severity 
 of earlier years was gone, and the fruit of the Spirit 
 in him was singularly ripe and sweet : " bringing forth 
 fruit in old age, to show that the Lord is upright." 
 When so many blossoms go up like dust, such a case 
 confirms faith, brightens hope, and kindles love. He 
 soon followed the Duchess to the better country. 
 
 Another event of the year still remains, in the 
 pecuniary sacrifices which the Duchess now began to 
 
148 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 make in the Lord's service ; we say began, not refer- 
 ring to the past on which we have no evidence, but to 
 her future course, in which a most liberal giving be- 
 came a continual habit. Sacrifice of her own will and 
 her natural feelings she had made from the outset of 
 her Christian course ; and every other sacrifice followed, 
 not always easily yet ever successfully, as the call and 
 the trial came. As already stated, her heart was set 
 both on the education of the children and the spiritual 
 good of the parents in the neighbourhood of Gordon 
 Castle, and on the erection of a school and a chapel 
 for these great objects. But one of her own letters 
 will best show how this good design was effected; 
 and that, like every other work of love, it became the 
 fruitful seed-corn of similar good works ; the Duchess 
 of Gordon's gold vase, destined for a chapel in Moray- 
 shire, leading to the consecration of the Duchess of 
 Beaufort's diamond ear-rings for a chapel in Wales : 
 
 " Gordon Castle, July 6th, 1833. 
 
 " I have had so many letters to write less agreeable 
 to me than it is to address my very dear Helen, that 
 more than a week has elapsed since we came home, 
 without my having done what I so much wished, 
 because I always long for the letter in return. I wrote 
 to Mrs. Macpherson yesterday, but was prevented 
 doing more according to my mind ; and now I have 
 
REV. ME. DEWAR. 149 
 
 been talking of business first with WagstafF, and since 
 with the housekeeper who is about to leave me, till 
 my head is bothered. For both their subjects are 
 interesting ; the former about our chapel and school, 
 wdiich led on to the objects of them ; the latter about 
 all the poor bodies, and the ways and means of being 
 of use, and of setting the new housekeeper to the 
 same work. She seems likely to give me more trouble 
 than Mrs. Delbuge, but that is good for me. She has 
 not, I should think, either the education or decision 
 of character of Mrs. D., who certainly was the model 
 of housekeeper to a house of this kind, and is, I do 
 hope and trust, a Christian. 
 
 " I think our good Mr. Dewar has been of much use 
 there. He, I am sorry to say, is very far from well ; 
 but he is such a good man, truly a Nathanael, and it 
 is what everybody calls him. It sometimes surprises 
 me that he should be so universal a favourite, but I 
 know the loving-kindness of our God. There are so 
 few here to fight for him that he, the Captain of our 
 salvation who can soothe even his enemies, will cause 
 them to be at peace with him and restrain the oppo- 
 sition, so that it should not be too much for that 
 tender frame and tender heart. 
 
 " I was interrupted by a visit from friends, and 
 went on with Mr. Dewar instead of the new house- 
 keeper. She is, I think, one of those voices which 
 
150 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 our Lord hath sent me, to cry, 'Awake thou that 
 sleepest !' Oh how I have slept ; how awfully de- 
 ficient in diligence ; how much lost time ! Maria gave 
 me one lesson : Blessed be the promise which follows 
 the call, * Christ shall give you life! It is all his 
 work, but I have not had, because I have not asked 
 aright. Prayer, as well as walking, has been without 
 diligence. It is this life I want most of all ; and shall 
 the temple of the Holy Ghost be deserted ? Shall that 
 not contain a living spirit, which is destined for the 
 Spirit of Life ? It is want of faith to think so. It is 
 want of faith which makes us strive (but oh what poor 
 striving !) to do that for ourselves which Christ hath 
 promised to do in us ; and we waste time in seeking 
 to acquire power, instead of using that power in faith 
 that we have it in Christ. In him are not all things 
 ours ? More faith would make the way so much more 
 plain ; and how often do we find, if we do what we 
 can in faith, God will do more than we could either 
 ask or think even here. It is in temporal things, as in 
 spiritual doctrine, ' If ye do the will of God, ye shall 
 know the doctrine whether it be of him/ 
 
 " I think I told you about my wish to have an 
 Episcopal Chapel here (together with an infant school- 
 house), as the most apparent way of opposing the 
 increase of Popery, if we can procure a gospel minister, 
 which I look in faith that God will provide. I took 
 
GOLD VASE SET APART TO THE LORD. 151 
 
 up to London a gold vase that cost about 1200, in 
 hopes of selling it, but could not find a purchaser even 
 at half price, and I do not like a raffle. I have still 
 left it to be disposed of; but in the meantime the 
 chapel was begun with 300 from the trustees for 
 the school, and 100 of Mrs. Drummond's, which she 
 would subscribe. I could not leave it unfinished, and 
 see how Christians help one another. The Duchess of 
 Beaufort, hearing of my vase, thought of her diamond 
 ear-rings, which she got me to dispose of for a chapel 
 in Wales, and her diamonds made me think of my 
 jewels ; and as the Duke has always been most 
 anxious for the chapel, he agreed with me that stones 
 were much prettier in a chapel wall than round one's 
 neck, and so he allowed me to sell 600's worth, or 
 rather what brought that, for they cost more than 
 double. The chapel is going on nicely, and I have 
 still enough jewels left to help to endow it, if no other 
 way should open. I do think I may with confidence 
 hope for a blessing on this. It is no sacrifice to me 
 whatever, except as it is one to the Duke, who is very 
 fond of seeing me fine, and was brought up to think 
 it right. 
 
 " This is not at all the letter I wanted to write to 
 you, but then I like you to know all I am about. I 
 could say much more, but the interruptions I am now 
 expecting prevent me, and this is a thing I cannot 
 
152 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 pray to get rid of. I find it one of the greatest draw- 
 backs to redeeming the time j and as the interrup- 
 tions must needs be in my situation, why should I 
 not believe that God can so dispose my mind that I 
 should seize every moment to devote to him, or to 
 meditating on his word, his law, and above all, his 
 love ? Hitherto I have fancied it impossible to give 
 the mind unreservedly when interruptions are expected; 
 but it ought not so to be, for with the temptation God 
 will make a way to escape, that we may be able to 
 bear it. Nevertheless these interruptions are a very 
 heavy burthen ; but will not Christ bear all our bur- 
 thens if we lean on him ? I have been thinking 
 much of his love lately ; of the inseparable connexion 
 between love and sanctification ; see 3d and 4th chapter 
 of 1st Thessalonians : love and holy obedience increas- 
 ing more and more, the one helping on the other more 
 and more, increasing and abounding. Oh may we, 
 dearest, increase and abound more and more in love 
 and holiness, being in Christ, and Christ in us. I 
 trust your fears for your dear brother will be swal- 
 lowed up in love ; but this I know, whatever happens, 
 it will be in love to the children of God. May the 
 God of love and peace be with you." 
 
 The sums mentioned in the letter make 1000, 
 which was to have covered the whole expense; but 
 this chapel, like every other, cost another 100 before 
 
JEWEL-STONES IN CHAPEL WALLS. 153 
 
 it was finished ; and the Duke, following his wife's 
 example, offered of his own accord to sell some of 
 his horses to make up the deficiency. There were 
 also "jewels enough left to help to endow it," while 
 the sacrifice of these was nothing to the Duchess; 
 and the Duke had now come to think with her, that 
 " stones looked prettier in a chapel wall" than on his 
 ladys neck, so that there was no obstacle to their 
 disposal. But a bountiful providence is ever ready 
 to interpose on behalf of those, whether high or low, 
 who deny themselves for the Lord's sake. Duke 
 Alexander had given a property near Huntly to 
 Andrew Gordon, Esq., with the power of willing it 
 as he pleased, but with the condition that if he died 
 intestate it should fall to the Marquis of Huntly at 
 the time being. Duke George, when Marquis, had 
 often reminded Mr. Gordon of his father's arrange- 
 ment, and urged him to make a will in favour of 
 some of his own relatives. This advice, however, he 
 had neglected ; and he died soon after the chapel was 
 finished, leaving no testament, so that the Duke of 
 Gordon, being now the only Marquis of Huntly, be- 
 came his heir. The lately finished church had cost 
 1100, and the property thus unexpectedly falling in 
 was worth 1100 a year. Be it Duke and Duchess, 
 or " the maid-servant behind the mill," the Master has 
 announced, and he keeps his promise, " Give, and it 
 
154 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 shall be given to you ; good measure, heaped up and 
 running over, shall men give into your bosom." 
 
 GORDON CASTLE IN THE SEVENTEENTH AND NINETEENTH 
 CENTURIES THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 1834. 
 
 In the summer of 1834 the Duchess writes : " The 
 Duke has planned to have the two schoolrooms opened 
 on the 20th of June, as a celebration of my birthday." 
 When ready on that day to repair to the schools, she 
 was surprised, on coming down to the door, to find 
 six horses in her carriage by the Duke's orders ; for 
 he was so pleased with this desire of her heart being 
 accomplished, that he wished to add a little state to 
 the ceremony. The chapel was opened in the autumn 
 by the Eev. Mr. Blunt, whose letters from her Grace 
 would probably have thrown some interesting light on 
 her spiritual history after the death of Mr. Howels, 
 when she began to attend his ministry. It is so 
 desirable in a memoir of the Duchess to preserve, 
 as far as possible, her own breadth and catholicity 
 of view, that we regret we have none of these to 
 present to our readers. But the following extract 
 is sufficient to show her enjoyment of Mr. Blunt's 
 lectures: " Belgrave Square, April 1834. London 
 is, as usual, much ado about nothing, for though I am 
 always in a bustle, and constantly interrupted, it does 
 
KINDNESS TO THE POOE. 155 
 
 not seem to me to any end ; for I have nothing to 
 show, or even to tell for all this busy-ness, not busi- 
 ness. During Lent I enjoyed myself very much, not 
 missing one of Mr. Blunt's lectures, and since I came 
 to town, I have only been at two dinner parties, 
 besides dining once or twice at the Tweeddales and 
 Denbigh's en famille. To-morrow we are going to 
 Windsor, where we are to stay till Wednesday. I am 
 glad that the weather seems to be greatly improved, 
 for I rather dread His Majesty's open carriages." 
 
 In the next month, we find a reply written by the 
 Duchess to a letter from her deceased father's parish 
 minister on behalf of one of his poor parishioners. 
 Her Christian course from its commencement to its 
 close was marked by a prompt and bountiful atten- 
 tion to the case of the poor or distressed, and her 
 liberality was quite as great in deeds of benevolence 
 as in promoting the cause of the gospel : " London, 
 lUh April 1834. The expressions your letter con- 
 tained of regard for my dear father, and consequent 
 feelings toward myself, were more gratifying than 
 any other testimony of esteem that you could have 
 offered. I perfectly remember Eobert Ley, and am 
 obliged to you for letting me know that I can be 
 of use to him. I shall be happy to allow him 4 
 per annum, which I should hope will be sufficient. 
 I thank you also for mentioning other old friends, 
 
156 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 none of whom I forget ; my own maicl was born at 
 the Burn. 
 
 "It is most melancholy to think of the state of 
 things connected with the Burn. Mrs. S.'s trials 
 have indeed been great. I trust she is enabled to 
 cast her care on Him who afflicteth not willingly, and 
 who has taught you with so much tenderness the 
 truth of the words of the prophet, 'Even to hoar 
 hairs will I carry you/ May you find that He who 
 enables you to tend your flock in pleasant pastures, 
 will bring you nearer and nearer to the good Shepherd, 
 until you have through grace attained to his image 
 and his presence for ever. 
 
 " I am happy to say that the Duke and I are quite 
 well. We purpose soon returning to Scotland, as 
 the Duke must be in his place in the General 
 Assembly as a ruling elder. In these times it is 
 absolutely necessary that those who wish well to the 
 Church should not remain idle." 
 
 Except for the privilege of a spiritual ministry, 
 London with its many distractions appears to have 
 brought little good to her own soul, and to have given 
 her little opportunity of being useful to others ; and 
 she always contemplated with pleasure the prospect 
 of returning to Scotland. She writes of the Duke 
 being at the General Assembly of the Church of 
 Scotland in May ; and speaks of the times being such 
 
CHURCH PATRONAGE. 157 
 
 as require him to be in his place as an elder, although 
 his own sentiments appear to have been Episcopalian. 
 Outside the Church, the Voluntary controversy was 
 keenly agitated for the abolition of its endowments ; 
 while within it Dr. Chalmers, with the other ablest 
 and most earnest advocates for Church Establishments, 
 were putting forth their utmost efforts against the 
 evils of lay patronage ; some seeking its entire removal, 
 but the majority aiming at so limiting its exercise as 
 to make it consistent with the spiritual well-being of 
 the people. "With these the Duchess agreed, and wrote 
 at this time to a gentleman who held these views : 
 "You may believe that I cordially agree with what 
 I understand to be your views on the subject of 
 Church patronage. My simple politics are from 
 that Word which you also desire to be the rule of 
 your life." 
 
 The Duke's opinions were different ; and she used 
 to relate a conversation that occurred at this time, 
 not indeed on the lawfulness of patronage, but on 
 the manner of its exercise. The Eev. Mr. Carment 
 of Eosskeen, one of the most talented and respected 
 of the Evangelical ministers, and a veteran soldier of 
 the Cross, paid a visit to Gordon Castle at the close 
 of the Assembly ; for the Duchess earnestly embraced 
 every opportunity of inviting good men to the house. 
 Conversing on the subject with his Grace, Mr. Carment 
 
15$ GORDON CASTLE 
 
 said in his quaint Scotch style : " Ay, ay, my Lord 
 Duke, you and I are on opposite sides of the house ; 
 but an' ye were seeking a shepherd you wouldna tak' 
 him just because he was this or that mans son, or 
 a man o' gude moral character, but because he kent 
 weel about the sheep ; and my Lord Duke, in choos- 
 ing a minister, you shouldna just tak' your friend's 
 tutor, but a man that can care for the souls of the 
 people." 
 
 Meanwhile the Duchess was finding great and 
 growing delight in her infant-school, about which at 
 first she seemed less hopeful. The teacher was one 
 after her own heart and not a few of the children 
 gave her great satisfaction. Some died in infancy, 
 but delighting to "go to God," and departing with 
 the words, "Praise Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;" 
 others lived to comfort her by their good report in 
 later years. 
 
 Two hundred years ago, Gordon Castle, then called 
 the Bog of Gicht, presented a very different scene. 
 The Farquharsons of Deeside having slain a Gordon 
 of note, the Marquis of Huntly, along with the Laird 
 of Grant, prepared to take a bloody vengeance for his 
 death. That none of the guilty tribe might escape, 
 Grant occupied the upper end of the vale of Dee 
 with his clan, while the Gordons ascended the river 
 from beneath ; each party killing, burning, and de- 
 
IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 159 
 
 stroying without mercy all they found before them. 
 The men and women of the race were nearly all 
 slain ; and when the day w T as done, Huntly found 
 himself encumbered with about two hundred orphan 
 children. About a year after this foray, the Laird of 
 Grant chanced to dine at the Marquis's castle, and 
 was of course entertained with magnificence. After 
 dinner Huntly conducted Grant to a balcony which 
 overlooked the kitchen, where he saw the remains of 
 the abundant feast of the numerous household flung 
 at random into a large trough. The master -cook 
 gave a signal with his silver whistle; on which a 
 hatch like that of a dog- kennel was raised, and there 
 rushed into the kitchen, shrieking, shouting, yelling, 
 a huge mob of children, half-naked, and totally wild, 
 who threw themselves on the contents of the trough ; 
 and fought, struggled, and clamoured for the largest 
 share. Grant was a man of humanity, and asked, 
 " In the name of Heaven, who are these ?" " They 
 are the children of those Farquharsons whom we slew 
 last year on Dee-side," answered Huntly. The Laird 
 felt more shocked than it would have been prudent 
 or polite to express. " My Lord," he said, " my 
 sword helped to make these poor children orphans, 
 and it is not fair that your Lordship should be bur- 
 dened with all the expense of maintaining them. 
 You have supported them for a year and day, allow 
 
160 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 me now to take them to Castle Grant, and keep them 
 for the same time at my cost." 1 
 
 Such was the savage sport of the lord of Gordon 
 Castle two hundred years ago ; and when his lady 
 looked over that balcony, it was only to enjoy the 
 spectacle, and not to rescue any of the wretched 
 children from their revolting degradation. The Castle 
 itself had been greatly altered now, retaining its 
 ancient central tower, but surrounded with modern 
 additions of princely dimensions, more commodious 
 but far less picturesque. But the building was not so 
 changed as the thoughts and habits of its noble occu- 
 piers, when the Duchess was opening schools for the 
 children of the people and the Duke sending her in a 
 carriage of state as if for a royal pageant. One of 
 these days the Duchess visited her infant-school, where 
 between one and two hundred children were gathered 
 beneath her wing. In the happy throng her benevo- 
 lent and discriminating eye singled out a little boy ; 
 and like her great Master on earth she took the child 
 in her arms, and placed him on her knee with all a 
 mother's kindness. " What does Jesus mean," she in- 
 quired at them all, " when he says, ' Except ye become 
 as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of 
 heaven V" But they stumbled unsuccessfully in their 
 attempted answers, which were more prompt than 
 
 1 Abridged from Sir Walter Scott. 
 
SCR1PTUKAL STUDIES. 161 
 
 intelligent. She then turned to the child on her knee, 
 . and put the question to him. " A little child kens 
 that it can do nae thing its lane," the boy replied. She 
 was greatly taken with the simple solution of the 
 mystery, and received and retained it as a lesson for 
 herself; and nothing could more accord with that 
 constant sense of insufficiency to think a good thought, 
 and that childlike dependence on the Lord for help, 
 which lay so deep at the root of all her character. 
 
 In the earlier part of her Grace's residence at 
 Gordon Castle, we presented our readers with a brief 
 Diary found among some other papers. But such a 
 i journal appears to have been discontinued, partly 
 perhaps from want of perseverance and partly, we 
 believe, from a change of mind regarding this mode of 
 recording her thoughts. But we now find her again, 
 after an interval of six years, adopting a different mode 
 of recollection and self-examination, by transcribing 
 passages of Scripture with her own reflections inter- 
 spersed. "Gordon Castle, Aug. 10, 1834. Isa. lix. 
 1, 2, 3 : ' Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, 
 that it cannot save ; neither his ear heavy, that it 
 cannot hear : but your iniquities have separated be- 
 tween you and your God ; your lips have spoken lies, 
 your tongue muttered perverseness' (if not lies, things 
 I do not know to be truth, and oh what perverseness !) 
 'None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth' 
 
 L 
 
162 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 (alas! it is so). 'Therefore we wait for light' (we 
 wait, Lord, let us not wait in vain). 'For our 
 transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins 
 testify against us' (if we know them not fully, it is 
 because we seek not to know them ; for oh ! how 
 much do I depart away from our God). 
 
 "Blessed be his name, 'His own arm brought salva- 
 tion ; he came to give repentance, as well as remission 
 of sins; to fulfil his covenant, as he said, My Spirit 
 that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in 
 thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth.' Oh 
 may it also be in our heart, in my heart. Lord, thou 
 hast promised to take away the heart of stone ; melt 
 it speedily, crush it, break it, as thou wilt, but do it, 
 my God. For thy truth's sake, for the sake of Him 
 who hath fulfilled our part of the covenant for us, 
 give us the new heart which thou hast promised 
 through our Surety, our Eedeemer. 
 
 "2 Tim. iii. 2, 5. 'Lovers of their own selves, 
 covetous, boasters, proud ; unthankful, unholy, with- 
 out natural affection, high-minded ; having a form 
 of godliness, but (by the conduct) denying the power 
 thereof (0 Lord ! all these things are against me ; 
 turn me, Lord, and I shall be turned). 
 
 "Eev. xxi. 8. 'The fearful and unbelieving' (fear- 
 ing and believing the devil or man, rather than God)." 
 
 These meditations she follows up with a more 
 

 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 163 
 
 laborious writing, showing in a marked manner how 
 painstaking and thorough and practical she was in 
 the whole work of God. This consists of an exposi- 
 tion of the Ten Commandments, taken from the 
 "Larger" Catechism of the "Westminster Assembly; 
 yet not exactly copied, but with the requirements and 
 prohibitions mingled and condensed. The following 
 portions will give an idea of the whole ; and while 
 the reader will easily see that the greater part is a 
 transcription of the words of old divines, he will recog- 
 nise occasionally some expressions of her own, proving 
 her self-application of the whole. In the prohibitions 
 of the eighth commandment, " making what is called a 
 good bargain, and not acting in all things as God's 
 stewards," are examples of her own additions ; and 
 under the ninth, " thinking evil of any without very 
 sufficient grounds, and knowing all the circumstances." 
 " Larger Catechism, 1st Commd. Omission or ne- 
 glect of anything due to God ; self-love, self-seeking ; 
 taking off our mind, will, or affections from God, in 
 whole or in part ; unbelief, misbelief, distrust ; incor- 
 rigibleness, insensibleness under judgments ; hardness 
 of heart ; pride, presumption, carnal security ; trusting 
 in lawful means ; lukewarmness and deadness in the 
 things of God ; slighting and despising God and his 
 commands ; resisting and grieving his Spirit." " 
 Lord ! help me to search and see ; do thou try my 
 
164 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 reins and my heart ; wash me throughly ; without thee 
 I cannot be clean, but thou canst take away all my 
 sin. Lord, make me loathe and detest it." 
 
 "2d. Neglect of prayer and thanksgiving, or 
 anything instituted in God's word ; of reading and 
 hearing the word ; of church government and disci- 
 pline ; of the ministry and maintenance thereof ; of 
 religious fasting ; all neglect hindering in any way 
 others or ourselves." 
 
 " 8^. Not acting in all things as God s stewards ; 
 want of frugality, any waste ; making what is called 
 a good bargain, overreaching in the least degree ; 
 seeking and prizing worldly goods above what is 
 necessary ; not enjoying what God has given us." 
 
 " 9 th. Not attending strictly to truth in every 
 way; thinking evil of any without very sufficient 
 grounds and knowing all the circumstances ; detract- 
 ing from the merit of any ; repeating evil reports ; 
 concealing the truth ; holding our peace when iniquity 
 calleth either for reproof from ourselves or complaint 
 to others ; speaking the truth unseasonably, or to a 
 wronsr end, or so as to lead others to draw a different 
 view from it ; slandering, detracting, tale-bearing ; 
 rash, harsh, and partial construing, or misconstruing 
 intentions, words, and actions ; flattering, thinking, 
 or speaking too highly of ourselves and too meanly 
 of others ; denying the gifts and graces of God ; 
 
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 165 
 
 aggravating smaller faults ; hiding, excusing, and ex- 
 . tenuating sins when called on to a free confession ; 
 unnecessary discovering of infirmities ; raising false 
 reports ; receiving, countenancing, or repeating evil 
 reports ; rejoicing in the disgrace or even disappoint- 
 ment of others ; neglecting such things as are of good 
 report." 
 
 She had long before this time attained that clear 
 and glorious view of the righteousness of Christ, which 
 by grace she never let go through life, and which 
 increased in brightness till her dying hour. But this 
 careful study of the holy law shows how practical her 
 faith was ; how clearly she perceived that the New 
 Testament in no way absolves us from the law as a 
 rule of life ; and how far she was from supposing 
 that our Lord's summary in the two great command- 
 ments was designed to release the believer from the 
 entire tables of the law. The good Duchess adhered 
 most firmly to all the ten, and earnestly sought to 
 come under the power of each, both in heart and life. 
 The whole is concluded with these meditations : 
 " It is a great aggravation to sin when our sin 
 causes others to stumble ; when our station, know- 
 ledge, and character lead others to watch for our 
 halting, either as an excuse for themselves, or that 
 they may cast reproach on our Christian profession. 
 Lord, open thou our eyes that we may behold all 
 
166 GOEDON CASTLE. 
 
 that thou wouldest have us to do, that we may see all 
 that Jesus did who was given for our example ; and 
 knowing that thou hast provided strength for us, give 
 us grace to use it in following the Lord fully. Oh 
 that we may see sin in the light of Christ's example, 
 and loathe and detest and flee from it in every degree." 
 
 One of the events of this year, and one of the mile- 
 stones marking the progress of life to the Duchess, 
 was the death of Miss Bell Brodie, the last survivor of 
 the two maiden aunts with whom she had lived in her 
 childhood at Elgin, and for whom she always retained 
 a warm affection. The following extract refers to this 
 bereavement: "Gordon Castle, Sept. 13. I got a 
 frank this morning in the hope of writing you a long 
 letter, but the carriage is gone up to fetch some 
 friends, and I am prevented. I have much to say to 
 you of my dear aunt, and of the great comfort I 
 derived from our last interview. The thought of her 
 Eedeemer's sufferings seemed to swallow up that of 
 her own, and to keep her in perfect peace. Mr. Blunt 
 is here, and I get a little quiet talk every morning, 
 with reading and prayer ; but as it is the only time 
 I can see him and Mrs. B. alone, I am selfish in not 
 writing for an addition to our party, because there are 
 many subjects which I could not then so properly 
 bring forward." 
 
 At the end of this year the Duchess had a visit 
 
ME. STEWART OF CROMARTY. 167 
 
 from the Be v. Mr. Stewart of Cromarty, for whom 
 she cherished the highest esteem. On the Sabbath, 
 he preached in the parish church a sermon of great 
 power from the words, " Turn ye to the strong hold, 
 ye prisoners of hope," While Mr. Stewart stayed at 
 the Castle, he told an anecdote which the Duchess 
 often repeated with great animation : Hector Munro 
 was a half-witted man but like so many of the weak 
 in this world, he was strong in the grace that is in 
 Christ Jesus. Mr. S. having invited him to pay him 
 a visit at Cromarty Manse, he came most inoppor- 
 tunely on the Saturday afternoon, with the design of 
 remaining all night, when the minister was busily 
 engaged with his work for the Sabbath. Mr. Stewart 
 was a man of genius as well as grace ; his sermons 
 were often the product of a high effort of intellect; 
 and he was not constitutionally free from the sensi- 
 tiveness, which might be ruffled at and resent such 
 an interruption. But he overcame his discomposure, 
 received and kindly entertained his guest, and found 
 his reward in an intercourse more precious to him 
 and more memorable than the interrupted sermon. 
 Hector having come in his best clothes, the minister 
 addressed him, " Weel, Hector, yeVe made yoursel' 
 braw the day." " Hout ay, folk mak's thamesel's 
 braw to gang to thae vain markets ; but I'se warrant 
 the Sabbath's the best market, for it's there we get 
 
168 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 without money and without price. An', Maister 
 Stewart, I'm thinkin' the Saturday's just like the 
 Christian's deathbed ; he's dune his wark, an he's 
 washed, an' he's clean, an' he lies doon, an' he 
 waukens an' it's the Sabbath ! An' He was braw 
 Himsel' that clay." 1 
 
 JEWELS STOLEN IN LONDON THE CONTINENT. 1835. 
 
 In the spring of 1835, while the Duke and Duchess 
 lived in Belgrave Square, a great sensation was excited 
 in London by the theft of her jewel-chest from her 
 dressing-room, when the Duke was out at dinner. The 
 great value of the stolen property, the rank and popu- 
 larity of the sufferers by the theft, the extreme quiet- 
 ness of the robbery, and the impenetrable mystery 
 covering the thieves, all combined to excite the live- 
 liest interest in all classes of the community from the 
 throne downwards. In token of her sympathy and 
 regard, the Queen sent next day a handsome present 
 of some of her own favourite jewels, which the Duchess 
 highly valued. Her letters written at the time will 
 show the spirit in which she bore the loss : 
 
 1 W. P. Kennedy, Edinburgh, has just published a volume from Mr. 
 Stewart's manuscripts, under the title of The Tree of Promise ; marked 
 throughout by quick apprehension of the meaning of Scripture, deep 
 insight into the grand truths of the gospel, and singular power in 
 stating those truths with point and self-demonstration. 
 
JEWEL-CHEST STOLEN. 169 
 
 " Belgrave Square, March 1835. We have every 
 reason to believe that no one we are in the least 
 degree connected with is implicated in the robbery. 
 The annoyance it occasions to the feelings of many, 
 and the quantities of advice and suspicions, give me 
 far more trouble than the loss of the things ; for that 
 has only served to give me more perfect assurance 
 that ' my treasure is where thieves do not, cannot, 
 break through and steal/ I am also quite certain that 
 it would not have been permitted but for some wise 
 purpose ; and if I could satisfy the Duke of the folly 
 of buying more if my own are never recovered, I 
 should be perfectly satisfied to be relieved from the 
 care of the jewels ; though to be sure it would have 
 been pleasanter to have had money for them. I have 
 my mother's, father's, and Emily's hair ; the little old 
 curb-chain bracelet I always wore ; and my watch and 
 glass with the chain. Three other brooches were on 
 the pincushion, which were always there ; and every 
 
 thing else was taken except a box of jet The 
 
 Lord has been very gracious to me in not allowing me 
 to feel one moment's pain or alarm on the subject. I 
 believe there is no doubt as to the perpetrators of the 
 robbery being three notorious London thieves, but the 
 proof is wanting." 
 
 The progress of the divine life in her soul is brought 
 out in the following letter to Mr. Paul, on receipt of a 
 
170 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 little book which he had published on the Believer's 
 Union to Christ: "April 1835. I received your 
 very kind letter more than a week ago, and the deed 
 and book a day or two after. The latter I am reading 
 with the greatest interest. I have come to nothing 
 but what strengthens the belief and hope which by 
 Divine grace I hold as ' my life/ The view of the 
 everlasting covenant is that on which my soul rests, 
 and in which it could have no part but through * union 
 with Christ/ I trust through his Spirit I may grow 
 with all other members into the fulness of the stature 
 of Christ, and when I shall see him I shall be like him ! 
 It is this resemblance I pine for ; oh, how unlike still ! 
 Worn and tired with things of no profit, I cannot go 
 about doing good ; I cannot do whatsoever my hand 
 findeth to do with all my might. Oh for more of the 
 Spirit of Christ, even now and daily increasing ; may 
 He who hath done great things for us, yet do more ; 
 and as he has put it in your heart to see clearly the 
 blessedness of union with Christ, enable you to walk 
 so that all may take knowledge that you are one 
 with him." 
 
 In the course of the summer, the Duke and Duchess 
 made a tour on the Continent, which is thus referred 
 to in prospect : * I have the usual consequence of 
 bustle, a very bad headache ; although I had not, as 
 the newspapers announce, a large party of haut ton. 
 
TOUR ON THE CONTINENT. 171 
 
 But the drawing-room, a dinner-party, and about as 
 many more in the evening, are enough to show how 
 little either body or mind can benefit by that sort of 
 society ; and I am most thankful that this is the case, 
 and acknowledge it as one of the most valuable proofs 
 of the love of my heavenly Father. We propose 
 leaving England within three weeks, for a tour of 
 four or five months." Of the tour itself, one of the 
 most memorable notes is the fact of their commencing 
 their daily journeys with family prayers, which never 
 hinder progress. This sanctifying of the journey we 
 find noticed in the following letter to Miss Gordon of 
 Wardhouse, written a few days after her Grace's birth- 
 day. The tumbling sea between Dover and Calais 
 made this birthday a contrast to the last, which had 
 been signalized by the opening of the schools at 
 Gordon Castle; yet being alone with her husband, 
 the quiet of the one pleased her more than the ex- 
 citement of the other : 
 
 " Brussels, June 25. 1835. 
 
 " I was sure you needed no assurance from me to 
 prove how much I enter into your feelings regarding 
 your dear niece, now gone home, and the strange 
 but very profitable lessons we so constantly receive 
 together : a bond of union leading us towards that 
 better country, where we shall be no more strangers 
 and pilgrims, but fellow- citizens of the household of 
 
172 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 Christ. May we more and more be taught to feel, not 
 only the absolute necessity of the infinitely precious 
 blessings which are treasured up in Christ, but the no 
 less great necessity of asking for them ; that living by 
 faith on the Son of God, we may show forth that faith 
 by the fruits of the Spirit working in us, and making 
 us conformable to the image of our great Example. 
 
 "I have, since I began to write this, been inter- 
 rupted so often that I see I must seize every moment, 
 here as much as elsewhere ; the Duke and I being 
 alone, he wants me oftener even than usual. Think, 
 dearest, what great reason I have to be thankful, that 
 after one-and-twenty years' journey through life, we 
 both rejoice to declare that the last five days, in which 
 we have been quite alone together for I believe the 
 first time since our first journey, have been among the 
 happiest we ever spent. I cannot say that I enjoyed 
 the excitement of my birthday in 1834, as I did the 
 quiet tete-a-tete, even with the discomfort of passing 
 from Dover to Calais, on the 20th. What pleases me 
 more than all is the Duke's frequent expressions of 
 thankfulness, and the serious cheerfulness which has 
 not admitted of a single check since we left England. 
 We have also family prayers every morning before 
 starting ; and I trust, from the great comfort we all 
 seem to have in meeting, that we shall find no inter- 
 ruption to this privilege necessary, but daily ask God's 
 
GENEVA. 173 
 
 blessing as a family to prosper our journey, and to 
 preserve and bless those whom we have left behind." 
 
 On this tour the efforts of the Duchess were 
 unceasing on behalf of her husband's soul ; she was 
 thankful for the opportunities she had of reading 
 the Bible with him ; and he said to his old friend, 
 Colonel Tronchin, at Geneva, " Tronchin, I am a very 
 changed man to what you once knew me, and I owe 
 it all to my dear wife." At the same time she after- 
 wards feared that her own soul was suffering loss, 
 because as the Duke advanced in life his affection to 
 her increased ; in travelling, he endeavoured to secure 
 for her every attention and respect ; and she was 
 much made of by the society in which they mingled, 
 which was of the most elevated and attractive kind. 
 From Geneva she writes: " 9 th July 1835. Our 
 journey has been very prosperous ; everything seems 
 favourable ; and we have been able to continue our 
 morning family prayers every day, except when we 
 started very early indeed. This is a great comfort in 
 a foreign land. I have also reason to pour out my 
 heart in thankfulness that my dear husband seems 
 to enjoy our tSte-d-tete, and says constantly what a 
 blessing it is, that after twenty-one years' marriage we 
 like the company of each other better than any other. 
 He has done and said many things since he came here, 
 which almost give me hope that the Spirit of God is 
 
174 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 really at work, and that he begins to experience some- 
 thing of the blessedness of those who fear the Lord. 
 
 " This, however, is rather a dangerous place, as the 
 very simplicity of the society makes one forget that it 
 is still the world ; and we know everybody, and must 
 drink tea with almost everybody. I have been reading 
 Owen On Temptation. My hard heart did not feel 
 the force of that work so much as of others I have 
 read ; especially the treatise on the Mortification of 
 Sin, which I am now reading, and I really trust God 
 is sending it home to my heart. 
 
 " We have just heard of a most wonderfully pro- 
 vidential escape of Lord and Lady Munster and their 
 two children, who were thrown over a precipice in 
 an open carriage, and fell thirteen perpendicular feet 
 besides rolling. None of them are seriously hurt ; the 
 maid on the dicky was rather more so ; the courier, 
 who was much crushed, is recovering. It happened 
 in the Val Munster, or Moutier, coming from Bale. 
 
 " Mr. Malan s substitute made a very good distinc- 
 tion between those that obey the word of Christ, 
 i He that eateth me shall live by me ;' and those who 
 have only tasted of the heavenly gift, that food which 
 cannot nourish if not taken into the heart, as natural 
 food only tasted cannot do good to the body. May 
 we eat and live for ever." 
 
 The following letter is further on in their tour : 
 

 SILESIA. 175 
 
 " Neumarkt in Silesia, Sept. 1835. The Duke 
 dined yesterday with the King of Prussia, and all the 
 great people assembled ; and the Emperor of Eussia 
 and Empress were so exceedingly civil to him, that 
 we are almost sure of going to Kalisch. If the Em- 
 peror were not going afterwards to Toplitz, I should 
 not be surprised to find myself on the road to St. 
 Petersburg instead of Vienna, after the great reviews 
 of the Prussian troops, which are now going on here 
 in Silesia. . . . 
 
 " We were stopped at a little inn here on Saturday, 
 by advice of the postmaster, as being much nearer the 
 troops ; and I am very thankful for the three most 
 quiet days I have spent in peace of mind and body, 
 except so far as I have a still greater cause of thank- 
 fulness in an increased and increasing sense of sin, as 
 a burthen indeed which even hides from me the shining 
 of God's countenance. But he is faithful, and enables 
 me to say, ' Though I walk in darkness and see no 
 light, yet will I stay myself upon my God/ Yes, he 
 is faithful ; he never said, Seek ye my face in vain. 
 It is for such as me, even for the chief of sinners, that 
 he gave his well-beloved Son. Lord ! I believe, help 
 thou my unbelief, and let me once more see the Son 
 in his beauty, the sun of righteousness arising to shine 
 on my soul with healing under his wings. I know it 
 is in answer to prayer that I am thus ; I have earnestly 
 
176 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 prayed for a deeper sense of sin, and now I see nothing 
 but sin. I have known that I could not so much as 
 think a good thought ; at least my reason has known 
 it ; but now I think my heart feels it, and sees a 
 depth of iniquity which nothing but the depth of that 
 fountain of love filled with the Saviour's blood could 
 wash away. I have been enabled to see that in no- 
 thing but greater knowledge have I differed from the 
 world ; in nothing have I been more willing to take 
 up my cross than they. Every moment I could say, 
 What do I more than others ? how have I laid out 
 the talents intrusted to me % and therefore I can also 
 see, that my sin is greater than that of those who 
 have not light. Oh ! may I henceforward strive as I 
 have never yet done ; may I stand fast ; and if it be 
 needful, amid the smiles and allurements of the great 
 ones of the earth, may I witness a good confession for 
 the sake of Him who so witnessed before Pilate, May 
 I be able in his strength to do as well as say with 
 David, ' I will speak of thy testimonies before Kings, 
 and will not be ashamed/ Oh how much do I find 
 my experience or my desires expressed in the 119th 
 Psalm." 
 
 DEATH OF GEORGE DUKE OF GORDON. 1836. 
 
 The great bereavement in the life of the Duchess 
 was now fast approaching, though not anticipated by 
 
THE DUKE S LAST ILLNESS. 177 
 
 herself as at all so near. On her yearly journey to 
 London in spring she had been in the habit of pass- 
 ing a few days in Edinburgh, where she spent the 
 Sabbaths with Miss Home, and attended the ministry 
 of Dr. Gordon. Her last visit of this kind was in the 
 spring of 1836, when the Duke w T as already very un- 
 well, though she was not yet fully aware of the fatal 
 character of his malady. Miss Home herself was 
 dangerously ill, and in great grief from the death of 
 her brother, Sir James Home. These varied afflictions 
 affected her deeply, and she proceeded on her w T ay 
 south with her spirit bowed down under great heavi- 
 ness. But her sorrow was turned into the joy of the 
 Lord even under the continuance and progress of the 
 Duke's illness, and her mouth was filled with the high 
 praises of her God : 
 
 " London, April 21st, 1836. 
 
 "Among the other mercies which you have to 
 enumerate, my dearest Helen, and which I know you 
 r ill not consider the least, is that through you and 
 r our house the power and love and faithfulness of our 
 >lessed Jehovah Jesus, whose earthly name I must 
 employ to express his tenderness, have been shown 
 to me as they never were before. And how shall we 
 sufficiently praise Him who can make us feel, when we 
 can neither see nor hear, his presence ; and give us 
 a foretaste, not perhaps of that glory which is to be 
 
 M 
 
178 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 revealed at his coming, but of that rest and peace in 
 Him in which he will keep those whom the Father has 
 given him until the great day ! But then there will 
 be no pain, no oppression, no weight of the body of 
 death to recall our souls to worldly things. 
 
 "I have also to praise God for the opportunity 
 afforded through you of saying more to my dear hus- 
 band, and seeing more interest apparent in listening 
 than I have ever yet done. I read part of your 
 precious memorial of the Lord's goodness to him yes- 
 terday, while Mr. Farquhar (a truly Christian man) 
 was putting on leeches for his eyes ; and he said, 'Is 
 not that a good letter to hear from a person who has 
 been so near death ? ' In short, dearest, we must just 
 praise the Lord together in our hearts, till we can 
 praise him together for ever, with those who are 
 already called to rest in his- love, and those who would 
 now join our praises or need our prayers. Margaret 
 Drummond gives the same testimony in kind, though 
 not in degree; and having been one whole year 
 deprived of public ordinances, is able to make the 
 anniversaries of date and day times of thanksgiving 
 and praise, and says she knows far more of the love 
 and mercy of God than when she could, as she thought, 
 make herself more useful in his service. I desire also 
 to join you in thanksgiving for your dear sister, only 
 do not let her think of me as I do not deserve ; for, 
 
THE DUKES LAST ILLNESS. 179 
 
 oh, how cold is my heart, how dumb my mouth, to 
 feel and speak of goodness and mercy and truth! My 
 kindest love to Lady Home, with thanks for her letter. 
 I don t want more hair at present, unless it is all 
 coming off ; if so, pray let me have a large portion." 
 
 In writing in this strain of unusual joy, the Duchess 
 was not anticipating the sad event that awaited her 
 before the end of the next month. The sorrow that 
 was soon to darken her sky was as yet only a little 
 " cloud like a man's hand," and the abundant joy 
 vouchsafed to her was in the Lord's faithfulness pre- 
 paring her for the evil day. On the 2 7th of May the 
 doctors informed her that the Duke had only a short 
 time to live. The dark tidings were more than she 
 had expected ; the sequel we give in her own expres- 
 sions : " I had not realized till then the hopelessness 
 of his case. I retired to another room and fell on my 
 knees ; and as if they had been audibly uttered, these 
 words were impressed upon my heart, ' Thy Maker is 
 thy husband ; the Lord of Hosts is his name ; and 
 thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel ; the God of the 
 whole earth shall he be called ; ' and I rose up to meet 
 the trial in his strength." The Duke died on the 
 following day ; and a letter dated two days thereafter 
 will show how fully the strength of the Lord was 
 made hers : " I must tell you of the blessed consola- 
 tion I have in thinking of the perfect peace which 
 
180 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 my beloved husband enjoyed uninterruptedly, and the 
 presence of the Comforter from the Father and the 
 Son to my own soul. Pray for me. Although I feel 
 indeed in the wilderness, yet like her who was led 
 there, I would desire to lean on the arm of the beloved 
 One, who has truly given to me ' the valley of Achor 
 for a door of hope/ and who is my very present help 
 in time of trouble. The comfort I have is at present 
 almost without alloy. It is only when earthly things 
 pull me from my resting-place that I see the desola- 
 tion of all earthly joys ; and yet I am not excited, but 
 as the Lord has enabled me to ' stay my mind on him, 
 he has kept me in perfect peace. Kind regards to 
 them around you." 
 
 When she left Gordon Castle a few months before, 
 the Duchess had so little apprehension of the fatal 
 issue, that she contemplated a little pleasant surprise 
 for the Duke in the hope of his returning home in 
 restored health. There was a large quarry within a 
 mile of the Castle, long out of use, and screened from 
 the view as an unsightly object amid the varied 
 beauties of the princely grounds. Her eye had rested 
 on the hollow as capable of attractive beauty. Its 
 rugged sides and its heaps of rubbish she had shaped 
 into green banks and grassy knolls, relieved with 
 winding walks, and planted with ornamental trees 
 and beautiful evergreens ; and pleased herself with 
 
THE DUKES FUNERAL. 181 
 
 the bright hope that in another summer she would 
 drive the Duke to the spot, and give him a happy 
 surprise with her little paradise blooming out of the 
 desert. But the fond dream was sadly reversed in 
 the issue ; for one of the King's ships was ordered to 
 convey the body to Scotland by sea in honour of the 
 deceased ; and as the Quarry Garden lay between the 
 shore and the Castle, the corpse was carried close 
 past it on the way, while the gay flush of summer all 
 around only made the coldness of death look darker 
 by the contrast. 
 
 The Duchess herself travelled by land with her 
 niece, Lady Sophia Lennox, and arrived at the Castle 
 a little after midnight, that she might not be disturbed 
 by any one meeting her. " Gordon Castle. The dear 
 Duchess has borne the journey well ; she arrived here 
 a little after twelve o'clock at night on Tuesday, so 
 that no person should meet her. Her mind is astonish- 
 ingly composed and calm. That heavenly source to 
 which she has so long applied does not now forsake 
 her ; and she feels that inward peace and wonderful 
 support He has promised to all in trouble who trust 
 in him. She has determined on attending the funeral 
 to-morrow ; Lady Sophia Lennox and I will of course 
 accompany her. Her command of feeling is so great 
 that I do not doubt her firmness during the trying 
 ceremony, but cannot help fearing for her health after 
 
182 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 all this exertion." Attended by Lady Sophia and a 
 cousin of her own, she accompanied the remains to 
 their resting-place in an aisle of Elgin Cathedral ; and 
 standing over them as they were moved into the vault, 
 she dedicated herself to the Lord : " "When the coffin 
 was lowered into that vault, I felt as if God had 
 shoved under my feet all that was most dear to me, 
 the only one on earth to whose love I was entitled, 
 and that now I must live to himself alone." In con- 
 nexion with this event she would often at Huntly 
 Lodge express herself in prayer : " Lord, thou art the 
 Master in this house ; I have given it all to thee." 
 
 She was calm throughout the whole ceremony, and 
 only gave way to her feelings after entering the car- 
 riage to return to Gordon Castle. "June 23d. I left 
 Gordon Castle on the 16th, and the dear Duchess has 
 from that time been quite alone ; you may be sure it 
 was at her own earnest desire that I left her alone 
 at such a time. None of the visitors who had been 
 collected for the mournful ceremony remained after 
 the 16th; and then the Duchess said she must be 
 alone with her God, that she might know her own 
 mind under the severe affliction he had sent her, for 
 she had been in a constant state of over-exertion and 
 excitement. On Saturday she has written to Lady 
 Georgiana Baillie to come to her, and after that she 
 will attend to business and see a few of her friends. 
 

 the duke's funeral. 183 
 
 It is fortunate she has so much to arrange ; it keeps 
 her mind from dwelling too much on her grief. I 
 never saw her more composed than on the evening of 
 that trying ceremony. She was much agitated as we 
 came near Elgin ; but when we were in the Cathedral 
 she was quite calm, and said she had never before felt 
 the full force of these words in the Service, 'When 
 this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and 
 this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall 
 be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death 
 is swallowed up in victory :' they had given her such 
 blessed hopes. She remained alone some time after 
 we returned to the Castle, and when we met again 
 showed that she indeed knew in whom she trusted, 
 and that she possessed that inward peace which our 
 Heavenly Father alone can give." 
 
 Her own letters continue to breathe the same spirit 
 of elevation above the world : " Gordon Castle, 1st 
 July 1836. I have to give my testimony to the love 
 and faithfulness of our reconciled Father, revealed in 
 and through his Son Jesus Christ, and by his Holy 
 Spirit the Comforter. Truly his love passeth know- 
 ledge, and his peace all understanding. I long to tell 
 you something of all he has done for my soul, and 
 especially the unspeakable comfort afforded me by the 
 peace vouchsafed to my beloved husband, which was 
 manifested in the very spirit of the Lamb of God. 
 
184 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 July 16 th. I have still cause to bless the faithful- 
 ness of my God, though I do and must daily feel more 
 and more what I have lost. But when I look around, 
 and see nothing in the wide world like a natural tie 
 to bind me to it, then I must flee and hide me in the 
 ' Eoek of Ages cleft for me.' And I am left without 
 excuse if I do not give my heart to that tender recon- 
 ciled Father who has asked it, and who fulfils the 
 assurance of the prophet in keeping me in perfect 
 peace ; a peace which passeth all understanding, which 
 the world may disturb but cannot destroy. I yester- 
 day had the great comfort of settling in my Chapel a 
 minister whom I do think every way qualified to be 
 useful here." 
 
 After leaving Gordon Castle her natural and very 
 earnest desire was to return to Huntly Lodge, the 
 home of her married youth, and now also of her 
 widowhood by her marriage settlement. But her 
 spirit was severely tried by its having been let for a 
 further term of years a little before the Duke's death, 
 and by the tenant's insisting on entering upon the 
 new lease, although the circumstances were so altered. 
 She therefore determined to go abroad for a year or 
 two, and from Gordon Castle she wrote to her agent 
 in Edinburgh : " I will not claim Huntly Lodge at 
 law, as I think I see the finger of God pointing 
 another way in these disappointments ; but I felt it 
 
RESIGNATION AND PEACE. 185 
 
 very bitter to leave my own country without a home 
 in it, till I was reminded of Him who had not where 
 to lay his head. . . . Many and bitter are the trials 
 of which my Almighty Father sees that I have need. 
 I feel more and more the misery of my utter be- 
 reavement as touching this world ; but I see in the 
 acute sense of affliction, which was not at first so 
 keenly felt, a means of learning more of what our 
 blessed Eedeemer felt and suffered for us. May this 
 heating of the furnace effect more truly the work of 
 purification." 
 
 But her soul soon returned to its quiet rest : " Corfe 
 Castle, Sept. 1836. The quiet of this family has 
 through mercy enabled me to see my sin and danger, 
 and once more to feel, as well as to acknowledge 
 (which I have always been able to do), that 'He 
 doeth all things well/ I was very much harassed in 
 London ; but though I know that it was my own sin 
 that made my desolation so bitter, yet I am thankful 
 I have felt it ; and the power of him who has delivered 
 me shows me yet more and more of his infinite love. 
 I trust henceforward to remember that it is the ten- 
 derness of my heavenly Father who, asking my whole 
 heart, leaves me without excuse for unwillingness to 
 give it, by taking away all that might seem given to 
 rest it upon. ... I see how very easily sin rises up 
 as a thick cloud between our souls and the blessing of 
 
18 '6 GORDON CASTLE. 
 
 God's countenance, and how very guilty I have been 
 in murmuring, fancying all the while that but I can 
 hardly say what I fancied. Through infinite mercy 
 and love the cloud is removed, and the love of God 
 shed abroad in the heart enables me to go to the 
 fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness." 
 
 " Some murmur, when their sky is clear, 
 And wholly bright to view, 
 If one small speck of dark appear 
 In their great heaven of blue. 
 
 " And some with thankful love are filled, 
 If but one streak of light, 
 One ray of God's good mercy, gild 
 The darkness of their night." 
 
CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 1837-1847. 
 
 " If ye would know 
 How visitations of Calamity 
 Affect the soul, 
 
 Look yonder at that cloud which through the sky, 
 Sailing alone, doth cross in her career 
 The rolling moon. I watched it as it came, 
 And deemed the deep opaque would blot her beams ; 
 But, melting like a wreath of snow, it hangs 
 In folds of wavy silver round, and clothes 
 The orb with richer beauties than her own, 
 Then passing leaves her in her light serene." 
 
 Southey's Roderick. 
 
 Hers was a gracious and a gentle house ; 
 
 Rich in obliging, nice observances ; 
 
 And famed ancestral hospitality. 
 
 A cool repose lay grateful through the place ; 
 
 And pleasant duties, promptly, truly done, 
 
 And every service touched by hidden springs, 
 
 Oiled with intelligence moved smoothly round." 
 
 WOOLNER. 
 
HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 During the winter of 1836 the widowed Duchess 
 lived at Pau, whence in spring she wrote in her own 
 thankful spirit to one of her old friends in Aberdeen- 
 shire : "Pau, 20th Febry. 1837. I have little to say 
 but of the continued goodness and mercy of my God ; 
 who, while he leads me further and further into the 
 wilderness and into an increasing sense of desolation 
 as regards this world, shows me more of his unspeak- 
 able love in so doing, and in taking away all else says 
 only the more loudly, 'Thou art mine:' purchased 
 with his own blood, comforted by his own Spirit, and 
 enabled to rest on him as an all-sufficient portion, 
 Saviour, God, and Father." 
 
 Four months later she wrote again on her journey 
 homeward, and in the painful prospect of returning to 
 her now desolate home: " Brive, 21st June 1837. 
 I have seen during the last winter more of the hidden 
 depths of iniquity, than I could have any idea of 
 without the help of that light which is promised to 
 

 
 190 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 those who seek it. But we must be brought very low, 
 before anything more than a general idea of sin can 
 be attained ; and while we have any lurking notion 
 that we are better than those we live amongst, this is 
 impossible. We must indeed see with St. Paul that 
 you or I is the chief of sinners ; we must be con- 
 vinced that, according to the light given us, we have 
 done less for Christ than any one around us. The 
 Lord alone can know how far each of us acts up to 
 the light we have. But of this I am sure, no other 
 human eye can be aware how little we avail ourselves 
 of the strength and help which Christ has purchased, 
 how far short we come of the high calling with which 
 Christ calleth his people, never calling them without 
 giving them strength to come. There is no way but 
 in following him closely, first to the cross to see what 
 he suffered for our sin, and then daily carrying the 
 cross, which he has laid on us, looking for his footsteps 
 in our walk through life. what a blessed Saviour ! 
 what a compassionate High Priest ! tempted in all 
 points like as we are, yet without sin. 
 
 "See Him, as Eutherford says, ever ready to bear 
 the heaviest end of our cross, and if we are weary, to 
 take it all and leave us nothing but his peace. Must 
 we not love such a Master with an undivided love ? 
 Must we not strive with every faculty to walk as he 
 walked, and to imitate his sympathy who was made 
 
RETURN OF THE WIDOWED DUCHESS. 191 
 
 in all points like unto his brethren, that he might be 
 able to succour them that are tempted ; not that he 
 needed to try for himself our trials, but that we might 
 know that he had tried them, and might therefore 
 come boldly to him for help. Oh, keep close to him 
 and learn of him who was meek and lowly of heart, 
 and you shall find rest unto your soul. We are here 
 on the road to Lyons, whence I purpose to return 
 straight to England. As the time approaches, though 
 you know how dearly I love quiet and home, I cannot 
 tell you how much I dread returning to Huntly." 
 
 The sorrow, however, of the dreaded return was 
 graciously relieved beyond all her expectation : 
 "Huntly Lodge, 31s August 1837. The Lord has 
 been better to me than all my fears. WagstafT (the 
 Duke's factor), accompanied by both Mr. Bigsby (of 
 the English Chapel at Gordon Castle) and Mr. Dewar 
 (minister of Eochabers) received me. My heart was 
 so full of the Lord's goodness that there was no room 
 for bitterness ; and after a few moments alone, I could 
 not rest till we had thanked our tender Father ; Mr. 
 Bigsby was the organ of our thanksgiving. The three 
 gentlemen, Annie (Sinclair), and I joined in prayer 
 then, and at night with all the people of house, stable, 
 and farm ; this morning Mr. Dewar's prayer was very 
 much what I needed. My blessed Lord Jesus is very 
 present, and I know I cannot come to my Father 
 
192 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 without him. Oh, pray that I may be more and more 
 awakened and never fall asleep again. Oh for the 
 quickening grace of the Holy Spirit to realize con- 
 tinually that blessed presence. Uh Sept. My heart 
 is full of thankfulness and wonder as to myself. I 
 dreaded above all things the bitterness of desolation 
 on my return here ; and behold the Lord made his 
 presence so manifest that I am now, as in times past, 
 rejoicing in his unmerited love." 
 
 But a few days later she tasted again the bitterness 
 of that conflict with things around which never ceases 
 on earth, but which she found at this moment pecu- 
 liarly trying : "8th Sept. 1837. I have already told 
 you of the wonderful love of my Father, who really 
 made me feel his arms about me on my first arrival 
 here ; but now my battle is beginning. I still feel, 
 and trust I shall feel, that every trial and disappoint- 
 ment sends me closer to Jesus. Oh, I am a poor, weak 
 creature, acknowledging always that there is nothing 
 solid but what is founded on the rock Christ. Still I 
 am ready to sink when I am shown that I must not 
 put my trust in man. I keep repeating, ' I am not sur- 
 prised ;' and yet the wounds in my mind show that I 
 thought things were otherwise. Truth, truth, is the 
 only thing needed ; even He who is truth, and with- 
 out him truly we can do nothing. The Lord will do 
 his own work in his own time ; and he will have me 
 
KETUBN OF THE WIDOWED DUCHESS. 193 
 
 kept constantly in mind, as he sees I need it, that I 
 have no helper but him who is the Mighty One. Oh 
 that I could say at all times, The Lord is my helper ; 
 I will not fear what man can do unto me." " 12th 
 Sept. Oh yes, it is desolate to be in an earthly home 
 all alone ; but I do trust my Father is showing me 
 that it is all to make me look to my own country, to 
 the city of habitation, which, if Christ be mine, is 
 mine in him. I think I am getting better, I mean 
 in mind, for the body is well enough ; but I am an 
 ungrateful creature, seeing it is all to keep me closer 
 to my God, and he will give me strength to do what 
 he would have me to do, though I be alone. My 
 prayer is, that the Spirit of grace may be abundantly 
 given to me ; that the delight of my life may be com 
 munion with the Father, and with his Son Jesus 
 Christ ; that God may dwell in me, and walk in me ; 
 and that we, being indeed the daughters of the Lord 
 Almighty, may serve him in every thought, and word, 
 and deed, and may never look even to the arrange- 
 ments of an earthly home with more anxiety than if 
 it were a house taken for a month." 
 
 The house into which she desired to enter, as if one 
 " taken for a month," was now to be her home for 
 more than a quarter of a century, as it had been 
 already for twelve years while she was Marchioness. 
 A widow's sorrow is often aggravated by her removal 
 
 N 
 
194 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 from the scenes of married happiness; but the jointure- 
 house of the Duchess with a suitable extent of land 
 around it was Huntly Lodge, where she had lived 
 more years with her husband than at Gordon Castle, 
 with which she had so many pleasing associations, 
 and whose scenery she not only loved but admired. 
 This circumstance, so soothing in itself, mingled for 
 the time both joy and sorrow in her cup : "The Lord 
 has ever proved himself to me a very present help 
 and most tender Father in Christ Jesus our Lord; 
 yet on my return to this place, where I have been so 
 happy, I do feel that constant and more than human 
 aid is needful to support me." 
 
 The district round Huntly on approaching from 
 Aberdeen is not attractive to the eye of a stranger ; 
 it seems to want alike the grassy slopes and undulat- 
 ing hills of the south of Scotland, and the bold moun- 
 tains of the Highlands. Yet like nature everywhere 
 it possesses a charm of its own, chiefly in the open 
 and wide-lying nature of the country, with a free air 
 in summer, and a clear and bracing winter. The cold 
 is three degrees severer than at Gordon Castle, and 
 the snow is apt to fall deeply and to lie long. The 
 letters of the Duchess sometimes contain such re- 
 marks as these : " The roads are impassable for wheel- 
 carriages ; we have been blocked up with snow for 
 six weeks. Almost every day last week I consulted 
 
ITS GROUNDS. 195 
 
 whether the sledge could go for you, but was told of 
 some reason or other to hinder." The sledge at 
 Huntly Lodge with its handsome furs, its tingling 
 bells, and horses running tandem, had rather the air 
 of a picturesque and pleasant variety of driving, even, 
 when there was no other way of moving about ; but 
 the sleighs of the medical practitioners seemed to in- 
 dicate a liability to such a depth and continuance of 
 snow, as to make this mode of travelling a real con- 
 venience, if not an occasional necessity. 
 
 The grounds of Huntly Lodge are marked by a 
 good deal of variety and beauty, with their woods, 
 parks, and gardens, the impetuous river spanned by 
 its narrow bridge, the old Castle on its banks, and the 
 wide circle of mountains in the distance. All these 
 the Duchess admired and enjoyed. Where the hand 
 of man could aid, she loved to enrich nature by art, 
 and delighted to make improvements in buildings, 
 gardens, and walks. The fine situation and noble 
 edifice of the old Castle had great attractions for her, 
 and after her marriage she deeply regretted to find 
 that it could not be restored as a residence. The 
 Marquises of Huntly had transferred their home to 
 Gordon Castle, and under the Dukes of Gordon the 
 old Castle of Huntly was left in charge of their 
 factors, who so dismantled it for their own ends as to 
 render it for ever useless as a habitation. In the last 
 
196 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 century, on the marriage of the Dowager Duchess 
 Katherine to General States Ley Morris, Huntly 
 Lodge was hastily extended with little regard to 
 architectural beauty ; and it was further enlarged 
 and greatly improved for the Duchess Elisabeth, when 
 she was Marchioness. This house was now to be 
 her home for twenty-seven years, during which it 
 became well known and endeared to a larger circle 
 of the Lord's servants than any other house in Scot- 
 land. 
 
 x4mong the lesser relics transferred from Gordon 
 Castle to the Lodge were some old pets of the Duke's 
 and her own, to which there is a passing reference in 
 her letters. " Your poor bullfinch ! how true that 
 we must not set our affections on these things. 
 Yicky was so happy to see me ; Sail, an immense 
 lady of the Talbot family, is a daily visitor in the 
 dining-room. I wish you could see us all, and scold 
 me sometimes." To a stranger the most remarkable 
 of the Duke's old favourites was Kaiser, an Hungarian 
 wolf-dog with a snow-white fleece, and most sheep- 
 like aspect in the distance, but at whose appearance 
 out of doors, man, woman, and child fled as from a 
 wolf. The Duchess called him " The wolf in sheep's 
 clothing." Her husband's tastes having brought her 
 much into contact with all sorts of dogs, she had 
 learned to pat them confidently at their first intro- 
 
ITS GROUNDS. 197 
 
 duction, when a krge space between their eyes be- 
 tokened a kindly temper. This open breadth of 
 forehead was strongly marked in Sail, a fine old 
 mastiff that used at this time to walk round the 
 dining-room after breakfast, with her noble head 
 reaching the level of the table. But the Duke had 
 chosen Kaiser for other qualities. Two of those wolf- 
 dogs had been brought to him for sale when travelling 
 on the Continent ; the other was the larger and hand- 
 somer animal; but Kaiser's eyes sunk deep in the 
 head, and all but meeting under the shaggy hair, at 
 once fixed his choice on him as " likest his work." 
 That work was to defend the sheep from the wolves, 
 and one mode of defence was by laying a strange 
 trap for the enemy. The dog was remarkably like a 
 sheep, his hair white without a dark speck, and he 
 carried a great load of it, long and fleecy like wool. 
 In the Hungarian steppes four or five of those dogs 
 would lay themselves down on the grass in the even- 
 ing, like so many harmless lambs sleeping there with 
 their faces inward for the heat of each others 
 breath. The keen eye of the wolf was soon attracted 
 by the white fleeces, with no shepherd near to guard 
 them. Eager for blood, he careered swiftly over 
 the plain, and sprang unsuspecting into the midst 
 of the flock, only to find himself clinched in the re- 
 lentless jaws of Kaiser and his comrades, wolves more 
 
198 HUXTLY LODGE. 
 
 terrible than himself under the clothing of timid 
 sheep. 
 
 A conversation once took place at the Lodge on the 
 character ascribed to dogs in Scripture. It slightly 
 vexed the good Duchess that they were so often 
 mentioned in the Bible, but only as emblems of what 
 is foul and fierce, except in a single instance, and that 
 not of commendation but neutrality. This exception, 
 she said, occurred in the Book of Proverbs, where the 
 greyhound is named along with the lion and the goat 
 as " comely in going," yet merely in praise of his 
 external beauty. But her difficulty was relieved by 
 the reply, that in Isaiah lvi. 10, the "dog" is really 
 used in a good sense as applied to the spiritual watch- 
 men of the Lord's flock. For the unfaithful shepherds, 
 being there likened to dumb dogs that cannot bark, 
 were not censured under the simple image of watch- 
 dogs, but because as such they were faithless and use- 
 less ; implying that the good watch-dog is an honour- 
 able emblem of the true pastor, watching for the souls 
 committed to his care, and solemnly warning them of 
 approaching danger. 
 
 But to return to Huntly Lodge : The house is 
 approached by a bridge over the rocky Deveron be- 
 neath the old Castle, between which and the Lodge 
 is a long, straight avenue, with a broad green sward 
 of grass on either side, and lined with rows of noble 
 
ITS GROUNDS. 199 
 
 beeches and limes. The scene, though rather formal, 
 is invested with an air of stateliness ; and the Duchess 
 greatly delighted in the view from the windows, with 
 the long stretch of bright grass ended by the bridge 
 and the Castle, and the hills seen over them in the 
 distance ; while the lines of beeches were a constant 
 refreshing to her eye, with their large round tops 
 clothed with rich brown foliage that hung long through 
 the winter, to be followed each new summer by a green 
 that looked fresher than the summer before. 
 
 In front of the house she had planned a flower- 
 garden, fashioned in shape of a flower-basket, with its 
 base towards the windows, various gay beds for its 
 contents, and its handle represented by a wreathed 
 border of flowers forming its outer circuit. Outside 
 of all, two fine araucarias, tall and unscathed by frost, 
 made a pleasing contrast to the soft and fragile flowers, 
 as if the trees had been transplanted from an older 
 world before nature was waved into beauty and soft- 
 ness ; with their straight unbending stems, and their 
 formal boughs artificially jointed like the metallic 
 branches of a candelabrum, and their stiff, everlast- 
 ing leaves, as of cast-iron painted green, that bade 
 defiance alike to the hand of man to touch their 
 sharpened points, and to the hand of time to loosen 
 one of them from its stem. 
 
 The garden, which was to her a constant source of 
 
200 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 interest and enjoyment, was close to the Lodge, from 
 which however it lay quite concealed. Its own situ- 
 ation was elevated and free, with terraced walks 
 toward the top, and sloping down toward -the south 
 in a succession of gardens to the open sheep-park 
 below, which stretched onward to the river. In the 
 midst of the old garden stood a clump of six large 
 silver firs, some of them broken and covered with ivy, 
 that had been planted by the Duchess Katharine for 
 her six children. In the lowest garden, where there 
 was a fine collection of roses which she cultivated with 
 much care, the Duchess had a favourite resort in a 
 beautiful summer-house, overlooking the sheep-walk 
 and the river and the woods beyond. 
 
 The Duchess took great pleasure in having her 
 garden and grounds kept in the most perfect order, 
 thereby also giving employment to a number of old 
 people who were able for no other work. But there is 
 a temptation in every natural taste, and our heavenly 
 Father provides some chastening to correct it. With 
 Lord Brodie it was by the soldiers quartering on his 
 young plantations ; with the Duchess of Gordon it 
 was by the death of a beautiful boy of three years old, 
 the son of her chaplain, who fell through the ice in a 
 basin for aquatic plants in one of the flower-gardens. 
 This sad occurrence, which took place some years after 
 her return to the Lodge, she thus relates: "You 
 
ITS GROUNDS. 201 
 
 have perhaps heard of the event which the Lord has 
 caused to warn us during the past week ; if you have 
 not heard the particulars I will tell you. Mrs. Hull's 
 three younger children, with the maid, went to walk in 
 the flower-garden ; for the present maid did not know 
 how very strongly I enjoined that they should never 
 go there without one of themselves. With the little 
 girl in her arms she passed near the basin, and Charlie 
 followed her, saying, ' Johnnie won't come.' She put 
 down 'the infant and left her in charge of Charlie, 
 while she ran back and saw Johnnie in the pond. 
 She plunged in after him, and went over her head in 
 the water, which with fright and ice made it many 
 minutes before she could raise him. Mrs. Hull had 
 gone to see the poor old woman who is dying in the 
 poultry-house, and as she returned she met one of 
 the gardeners with the child in his arms ; she thinks 
 he moved after she took him, but he never gasped 
 or sighed. You may believe everything was done that 
 could be thought of; Dr. Wilson was soon at the 
 cottage, and for two hours tried every usual means of 
 restoration, but in vain. It is a comfort to Mr. Hull, 
 that the last time he heard the child's voice he was 
 
 singing, 
 
 ' Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour, 
 Once became a child like me ; 
 Oh that, in my whole behaviour, 
 He my pattern still might be.' " 
 
202 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 The Duchess had the pond immediately converted 
 into a rockery for Alpine plants, both to remove the 
 sad association and to prevent all future danger. The 
 affliction helped to transplant her affections from every 
 paradise below to the garden of God above ; and to set 
 them here on earth on the trees of righteousness, the 
 planting of the Lord, on the fir-tree that supplants the 
 thorn, and the myrtle-tree the briar. In latter years, 
 far beyond all her hopes, she was privileged to see her 
 very grounds and. parks converted into gardens and 
 nurseries for heaven, by the sowing of the "good 
 seed" in the hearts of assembled thousands, hungering 
 for the word of life. Every other enjoyment to which 
 they had ministered she counted nothing in compari- 
 son ; then the blessing of the Lord enriched her, and 
 he added no sorrow with it ; then in those pleasure- 
 grounds her spirit heard the Bridegroom calling : 
 
 " Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away, 
 
 For lo ! the winter is past, the rain is over and gone ; 
 
 The flowers appear on the earth ; 
 
 The time of the singing of birds is come, 
 
 And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land ; 
 
 The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, 
 
 And the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. 
 
 Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." 
 
 Having commenced this section with the return of 
 her Grace to Huntly Lodge, we shall conclude it with 
 her first revisiting of Gordon Castle the following 
 year: "Huntly Lodge, ISth January 1838. As on 
 
VISIT TO GORDON CASTLE. 203 
 
 my first coming here I felt little because 1 sought 
 strength, so with my first visit to Gordon Castle ; and 
 in the state of the infant-schools an earnest of blessed 
 fruit, which I have been permitted to see gathered by 
 the Lord of the harvest, has made me so happy that 
 I must expect a reaction when the effervescence is 
 over ; and I am sure I need very soon to take a day 
 of solemn business. 
 
 " The little lamb, who is gone to the bosom of the 
 Good Shepherd, was buried the very day I passed 
 through Fochabers, and visited the infant-school for 
 the first time since my return. He replied some time 
 ago to Mr. Bigsby, who asked him where he learned 
 to love Jesus, I was learned at the infant-school, 
 but God put it in my heart/ His sufferings were 
 unusually great from decline after measles ; but while 
 life remained, he always turned his eyes towards the 
 namer of the beloved name of Jesus ; and his little 
 hands were folded in prayer, while four people were 
 necessary to hold his convulsed body.^ His mother 
 heard him groaning, as she thought, one night before 
 he was speechless, which he was for ten days ; and on 
 approaching his bed, heard him saying over, 'My 
 Jesus ! my Jesus ! ' She asked if he wanted anything : 
 ' Oh no ;' but often he asked for light in the night to 
 have the Bible read when he could not see. There is 
 another little wee boy in the school very remarkable, 
 
204 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 but I shall not have room to tell you more of him than 
 one text he gave me : ' In all thy ways acknowledge 
 God, and he shall direct thy paths/ " 
 
 HUNTLY LODGE : ITS DAILY LIFE. 
 
 When the Duchess returned as a widow to Huntly 
 Lodge, in 1837, to reside during the remainder of her 
 life, her religious course and the whole arrangement 
 of her household were placed for the first time entirely 
 under her own control, and they took at once that 
 form which they retained for nearly thirty years after- 
 wards ; the fruit alike of her decision in choosing her 
 path, and of her perseverance through grace in walk- 
 ing in it onward to the end. 
 
 After her decease the charge of Plymouthism was 
 brought against her Grace's memory. But "there 
 must be order in the Church" was the expression of 
 her own sentiments on that head ; and while she had 
 valued friends abroad belonging to that communion, 
 there was not one of her associates in Scotland over 
 whom the Plymouth doctrines had any influence. 
 With the excellent "Brethren" the good Duchess had 
 nothing in common, save our common Christianity. 
 Her brotherhood was not like theirs, first severing other 
 Churches and then their own. Their frequent enuncia- 
 tion, " He is a good man, but I could not break bread 
 
ITS DAILY LIFE. 205 
 
 with him," was contrary to every thought and feeling of 
 her heart ; for there was no good man throughout the 
 world, with whom she would not have been too happy 
 to sit at the table of the Lord, only counting her- 
 self unworthy of the privilege. So with their other 
 peculiarities. In her clear and strong views of the 
 imputed righteousness of Christ, she differed from such 
 of them as hold it loosely or deny it ; in her fervent 
 admiration of nature she differed from others ; in her 
 firm belief in the perpetual obligation of the Sabbath, 
 in her appreciation of the inestimable privilege of in- 
 fant baptism, and in her high value for the Christian 
 ministry, she differed from them all. 
 
 Her daily life at Huntly Lodge was a testimony 
 against those doctrines which level all earthly distinc- 
 tions ; a constant witness to the scriptural institution 
 and the attractive beauty of a regulated order in the 
 world. From the door-step of the mansion of another 
 devout and noble lady in Scotland, you might trace a 
 quiet handwriting on the wall : " I'd rather far be one 
 of nature's own nobility." The preference was doubt- 
 less wise. But the men ennobled by nature form the 
 rarest of all the orders of nobility ; and the high 
 distinction cannot be got by sighing for it, any more 
 than a marquisate or a dukedom. The Duchess of 
 Gordon did not lack some features of character quali- 
 fying her to rank among the nobles of nature, and 
 
206 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 grace had given her a high position among the nobles 
 of Israel ; yet she did not therefore trample under foot 
 the coronet of Gordon, but strove to make it shine 
 with a purer and brighter lustre. For centuries it had 
 shone before the eyes of men in indomitable energy, 
 in heroic courage, in military skill, in the mastering 
 spirit of rule, in princely splendour, in distinguished 
 talent, in brilliant wit, in largeness of heart, and 
 noble generosity. But its lustre was of earth, and not 
 of heaven ; and its blemishes, moral and religious, 
 were not few nor small. The last Duchess of Gordon 
 sought now to make that ancient coronet shine with 
 the beauty of divine grace ; and the Lord gave her 
 the desire of her heart. 
 
 After her widowhood it became a serious question 
 with her how far she should continue to maintain the 
 style and living of a duchess. To some of her friends 
 it seemed that her own taste would have led her to 
 prefer the retired life of a simple gentlewoman, with- 
 out the establishment associated with her rank. But 
 the preference of the Duchess was certainly rather 
 for a measure of the state to which she had been so 
 long accustomed, and her natural tendency was more 
 towards maintaining than renouncing it ; without, 
 however, interfering either with her humility toward 
 God, or her self-depreciation as compared with others 
 ever so humble. At the same time, she would have 
 
ITS DAILY LIFE. 207 
 
 made the sacrifice at once had she seen it to be duty ; 
 and on being left a widow she seriously weighed the 
 question of letting Huntly Lodge, and retiring into a 
 humbler life. To live on a thousand a year instead 
 of ten would have saved her many temptations, spared 
 her much trouble, and given her a magnificent oppor- 
 tunity of directly furthering the cause of the gospel, 
 relieving much distress, and promoting many schemes 
 for the good of mankind. But to use her own words, 
 she saw that "position is stewardship ;" and she 
 wisely resolved not to cast it away, but to devote it 
 to the Lord and his service. The precept, " Let every 
 man abide in the same calling wherein he was called," 
 she took as the guide of her path ; and having been 
 numbered by the Lord in the rank of the " not many 
 noble that are called/' she determined therein to abide 
 with God. 
 
 Before going abroad after die Duke s death, she 
 had written in prospect of her return : " The daily 
 occurrences, which rub so severely on the tender 
 wound, will have brought about changes so that at 
 least the sharp edges will be somewhat smoothed ; 
 and I shall be able to go to Scotland and commence 
 a new course of service, which I trust it may please 
 my Divine Master to bless. The circumstances in 
 which I have been placed in England, not only by my 
 rank but by the friendship and esteem of my Queen 
 
208 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 (Adelaide), forbid me to place myself now in such a 
 position as might mar my future usefulness, if it be 
 the will of God to give me grace, wisdom, strength, 
 and opportunity. Therefore, hearing the effect that 
 following my own inclination to retire to the west of 
 Scotland would have on my worldly friends, and con- 
 sidering that many sincere ones have urged me not to 
 go to Scotland till I can at least visit my own house, 
 I have resolved on going abroad. I believe the Lord 
 in his providence would have me know what it is to 
 be a stranger and a pilgrim ; and I trust when I get 
 to my own home, if he sees fit I should, I shall know 
 better how to perform his will." 
 
 It is impossible to calculate the good she was 
 enabled to accomplish by thus retaining and adorning 
 the position that belonged to her. The light that 
 shines through the cottage window in the lowly 
 valley will cheer and#guide the midnight wanderer, 
 who chances to pass within its narrow range ; but the 
 lamp on the lofty light-house is seen far and near, 
 and directs thousands to the sheltering harbour. Her 
 burning lamp was placed on such an elevation ; her 
 pure and loving and heavenly life told the world 
 whence its light was kindled, and guided some of its 
 children to the hope within the veil, where they also 
 might cast their anchor and be for ever safe ; while 
 her steadfast and holy walk was a lofty pattern in the 
 
ITS DAILY LIFE. 209 
 
 Church, an epistle known and read of all men, which 
 provoked many in their own humbler spheres to walk 
 as she did on an elevation so peculiarly trying. Com- 
 pared with this wide influence, the benefit must have 
 been little that would have been produced by the 
 additional means to be placed at her disposal by 
 descending into a lower path in life. 
 
 While retaining the accompaniments of her rank, 
 she kept also the society of all her own or her hus- 
 band's friends, who were willing to associate with her 
 without any compromise of her own principles. The 
 sentiments of many of them were different from her 
 own touching the one great need of man ; yet they 
 were welcome guests at her house, but without the 
 alteration of a jot or tittle of her own arrangements 
 on their account. Whether so much society and so 
 varied was desirable or not, we offer no opinion. But 
 from the time of her marriage she had been always 
 accustomed to a large circle ; by her natural choice she 
 eDJoyed it, and she earnestly sought to have all things 
 sanctified to herself and to her guests ; while a heart 
 less open to all mankind would also have been more 
 reserved to the wide circle of Christ's followers. But 
 her " desire was toward the excellent in the earth, in 
 whom was all her delight ;" and without bringing the 
 rude and uneducated to her table, as has been foolishly 
 asserted, many were invited to her house with whom 
 
 o 
 
210 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 her only tie was an interest in the common salvation ; 
 and that long before the wide religious efforts of the 
 last few years, and while she was still a member of the 
 English Church. 
 
 The house, while wanting nothing that became her 
 position, was marked by simplicity, regulated with 
 strict economy, and conducted with remarkable quiet 
 ness. The most beautiful order was the constant 
 aspect of the whole establishment, pervading all its 
 departments, and sweetening all the relations of the 
 servants towards each other : 
 
 ' ' Hers was a gracious and a gentle house : 
 A cool repose lay gratef ul through the place ; 
 And pleasant duties, touched by hidden springs, 
 Oil'd with intelligence moved smoothly round." 
 
 Everything throughout the day was conducted with 
 the exactness of clock-work, and the Duchess was as 
 obedient to the times she had arranged as any of her 
 guests or attendants. Her own hours of rising were 
 very early ; her fire was lighted at six, and she rose 
 not long after, except in the weaker health of later 
 years, when she meditated in bed before rising ; the 
 family met at nine for breakfast, and separated soon 
 after ten at night. Both morning and evening, ex- 
 actly at half-past nine, they assembled for prayers ; 
 or, in the more definite Scottish designation, for 
 " family worship," including praise, the reading of the 
 
ITS DAILY LIFE. 211 
 
 Word of God, and prayer. The place of meeting 
 was the Library, which the servants often called the 
 Chapel, from the use to which it was chiefly appro- 
 priated. There were gathered first the large circle of 
 domestics, with the men employed in the garden and 
 the stables, and the servants belonging to the various 
 guests. Then with a quiet and respectful dignity, and 
 in words and tone that never varied by one syllable 
 or accent, morning and evening, during the twenty- 
 seven years of her Grace's widowhood and his own 
 stewardship, the butler announced, "They're all as- 
 sembled." The family and guests then repaired to 
 the Library, the Duchess taking the minister's arm, if 
 there happened to be one present. All stood while a 
 brief blessing was asked ; then a psalm, or more rarely 
 a hymn, was read ; and led by the solemn tones of the 
 organ, the sweet song of morning and evening praise 
 ascended on high. A portion of the Scriptures was 
 next read, and if the worship was conducted by one 
 qualified for it, the passage was explained more or 
 less fully. Then followed prayer, in which her Grace 
 expected that the Queen should never be forgotten ; 
 and while many have suffered much by her removal 
 from earth, Her Majesty has lost the benefit of her 
 daily remembrance ; but she enjoys the gain of all her 
 prayers for so many years in secret and in the family 
 still remembered by the Lord Most High. 
 
212 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 After breakfast every morning, for many years, the 
 Duchess visited her maid Cossens, now old, invalid, 
 and bedridden. Having served faithfully for fifteen 
 years, she lived for nearly thirty more in Gordon 
 Castle and Huntly Lodge, in a room of her own, 
 and waited upon with every attention. The Duchess 
 herself, in a beautiful interchange of their former 
 relations as mistress and maid, ministered continually 
 to her wants, whether for the body or the soul, with 
 most considerate kindness ; bringing also her more 
 intimate friends to visit her, as well as ministers, who 
 were guests in the house, to read and pray with her. 
 
 At noon, in her own beautiful room, the Duchess 
 had a daily reading of the Bible, with conversation 
 and prayer. When the family were alone, it was with 
 Miss Sinclair or Miss Sandilands, and some other young 
 ladies usually living at the Lodge ; when she had 
 visitors, it included the more intimate of her friends, 
 who were always such as could enjoy the privilege. 
 Each took part in the reading, which was intermingled 
 with conversation and followed by prayer. Conversa- 
 tional readings of this kind are not easily conducted 
 well, being apt to run into fanciful or petty questions 
 and remarks, or into a minute hair-splitting of Scrip- 
 ture, and making an idol of the letter apart from the 
 spirit of the Word. But at Huntly Lodge there were 
 two effectual preventives against these evils. The first 
 
ITS DAILY LIFE. 213 
 
 was in the strong good sense of the Duchess, which 
 had no sympathy with fancies, and no relish for trifles. 
 The second, and the more powerful, was in her intense 
 hunger for spiritual food ; for the pleasure of uttering 
 her own remark, or listening to another's, was nothing 
 in comparison with her delight in obtaining the least 
 morsel of bread for her soul. She used to say of such 
 meetings elsewhere, " I enjoy most what others relish 
 least, when a spiritually-minded man speaks at length, 
 and simply for edification," The presence of a minister 
 was, therefore, always welcomed and coveted at her 
 noon-day readings ; which were, however, most remark- 
 able for the proof they gave of her own intense and 
 constant longing for the Lord and his word. The 
 character of the Duchess was in that respect a most 
 interesting study of itself. To some who knew her 
 longest, it still remains a wonder and a mystery. She 
 entered into the enjoyment of life fully as much as is 
 done by most ; she possessed a quiet and happy assur- 
 ance of the life to come ; arid her disposition was 
 singularly placid, cheerful, and contented. But she 
 longed for the word of God and prayer, as another 
 would do in the deepest distress of spirit ; she both 
 coveted these earnestly at any time, and when once 
 engaged appeared never to weary of their continuance. 
 There seemed to be a well-spring of joy within, flowing 
 up in a continual cheerfulness, and at the same time 
 
214 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 a deep and intense thirst which no abundance of water 
 could satisfy. While these two are indeed in no con- 
 flict with each other, but in perfect harmony, yet we 
 marvel at the combination exhibited so beautifully, 
 and admire the grace so fully brought out in one 
 " of like passions with ourselves." 
 
 The afternoons or evenings were occupied with read- 
 ing the most interesting publications of the day, both 
 religious and literary, with the exception of novels 
 and everything of a kindred character. The follow- 
 ing letter refers, among other things, to the course of 
 daily life now commenced at Hun try Lodge : " Dec. 
 8th. I begin to think it is not profitable to speak of 
 our feelings and ideas to any mortal ear, for the act 
 of doing so nourishes self-love ; and I have often felt 
 myself satisfied, after having made that sort of con 
 fession, in a way which I am now convinced was not 
 the work of the Spirit of holiness and humility. 
 Truly the heart is deceitful above all things, and 
 desperately wicked ; but he who knows it and searches 
 it can cleanse it, and not only he can, but will, for he 
 has promised. Various are his ways of performing his 
 promises, and hard is the struggle he will occasion 
 his children before he will give them that which is 
 their own, purchased for them by the blood and 
 righteousness of his dear Son. Oh, it is a good thing 
 to wrestle with God, and I think it must be done not 
 
ITS DAILY LIFE. 215 
 
 only when actually on our knees, but every moment. 
 Surely there is no moment in which we need not to 
 say, " I will not let thee go/ I think I would not 
 even say with Jacob, 'Except thou bless me;' but 
 1 Stay and bless me/ with a sense of thy presence, thy 
 love, and thy strength. I will not say any more, for 
 the devil is saying to me, ' This is well said/ 
 
 "At 12, Annie and I read with Commentaries. We 
 have begun the Gospel of Matthew, with Quesnel and 
 Boys ; and seeking wisdom to know what we should 
 choose, we prepare a little commentary to read to the 
 servants at night. When we have read we intend 
 going out. From 3 to 4, in general, we have to our- 
 selves ; at 4, she reads Stevenson to me, but I have a 
 little quiet before going to Cossens at 5 ; at \ past 6, 
 dinner ; after it a chapter in Proverbs. At 8, I read 
 Erskine Murray on the Pyrenees, till 9 ; 9 J, prayers. 
 
 "You ask for my further recollections of Mr. 
 M'Cheyne. It was rather by inference than from 
 what he said that the ideas on baptism took hold on 
 me ; therefore if wrong they are not his. Our Lord's 
 baptism being a type of the baptism in his own blood 
 by which he passed under all the waves of his Father's 
 wrath, so his rising up out of Jordan is a type of the 
 resurrection from the dead, whereby he was declared 
 to be the Son of God with power, and the heavens 
 acknowledged the type by the voice, 'This is my 
 
216 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 beloved Son.' Now, as Christ desired to be baptized, 
 because he said, 'Thus it become th us to fulfil all 
 righteousness/ so the baptism of each individual is an 
 acknowledgment that He has fulfilled all that could 
 be required by the justice of God ; and by imputation, 
 at baptism we make the acknowledgment that the 
 work is finished. I cannot make the idea clear to 
 myself to-day ; I beg pardon for spoiling so much 
 paper/' 
 
 In the music in the drawing-room, after dinner or 
 tea, she often herself took part, and with such spirit 
 and taste as to delight even those least sensible to its 
 charms. One evening after her return to the Lodge, 
 and within two or three years of the Duke's death, 
 there was a proposal for music, to which none seemed 
 ready to respond, when she suddenly rose to the piano, 
 and played one of her old Scotch tunes with the ex- 
 quisite skill of a right hand that had not forgot its 
 cunning. But as she played to the intense delight of 
 the listeners, the tears were rolling down her cheeks, 
 and when she had done, she apologized to her guests 
 by explaining that it was the Duke's favourite tune, 
 and that this was the first time she had attempted it 
 since his death. 
 
 The relief of the poor always occupied a large place 
 in the thoughts of the Duchess. She was very patient in 
 inquiring into cases of distress brought before her, and 
 
ITS DAILY LIFE. 217 
 
 very generous in relieving them when satisfied of their 
 truth ; besides occasionally sending sums of money 
 through the post, without her name, where she knew 
 it was needed. Her regular disbursement for the poor 
 in meat, clothing, and money, was very large ; and she 
 did not forget the Lord's command to " make friends 
 of the mammon of unrighteousness," but took care 
 to provide spiritual counsel for those who shared her 
 temporal bounty. After settling at Huntly Lodge, 
 and while many workmen were still engaged in setting 
 things in order within and without the house, one of 
 her first cares was to find a godly chaplain, both for 
 the sake of her own household, and for the benefit of 
 the people around. On this subject she wrote to one 
 of her earliest friends, to whose kindness we owe the 
 most valuable materials in these Memoirs. The list of 
 two hundred poor families, whose wants she regularly 
 relieved, had in later years increased to three hun- 
 dred : 
 
 " Huntly Lodge, 3d April 1838. 
 
 " My deabest Lady Home, I hardly thought that 
 a letter from you could have disappointed me so much 
 as that received yesterday. But it is the Lord's own 
 work for which I desire a workman worthy of having 
 souls for his hire, and our Master knows best what 
 will suit his purpose. I cannot doubt that He has a 
 purpose of mercy for this place, since he has put it 
 
218 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 into the hearts of so many of his dear children to 
 pray for us. Perhaps this solemn time at Glasgow will 
 enable some to see his will more clearly. Might not 
 some zealous and wise-hearted godly man be prevailed 
 on to come for a few months, while there are so many 
 earthly workmen about this place, and before the term 
 when some of my old people are to leave me ? I 
 have in the time of the severe winter been so often 
 deceived by statements of distress from the least 
 deserving of assistance, that it is absolutely necessary 
 I should have some one statedly to search into the 
 true state of the cases ; and besides extraordinary 
 calls, there are upwards of two hundred poor families 
 on my list, who, though belonging to different con- 
 gregations, would yet afford no small field for an able 
 worker. Of course, one who meant to remain would 
 do the work more efficiently ; but still I would thank- 
 fully accept temporary assistance, provided I could 
 obtain it directly, say within three weeks. May the 
 Lord help us ! He has commanded us to pray for 
 more labourers, and we know that he heareth and 
 answereth prayer according to his w r ill ; nay, more, 
 Jesus ever liveth to make intercession, and I believe 
 that these very difficulties are raised in tenderness to 
 me, who have never before felt the value of souls, and 
 should perhaps not now have felt for their necessities 
 had not the apparent opposition roused my stony heart. 
 
ITS DAILY LIFE. 219 
 
 " There seems nothing to prevent me receiving the 
 Duke of Richmond, when he comes to take actual 
 possession of the estates in May ; and this I am 
 anxious to do, as I was absent in November when he 
 wished to come to me. I did not answer your dear, 
 kind letter which came in Helen s packet, for I have 
 had surcroit d'embarras of writing lately ; and though 
 I do so need advice and wisdom in my own matters, 
 the most extraordinary people think proper to consult 
 me about the most extraordinary things, and I cannot 
 lose the opportunity of giving the only Christian 
 advice they may be in the way of receiving. May the 
 Lord help me; oh, how constantly do I need help ! 
 
 "Now, my dearest Anna, you must not for one 
 moment think of sending me Mr. B. . . . / should 
 not expect a blessing with him. It was quite necessary 
 you should have a tutor for your boys, and his work 
 is pointed out and settled, and so it must be. We 
 must not change, for He whom we serve changeth not, 
 and in his service you know he has some apostles, 
 some pastors, some teachers, each in their several 
 vocations. This is what I feel with regard to myself; 
 He will not strengthen us for a work, which is not 
 that to which he has appointed us." 
 
 The circumstance to which her Grace refers, of the 
 most extraordinary people consulting her on the most 
 extraordinary subjects, arose from her singular kind- 
 
220 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 liness of disposition and largeness of heart, and was 
 responded to on her part with unwearied patience 
 and good-nature, along with watchfulness to scatter 
 the seed of life. With correspondents in every sphere 
 of life, the same kindly and Christian spirit pervaded 
 all her communications. Whether writing to friend 
 or equal, or to her land-steward or housekeeper when 
 from home, she would introduce anything that seemed 
 fitted either to profit or to interest. 
 
 HUNTLY LODGE : ITS SABBATHS. 
 
 Among the seven days of the week, the Sabbath 
 ever held its own high distinction at Huntly Lodge. 
 It was a day of holy rest to the servants ; all work 
 that admitted of it was gone over on the Saturday 
 evening; and no fire was lighted in the drawing- 
 room, both to save unnecessary work, and to present 
 no inducement for visitors to meet together for idle 
 conversation. During the hours of Divine service the 
 doors of the house were locked, and the servants were 
 all at church with the exception of one, or in winter 
 two. But there was no slave-like bondage on the 
 holy day ; no want of sunny cheerfulness ; no restraint 
 from admiring and rejoicing in all the works of the 
 Lord. 
 
 To the Duchess herself it was the day looked for- 
 

 ITS SABBATHS. 221 
 
 ward to with hope, and the day remembered with 
 delight through all the week. No godly Highland 
 woman, to whom the house of God was the one 
 channel of instruction, ever longed more for the 
 courts of the Lord or delighted more in divine ordi- 
 nances than the Duchess of Gordon. A false or an 
 uncertain sound from the pulpit struck a deep wound 
 into her spirit, and the dry form of godliness without 
 the power was a grievous disappointment ; but when 
 there was any unction at all from the Holy One, in 
 the word or prayer, the house of the Lord brought 
 unwearied delight. Morning and evening, in strength 
 and weakness, in rain, frost, snow, the Duchess was 
 at the house of God, and always early, so that her 
 servants might also be iu time. Others may have had 
 more grace, the Lord only knoweth, but few have 
 ever loved more all the means of grace. If there 
 was any atmosphere of spiritual life in the ordi- 
 nances, private or public, in the word, sacrament, or 
 prayer, no prolongation of the services, and no multi- 
 plication of them, seemed either to fatigue the body 
 or exhaust the mind. Her note-taking during ser- 
 mon did not interrupt her mental exercise at the 
 time, and the copying out of the sermons after- 
 wards helped to diffuse the Sabbath blessing over 
 the week. 
 
 At Huntly Lodge there were no letters posted or 
 
 I 
 
9 9 9 
 
 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 received on the Sabbath ; and no arrivals or depar- 
 tures of guests that day. One morning, when sitting 
 down at the breakfast table, a carriage-and-four had 
 come round from the stables. Startled with the un- 
 usual sound, the Duchess exclaimed, " What is that ?* 
 when a young English nobleman, who had been stay- 
 ing in the house, entered the room to bid her Grace 
 good-bye. " Oh no," she said, " not on the Sabbath ;" 
 and taking him affectionately to another room, she 
 easily persuaded him to remain till the following 
 
 morning. 
 
 When from home she carried the Sabbath most 
 carefully with her. In visiting her friends, in the 
 Dukes lifetime as well as afterwards, she made a 
 point of retiring on the Saturday night in such time 
 as to prevent the least encroachment on the Sabbath 
 on her account. On the Continent she invariably 
 discouraged any social meetings, even with the pre- 
 sence of a pious clergyman, where she feared that the 
 tone of conversation might not fully accord with the 
 sacredness of the day. If any views were advanced 
 on the subject by religious foreigners, that seemed to 
 be loose, she would argue most earnestly against them, 
 and in favour of the strictest observance of the Sab- 
 bath, as a day divinely set apart for spiritual employ- 
 ment from morning to night. 
 
 Another subject of a character partly kindred to 
 
ITS SABBATHS. 223 
 
 the Sabbath is referred to in several of her letters : 
 the setting of a day apart for prayer, which she was 
 in the habit of doing, both when any very special 
 occasion called for it and on certain days of the year ; 
 keeping her room all the morning, eating sparingly, 
 and then joining the family at dinner-time. The days 
 to which she refers in the following extract were her 
 own and the Duke's birth-days, their marriage-day, 
 and the day of his death : " Your word this morning, 
 'Kern ember the 22d/ was seasonable, for I never can, 
 so cold-hearted am I. I seldom remember any days 
 but four in the year, and those concern myself : the 
 11th December, the 2d February, the 28th May, and 
 the 20th June. How different from you, who have as 
 warm a recollection of what concerns me, as of what 
 concerns yourself. I do not, however, forget you any 
 day ; and my prayer, individualizing you as well as 
 myself, is that we may ' do the will of God on earth, 
 as it is done in heaven : ' the entire will, as appointed, 
 by Providence, with alacrity, with ardent love, with 
 the whole mind of Christ, with heavenly-mindedness, as 
 it is done in heaven. All this I desire for you more and 
 more, that all our conversation may be in heaven, and 
 that though in the world we may not be of the world." 
 One of these seasons of prayer is thus recorded : 
 " The day was a very comfortable one, and has had 
 very comfortable results ; the Lord delivered me from 
 
224 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 wandering thoughts, more than for a long time. Some 
 former days of humiliation were attempted as a task, 
 instead of as the privilege of a child to come near to a 
 reconciled Father. And though I have not now the 
 sense of sin or warmth of love I desire, yet I know 
 that in Christ they are both to be found and I doubt 
 not the blessed Spirit in his own good time will give 
 me what I need. I found I had little enough time 
 from 8 till half-past 5 to say all I had to say, and 
 find out what I wanted, even though I had thought of 
 it long before. The chapel at Fochabers was a princi- 
 pal concern, and the mountain has become a molehill." 
 
 The Duchess wrote a little tract on the Sabbath, 
 with the view of directing some of her friends in the 
 higher positions of life to just views on the subject, 
 and had it printed for private circulation. We extract 
 a few sentences : " The tables of the moral law were 
 given to Israel ; but that law is a transcript of the 
 mind of God, and there is nothing in it peculiar to 
 time, place, climate, or people. The promises of bless- 
 ing to the keeping of the Sabbath are not applicable to 
 the Jews only ; but, as in all the other promises to the 
 children of Abraham, the blessing is given to all who 
 are his children by faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. iii. 29). 
 
 " The Sabbath was made for man, that man might 
 learn to know Him, whom to know is life eternal ; it 
 was made that the bodies of men might be refreshed 
 
ITS SABBATHS. 225 
 
 as well as their souls ; and that their minds and intel- 
 lects might have a time of repose from the agitations, 
 and cares, and calculations, and contradictions of the 
 world. It was made for man, not to exclude works 
 of necessity and mercy, but that man should delight 
 himself in God. l If thou turn away thy foot from 
 the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, 
 and call the Sabbath a delight, holy of the Lord, 
 honourable ; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine 
 own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speak- 
 ing thine own words, then shalt thou delight thyself 
 in the Lord/ What a blessing ! what a privilege ! 
 to delight in the Lord, to enjoy God, to enjoy his 
 presence, his promises ; all the blessings of the new 
 Covenant, all that is treasured up in Christ in whom 
 all fulness dwells. 
 
 " Can anything be better fitted to promote the end 
 of man's creation than the observance of the Sabbath ? 
 ' Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him for 
 ever.' Is it not the very purpose of the day, that we 
 may give glory to God, by acknowledging his sove- 
 reign power, his omniscient wisdom, his infinite love, 
 his never-failing compassion, his long-suffering patience, 
 his adorable holiness and justice ? Above all, acknow- 
 ledging that on the day we now call the Sabbath, 
 the Lord's day, Christ rose from the dead, thus being 
 
 p 
 
226 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 declared the Son of God with power ; who had satis- 
 fied all the demands of the law, and endured all its 
 penalties in the place of sinners, the Just One for 
 the unjust, that he may bring us to God ; and 
 who now, as the great and glorious Mediator, ever 
 liveth to make intercession and to give gifts unto 
 men. He honoured the day by appearing among 
 his disciples and giving them his peace. l Peace 
 be unto you/ were the words of Him who spake 
 the worlds into existence : 'My peace I give unto 
 you ; not as the world giveth give I unto you/ 
 The world's gifts are but a vapour ; but when Christ 
 giveth his peace, he giveth himself as ' made unto 
 us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemp- 
 tion ; 3 he giveth his Holy Spirit that we may know 
 and enjoy him. 
 
 " Blessed be God, all this is, not exclusively, but 
 specially the privilege of the Lord's day, his own day, 
 which an old author calls ' the girdle of ordinances ;' 
 that which binds together all God's commandments 
 relative to his service, the day which he has made for 
 himself, that his people in whom are his delights may 
 delight themselves in Him." 
 
 Of the entire Sabbath from morning till night, and 
 of every new Sabbath as it succeeded the last, she 
 could most sincerely say that it was her spiritual joy, 
 
ITS SABBATHS. 227 
 
 and that without its light the whole week would have 
 been dark : 
 
 ' ' day most calm, most bright, 
 The fruit of this, the next world's bud ; 
 The endorsement of supreme delight, 
 Writ by a friend, and with his blood ; 
 The couch of time, care's balm and bay ; 
 The week were dark but for thy light, 
 Thy torch doth lead the way." 
 
 Of few, indeed, could it be affirmed more appropriately 
 than of her, that the threaded Sabbaths of her life 
 "formed bracelets of beauty for the Bride of the 
 Lamb :" 
 
 " The Sundays of man's life, 
 Threaded together on time's string, 
 Make bracelets to adorn the wife 
 Of the eternal, glorious King ; 
 On Sunday heaven's gate stands ope ; 
 Blessings are plentiful and ripe, 
 More plentiful than hope." Herbert. 
 
 For her part, she abounded in hope of its plenteous 
 blessings, and obtained the fulfilment of her longing 
 desires. Her cherished Sabbaths on earth gave vigour 
 of spiritual health and fulness of spiritual life here ; 
 and prepared her for the Sabbath which she now 
 enjoys for ever above, in the presence of " Him whom 
 having not seen she loved, and in whom, while yet 
 she saw him not, she rejoiced with joy unspeakable 
 and full of glory." 
 
228 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 LETTERS MEETING OF MINISTERS GORDON SCHOOLS. 
 1837-1841. 
 
 The following section consists chiefly of portions of 
 letters written by the Duchess during the first years 
 of her residence at Huntly Lodge. The first extracts 
 are dated at Edinburgh, which she visited for a few 
 weeks in the autumn of 1837, after living a short 
 time at Huntly on her return from abroad. She took 
 this step on account of a lady in bad health, which 
 the Duchess believed to be chiefly caused by spiritual 
 darkness. It pleased the Lord to send the light of 
 salvation into her soul during their stay ; and the 
 Duchess wrote several letters filled with gratitude for 
 having been made the means of benefit to her friend. 
 
 "Edinburgh, Oct. 1837. I never did before feel 
 the meaning of the word f marvellous/ To think that 
 my Lord should so magnify his word to myself, and in 
 reality, as to send it through such a poor earthen vessel 
 as I am; to bring peace almost in an instant to the 
 troubled soul, and to give me the delightful work of 
 comforting and establishing, I trust, one of his lambs. 
 I never saw such a change as on Mrs. G. ; she now 
 sees Jesus as most precious, and lovely, and loving to 
 herself. . . . The preaching seemed on purpose for 
 her, and what to us was most searching and rousing, 
 was to her really life from the dead : the subject, the 
 
LETTERS. 229 
 
 tliief on the cross, praying the Saviour to remember 
 him, in all his iniquity to remember him, so completely 
 putting human merit out of the question. I cannot 
 tell you how happy I was last night when we settled 
 to stay ; but I know nobody in town, and don t know 
 how to get at Mr. M. 
 
 " I think my stay at Huntly Lodge has done me 
 good ; my bonds seem loosed ; daily I have seen more 
 of Jesus, and in his light more of my own sinfulness ; 
 but oh, the Lord's dealings with me have been so 
 wonderful I May that dreadful provoking ingratitude 
 be cut away, if it should cost me far more than a right 
 eye or a right hand. The Lord can support, and will 
 not lay on me more than I can bear, but hitherto he 
 does all by love. Oh ! no words can tell his love and 
 goodness, and patience, and long-suffering, and tender- 
 ness. I thank you much for the verse, Deut. xii. 7. 
 The mirth is that which I feel to strengthen me ; the 
 prospect of the inheritance and rest, and the recollec- 
 tion that it is not now possessed. Annie (Sinclair) 
 and I have finished Esther at 12 o'clock, and are now 
 going to begin Job. May we through the Spirit 
 sanctify ourselves to the work as Job did his sons." 
 
 The next extract relates to a visit paid to her at the 
 Lodge by the Eev. Dr. Muir of Glasgow : " Huntly 
 Lodge, May 1838. I wish you had been with us 
 these last ten days ; truly I did not believe I could 
 
230 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 have enjoyed anything so much and so uninterrupt- 
 edly. I expected Dr. Muir to come in the fulness of 
 the blessing of the gospel of peace. I opened my 
 mouth wide, and it has been filled, not for my sake 
 but for Christ's ; and yet for my sake also, and for 
 that of all the souls that have been brought within 
 the glad and glorious sound of the gospel of grace and 
 truth as it is in Christ Jesus, sent through his faithful 
 servant." 
 
 " Huntly Lodge, 1838. "When I said my prayers 
 were quickened, 1 meant only on particular points, 
 and surely we all do need often to be quickened ; yea, 
 daily, hourly, every minute. If the mind is occupied 
 by anything that distresses, prayers for other things 
 become general. If, on the other hand, the heart is 
 full of thankfulness, then my most evil propensity is 
 (though now the Lord in his mercy shows me the evil 
 of it) to generalize all wants in abounding thanks- 
 giving. But more gratitude is due for being reminded 
 how little that is true gratitude, and how often it is 
 nothing but deadness and coldness. Indeed, indeed, 
 I feel with you this is my complaint, and requires 
 greater effort to conquer than any other evil, and yet 
 the Lord can, and, I believe, will do it. I was almost 
 seeking for something from without to humble me, 
 and can thank the Lord that he has sent it. . . . 
 But I must not seek that, for he can humble me more 
 
 
LETTERS. 231 
 
 effectually from within ; and by the very light of his 
 infinite love in Christ Jesus, he can break the heart of 
 stone, and bring us to the foot of the cross. Truly it 
 is our own transgressions that, as a thick cloud, come 
 between us and our God. When I am happy, I always 
 think it is our own fault that we are ever otherwise : 
 being heirs of such a portion as Christ has purchased. 
 But then so much of our happiness is of earthly mould, 
 deceitful even as our hearts." 
 
 " Huntly Lodge, 1838. The Lord continues to 
 manifest himself to me as a very present God ; and 
 to show me that it is my own fault, when I do not 
 see as much of his love as I need. Every moment I 
 must seek him, and if so, he will assuredly be found 
 of me; but if he is once lost sight of, like a track we 
 would follow on the ground, it is much more difficult 
 to keep up with or trace the footsteps. I see much 
 that I never saw before of the meaning of the expres- 
 sion ' living near to God/ Everything out of Christ 
 is vanity and sin ; and even duty, without being done 
 unto him, leads us into darkness." 
 
 "March 1839. Oh, how comfortable to feel a 
 Father's hand on us in every shape, and to know that 
 Father unchangeable in his design of mercy and love ! 
 My difficulty is to see his anger against sin, and this 
 is very needful, for otherwise how can we say, * Holy, 
 holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty' ? It seems as if 
 
 
232 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 all the anger had been laid on Christ, and so in one 
 sense it has, for those who are his ; but we must know 
 ourselves to be his by our hatred and dread of sin, 
 not only in its consequences, but in itself. His suffi 
 ciency to atone for sin is not greater than the willing- 
 ness of the Divine Spirit to cleanse from sin, and all 
 this power is ours, for ' all things are yours if ye are 
 Christ's/" 
 
 " Huntly Lodge, April 1839. I have been thinking 
 much of you at this time ; and I pray that each year 
 you may increase in likeness to Him, whose image is 
 reflected on those who by the Spirit are enabled to 
 look on him continually. Oh what is contained in 
 that * looking unto Jesus,' besides all the ordinary 
 looking as a maiden unto the hand of her mistress. 
 If we were always looking unto and at him, we could 
 not live as we do : for we should ever have light to 
 walk in the light. If we were for ever hiding our- 
 selves from wrath under the robe of his righteousness, 
 we could never deserve wrath, for he would bear all 
 we had deserved, and would keep us from all evil. . . . 
 It is very comfortable to feel that it is all God's work 
 when we do anything according to his will ; and that 
 he has ordained it and us, that we should go and 
 bring forth fruit and that our fruit should remain. 
 Yes, remain, though we see it not now ; and the more 
 he makes us feel that it is not our work but his, the 
 
MEETING OF MINISTERS. 233 
 
 more sure we may be that lie will finish it to that 
 whereunto he purposeth." 
 
 The next brief extract refers to a meeting of mini- 
 sters at Huntly Lodge, which she had already com- 
 menced, and which she continued, or resumed after 
 intermission, to the very close of her life. The mini- 
 sters met together for prayer and conference by 
 themselves, then at a more open meeting at which 
 her Grace and some of her friends were present, and 
 finally at family worship or in a more public meet- 
 ing in the church. At the first of these meetings, 
 the Duchess was full of interest and anxiety about 
 the Protestant Church which she had founded at Pau, 
 and its prosperity was made the special subject of 
 prayer. Afterwards, the accession of our youthful 
 Queen to the throne made her the subject of very 
 special and repeated intercession, the Duchess pressing 
 it very earnestly on those who conducted the devo- 
 tions. The meeting referred to in the following letter 
 took place on the coming of age of the Earl of March, 
 now the Duke of Eichmond : "Huntly Lodge, 2>lst 
 July 1839. To-morrow I hope for a very nice 
 prayer-meeting at 7 o'clock, before breakfast. Mr. 
 Bigsby is here, and Mr. Mackenzie ; I expect Mr. 
 David Brown of the Ord (now Dr. Brown of Aber- 
 deen), Mr. Davidson of Drumblade, and Mr. Walker 
 (parish minister)/' The prayer at seven o'clock in 
 
234 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 the morning on this one occasion was added to the 
 afternoon and evening prayers, because the Duchess 
 was herself so impressed and anxious that she could 
 not think of letting her ministerial guests depart with- 
 out another meeting ; and she met them at so early 
 an hour, because they had to return to their homes 
 during the day. In this department of Christian work 
 the Duchess took nothing upon herself; but rejoiced 
 to open her house to the Lord's servants, while she 
 and her household shared in the benefit as listeners, 
 or as fellow-worshippers. 
 
 Our next extract belongs to the following year : 
 " Huntly Lodge, Dec. 1840. You will be glad to hear 
 that I think I am getting better acquainted with 
 myself every day. I do think light has been given 
 me lately ; and why should I doubt it, for much have 
 I prayed for it ? What a blessed thing it is, that we 
 can flee even from hateful self to Jesus ! He is the only 
 one who does not love us the less for all our unamiable- 
 ness and sinfulness ; but pities us the more, and gets 
 the more glory, the lower the evil and deception from 
 which he raises us. Certainly there is nothing like 
 enlarged views of God for showing us how great must 
 be the love of Christ to die for us, and of the Holy 
 Spirit to strive with us odious creatures, especially 
 when we have been so unwilling to see and believe 
 what we are. How closely we need to watch both 
 
LETTERS. 235 
 
 within and without ! I have just been interrupted by 
 such a kind letter from the Queen-Dowager, who has 
 sent some cards with texts, and her initials. By what 
 she says, I suppose they are all in her handwriting ; 
 but she has sent them to Lady Colquhoun, so I have 
 not seen them." 
 
 " Huntly Lodge, March 1841. I am truly delighted 
 to find that you are able to sing a new song of praise ; 
 in it, through infinite mercy, I can join you. I think 
 I have never felt the love of God more tender, more 
 clear, more sure through our blessed Surety, our pre- 
 cious Lord Jesus, than I have done lately ; though 
 amid many crosses of various kinds, and very many 
 things to make me feel that my hands would hang 
 down if my faithful God and Father in Christ Jesus 
 were not my Helper, and his blessed Spirit my own 
 Comforter. Through infinite mercy there is no wall 
 between me and the bright light of the Lord's counte- 
 nance, though I do not know that I have ever had 
 more anxiety, or in more varied ways, than this 
 winter. " 
 
 One of the distresses to which the Duchess refers as 
 occurring during this winter was a severe accident to 
 her niece, Miss Sinclair, who had lived with her as 
 a daughter since her widowhood. "While standing 
 talking to her younger brother, before retiring for the 
 night, her muslin dress took fire ; she ran out of the 
 
236 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 room in a sheet of flame, and although it was soon 
 quenched by a rug thrown over her, the burning was 
 very severe, and its effects on the nervous system 
 were never quite removed. Miss S. was of one mind 
 and heart with the Duchess in following the Lord, 
 and was extremely beloved by the poor in Huntly. 
 She died in the Lord at her father's house in Haddin^- 
 tonshire, a few years before the Duchess, who watched 
 over her last hours with a mother's affection. 
 
 Another of her trials consisted in the difficulties 
 that beset the Church of Scotland, to which she refers 
 at the close of the following letter : " 18^ Aug, 1841. 
 Though I have written eight letters to-day, yet I do 
 not like to put up, or rather close my blotting-book 
 without a word to you. I can quite return you, as my 
 portrait, Deut. xxxii. 10 to 16 ; and my only comfort 
 is in Him who, through the Holy Spirit, enables me 
 to believe that Jer. iii. 19 is addressed to me by him 
 who will do it ; and do both in us and for us above 
 what we can ask or think. Yes ! I can join you fully 
 in your prayer. I would not only see more of the 
 glory and majesty of God, but of his infinite holiness, 
 that self may be utterly subdued, and everything but 
 Christ abased. I do feel the utter impossibility of any 
 access to the Father but through the Son, our blessed 
 Mediator and Advocate. I do feel at times the utter 
 worthlessness of anything that has not the glory of 
 
GORDON SCHOOLS. 237 
 
 Christ for its aim and object ; and I do trust, though 
 the cross be somewhat heavy, that I shall be more and 
 more willing to be despised, if need be, for Christ's 
 sake/' 
 
 During the years in which these letters are dated, 
 the building of her Grace's schools was advancing. 
 Wherever she lived, one of her first desires was to erect 
 an infant-school ; but at Huntly she added to this a 
 school for older boys and girls, and an industrial 
 school at which fifty girls were well educated and 
 trained for service. These schools, which were fin- 
 ished in 1843 at a cost of several thousand pounds, 
 were commenced in the summer of 1839. Accom- 
 panied by some of her friends, and by several ministers 
 of the gospel by whom prayer was offered before and 
 after the ceremony, and surrounded by about a thou- 
 sand children who sang a hymn prepared for the 
 occasion, the Duchess laid the foundation-stone with 
 deep emotion, which all but overcame her when her 
 part was done * for the schools were designed by her, 
 as the best monument she could raise to her husband's 
 memory. They were built at the entrance to the old 
 Castle Park, and the approach to the Lodge was 
 through the centre of the building, by an archway 
 adorned with fine busts of the Duke and Duchess. 
 They formed a subject of constant attraction and daily 
 interest to her Grace for the last twenty years of her 
 
238 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 life ; as they occupied much of her own time and heart, 
 they formed for her the most interesting scene to which 
 she could conduct her visitors ; and she endeavoured, 
 by leaving a liberal endowment, to make them a 
 benefit to coming generations. 
 
 DEEPENING OF THE LOFJ)'s WORK IN THE SOUL. 
 
 1844-1847. 
 
 There is an interval between the preceding letters 
 and the following, and a marked change in their tone. 
 In the process of years the work of the Spirit in the 
 soul had imperceptibly declined : the conviction of sin 
 had become blunter ; the joy of the Lord shallower ; 
 the sense of his presence less vivid ; the pursuit of 
 holiness less earnest ; and the victory over the world 
 more doubtful. Her state was still higher than that 
 of most believers, and not without fruit unto God, 
 but in the retrospect she saw a gradual waning of 
 inward power. Trust in a past experience began to 
 supplant the present witness of the Spirit ; the form 
 of godliness often lacked the power ; the light of the 
 soul grew dim ; and a painful sense of distance fol- 
 lowed, without any clear apprehension of the cause or 
 of the remedy. That finest of the wheat, " no con- 
 demnation in Christ Jesus," had been eaten till the 
 appetite was cloyed ; and the soul did not know that 
 
DEEPENING OF THE LORDS WORK. 239 
 
 its health now demanded the "bitter herbs" of con- 
 viction of sin and repentance toward God. 
 
 In the year 1844 the Lord sent conviction to her 
 conscience with great power, and it was accepted, and 
 even welcomed in all its humility and painfulness ; 
 not, however, in the way of doubt regarding a past 
 work of grace, but in a deep sense of departure from 
 the Lord, of double-mindedness, of unfruitfulness, 
 of innate corruption, and of manifold transgression. 
 After a time this was followed by greater nearness to 
 the Lord, and livelier joy in his salvation than before. 
 The spiritual restoration lasted in the main through- 
 out her life, for the work was deeper than ever, and 
 therefore more abiding ; and till her dying day she 
 looked back on the period to which we have now 
 come, as one of the happiest and most helpful seasons 
 in all her spiritual history. But we cannot easily 
 present it in the form of a narrative, on account of 
 her Grace having lived much in Edinburgh at this 
 period, and having sat under the ministry in St. 
 Luke's Church. We shall therefore do little else than 
 transcribe portions of her own letters, at the risk of 
 trying the patience of the reader by the want of relief. 
 
 " Huntly Lodge, 1th August 1844. I wish you 
 could have stayed with us at present, for certainly I 
 
 know no one who turns me inside out like Mr. , 
 
 and I do certainly greatly need that sort of searching. 
 
240 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 If we compare ourselves with the word of God, oh, 
 what grievous falling back from first simple convic- 
 tions ! How far we are from living unto Him who 
 died for us, from remembering that we are bought 
 with a price ! We think we are our own, and that we 
 may give unto the great and holy God only just that 
 which we are willing to spare, that which costs us 
 nothing ; if we give the clay into the hand of the 
 potter, the little precious stone is still left in the lump 
 to mar the vessel. We do not remember that He can 
 make us willing, so willing that with the mind of 
 Christ we may learn to say, ' I delight to do thy will, 
 my God : yea, I am content to do it ; thy law is 
 written in my heart.' Is not this what he has promised : 
 the new heart, the right spirit that shall not depart 
 from him % Why do we not believe him, and live as 
 if indeed we did know that we are his children, living 
 to serve him, and to do his will on earth as the angels 
 do in heaven ? Think how they do the will of God ! " 
 " Huntly Lodge, October 1844. One ought to find 
 help in every time of need, and so it is provided, for 
 company is in some sort a duty ; at least I cannot 
 avoid it, and I ought to be ever ready to speak a 
 word in season, but alas ! May the Lord give us both 
 sound wisdom and discretion ; but above all, may all 
 our thoughts and words and works be done, as Dr. 
 Duncan translates, 'truthing it in love/ Oh, I feel 
 
DEEPENING OF THE LOED'S WORK. 241 
 
 how glorious is the truth of God ; how holy those 
 should be who walk in the light of Him who is the 
 light of the world, as well as the life of man ; who feel 
 the necessity of singleness of purpose and of eye. I 
 feel how the world blinds us to this. We think some- 
 times to do the work of God in our own way ; but he 
 will only honour his own way, which is truth. My 
 self-convictions have taught me this, or perhaps I 
 could never have suspected that others may be igno- 
 rant of it." 
 
 Two or three of the following months of winter 
 were passed in Edinburgh, and the next letter is 
 written after returning to the north : " Huntly Lodge, 
 10th February 1845. I rejoice to hear that Winslow's 
 preaching has had the same effect on you as his book 
 had on me, that is, in convincing me that declension in 
 religion is a much more easy thing than we are aware 
 of, till we find it in our own experience. We do, it is 
 true, think it easy in others, and that this and that 
 mixture with the world will cause others to go back ; 
 but we do not see that without doing those very 
 evident things of the world's proposing, we may be 
 'settling on our lees/ and have gone far down indeed 
 before we are aware. And though the child of God 
 will never perish, yet we can only know that we are 
 children of God when we ' hold the beginning of our 
 confidence firm unto the end." 
 
242 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 " But is it becoming in a living child of God to be 
 contented with 'the beginning of our confidence ? J 
 Oh let us never lose hold of that, let us never have 
 any other plea before God than that 'Jesus Christ 
 came into the world to save sinners ; but let us press 
 forwards toward the mark for the prize of our high 
 calling in Christ Jesus, in single-hearted desire to 
 honour him who hath so loved us ; let us take the 
 word of God as it is written, and let us beware of 
 fancying that such and such parts were intended for 
 other times. They are the words of God, the inditing 
 of the Spirit of truth according to the mind of Him 
 who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, and 
 who is ' no respecter of persons/ How awful is the 
 thought that it is our Lord who says, ' Every branch 
 in me that beareth not fruit, shall be hewn down and 
 cast into the fire ! ' 'He that abideth in me, and I in 
 him, the same bringeth forth much fruit! 
 
 " What fruit have we borne unto God ? what have 
 we done for his glory? Oh what infinite, wonderful, 
 long-suffering love is it that asks this of our inmost 
 souls, before it be too late ; and enables us to hear also 
 the voice of him who so loved us as to die for us, 
 even the voice of Jesus saying, * Except ye repent 
 ye shall all likewise perish/ There is none other 
 name given whereby we must be saved, than the 
 name of Jesus/ ' If we do not the things that he 
 
DEEPENING OF THE LORD S WORK. 243 
 
 says, we are none of his/ Oh, it is love, infinite love, 
 that would now shut us up to be not almost, but 
 altogether Christ's. We cannot serve two masters ; 
 Christ must be all or nothing to us. Where are we ? 
 what have we ? what have we done for Christ ? If 
 anything, to him be the glory ; but have we done 
 what we could ? 
 
 "I find the signs of the times portentous on all 
 hands, but in nothing more remarkable than in the 
 awakening of God's people. ' Let us not sleep as do 
 others, but let us watch and be sober.' We have 
 been living on doctrines instead of by doctrines ; 
 they are but dry morsels without the Spirit, and the 
 Spirit of light bringeth to the light, that our deeds 
 may be reproved. The Comforter is the reprover ; 
 and he must show us our need of salvation by the 
 knowledge of ourselves, that he may lead us to Him 
 who is light, and the light of life, and whose blood 
 cleanseth from all sin only those who walk in the 
 light. The whole work is of God, but it is in us, as 
 well as for us ; and we too must work, nay, cannot 
 but work with every faculty under our control, if 
 we are living children of the living God. I heard 
 nothing more of Free Church principles after you 
 passed through Edinburgh ; but we have indeed been 
 richly fed with the word of truth, and I trust we are 
 returned with the resolution, through divine grace, 
 
244 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 of walking in the liberty wherewith Christ makes his 
 people free ; a liberty bound up in his Word and by 
 his Spirit, and which would not for worlds transgress 
 any of his commands." 
 
 The following letter and several others were written 
 by the Duchess to the late Miss Banks, of Moray 
 Place, Edinburgh, whose pupils were in the habit of 
 sending her Grace notes of sermons and lectures after 
 her return to Huntly. A manuscript book of the 
 Duchess, commencing three days after this letter, 
 contains more than two hundred and fifty questions, 
 founded on the notes thus sent, as well as on those 
 previously taken by herself. She had formed a weekly 
 class of about twelve, composed of her female domes- 
 tics ; and copying out a number of the questions she 
 had prepared, she gave a written slip with a single 
 question to each, to be answered the following week. 
 The household greatly enjoyed this exercise for them- 
 selves ; and some of them who survive her have said 
 that at no period of her life, before or after, had they 
 known the Duchess so completely happy, so unbur- 
 dened, so spiritual, so full of hope and joy in the 
 Lord. 
 
 "Huntly Lodge, 25th Feb. 1845. It is my turn to 
 thank you for your great kindness in sending the 
 notes of sermons. The lecture on Hebrews iv. 1 
 brings us back to the sure foundation ; but with great 
 
DEEPENING OF THE LORD'S WORK. 245 
 
 cause of gratitude and praise, that we have been per- 
 mitted to see much more of the glory and grace of 
 that foundation, in proportion as we have learnt to 
 look into the pit whence we were digged, and to know 
 that nothing but the continual application of the 
 blood of sprinkling and of the water of sanctification 
 can render or keep that clay as a vessel fit for the 
 Master's use. I see that we must not only have the 
 sure and certain hope, not merely that we shall be, 
 but that we are saved ; but also that the present 
 salvation must have as little reference to what has 
 been, as to what is to be. It must be I am saved 
 every moment, and therefore every instant the entire 
 reliance on divine grace to supply all our need is 
 required." 
 
 " Huntly Lodge, March 1845. I must tell you that 
 your last letter and the notes have been a very great 
 delight and comfort to me, though it has not pleased 
 the Lord to permit me to approach his table at this 
 time, as I have been confined to my rooms till last 
 night. I am not very bright yet, but I think my 
 dear Lord has shown me his willingness to wash my 
 feet. I feel that I well deserve the effect of long sleep 
 and careless walking. I have never doubted the love 
 or the purposes of my Lord towards me, because I 
 have not, since I first knew him, ever thought that 
 I could do anything towards my justification, or to 
 
246 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 merit grace. What a contradiction in terms ! But 
 I now feel that I am a reasonable and accountable 
 being, which I seemed to have lost sight of, and that 
 if I am a living child of the living God, I must live 
 for, and with, and unto Him who is life and light and 
 truth. I have no life, no energy to do anything, and 
 he must give it ; but after so long neglect, I cannot 
 expect it without earnest striving ; nor for my striv- 
 ing, but because I am his child, and he would try 
 my love." 
 
 " Huntly Lodge, April 1845. The notes are very 
 satisfactory ; they have fallen to my share, as I have 
 taken the Exposition on Hebrews for household use ; 
 but all are most truly appreciated. I could say much 
 to you on our present position, because I think you 
 could understand my feelings better than most of my 
 friends ; at the same time I confess I am not satisfied 
 with my position. However, the Lord has promised, 
 that those who trust in him shall be led by a way that 
 they know not, even though they be in darkness and 
 have no light. It is indeed a comfort to feel that our 
 Great High Priest has compassion on the ignorant, 
 and on them that are out of the way. He is the 
 Great Physician, and so long as we are sick of the 
 hereditary and most inveterate disease of our first 
 parents, we need the medicine of his most precious 
 blood every moment ; and it is ready, and he is ready 
 
DEEPENING OF THE LORD'S WORK. 247 
 
 to apply it by his own blessed Spirit, the Keprover, 
 the Sanctifier, and the Comforter." 
 
 " Huntly Lodge, June 1845. I have had a good 
 many letters on business to write, which has made 
 letter-writing more disagreeable to me than ever. I 
 strive, though with a sadly volatile spirit, to hide me 
 in the secret of the presence of my Lord, who is able 
 to help me and does help me ; and would help me far 
 more if I were as diligent in striving as I should be, if 
 I could feel his love half as much as I know it. But 
 he can also give the heart to feel ; all, all must be his 
 gift. The praise of man and love of approbation I 
 think indeed the greatest of all snares, but he can 
 break the meshes of that net as of every other. Dr. 
 Duncan has been telling you just what we heard at 
 St. Luke's, of the danger of making gods for our- 
 selves. There is another thing we are apt to think 
 we know, till the Spirit teaches us the difference 
 between the truth and our conception of it, that ' God 
 is no respecter of persons/ " 
 
 "Huntly Lodge, July 1845. How dreadfully have 
 I allowed sloth to get the better of me ; how richly 
 I deserve to go softly all my days ! But then, on the 
 other hand, the intense sense of my own vileness seems 
 to give me a firmer hold of my precious Saviour, and 
 he is able to keep that which I have committed unto 
 him. But oh, that I could do something for him ! 
 
248 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 Perhaps all lie wants of me now is to feel ' not my 
 will, but thine, Lord, be done/ . . . The friends 
 whom we expected from England came yesterday, but 
 I wonder if I shall ever again have that pleasure in 
 rejoicing Christians that I used to have ; for I now 
 fear, that when I rejoiced I did not know anything of 
 the holiness of God ; and oh, what provocations against 
 light and love ! Yet poor Mrs. H., who mourns over 
 her own changes, when reminded of the unchangeable- 
 ness of our God, makes me feel that, looking to self 
 may be like burying one's face in a pillow, and forget- 
 ing that the sun shines." 
 
 Yet the Duchess both found great pleasure again in 
 rejoicing Christians, and herself rejoiced in the Lord 
 Jesus during all the years of her life to come. She 
 ,had been awakened afresh by the Spirit, searched, 
 rebuked, and chastened ; and was in due time so 
 brought back to her first love, as never greatly to 
 lose it till she was taken to see Him whom she had 
 loved while yet unseen. 
 
 " Fairlie, Sept. 1845. We have been considering 
 1 John i. 7, ' If we walk in the light as he is in the 
 light, we have fellowship one with another;' and 
 taking that fellowship to mean the fellowship of 
 Christ's members one with another. It is a sort of 
 evidence of that fellowship very comfortable to the 
 mind, when we find that the light is revealing the 
 
DEEPENING OF THE LORD S WORK. 249 
 
 same thing to others, namely, those most abominable 
 * meannesses' and ' petiiesses,' of which we are more 
 ashamed than of ' mighty ' sins. And so perhaps we 
 ought to be, for they show more of the deep, inward 
 corruption of the whole man, and may lead us first to 
 say with Hazael, ' Is thy servant a dog ? ' and then 
 with the woman of Canaan, * But, Lord, the dogs eat 
 of the crumbs that fall from the master's table/ Truly 
 we are 'dogs ;' and if the whole nature be not a new 
 creation we cannot enter, nay, we cannot see the 
 kingdom of heaven. 
 
 " When I think of lost time and opportunities, and 
 all that has been done in 'calling evil good and 
 good evil/ how much has been 'let slip;' how much 
 has been 'perverted ;' and how truly it hath profited 
 me nothing, even as regards this world (James i. 8), 
 I am indeed ashamed and confounded. Alas ! there 
 is not yet the true test, the love of souls (1 John i. 8). 
 If it were not for the tenth verse, and that Jesus came 
 to seek and to save that which was lost, and that it 
 is his will and the Father's will that none that come 
 unto him should be cast out, I should be ... I fear, 
 hardened beyond redemption. But Jesus can and 
 will save to the uttermost all that come unto God by 
 him, and he has promised to give all, and above all 
 that I can need. 
 
 " You have many to pray for, but none more need 
 
250 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 the prayers of those who know something of their 
 utter need. May you and I know from day to day, 
 that in Christ Jesus the Spirit does draw with the 
 cords of love and with the bands of a man, those 
 whom the Father hath chosen and given unto the 
 Son." 
 
 "Edinburgh, Oct. 1845. We had a delightful lec- 
 ture last Thursday evening on part of the 31st Psalm. 
 The exposition of ver. 5, Into thy hands I commit 
 my spirit," was to show the entire giving up, on the 
 one hand, which is required ; and on the other (as 
 the Lord gave himself, his spirit, into the Father's 
 hand ; and Stephen said, Lord Jesus, into thy hands 
 I commit my spirit), the oneness of the Godhead ; and 
 also that all who are in Christ Jesus are bound in the 
 bundle of life with him, and were with him and by 
 him committed unto the Father, when he said on the 
 cross, 'Father, into thy hand I commit my spirit.' 
 Oh, give yourselves into his glorious hands ; they will 
 bless and not crush you. How unbelieving we are 
 to withhold any thing, when he asks for that vilest 
 of all things, our hearts." 
 
 The next letter is longer, written with the joy of 
 salvation in her own soul, and with the desire of 
 opening great first principles to her friend : " Nov. 
 1845. I trust you are enabled to say, ' It is well : it 
 is the Lord.' As regards your dear sister, it is very 
 
DEEPENING OF THE LOUD S WORK. 251 
 
 trying, and in all our afflictions He is afflicted ; but 
 as regards yourself, I think it is a great blessing. You 
 have had so much to do for others for some years past, 
 that you have had comparatively but little time to 
 think of your own soul, and I am sure there is not 
 a truer word in the Word of truth, than that ' through 
 much tribulation we must enter (pass to) the kingdom 
 of heaven.' I believe that true peace is never known 
 till every refuge, every earthly comfort, has been 
 found to be vanity ; and then when the God of all 
 grace and consolation reveals himself, he is altogether 
 lovely. When the Holy Spirit brings the soul to see 
 that it is under condemnation of the holy law for sins 
 more numerous than the hairs of the head, and that 
 the justice of God must condemn the smallest breach 
 of that most holy transcript of the character of the 
 Holy One, what marvellous, infinite goodness, love, 
 and mercy, are seen in Him who is both the Creator 
 and the Eedeemer, the man Christ Jesus, God with 
 us, God for us, our Surety. 
 
 "We cannot love him till we know our need of 
 such a Saviour ; and that we cannot know till we 
 see that we are lost, till we feel with the apostle, 
 ' I through the law am dead to the law, that I might 
 live unto God/ Oh, when the sinner is brought to 
 give up all for the Saviour, and to come without 
 money and without price, naked and miserable, and 
 
252 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 poor and famishing ; there is not a tender name by 
 which the Lord will not command that soul to call 
 him, Father, Husband, Friend, Brother, Saviour, 
 Eedeemer, Sanctifier, Surety. Words cannot be found 
 to tell all he is to those who have given up all other 
 hope and refuge. 
 
 " But this must not be (as alas ! it has been with 
 me for too long a season) a thing once done, a stock 
 of grace laid in ; it must be Jehovah who is our God, 
 I am, the ever-present One. Let us beware lest we 
 should be living on past experience, and forget that 
 our life must be hid with Christ in God ; the life we 
 now live in the flesh must be by the faith of the Son 
 of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. Can 
 we forget, or think lightly of such a Saviour ? Can 
 we refuse to take up our cross daily and follow him ? 
 Thank him that you have time to think of him with- 
 out distraction, and pray, pray earnestly that you 
 may know what it is to count all but loss for Christ, 
 and may be brought into the glorious liberty of the 
 children of that God whose service is perfect freedom. 
 You ask me to name books ; I particularly recommend 
 Owen on the Sinfulness of Sin. I have taken a house 
 in Edinburgh ; and when I think how gracious the 
 Lord has been in restoring to me the joy of his salva- 
 tion, notwithstanding all my backsliding and compro- 
 mising for years past, I cannot but rejoice that I am 
 
DEEPENING OF THE LORD'S WORK. 253 
 
 permitted to hear his truth so very fully and frequently 
 declared." 
 
 When living in Edinburgh the Duchess, with her 
 usual interest in children, built large schools in the 
 destitute district of Holyrood,- which she liberally 
 supported, giving at the same time a site for the pre- 
 sent Holyrood Church. The district was at the foot 
 of the Canongate, where her old friends Dr. Stewart 
 and Mrs. Buchanan had lived and prayed, and she 
 therefore took it up with the greater pleasure in the 
 hope of reaping the fruit of their supplications. In 
 her house in Moray Place there were many interesting 
 meetings of the labourers engaged in the work ; and 
 when the mission came to be formed into a church, 
 the first list of communicants presented a singularly 
 interesting group of old and young, gathered in from 
 their strangely diverse wanderings to sit down in the 
 kingdom of God, 
 
 The letters of this period are far too numerous to 
 present to our readers, and two more must complete 
 the chapter. The first is one of many letters to the 
 Rev. Charles Mackintosh of Tain, now Dr. Mackintosh 
 of Dunoon, for whom the Duchess always expresses 
 the very highest regard ; he had been abroad with 
 her in 1837. 
 
 "Edinburgh, 9lh May 1846. 
 
 " My dear Cousin, This winter has been a most 
 
254 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 blessed one, showing me more and more of the love 
 of God to poor sinners in and through Christ Jesus, 
 and of the character of that God whom we too often 
 profess to honour, whilst in truth we only insult him, 
 the thrice holy Jehovah. But his love and his mercy 
 are infinite ; his long-suffering hringeth salvation, and 
 his unchangeable purpose secureth it. The commu- 
 nion at St. Luke's, on the 26 th, was a time never to 
 be forgotten, when the overwhelming load of iniquity 
 and multitude of sins was seen washed away by the 
 blood that cleanseth from all sin ; and the Holy Spirit, 
 who alone can convince of sin, of righteousness, or of 
 judgment, brought the seal of the New Covenant to 
 witness to the eternal truth of the word of God. I 
 feel the difficulty of expressing myself, the fear of say- 
 ing more than I feel, and yet I believe there was that 
 revealed which led to something more than repetition 
 of Job's words, ' I have heard of thee by the hearing 
 of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I 
 abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes/ Truth 
 it is, the Lord hath dealt bountifully with me, and 
 hath made me glad through the light of his counte- 
 nance. Oh may I never rest on past mercies, for he is 
 the great I am, and we are so poor and so feeble that 
 we cannot keep for one instant what will supply our 
 need in the next/' 
 
 The last letter that we shall now transcribe was 
 
DEEPENING OF THE LORDS WORK. 255 
 
 addressed to Miss Sandilands, only child of the late 
 Colonel Sandilands of Nuthill, on the occasion of his 
 death. In the course of the year she went to live 
 with the Duchess as her chosen friend, and remained 
 with her to the end : 
 
 "Edinburgh, 30th January 1847. 
 
 " My much-loved Annie, When we find in every 
 page of Scripture the loving-kindness of the Lord, 
 when we are enabled by faith to have some glimpses 
 of his infinite love as revealed in the cross of Christ, 
 can we hesitate in casting all our care upon Him who 
 careth for us ? The text on the Communion Sabbath 
 was, ( Keep silence all flesh before the Lord, for he is 
 risen up out of his holy temple/ This God is exalted 
 to show mercy ; his arm is stretched out to bless and 
 deliver. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and 
 as a sheep before the shearers is dumb, so he opened 
 not his mouth. See Him who was innocent bearing 
 our punishment ; the great God by whom the worlds 
 were made, God in our nature, the Son of God, the 
 son of David, the Judge of all the earth, opening not 
 his mouth ; silent before God the Father, when upon 
 him was laid the iniquity of us all. 
 
 "If the mighty God could submit to be humbled 
 and spit upon, there is surely no mercy too great for 
 him to show. Is there any limit to the grace of God 
 the Lord, God who spared not himself; is there any 
 
256 HUNTLY LODGE. 
 
 limit to the grace of the Holy Ghost, by whom Christ 
 was offered in sacrifice ? Is any love too loving ; is 
 any grace too gracious ? This is the tried stone, the 
 precious corner-stone, on whom we may lay all our 
 trials ; who delights to be trusted, who has com- 
 manded us to take up our cross, not to bear it. for he 
 bore it for us. Oh, dearest, lay your heavy cross on 
 Him, lay your weary frame on his compassionate heart. 
 He, too, was weary and afflicted, and knoweth how 
 to succour them that are tempted. More, when the 
 sinner is silent, he is the advocate, and is able to 
 rebuke the accuser of the brethren, and Satan is 
 silenced. And child-like Joshua must be silent, not 
 only when he stands in his filthy garments before 
 the Angel of the Covenant, Jehovah ; but silently con- 
 senting when those garments are taken off, when 
 beauteous raiment is put on, and a fair mitre put 
 upon his head, even the hope of salvation for an 
 helmet. Cast all your care upon him, for he careth 
 for you. I have thought of you constantly, and how 
 much more carefully does the Eefiner sit and watch ! 
 His love, his tenderness, is infinite ; may it be poured 
 out into your heart by the Holy Spirit, the Com- 
 forter. Ever your truly affectionate 
 
 "E. Gordon." 
 
 
CHAPTEE VII, 
 
 STEATIIBOGIE. 
 1839-1847. 
 
 " Thus a witness to the Churches, 
 
 Scotland's Church hath ever been ; 
 Carnal men, with vain researches, 
 
 Musing what the sign may mean. 
 Like her Master, poor and lowly, 
 
 Seeking nought of price below, 
 All she claims, with freedom holy, 
 
 Still about his work to go. 
 Strange, that in her pathway ever, 
 
 Strifes and oppositions spring ; 
 Nay, she sows beside a river, 
 
 And her shout is of a King. 
 Hope thou not, then, earth's alliance, 
 
 Take thy stand beside the Cross ; 
 Fear, lest by iinblest compliance 
 
 Thou transmute thy gold to dross ; 
 Steadfast in thy meek endurance, 
 
 Prophesy in sackcloth on ; 
 Hast thou not the pledged assurance, 
 
 Kings shall one day kiss the Son ? 
 Haste, thy coming Lord to greet, 
 Cast thy crown before his feet ; 
 Only, may his quest for thee 
 Find thee, what he made thee, free." 
 
 Lays of the Kirk and Covenant. 
 
 R 
 
LIGHTS IN A DARK LAND PRAYER FOR FAITHFUL 
 PASTORS. 1837, 1838. 
 
 Of the first sermon I was privileged to preach in 
 Strathbogie, while on a visit to Huntly Lodge in 1838, 
 my only remembrance is of a parish chnrch oppres- 
 sively large, and of an old man standing all the time 
 with upturned ear and earnest eye at the foot of the 
 pulpit stairs. He waylaid me in going out ; and the 
 style of his address attracted my attention, as much as 
 the sermon could have arrested him : " It's mair than 
 thirty years," he said, " sin' Maister Cowie dee'd, and 
 I ha'e heard mony a minister sin' syne ; but frae that 
 day to this, I ha'e never heard just the verra same 
 doctrin' as ye preached till us the day;" meaning that 
 the statement of the helpless ruin of man and the free 
 grace of God, of the righteousness of Jesus Christ and 
 the new birth by the Spirit, was cast in the same 
 mould as that in which he had first received the truth. 
 It was impossible not to be cheered by his sympathy 
 of heart and communion of thought ; but the added 
 honour of comparison to his old minister was thrown 
 
260 STRATHBOG1E. 
 
 away, because I had not even heard his name before. 
 But I soon found that both minister and man were 
 well known to the Duchess of Gordon : the old man 
 personally, as a living epistle of Jesus Christ read of 
 all men ; and the old minister, by his memory still 
 fragrant in all the country round, and by his deeds 
 and sayings in which she took great delight. 
 
 The Eev. George Cowie of Huntly was a fearless 
 advocate of the truth as it is in Jesus ; with a holy 
 and intense hatred to the blighting Moderatism 1 of 
 the district, to the " dumb dogs that could not bark." 
 But he was a man of a large heart, sympathizing 
 with Eowland Hill and the Haldanes, at the cost of 
 exclusion from his own communion ; and of a truly 
 genial spirit, becoming all things to all men to save 
 some. One of his attached hearers was the wife of a 
 wealthy farmer who, after weeping and praying in 
 vain for her ungodly husband, brought her grief before 
 her pastor, whose preaching she could by no persua- 
 sion induce him to hear. After listening to the case, 
 which seemed quite inaccessible, he inquired, " Is there 
 anything your goodman has a liking to V 9 " He heeds 
 for naething in this warld," was the reply, "forbye 
 his beasts and his siller, an it be na his fiddle." The 
 hint was enough ; the minister soon found his way to 
 
 1 The terms Moderatism and Moderates, employed in this chapter, will 
 of course not be understood as if they were applied to the present Estab- 
 lished Church and its ministers. 
 
LIGHTS IN A DARK LAND. 261 
 
 the farm-house where, after a dry reception and kindly 
 inquiries about cattle and corn, he awoke the farmers 
 feelings on the subject of his favourite pastime. The 
 fiddle was produced, and the man of earth was aston- 
 ished and charmed with the sweet music it gave 
 forth in the hands of the feared and hated man of God. 
 The minister next induced him to promise to return 
 his call, by the offered treat of a finer instrument in 
 his own house. There he was delighted with the 
 swelling tones of a large violin, and needed then but 
 slight persuasion from his wife to accompany her and 
 hear his friend preach. The word took effect in con- 
 viction and salvation ; and the grovelling earthworm 
 was transformed into a free-hearted son of God, full 
 of the lively hope of the great inheritance above. 
 
 The name of the old disciple was James Maitland, a 
 man poor in this world but rich in grace, whom rank 
 could not overawe nor wealth attract. The Duchess 
 delighted in his sterling character, and often repeated 
 his pithy sayings. Her own liberality was unbounded 
 to the poor and to all that were in distress ; but she 
 knew well the Scotch independence of character, and 
 enjoyed a hearty laugh at the expense of an English 
 lady visiting at the Lodge, who had selected her old 
 friend James as an object of charity. The stranger 
 had been deeply interested in the good old man, and 
 on returning home she sent two pounds for him by one 
 
262 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 of the elders of the church. The commission puzzled 
 the almoner not a little ; but taking a brother elder 
 along with him, he went to their friend, now aged 
 and infirm, and found him in bed. They took courage 
 and opened their errand, expecting an immediate, and 
 fearing an offended, refusal of the gift. But to their 
 great surprise the old invalid grasped the money 
 eagerly, sprang from his bed, and called out, " She's 
 verra generous ; wait a wee, an' I'll sune let it be weel 
 kent ; aiblins the leddie means it for the Lord's puir, 
 but I'm nane o' them." So saying, he dressed and sallied 
 forth into the town, and did not return till he had 
 gladdened the hearts of forty poor people with the alms. 
 Old Isabel was another of the Duchess's friends, 
 brought up in the same school ; aged and blind, but 
 acute in hearing, in spirit, in intellect. " The Duchess 
 has come to see you, Isabel." " It's nae the Duchess ?" 
 "It is indeed." "Weel, it's sae like her Maister." 
 The definition of Effectual Calling in our Catechism 
 was what she called her' "gran question;" and her 
 rehearsal of it opened to the listener a new idea of 
 the power of thought and feeling to put life into 
 words. The words are these : " Effectual calling is 
 the work of God's Spirit, whereby, convincing us of 
 our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the 
 knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he cloth 
 persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely 
 
LIGHTS IX A DAEK LAND. 263 
 
 offered to us in the gospel." So extraordinary was 
 the effect of her repetition of these few clauses, that 
 it was only by recalling the whole, word by word, that 
 you could believe that the blind old woman had not 
 enlarged and explained as she went along. The over- 
 awing majesty of the great Spirit, the shame and 
 misery of the convinced sinner, the bright light dawn- 
 ing in Jesus Christ, the loving alteration of the will, 
 and the cordial and joyful embracing of the freely- 
 offered Saviour, all appeared like parts of a process 
 which her mind and heart were undergoing step by 
 step at the moment. And in listening to words you 
 had lisped from childhood, now so freshly breathed on 
 by the Spirit, you were awed, convinced, enlightened, 
 allured, and gladdened by the grace of God in Christ 
 Jesus, and seemed to pass anew through the whole 
 process of effectual calling in your own soul. 
 
 But in Strathbogie these were thinly scattered stars 
 shining through a wide and dismal night that covered 
 the land, and none of them shone within the sphere of 
 the Church of Scotland. We find the Duchess after her 
 widowhood thus lamenting her isolation at Huntly : 
 " It is really a trial to feel that the truth is preached in 
 the Dissenting chapels ; but then they are Voluntaries, 
 and here I am on a hill. Oh for wisdom, and above all, 
 grace and love." She drew specially to the pastor who 
 then ministered in Mr. Cowie's church, and invited him 
 
264 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 to a weekly meeting for prayer at the Lodge with, her 
 Presbyterian chaplain, and herself an Episcopalian ; 
 the three anticipating thus the Evangelical Alliance. 
 Of his flock she writes : " The missionary people, or 
 Independents, are active, practical Christians, and it 
 is really a blessing to have such people at hand." 
 
 Neither her large liberality of spirit, nor her regard 
 for the Established Church, nor her respect for indi- 
 vidual ministers with higher aims, could blind her for 
 a moment to the death that reigned in the parishes 
 around her, and to its source in the fatal blight of 
 a Moderate ministry. A minister lacking the great 
 essentials for his office was nothing to her ; no other 
 qualifications were of any account, or could induce her 
 to look upon him except as a cumberer of holy ground. 
 " Nobody need tell me about the Moderates," she said 
 severely, " I know them well I should never think of 
 consulting them on any religious subject, or asking 
 them to my house for spiritual profit. All I can do 
 is to invite them to dinner, when the Duke of Eich- 
 mond is here with the farmers at the cattle show." 
 Continually, therefore, did she mourn over the people 
 as sheep without shepherds, and prayed that the Lord 
 himself would send them pastors to feed them. In the 
 end of December 1837, soon after her return to Huntly 
 Lodge, we find her writing these striking words : " We 
 must pray very, very hard for more labourers in the 
 

 UNEXPECTED ANSWER TO PRAYER. 265 
 
 Lord's vineyard, and that he may send us ' pastors 
 after his own heart/ I do not see where they are to 
 come from at all, and therefore I think I can pray 
 with more entire faith, and feel sure that the Lord 
 will give them in his own time and way." 
 
 THE UNLOOKED-FOR ANSWER TO PRAYER. 1839, 1840. 
 
 The resolution of the Duchess to pray for right- 
 hearted pastors for Strathbogie, when she did not see 
 where they were to come from, and her " feeling sure 
 that He would give them in his own time and way," 
 are very remarkable when taken in connexion with 
 the result ; for within the space of two years, by 
 events as little desired as foreseen, this praying " very, 
 very bard" was abundantly answered. The Lord 
 himself sent forth a band of faithful labourers into 
 the district ; and the house in which the prayer was 
 offered was freely opened for their reception, though 
 amidst a painful strife of conflicting emotions. 
 
 The unexpected intrusion by the Civil Courts into 
 the spiritual jurisdiction of the Church of Scotland, 
 which had been commenced in other districts, soon 
 found an inviting harvest field in the intensely 
 Moderate region of Strathbogie. The call to the 
 presentee to the parish of Marnoch was signed by 
 only three out of thirteen heritors ; and out of a parish 
 
266 STEATHBOGIE. 
 
 of nearly 3000 souls, it was signed by none but a 
 single communicant, the keeper of the public-house 
 where the Presbytery were wont to dine ; while six- 
 sevenths of the members of the church entered their 
 solemn protest against his induction. The people's 
 dislike arose neither from ignorance nor faction, for he 
 had previously been assistant for three years in the 
 parish, till he was removed at their urgent request. 
 
 A preacher, whose " life, literature, and doctrine" 
 were examined by a Presbytery, might be correct in 
 character, a good scholar, and a sound divine, yet not 
 likely to prove a good parish minister ; and the call of 
 the people, in addition to the presbyterial certificate, 
 was recognised by the law of the land, as well as 
 by the usage of the Church from the earliest ages. 
 Even in the darkest times of last centurv, this call 
 had never been either abolished or disused ; the Pres- 
 bytery declared themselves satisfied in every case 
 with its sufficiency, and the minister at his ordination 
 solemnly accepted the " call" to be pastor. All this 
 was often only a solemn show in a dead church. 
 But with the awaking of conscience and the revival 
 of spiritual life, it was impossible for thoughtful 
 ministers to go through these grave transactions as 
 meaningless forms ; to accept of the publican's single 
 voice as a sufficient " call" from three thousand souls ; 
 or to be coerced by any power on earth to sell their 
 
INTRUSION AT MARNOCH. 267 
 
 consciences, and yield themselves as instruments of 
 such mockery in the house of God. 
 
 The Moderator of the Presbytery of Strathbogie at 
 this time was the minister of Fochabers, the Eev. David 
 Dewar, already known to our readers as the chaplain 
 at Gordon Castle, to whom the Duchess bore so high 
 a testimony for his "Nathanael-like" freedom from 
 guile, and his singular meekness that disarmed every 
 enemy. On a vacancy occurring in the parish church, 
 after the Duke of Gordon's death, he was presented to 
 the charge by the Duke of Kichmond at the earnest 
 recommendation of the Duchess. There, as elsewhere, 
 his genuine godliness, unfeigned humility, and quiet 
 judgment endeared him to all ; and the Duke used to 
 say that " he had no fault but one, which was, that he 
 preferred walking to riding." Notwithstanding the 
 flagrant inadequacy of the call, the Presbytery by a 
 majority of seven to four resolved to proceed with 
 the ordination, because the presentee had procured 
 an order to that effect from the Court of Session. 
 By Mr. Dewar's wisdom and courage they were pre- 
 vented going forward till the matter was brought 
 before the Supreme Ecclesiastical Court, by which 
 they were enjoined to desist. When they refused 
 to obey, they were solemnly suspended from the 
 exercise of their holy office ; and when they or- 
 dained the presentee notwithstanding, they were ulti- 
 
268 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 mately deposed by the General Assembly from that 
 ministry whose most sacred functions they had so 
 grossly abused. 
 
 During the suspension of the seven ministers from 
 the preaching of the word and dispensation of the sacra- 
 ments, the Commission of Assembly sent ministers and 
 preachers to supply the lack in their parishes. These 
 were first interdicted by the Civil Courts from preaching 
 in the parish churches, churchyards, and school- houses ; 
 and over these they at once acknowledged the right of 
 the courts of law, and made no attempt to enter them. 
 But they were next prohibited from preaching any- 
 where within the bounds of the parishes, in market- 
 place, or barn, or open field. The deputed ministers 
 were waited for as soon as they arrived in the 
 district, their names were ascertained, and they were 
 eagerly served with this prohibition to preach from 
 the Supreme Court of the land. But their commission 
 from the Lord was, Go ye into all the world, and 
 preach the gospel to every creature ; and none of 
 them were tempted to obey man rather than God, 
 and refrain from publishing the word of life. The 
 sainted Eobert M'Cheyne, who was one of them, gave 
 this reply to the interdict : " I can say with Paul, that 
 I have preached the gospel from Jerusalem round about 
 unto Illyricum, and no power on earth will keep me 
 from preaching it in the dead parishes of Scotland." 
 
THE GOSPEL INTERDICTED IN STRATHB0G1E. 269 
 
 Tlie people disregarded it as much as the ministers. 
 They were building an additional church in Huntly 
 for the" accommodation of the large parish ; and as the 
 most lasting service to which the interdict could be 
 put, they deposited it in memoriam beneath the 
 foundation stone. After sermon in a barn in one of 
 the interdicted parishes an old woman said to me, 
 " Sir, when the Court's interdickin sae mony things, 
 I wish they wuld interdick the papers ;" referring 
 to the weary reading of sermons, which they knew 
 almost by heart, and had to endure in a continually 
 returning circle. " Oh, no," I answered, " they could 
 never meddle with the way that ministers preach." 
 " I dinna ken," was her unanswerable reply, " they're 
 middlin wi' a hantle o things noo ; and I think they 
 might just tak' a shave at the papers as week" 
 
 This sketch is necessary to explain the trying cir- 
 cumstances in which the Duchess of Gordon was now 
 unexpectedly placed. She was in England at the time. 
 The desire of her heart was granted at last ; the precious 
 seed of the gospel was now to be scattered broadcast 
 over Strathbogie ; and while she withheld her name, 
 she sent a liberal contribution toward the travelling 
 expenses of the ministers. But it was the still small 
 voice, sounding like sweetest music only through the 
 whirlwind and the earthquake ; and her heart was 
 rent with distracting thoughts. Not belonging herself 
 
270 STRATHBOG1E. 
 
 to the Church of Scotland, she had yet greatly re- 
 joiced in its growing life and vigour ; and had cor- 
 dially concurred in the measures taken for limiting 
 patronage, which had hitherto worked admirably and 
 gave the brightest promise for the future. But this 
 unexpected collision with the civil powers tried her 
 to the utmost, and she could not concur in the steps 
 of resistance which her friends were now taking. 
 
 Knowing that I was among the ministers deputed 
 to preach in Strathbogie, her Grace most kindly in- 
 vited me to Huntly Lodge ; but when so many of the 
 fathers and brethren were going north in the same 
 cause of the gospel, I did not see my way to accept 
 the invitation on the footing of personal friendship, 
 when the Duchess was herself from home. She then 
 invited Drs. Chalmers and Gordon, along with myself, 
 asking us at the same time to invite any other mini- 
 sters whom we chose, and placing a wing of the house 
 at our disposal. Dr. Gordon with characteristic deli- 
 cacy advised that this offer should be respectfully 
 declined ; because it would commit a widowed Lady 
 to a course of action to which both her own and her 
 husband's relatives were strongly opposed, and per- 
 haps all the more from their Conservative principles. 
 His own political views, which were equally Conserva- 
 tive, only led him the more submissively to bow down 
 to the authority of Christ, as the only King over his 
 
LETTERS ON THE STATE OF THE CHURCH. 271 
 
 own house. The Duchess knew from the first that the 
 question had nothing whatever to do with the politics 
 of earth ; but he thought, and we concurred, that in 
 the circumstances she was not called to commit her- 
 self in such a manner, and especially in her own 
 absence from Scotland. She wrote however in reply, 
 entreating and insisting that her invitation might be 
 accepted ; stating that having already made all the 
 arrangements for our reception, our refusal would be 
 extremely painful and embarrassing, and leaving us 
 no choice but to accept. 
 
 The following extracts are from letters to Miss 
 Home: "30th December 1839. I shall send you 
 something to assist in paying the expenses of the 
 faithful ministers, who I hope will be sent among 
 them. I must put aside all political feeling on the 
 subject, for I do believe, and have felt from the first, 
 that this may be the Lord's way of answering our 
 prayers. Certainly the removal of the seven would 
 be a benefit. Oxford tracts are gaining ground ; Ply- 
 mouth Brethren busy ; in short, the destroyer is as 
 active as possible, and gives us daily more reason to 
 believe that he knoweth his time is short." 
 
 " : Castle, 8 th Jan. 1840. I wish I had time 
 to fill the last frank that I shall probably be able to 
 get for you, but I have been doing the business for 
 which I came here, talking to Lady . She is 
 
272 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 inquiring, and seems thoroughly convinced of her own 
 helplessness and sinfulness, but very ignorant. She 
 is clever, and speaks well. It is singular how much 
 I have been helped to speak both here and at H. ; 
 and yet if it were not from the consciousness that I 
 could not have said one word in my own strength, I 
 should think I had spoken very little to the purpose. 
 He who has commanded us to cast bread, or seed, on 
 the waters can cause it, like the rice, to take root and 
 spring up, and bear fruit after many days. 
 
 " The help I have got in some of these conversations 
 has been a very great comfort to me in the troubles 
 which occupy my mind night and day, because it is 
 an earnest of that help which I may hope for in time 
 of need. I wish I could see the way as clearly as 
 you do ; as it is, I desire to remember that it is for 
 each day alone that strength and guidance are pro- 
 mised. In the first place, I do not see as clearly as 
 you do, that the General Assembly are right ; indeed, 
 if it were not for the men who take the side of the 
 Commission, I cannot see that I should not think 
 them wrong. But I cannot differ from such men, 
 while they act in a spirit conformable with the Word 
 of God, and cause the gospel to be faithfully preached 
 in the wilderness. I am quite sure the majority of 
 the Presbytery of Strathbogie is wrong, and therefore 
 I have no hesitation in helping the Assembly there. 
 
LETTERS ON THE STATE OF THE CHUECH. 273 
 
 My prayer night and day is, that I may from moment 
 to moment be taught what is the ( will of God/ and 
 be made willing to do it with all my heart without 
 fear of man. If I please neither party, you know 
 what a trial it will be to me who do so love to cling 
 to approbation ; but I know He is able to keep me in 
 the narrow way, though it be by briars and thorns, 
 and rods and scorpions." 
 
 The 100 referred to in the following letter as sent 
 to myself, as well as another contribution, she gave to 
 assist the Church in its struggle to maintain its position 
 in Strathbogie, and to defray the travelling expenses 
 of the ministers who were deputed to preach in the 
 district. " Rempstone, Feb. 12. I must write to-day 
 that you may get the letter before Saturday, and be 
 able to carry me in your heart without any incum- 
 brance of earthly weight, casting all that into the 
 fountain opened for sin and un cleanness. Oh what 
 a depth that fountain must be, when we only see 
 the constant supply we need for each individual little 
 worm. 
 
 "I wrote to Mr. Moody the day I got your last 
 letter, and sent him 100. However, I have not 
 time now to enter upon these subjects, and I want so 
 much to be carried up to the feast on Sunday that I 
 will not put off my letter. If you do not know all I 
 want, Jesus does. Especially I want to know his will 
 
 s 
 
274 STUATHBOGIE. 
 
 in all things, and to have courage to do it without 
 any of that fear of man, or (which is the same thing) 
 love of approbation, which bringeth a snare ; without 
 any high thought of self of any kind or sort ; and yet 
 with a firmness of purpose which should be able, with 
 the strength and the armour of God, to stand against 
 all the fiery darts of the wicked one, or against his 
 wiles though clothed as an angel of light. Do you 
 not want all this ? All and more is asked for us by 
 St. Paul, Eph. iii., and why should we ask for less ? 
 
 " Certainly this matter and the whole circumstances 
 of this winter have kept me nearer to the ( Counsellor' 
 than I ever was before ; and the dependence on Him 
 makes me very happy, because I feel that if for my 
 ultimate good he suffers me to err now, he will make 
 ' all things work together for good/ and especially 
 for his own glory. I feel now that I would count all 
 but loss for Christ ; and he will give me power and 
 strength to do so indeed, if he sees it needful. It 
 was really most disgraceful of the suspended ministers 
 refusing to see Drs. Gordon and Bruce at Aberdeen, 
 but through an agent. May the Lord turn their 
 hearts." 
 
 To her chaplain, the Eev. John Mackenzie, now the 
 Kev. Dr. Mackenzie of Birmingham, she wrote : 
 "December 26. I feel that the case involves a ques- 
 tion as interesting as any that has existed in the 
 
LETTERS ON THE STATE OF THE CHURCH. 275 
 
 nation to which we belong. It must not be answered 
 lightly ; may the Lord give light from above ; may 
 he direct, guide, and strengthen ; he has promised 
 wisdom to them that ask it. I have desired Mr. W. 
 to give directions that every accommodation should 
 be given to Drs. Chalmers, Gordon, Mr. Moody, and 
 any friend who may accompany him ; and I trust we 
 may soon see what the Lord is doing in this storm, 
 and hear the still small voice of wisdom and love to 
 our own souls. I only wish I were there to receive 
 them. Oh may they come in the fulness of the 
 blessing of the gospel of peace : and may they be able 
 to order the matter for the glory of God, and the 
 good of His Church ; and also for our country, for the 
 Church in our land. I must at present, however, 
 have it distinctly understood that I desire to receive 
 these excellent servants of the Lord Jesus Christ as 
 such, and as individuals whom I highly honour and 
 esteem ; and not as taking a part politically in the 
 question, which as a woman I do not feel called upon 
 to do, till I have heard, or perhaps I should say, till 
 I understand better, what it may involve. Pray order 
 for me such newspapers, or other papers on both 
 sides of the question, as may enable me to see clearly. 
 I hope to be permitted to lay the matter before the 
 Lord without interruption to-morrow morning, for 
 there are difficulties on every side. 
 
276 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 " 2 7 th. This morning I rose early to endeavour 
 to find what the Lord would have me to do. My 
 only interruption till two o'clock was by letters from 
 Huntly ; one from Mr. Davidson, like himself, Chris- 
 tian and excellent, another from Mr. Walker. Oh, sir, 
 we need every moment to ask counsel of the Lord ; 
 the strongest of his children cannot walk alone. Jesus 
 says, My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me ; 
 not at a distance, as a dog might follow, but close, 
 close ; feeling, as sheep, need of the protection and 
 guidance of their Shepherd, either hearing him, seeing 
 him, or staying on him if they be in darkness. He 
 will lead them into all truth, in practice as well as 
 doctrine, though it be through much tribulation. I 
 had no idea that the majority of the Presbytery of 
 Strathboine would refuse to submit to the censure of 
 the Church to which they profess to belong. Eepent- 
 ance towards Cod follows a sense of his willingness 
 to pardon, but repentance towards his Church must, 
 I suppose, precede reconciliation. Oh, may whatever 
 is most conducive to his glory and the good of his 
 people be speedily manifested in our troubled land." 
 
 To the Kev. Mr. Davidson of Drumblade, now of 
 Lady Glenorchy's, Edinburgh, she wrote : "Jan. 1, 
 1840. I thank you very sincerely for your kind 
 and Christian letter. The spirit in which it was 
 written made me feel, that the view of the circum- 
 
LETTERS ON THE STATE OF THE CHURCH. 277 
 
 stances it detailed was not distorted by the heat of 
 party, but placed as much as possible in the light of 
 Divine truth. The subject is of the most intense 
 interest to me, as well as to the whole Church of Scot- 
 land ; but there are several sides on which I have to 
 view it, which render a clear judgment peculiarly 
 difficult, and a clear decision on either side painful. 
 In the first place, I believe that many of those who 
 have acted in favour of the suspended ministers have 
 done so from looking at the question politically, and 
 not religiously, and have felt it their duty conscien- 
 tiously to take part in favour of the Civil Courts. 
 Among these may be counted any members of the 
 Episcopal Church who have so acted ; and in this lies 
 my first difficulty. Having always been an acknow- 
 ledged member of that communion, am I justified in 
 taking a decided part with that authority, which has 
 only a right to command me as it is connected with 
 the State, against which it is accused of acting ? My 
 second scruple lies, as a woman, in disagreeing with 
 many whose opinions I have been taught to follow. 
 My third difficulty obliges me to be cautious ; it rests 
 on inability to find one to whom I could commit my 
 authority. 
 
 " To turn, however, from all these worldly diffi- 
 culties, I do feel that my heart goes entirely with yours 
 in the earnest desire that the opportunity may not be 
 
278 STEATHBOGIE. 
 
 lost of making known the truth of God in its fulness 
 to my poor neighbours. I trust Dr. Gordon and the 
 other ministers, who may be sent north, may be able 
 to place the matter in a proper light. I have thought 
 of all my dear Christian friends who used to meet 
 together on the first of the month, and especially on 
 the first of the year. We are bound earnestly to pray 
 for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, to teach us and 
 lead us to receive all the truth, and walk by it. Oh 
 may we walk in the Spirit, and so fulfil the law of 
 Christ. May we be ready and willing to count all 
 but loss for Christ ; to set aside all fear of what man 
 can do ; and to seek in the strength of Him, who to 
 those that hath no might increaseth power, to walk 
 worthy of our high calling. 
 
 "I have been interrupted in writing so often, that 
 I fear my letter is confused, and not expressive of 
 my feelings and opinions ; and I can only add that I 
 never so highly honoured the Church of Scotland as 
 I do at this moment ; or felt so much encouraged to 
 believe that the field of the first battle being in our 
 wilderness is a token for good, perhaps in answer to 
 our prayers. The Lord has promised to give his 
 people teachers after his own heart, and he will do it. 
 The Church of Scotland stands almost alone as a 
 spiritual Church at this moment, with many evidences 
 that the Lord means to work in it and by it for his 
 
LETTERS ON THE STATE OF THE CHURCH. 279 
 
 glory. Surely there can be no higher privilege than 
 to be a helper in such a cause, and I do hope that I 
 shall have light and strength given to do the work 
 which the Lord appoints me. If you see anything of 
 my worthy friend Mr. Dewar, pray say everything 
 kind from me to him." 
 
 PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL IN STRATHBOGIE LETTERS 
 ON THE CHURCH. 1840. 
 
 The blessed fruit of these stirring events was the 
 free running of the word of God in Strathbogie, such 
 as that land had never known from the beginning, and 
 such as is witnessed only at distant intervals in the 
 history of the Church. The doctrines of the gospel 
 were in a great measure new to the people, and salva- 
 tion by grace was welcomed with deep inquiry and 
 intense delight. Although the vindication of the 
 headship of Christ over his own Church had been the 
 immediate cause of the evangelistic deputations, it 
 formed no part of their sermons, but only the gospel 
 of the grace of God. But their living Head, practi- 
 cally confessed by them and honoured by their obedi- 
 ence, manifestly owned his servants in their message. 
 Their own souls were refreshed while breaking the 
 bread of life to hungering congregations, or as an old 
 Highland elder expressed it at the close of one of the 
 
280 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 services : " I saw you were feeding yourself on 
 what you were giving to us ; for the Lord will not 
 have the ox muzzled when he is treading out the 
 corn." 
 
 The people were attracted, awakened, melted ; and 
 many who took no interest in the ecclesiastical testi- 
 mony were riveted and converted by the word of 
 salvation. "The rich folk," said a young woman 
 from the country, " the rich folk talks about la', la' ; 
 we puir folk ken naething about the la', but we ken 
 fine fa's the best preachers." Yet after all, the whole 
 debate in law had practically risen out of the question, 
 whether the " poor to whom the gospel is preached " 
 could know good preaching from bad. The convic- 
 tions were intelligent, deep, and abiding, and the 
 fruits in many cases remain to this day. Some have 
 entered into their rest, with their works following 
 them ; and some have been blessed to the souls of 
 others in teaching, in the eldership, and in the min- 
 istry. One young woman, driven from home by 
 her father because she would not cease to pray, was 
 recalled after some months ; and in due time saw her 
 father and mother praying like herself, and living 
 and dying in the Lord. Men's mouths were opened 
 to speak, and their ears to hear in private as well 
 as in public. Yet the sovereignty of the Spirit was 
 remarkable in the midst of such a work, and his 
 
PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL. 281 
 
 special breathing was felt on particular occasions. 
 After the lapse of twenty-five years, various texts are 
 quoted by the people as having been blessed to the 
 conversion of individual souls ; and some as having 
 come home to many, either still liviug or gathered to 
 their rest. One of these was the passage commenc- 
 ing, " I knew a man in Christ fourteen years ago," 
 the text on the evening of a Communion Sabbath, 
 when Eobert M'Cheyne was enabled to preach with 
 remarkable power ; the impression on the congrega- 
 tion was genera], and the number of inquirers large. 
 
 The Duchess remained in England through the 
 winter, and wrote again to Mr. Davidson in May : 
 " My thoughts are constantly turned towards my 
 home and neighbourhood, with earnest prayers that 
 even in this day all things may be made to work 
 together for good. I do trust that the trials have led 
 many hearts nearer to God. My own difficulties have 
 been very great, but I have endeavoured to cast all 
 my care upon Him who careth for me, and can make 
 the weakest and most worthless of his creatures to 
 glorify him. He has promised wisdom and strength 
 to them who need it. I have had none but him to 
 understand me in regard to the affairs of the Church : 
 for those I value most in Scotland are displeased be- 
 cause I cannot agree with all their opinions, and seem 
 to have given me up ; and in England I am looked 
 
282 STKATHBOGIE. 
 
 upon as being one of the Scotch Church party. I 
 must say, however, that in England I have been 
 quite left to my own opinions ; for no one pretends 
 to understand the question, and few have patience to 
 have it explained. 
 
 " I know, my dear sir, that you will still pray for 
 me. In the meantime, I may learn to be less greedy 
 of human approbation than I have been, as our Lord 
 has said, ' How can ye believe, which receive honour 
 from men V I long to hear of the progress of the 
 Church affairs in Strathbogie, and what is the opinion 
 of Lord Aberdeen s bill. His speech surprised me, as 
 I thought he understood the sentiments of the Church 
 much better than he appears to do. Having been out 
 of town till within a few days, I have not seen him, 
 or indeed any Scotchman connected with Parliament. 
 Oh that it may please the Disposer of all events to 
 direct some measure for the restoration of peace and 
 unity in the Church. The extreme ignorance in this 
 part of the world, of the difficulties of the case as 
 affects Scotland, is really surprising. Is not the blind- 
 ness judicial? Alas! alas! for our ungrateful coun- 
 try." 
 
 Her Presbyterian chaplain having obtained another 
 appointment, the Duchess was induced, chiefly by the 
 difficulties of the Church of Scotland, to select an 
 Episcopalian for the office. The first clergyman ap- 
 
PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL. 283 
 
 pointed did not officiate long ; but his successor, the 
 Eev. Mr. Hull, an amiable and excellent man and an 
 evangelical preacher, remained for a number of years, 
 till she discontinued the chaplaincy altogether. The 
 Duchess had arranged to return to Scotland in July ; 
 but before her arrival, the resolution to have an Epis- 
 copalian chaplain drew forth a remonstrance from her 
 zealous Presbyterian friend, Miss Home, who had been 
 invited to meet her at Huntly Lodge on her return. 
 In reply to that letter, the Duchess wrote from Edin- 
 burgh at great length : 
 
 " Edinburgh, July 1840. My dearest Helen, 
 I am very anxious to answer your letter of the 2d 
 before we meet, that we may feel that we have 
 nothing to speak of but those things on which I 
 believe we agree ; those things which belong to our 
 peace, the infinite goodness and love of God in 
 Christ Jesus by the Spirit. But why need I say 
 what we shall speak of, since the subject is infinite 
 as its Author 1 
 
 "Do you really think that I could have heard and 
 seen all that has been brought before me publicly 
 and privately, without considering with as much at- 
 tention, devotion, and prayer, as I believe my nature 
 is capable of, the subject on which you write ? Yes, 
 dear Helen, and I must answer you, which I will do 
 according to your letter. In the first place, is my 
 
284 STRATHB0G1E. 
 
 looking-glass quite sure that it has not been standing 
 so much on one side, for a long time past, that objects 
 are not reflected straight forward when they relate to 
 certain points ? for you begin by speaking of ' the 
 Church of my fathers/ Is not that touching the very 
 point of family pride, which both you and I know to 
 be our snare ? And yet I am sure that neither any- 
 thing connected with that, nor the love of praise, nor 
 any other of those things which too often possess my 
 most deceitful heart, has ever cost me half the pain or 
 the struggle that the thought of differing from you, in 
 what you consider so important, has done. As to the 
 pride of being confirmed by a bishop, the idea seems 
 to me so completely novel, that if ever I said any- 
 thing like it, it must have been with another meaning. 
 Pride I have, alas ! and I do indeed daily deplore it ; 
 and so foolish is it that I am quite capable of having 
 felt what you say, or something worse ; but as far as 
 I know my own reasons, they are not what you sup- 
 pose. I was brought up by Episcopalians ; I believed 
 my mother to have been one. I came to Scotland, 
 disappointed at not being confirmed by the Bishop of 
 London, Beilby Porteus, whom I had looked upon as 
 an apostle. This disappointment may have been from 
 pride, and certainly was not from any good motive, 
 but it was not so much with reference to a bishop. 
 " Then you have heard what Fettercairn was when 
 
PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL. 285 
 
 I went home ; so that I was too happy to fall back on 
 the Episcopal Church, to which my father made no 
 objection. I certainly knew not the difference in any- 
 thing but form and order. But having been led by a 
 way that I knew not to enter the Episcopal Church, it 
 was in that Church that I was brought to the know 
 ledge of the truth ; that is, ' the chamber in which I 
 was born ;' and to that chamber I have been the 
 honoured instrument, and the only one so honoured 
 in the North, of bringing the presence of the Bride- 
 groom in ' the word of his truth/ Though the souls 
 are few, yet they are souls to be saved, and I could 
 not lightly forsake the work given me to do. 
 
 " But now the circumstances of the Church have 
 led me to inquire into the doctrines and discipline of 
 the two Churches ; and I am led ' solemnly and con- 
 scientiously to prefer that to which God in his pro- 
 vidence has led me to belong, and against which I 
 believe your prejudice would not be so strong if you 
 had examined it as closely as I have. I believe that 
 as with the difference of dispositions and countenances, 
 the different manner necessary to be employed in the 
 right education of children, so the Head of the Church, 
 even our blessed Lord Jesus, employs different orders 
 of discipline for different members of his body, 
 whether as Churches or individuals. I believe that 
 were I now to leave the Church of England, I should 
 
286 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 act contrary to the mind of the Spirit, the leadings 
 of providence, and my own conscience. 
 
 " I am sure, after having said this, you will neither 
 by word, deed, nor allusion, bring forward the sub- 
 ject ; for if you insist on my being a consistent mem- 
 ber of the Episcopalian Church in Scotland, I must 
 forego the happiness and advantage of hearing the 
 truth when I can from the ministers of another part 
 of the body of Christ, whom I love in the Lord with 
 all my heart and soul. I may be wrong ; if I am, the 
 Lord will show it in his time ; for I do ask it sincerely 
 and constantly. He has led me all my life long ; he 
 has guided me through difficulties and dangers ; he 
 has led me to a city of habitation ; he has preserved 
 my soul from death : will he not also keep my feet 
 from falling, that I may walk before him in the land 
 of the living ? Oh, dearest Helen, if there must be 
 difference of opinion (and there can be no unity of 
 opinion in this world), let there be unity of spirit, 
 love in the Lord Jesus, resting on him, striving in 
 his strength to do his will ; believing that if we do 
 so strive, we shall know of the doctrine whether it be 
 of God. May we meet in the Spirit, walk and talk 
 together in the Spirit ; may Christ be our bond of 
 unity and union ; and may we feel ourselves to be 
 children of one Father, rejoicing in one Saviour, 
 members of one Christ/' 
 
HUNTLY LODGE. 287 
 
 HUNTLY LODGE IN 1840 M f CHEYNE, MACDONALD, 
 CHALMERS, BONAR. 
 
 Soon after her return, the communion was dis- 
 pensed in the parish church by the parish minister, 
 but his ministry she never countenanced in any way 
 from the time of his suspension by the General As- 
 sembly. About the same time it was administered 
 to the other congregation by the deputies from the 
 General Assembly, the Eev. Messrs. Cumming of 
 Dumbarney and M'Cheyne of Dundee. To miss their 
 valued preaching was a trial to the Duchess, but 
 she was firmly resolved not to partake of the Lord's 
 Supper with them. The resolution was remarkably 
 unlike herself. From her conversion to her death, she 
 had always an ardent longing for the tokens of our 
 Lord's dying love; and could not resist an oppor- 
 tunity of sitting clown at his table in any true Church 
 of Christ. Now, however, she would not commit her- 
 self by such a course, and went to the Episcopal 
 Chapel. But when the services were concluded there, 
 she came to listen to the Assembly's ministers. It 
 was the afternoon of the day when so many were im- 
 pressed under Mr. M'Cheyne's evening sermon; the 
 Spirit of the Lord was present in the midst of the 
 people ; and her spiritual instinct quickly overcoming 
 her ecclesiastical predilections, she sent to ask if she 
 
288 STRATH BOGIE. 
 
 might have a token, and sat down at the table of the 
 Lord. Next morning she received a note from her 
 own (Scottish Episcopalian) clergyman, strongly re- 
 monstrating against the schismatic step she had taken. 
 But she immediately wrote the decided reply, that she 
 had been communicating with the Church of Scotland, 
 and only doing again what she had occasionally done 
 before when occasion offered ; that the Duke had been 
 an elder of that Church ; and that, Episcopalian though 
 she was, she had gone to the table leaning on her hus- 
 band's arm without incurring the slightest censure. 
 
 Among the ministers sent to Strathbogie, not the 
 least eminent was Dr. Macdonald of Urquhart. The 
 ministrations of that great evangelist were most 
 effective in Gaelic, and their chief sphere was in the 
 purely Highland districts of the north. His heart, 
 however, was as large as his lips were eloquent ; 
 and having sympathies wide as the world, he boldly 
 preached a world-wide gospel everywhere, and with 
 great acceptance and success. Twenty years before 
 these events, his eye had rested on the stagnant 
 swamps of Strathbogie; and disregarding ecclesias- 
 tical etiquette, he had roused the jealousy of the 
 ministers by preaching in their parishes ; and through 
 their complaint had been reproved for the irregularity 
 by the General Assembly. Into that very district 
 the Assembly, in its morally altered tone, now sent 
 
REV. DR. MACDONALD. 289 
 
 him to preach, and although he was personally un- 
 known to the Duchess, her heart was set on rinding 
 profit from his lips. 
 
 "ffuntly Lodge, 5th Oct. 1840. Mr. Mackintosh 
 of Tain was detained last week, but intends being 
 here to-morrow, and he will find Mr. Macdonald of 
 Urquhart preaching in the evening. I earnestly pray 
 that he may have a message for me, and that the sword 
 as well as the unction of the Spirit will plant it in my 
 inmost heart to bring forth fruit abundantly. I charged 
 Mr. Davidson to tell him how very much I wished to 
 see him. I trust we may both be guided by that Spirit 
 which we desire more and more earnestly to seek. 
 May we hear the voice saying, ' This is the way, walk 
 ye iu it ; ; and may we remember, that as He in whose 
 footsteps we desire to tread, while he went about 
 doing good, was meek and lowly of heart, so the 
 peace and rest promised to the soul is with Him, the 
 meek and lowly of heart. I do pray about it, and 
 leave it in the hands of Him who will order aright, 
 i I found myself praying in an unqualified manner, 
 that nothing might prevent me going to hear Mr. 
 Macdonald, but recollected in time to add : If it be 
 for thy glory and my soul's good, and according to 
 thy will, Lord, thou canst order all ; only quickeu 
 me to feel and see all that thou wouldest have me to 
 do, and do as thou hast said." 
 
 T 
 
290 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 The next visitor of note, eight days later, was Dr. 
 Chalmers, of whom she thus writes : "lam sure you 
 wiil like to hear of Dr. Chalmers's visit to Huntiy. I 
 think his report will be favourable ; mine is very com- 
 fortable. On Saturday Dr. C. came to dinner, and as 
 there was no one but the Pelhams and Mr. Mackintosh, 
 we had a great deal of conversation in the evening, 
 and he conducted the worship. On Sunday morning, 
 though rather unwell, I was prepared for a squeeze in 
 the North Kirk, but when we came to the turnstyle 
 the carriage stopped, and the party were assembled at 
 the well. Dr. Chalmers came up, and advised me not 
 to stay ; it thereupon appeared quite clear to me that 
 I was to go to chapel in the morning, and Mr. Brod- 
 rick gave a most excellent sermon on the third Person 
 in the Trinity : * Have ye received the Holy Ghost 
 since ye believed % ' It was really sound, excellent, 
 and practical; the divinity, the personality, the ne- 
 cessity, the efficacy, and the application of the Holy 
 Spirit. 
 
 " I went to the North Kirk with Annie and Miss H., 
 and heard the third part of Dr. Chalmers's sermon in 
 the evening, on Isaiah xxvii. 4 ; Dr. Dewar prayed. 
 Mr. Logan prayed in the afternoon, and Dr. Chalmers 
 did all the service in the morning. He said he liked 
 the open air very much ; it was the fourth time in his 
 life he had preached out of doors. The freeness and 
 
REV. DR. CHALMERS. 291 
 
 fulness of the gospel was Ms theme, and he put me in 
 mind of old Bridge, so you may believe I was pleased ; 
 
 1 like him a great deal better than last year. On 
 Monday he had business in Huntly, and Dr. Dewar 
 preached in Gaelic before the prayer-meeting. 
 
 " The Duke of Eichmond and a large party came 
 here, but the three Doctors came np in the evening. 
 Dr. M'Kellar gave us a most excellent exposition on 
 
 2 Cor. v., but it was thought very long. The Doctors 
 slept here, and went away next day at 11. Dr. Chal- 
 mers called on Mr. Walker (parish minister), and was 
 well received, but the subject (of the Church) was 
 avoided ; it seems the seven are determined to ordain 
 Mr. Edwards. Mr. Macdonald went away yesterday ; 
 he preached in Mortlach on Sunday. The Duke is 
 still here, to remain till Saturday, and I believe to 
 return on Monday ; the Pelhams are going to-mor- 
 row, when the Clunys, March, Lord Croft on, etc., 
 come. Lord Bathurst and Colonel Macdonald are 
 here ; Lady Eosslyn talks of coming next week ; and 
 the Duchess of Bedford, the Abercorns, Storrat, Cap- 
 tain Hamilton, and old Lady Saltoun, all propose the 
 end of the month ; I hope not all at the same time. 
 
 " I am so pleased with Durham on the Song ; I think 
 I never saw the experience of the Christian so clearly 
 set out. As you are alone, I send you this account of 
 us, and I do indeed earnestly pray that the Comforter 
 
292 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 may be with you in all his power, with love, grace, 
 and peace/' 
 
 In November, the Duchess writes of Mr. Andrew 
 Bonar : " Last Monday we had a very comfortable 
 day, after a most admirable sermon on Sunday night 
 from Mr. Bonar. He came here at two o'clock to 
 dinner, with Messrs. Thorburn and Davidson. They 
 held a prayer-meeting, till we went to the kirk for 
 the evening lecture ; and they all stayed till the middle 
 of next day. On Wednesday, Mr. Bonar gave a lec- 
 ture on the Jews. ... I began Matthew on the 30th 
 October." Mr. Bonar s notes, taken at the time, are 
 full of interesting proofs of the remarkable work of 
 the Lord in the whole district, both in the deep im- 
 pression on the congregations which he visited, and in 
 many cases which he records of individual conversion. 
 
 THE MENTAL CONFLICT. 1840-44. 
 
 In commencing these memoirs, it was no part of our 
 design to enter thus at large into the present subject, 
 but rather to state the well-known result, and leave it 
 to speak for itself. We had then hoped for materials 
 to bring out fully the mental process through which 
 the Duchess passed at her first conversion ; and the 
 want of these has induced us to present this subse- 
 quent conflict more in detail, in the hope that the 
 
THE MENTAL CONFLICT. 293 
 
 struggle of an earnest mind after truth may not be 
 without interest and profit, even to those to whom the 
 question will seem unattractive, or her conclusion 
 unfounded. " I can't understand how people should 
 love me," the amiable Duchess sometimes remarked, 
 while highly valuing the love which she wondered 
 at enjoying; and the prospect of having this love 
 estranged in the struggle now before her was severely 
 trying. In the contemplation of such an issue, she 
 wrote at this time : " I cannot pray to be hated, but I 
 can pray to be made willing to be so, if it be the will 
 of God." The thickening of the conflict is indicated in 
 her next letter by a brief reference to Lord Aberdeen, 
 who took so leading a part in the great ecclesiastical 
 struggle : " Huntly Lodge, Dec. 1840. I was pre- 
 vented writing to you by a visit from Lord Aberdeen. 
 We were tSte-d-tete for almost an hour ; and his asser- 
 tion, that legislation, education, feeling, and with 
 peculiar emphasis sense, was against the majority of 
 the General Assembly, made me feel that the wisdom 
 of this world was foolishness with God. 
 
 " The visit of Lady has not been satisfac- 
 tory, yet I prayed constantly, and I did not feel 
 afraid ; the Lord however can work, and none can 
 let. The Duchess of Richmond is to come on Mon- 
 day. You like to know my own feelings : I can say 
 that I feel more than usual the need of the constant 
 
294 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 assistance of the Holy Spirit, and I am sure that he 
 will help me and make me serve Christ and do his 
 will, as he has made me willing and desirous to count 
 all but loss for him. The Lord will show me when he 
 thinks it needful to re-employ me ; in the meantime, 
 his Word shows me more about weakness and humi- 
 lity, and the character of Him who was lowly of 
 heart ; and I feel that keeping close is my safety. If 
 he goes not before me I cannot go forward ; and I 
 have never yet done anything conspicuous to the 
 public, but what I felt rather looking for him than 
 being with him. I go on with Durham, and I like 
 it much." 
 
 Within six weeks after the date of this letter, the 
 suspended ministers met at Marnoch to ordain Mr. 
 Edwards. Though the roads were nearly blocked up 
 with snow, the people gathered in earnest crowds to 
 the spot. Then four hundred and fifty communicants 
 of the parish gave in a solemn protest which they had 
 signed against the intrusion ; took their Bibles from 
 their pews and withdrew in silence, many of them in 
 tears ; and assembling amid the snow in the valley 
 beneath, they resolved with one consent to retire 
 straightway to their own homes, that they might 
 neither wituess the desecration of their church and 
 of its most holy ordinances, nor be tempted to inter- 
 rupt proceedings which they felt to be so scandalous. 
 
THE MENTAL CONFLICT. 295 
 
 The procedure on the part of the suspended ministers, 
 if it created less surprise in the Duchess than it did 
 in some of her friends, excited the same indignation 
 and sorrow : " Huntly Lodge, 29th Jan. 1841. I am 
 grieved to the heart that my friends and neighbours 
 are now in connexion with actual sacrilege, but must 
 thank God that the poor Marnoch people have behaved 
 so well" 
 
 After this time she said to a friend, " The question 
 to my mind is this : Will a Government in this 
 country admit of a really faithful ministry ? That 
 to me is the grand question, and I feel most deeply 
 anxious as to what may be the result/' But the 
 whole question at issue greatly perplexed her ; and 
 from the protracted struggle in her mind, some idea 
 may be gathered of the sharper and far more urgent 
 conflict that was now passing within hundreds of quiet 
 manses in Scotland. Personally she could stand aside 
 for a time, as a member of another Church ; though 
 the same cup must be drunk in the end by every 
 endowed Church that will be faithful to her Head, 
 until the kingdoms of this world shall become the 
 kingdoms of the Lord. The ministers were naturally 
 more conversant with the subject than her Grace ; 
 and had she been in their place, and commanded to 
 ordain an unsuitable pastor by a power that was not 
 spiritual, she would unquestionably have been among 
 
296 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 the first to refuse. The question had thus already 
 come home to their consciences in a practical form, 
 and was now advancing with alarming rapidity to 
 cast all their earthly interests into a heated furnace. 
 The Established Church of Scotland had been their 
 glory, as the great visible chain that bound heaven to 
 earth in the land ; and the endowed Church was the 
 whole earthly stay of themselves and their families. 
 The result was severe enough to many, but it was as 
 nothing when compared to the anticipation ; for even 
 so popular a minister as M'Cheyne seriously con- 
 templated for himself emigration to America as the 
 necessary issue. 
 
 The predilections of the Duchess were deep-rooted 
 against every change in the established order of the 
 country ; they were hereditary and constitutional, 
 though scarcely more so than in many of the mini- 
 sters and elders of the protesting Church. Most of 
 her natural friends and associates were strongly op- 
 posed to the attitude the Church had been compelled 
 to assume toward the Civil powers. But on the other 
 hand, her religious friends in Scotland were all of one 
 mind in holding that Caesar had no authority over 
 Christ's household in things purely spiritual. Among 
 these the earliest and dearest of all, to whose words 
 and prayers she felt indebted more than to any 
 one else, was both decided for herself, and constantly 
 
THE MENTAL CONFLICT. 297 
 
 urging the Duchess to decision. The remarkable 
 diversity of their minds had helped to cement their 
 friendship hitherto ; but now it almost threatened to 
 dissolve it. Miss Home, acute and clear, saw quickly 
 with an instinctive perception nearly all that was 
 ever to commend itself to her as important in a 
 subject ; and had too little patience with the reason- 
 ing mind of the Duchess, whose deliberation appeared 
 to her to be indecision. But in this, as in every other 
 case, nothing could move her one step beyond her 
 own conviction : if her judgment was satisfied she 
 would act, but no amount of pressure would advance 
 her one hairs-breadth. The threatened loss of the 
 dearest friend on earth moved her indeed to weigh 
 the subject most carefully ; but was never suffered to 
 affect the judgment, or the conscience, or the mode of 
 action. The excessive urgency of friendship did not 
 hasten by one hour the decision of her own mind, but 
 only retarded it by awakening a feeling of wrong, and 
 therefore of resistance. 
 
 In the autumn the Duchess went to the south of 
 France for Miss Sinclair's health, and did not return 
 again to Scotland for two years. The indecision of 
 her mind as to the course she might ultimately have 
 to take made her not unwilling to be absent from the 
 scene of conflict, and perhaps too willing practically 
 to forget it in the midst of other thoughts and occu- 
 
298 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 pations. The tendency, also, of all that surrounded 
 her on the Continent was to lower the significance 
 of any question that did not immediately affect the 
 salvation of the individual soul, however essential its 
 issues might be in the great work of human redemp- 
 tion. Yet the following remarks show how far she 
 was from being indifferent, and how decided her views 
 were on the great ecclesiastical merits of the contro- 
 versy : " I hear nothing of the Scotch question that 
 leads to disputing, and have found that Dr. Gordon's 
 memorial, and the extract from the Wesleyan Maga- 
 zine, of which I brought a number of copies, have led 
 all who think on the subject at all to a right view of 
 the question ; at least thus far, to the conviction that 
 Dr. Gordon's party is acting according to the prin- 
 ciples and standards of the Church to which it belongs, 
 and that those who differ from them, and remain 
 Presbyterians of the Church of Scotland, must either 
 be ignorant or worse." 
 
 Dr. Gordon, with whose views she thus expressed 
 her concurrence, had solemnly declared : " For a 
 long time the controversy was involved in all the 
 tortuosities of legal questions. But now it has come 
 to this, that if we define the principles of the Church 
 as they have been recently laid down in certain 
 documents and speeches, we must intrude ministers 
 on all the parishes of Scotland, for if it can be in one 
 
THE MENTAL CONFLICT. 299 
 
 it can be in all ; that we are bound and astricted to 
 intrude ministers without even the shadow of a call 
 from the Christian congregations over whom they are 
 to be placed, and with whom the pastoral connexion 
 is to be formed. And more than that, it has come 
 to this plainly and distinctly, that I, a minister of 
 the Church of Scotland, who have solemnly sworn 
 before God, and as I shall answer to him at the 
 great day of judgment, that I believe in my heart and 
 conscience that Christ is the great Head of the Church, 
 and that he has appointed office-bearers in it distinct 
 and apart from the civil magistrate, to whom he has 
 committed the keys of his spiritual kingdom, who are 
 to loose and to bind, to lay on and to take off spiritual 
 and ecclesiastical censures : it has come, I say, to this, 
 that I am called upon either to renounce these prin- 
 ciples, or to renounce the privileges which I hold as 
 an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland." 
 
 The Duchess passed another winter in France, and 
 in May of the following year, 1843, the great Disrup- 
 tion took place in the Church of Scotland, by which 
 four hundred and seventy-four of her ministers sacri- 
 ficed their earthly livings for the sake of Christ, and 
 cast themselves and their families on the free bounty 
 of that God in whom they trusted, and for whose 
 sake they suffered. The event, which filled the com- 
 munity with admiration and the unbelieving world 
 
300 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 with astonishment, carried sorrow and perplexity of 
 heart to the subject of this memoir. Though herself 
 an Episcopalian in Presbyterian Scotland, she held 
 so strongly the union of Church and State that she 
 could not regard any cause as sufficient to justify 
 their severance. On the other hand, the men whose 
 characters the Duchess admired, whose sympathy she 
 cherished, and with whose doctrines she agreed, had 
 all cast off the yoke for the sake of Christ their Head. 
 They were the men with whom she desired that her 
 soul might be gathered ; her love toward them was 
 not cooled, her esteem for them was enhanced. But 
 though she could not approve of their course, nor 
 cast in her lot with their community, a single hasty 
 sentence, written from Geneva on the 2*7th of May, 
 will show with how deep emotions she read and ex- 
 amined the accounts of the proceedings : " I cannot 
 begin on the subject of the Scotch Church, but I do 
 feel very much, and would give all but my conscience, 
 if I could go along with you in everything. I do 
 love and honour those dear men ; and Charles Mack- 
 intosh, how I wish I could talk with him ! I don't 
 see Alexander Stewart's name" of Cromarty, than 
 whom however there was none more resolute in quit- 
 ting the Establishment, rather than consent to cast 
 his Lord's crown into the dust. 
 
 The Duchess arrived in England on the loth of 
 
THE MENTAL CONFLICT. 301 
 
 June, and wrote to Miss Home on the 2 2d : "I 
 am sorry to have been so long in Britain without 
 calling on you to join in thanksgiving with me, and 
 prayer that the blessing of the Lord may rest on my 
 return to my own country, and lead me in the right 
 way to do all the will of my Father to the glory of 
 my Lord Jesus. I know you pray for me ; and I do 
 pray most earnestly (if anything I do can be so 
 spoken of) that I may be willing to count all but loss 
 for Christ, and to cut off the right hand, or to pluck 
 out the right eye, if they be a hindrance to the fol- 
 lowing the Lord fully in the way he has appointed 
 for me." 
 
 A month later Miss Home wrote an earnest letter, 
 urging her to take a decided stand in favour of the 
 Free Church on her return to Scotland, and to show 
 her attachment to its principles by joining in the 
 communion, which was about to be held in several of 
 the Edinburgh Free Churches. She sent this decided 
 reply: " 19th July 1843. There are few things in 
 this world that pain me so much as to differ from you, 
 whom I have looked upon for so long a time as my 
 oracle. I know your affection for me, and that all 
 you do and say is with a view to my eternal good ; 
 and I am sure you will pray that I may be led to act, 
 not as you would have me, but as God would have me. 
 If in looking with prayerful earnestness for the guid- 
 
302 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 ance of the Holy Spirit, I yet cannot see that your 
 way is my way, and that I think I see most clearly 
 and plainly that I am at this moment in the way of 
 duty in that situation in which the Lord has placed 
 me, and in doing the work which he has given me to 
 do, you will at least allow that I ought not to walk 
 where I see not that guidance for me. All my preju- 
 dices and prepossessions have been in favour of those 
 with whom your lot is cast, and 1 do fervently trust 
 that when the things of this world have passed away, 
 and we know even as we are known, we shall be found 
 together with the Lamb, our King, our Head, our 
 present Hope, our eternal Eedemption. But now I see 
 not my way with you. The Lord knows that there is 
 no worldly advantage to me, or pleasure, so far as I 
 can perceive, in the line I must follow. The heart is 
 deceitful above all things, and I may be deceived in 
 this ; but your letter received this morning requires 
 a decided answer, and with pain to grieve you I give 
 it, seeing that it is not the will of Him that doeth all 
 things well that we should meet at present. Adieu. 
 May the Lord by his Spirit teach us both not only to 
 say but to act, * Thy will be done on earth, as it is in 
 heaven/ " 
 
 The next week she came down by sea to Scotland, 
 where she WTote again: "Edinburgh, 30th July 
 1843. I do so much miss your dear, kind welcome 
 
THE MENTAL CONFLICT. 303 
 
 in Edinburgh, and dear Anna's (Lady Home), that I 
 cannot go through another day without telling you 
 so, and how truly unhappy it makes me to grieve 
 you, for well do I know that all your anxiety is for 
 my true welfare. May the God of all grace and con- 
 solation be with you both : may his Spirit lead us all 
 into all truth through him who is the truth, the life, 
 and the way. Yes, dearest, I fully believe we are 
 both in Him who is the only way. I doubt not that 
 the time will come that you will acknowledge I am 
 not so wrong as you now think me ; you will, I am 
 sure, acknowledge that except we walk ' in the light of 
 the Lord ' we cannot walk aright. I do most sincerely 
 desire to walk in that light and no other, and to listen 
 earnestly for the voice behind, saying, ' This is the way, 
 walk ye in it/ In the meantime, I still think you are 
 taking a partial and limited view of the glorious truth 
 which occupies you so warmly ; and that that part of 
 the body of our Head, Christ Jesus, to which in his 
 providence I belong, no less acknowledges the obliga- 
 tion of looking on him as ' Head over all things to the 
 Church/ than you do. At all events, as my own way 
 is clear to me, I have no business to meddle with 
 other people, who I believe are walking in all sincerity 
 in the light given to them, and in the truth of God. 
 Oh that there were more love, more tenderness of 
 love, with us all. Indeed, indeed, dearest Helen, I feel 
 
304 ST&A.THBOGIE. 
 
 that I love you too well, and not a whit less than I 
 used to do. If it were not so, I should not be think- 
 ing of you night and day, and weeping when I think 
 you are vexed about me. Never did I feel so ready 
 to do anything and everything for you to prove my 
 affection, except giving up my own convictions. I 
 cannot see with your eyes, but I think you quite right 
 in acting up to your light, and in walking in the path 
 you have chosen. 
 
 " We came in the steamer with Mr. Moody, and had 
 much conversation with him ; we heard him preach 
 yesterday. Cumming (her Grace's maid) came in just 
 as I was beginning about Mr. M. ; and now I must 
 dress, as I have a great deal to do to-day, which I shall 
 do with a lighter heart when I have assured you of my 
 constant and tender affection, and of my love to Anna 
 and the boys." Want of time prevented her explain- 
 ing the conversation to which she refers ; and both 
 here, and in some future parts of this particular narra- 
 tive, I am compelled reluctantly to introduce my own 
 name, or else to leave the sketch imperfect. 
 
 Our meeting on the passage to Leith was altogether 
 unexpected, and my information on the recent history 
 of the Church was not so full as her own. While 
 staying at Huntly Lodge about two years before, and 
 preaching in many parishes around, the labour and 
 exposure had brought on a severe affection of the 
 
THE MENTAL CONFLICT. 305 
 
 throat, for which I was ordered to Madeira, whence I 
 was only now returning after sailing round by the 
 Brazils. Our paths had once accidentally crossed on 
 the Eock of Gibraltar, but with that brief exception 
 we had not met for two years ; and now on our 
 returning to Scotland everything was strangely altered. 
 Between four and five hundred ministers had for 
 Christ's sake given up their stipends and left their 
 manses, that they might freely preach the everlasting 
 gospel to their countrymen ; and the Church of Scot- 
 land, as determined by large majorities in her General 
 Assembly, was no longer the Church established in the 
 land, while still holding fast all her ancient principles. 
 This severance of the Church from the State was 
 more than the Duchess could receive. But being 
 deeply vexed with the letters of her friends, urging 
 her to sanction the step by immediately sitting down 
 at our communion, she gladly embraced the unexpected 
 opportunity for conversation on the subject, and freely 
 opened all her mind. Distance, time, quiet, sickness, 
 had altered or modified many of my own thoughts, 
 since I had seen her Grace at Huntly Lodge In the 
 silent retrospect of life, with the prospect of a possibly 
 near eternity, much that had seemed first was now 
 last, and the last was first ; but the truth and mag- 
 nitude of our Church's testimony to the Headship of 
 Christ over his own house, even unto separation from 
 
 u 
 
306 STEATHBOGIE. 
 
 the State, had only stood forth in greater clearness. 
 After every deduction for the elements of earth that 
 had mingled in the conflict, the great principles looked 
 still greater than before, and the broad lines of pro- 
 cedure more brightly shone upon by the word, by 
 grace, and by providence. There was leisure on the 
 quiet deep to talk over all these things ; but the 
 Duchess could not see the clearness of our path, and 
 much less of her own in the way of taking part with 
 the Free Church. I had therefore no hesitation in 
 confirming her own opinion as to her line of conduct, 
 and advising her by no means to communicate with 
 us in her present state of mind, for as a member of 
 the Church of England she was fully entitled to stand 
 aloof. Our conversation ended with giving her this 
 text, by which she was greatly comforted : u He that 
 believeth shall not make haste." 
 
 How unaltered her mind continued for some time 
 after her return to Scotland, and how little disposed she 
 was to depart from the neutral position she had taken, 
 will appear from the following letter : " Huntly Lodge, 
 Nov. 1843. The point on which I should like to write 
 to you is in a former letter, on the subject of openly 
 assisting and countenancing the Free Kirk. Now, I 
 do pray earnestly for light, and every day I see more 
 clearly that this is not the Lord's will concerning me. 
 I am certain you and many see that your way is plain, 
 
THE ACCEPTED CROSS. 307 
 
 and you are right in following it. I am certain that 
 such men as Dr. Gordon and Mr. Mackintosh cannot 
 but act as the Lord would have them, looking as they 
 do for the guidance of his Spirit in all things. But 
 even these men are not infallible ; and I see so much 
 more of the evil consequences of the movement than 
 of the necessity for it, and so clearly that it is not my 
 present duty to take any part in it, that nothing is 
 left me but to grieve that I must differ in this thing 
 from them and you. I trust we may yet find that 
 even with this difference we are one body in Christ, 
 and have him alone for our Lord and Head ; those 
 who think with me, as well as those who agree with 
 you in all things. This being the case, I can only help 
 individuals, because I believe that their preaching will 
 be blessed. Oh, may He give us, by his Holy Spirit, 
 his promised Spirit, life to quicken, love to warm, 
 light to see, and strength to do all things according 
 to the very mind of Christ.' 7 
 
 THE ACCEPTED CROSS. 1844-1846. 
 
 In the summer of 1844 her Grace's pressing invi- 
 tation to Huntly Lodge was met on my part with 
 an unhesitating, yet most reluctant acquiescence. 
 Though frequently corresponding, I did not care to 
 introduce the question of the Church, on which nothing 
 
308 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 could be written which she had not heard a hundred 
 times already. But now the subject could not be 
 evaded ; if she spoke of it, I must express my mind ; if 
 she keep silence, I must speak. Last year it was easy 
 with a clear conscience, or rather conscience then 
 commanded, to advise her to sit still ; but the twelve 
 months that had now elapsed allowed more than 
 ample leisure for " not making haste." Personally, 
 indeed, she was a member of the English Church ; 
 but as such she had countenanced and communicated 
 with the Church of Scotland ; and now she did not 
 countenance or communicate with the Free Church of 
 Scotland, however much she honoured and loved its 
 individual ministers. Neither had she taken, with 
 some good men, the ill-advised position of neutrality 
 toward all Churches, nor was she ever likely to take 
 it. But in a word, she disowned the Disruption ; she 
 disapproved of our having severed ourselves from the 
 State ; and not altogether as a mere onlooker, but as 
 one who had been in communion with us before, and 
 with my own Church in particular, although not ex- 
 pressly as a member. 
 
 Her position was not one that she could always 
 maintain ; but it must unavoidably result either in 
 greater estrangement or closer fellowship. From her 
 wide influence by character as well as by rank, the 
 importance of the course which the Duchess might 
 
THE ACCEPTED CROSS. 309 
 
 ultimately adopt could hardly be exaggerated, as 
 regarded the cause of the gospel in her own district 
 of country. For her now to halt longer between two 
 opinions was to trifle with a great subject ; and for 
 her to take any more decided step without a clearer 
 conviction was to thrust herself into a snare. For 
 an adviser to set arguments before her was to repeat 
 a tale already told a hundred times, while to be silent 
 was to compromise his own conscience. What course 
 was to be adopted in the circumstances ? After 
 sifting this inquiry to the uttermost I was baffled, 
 and completely failed in finding any solution, or dis- 
 covering one ray of light on the path of wisdom. 
 At last I gave it up in utter helplessness to the Lord, 
 who asked, " Am I a God at hand, and not a God afar 
 off?" God was in the north as well as in the south ; 
 in Huntly as much as in Edinburgh. There was 
 therefore no need to obtain counsel here and carry 
 it to the spot, because the Counsellor himself was 
 there ; and had He not commanded, " Take ye no 
 thought how or what ye shall speak, for I will be a 
 mouth and wisdom unto you : the morrow shall take 
 thought for the things of itself" ? It was enough ; 
 there was no gleam of light on the future path ; but 
 fear and care had fled, and were followed by trust, 
 joy, and hope. 
 
 Huntly Lodge I found on my arrival full of visi- 
 
310 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 tors, from England as well as Scotland. At prayers 
 in the evening the Duchess expected, as usual, some 
 exposition of Scripture ; and on leaving the draw- 
 ing-room said to me, " We are reading in Luke, 
 and are at the 23d chapter, but read anywhere you 
 like." The selection of a passage for the family 
 that night had cost no forethought, because after 
 three years' absence many suitable portions, which 
 would be fresh to them, had become familiar to my- 
 self ; and her Grace's remark made no impression, till 
 she repeated it without qualification on entering the 
 library door, "We are at the 23d of Luke." This 
 was obviously said without any thought of what the 
 passage might contain ; but was so altogether unusual 
 with her as to induce me to turn up the chapter, 
 under the impression that it might be well to offer 
 from it some remarks on the central, and always 
 practical subject of our Lord's death. But the first 
 topic in the chapter I found to be the Jews' accusa- 
 tion of Jesus, as denying the authority of Caesar, 
 " saying that he himself was Christ a King ; " and 
 explained elsewhere by his kingdom not being of 
 this world. It was impossible to open such a passage 
 in such a place. The household, with the visitors 
 and their servants, formed a company of more than 
 fifty worshippers. Our hostess disagreed with the 
 views of our Church on the subject ; to introduce it 
 
THE ACCEPTED CROSS. 311 
 
 to her guests was at once to abuse her hospitality, and 
 to speak to many of them as in a foreign tongue ; 
 while for the whole assembly, it was to lose a precious 
 opportunity of speaking to the salvation of immortal 
 souls. The subject was suitable only for the Duchess 
 herself, and the only suitable time for it was in private, 
 for which there would be ample opportunity in days 
 or weeks to come. Her Grace was ever sensitively 
 alive to the fitness of things, and greatly disliked 
 any breach of propriety. The imputation of rash- 
 ness in speech and action was a chief accusation 
 against the ministers of our Church ; she made no 
 secret of her concurrence in that charge ; and to intro- 
 duce this controverted topic on the very first evening 
 at family worship would have been the last extreme 
 of indiscretion. 
 
 The 23d of Luke, therefore, did not occupy a 
 moment's thought, but was set aside at once as out 
 of the question ; and some other passage was sought 
 for, with no apprehended difficulty except in the way 
 of selection. But during the preliminary notes of 
 the organ first, and then in the singing of the psalm, 
 the search was fruitless ; the leaves of the book with- 
 out, and the recollections of the heart within were 
 turned over and over, but all in vain. It was one of 
 those crises in life in which the thoughts of hours and 
 days are compressed as if into moments. Was this to 
 
312 STKATHBOGIE. 
 
 be the end of all the anxious consideration, and prayer 
 for wisdom from above ? had I thought so much and 
 come so far, only to dash to the ground by one blow 
 all hope of this great subject being favourably enter- 
 tained in that house ? for to open it then seemed 
 the sure way of closing it for ever, a step fatal at 
 once to every prospect of success. Was the Lord at 
 length provoked with the long halting between two 
 opinions, and was Christ in his Headship now to be 
 set before this family only as a stone of stumbling 
 and rock of offence ? " Lord, the way of man 
 is not in himself: Lord, thou art stronger than 
 I, and hast prevailed ; for the foolishness of God is 
 wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger 
 than men." 
 
 The first verses of the 23d of Luke were read and 
 explained : Christ's kingdom is in the world, yet not 
 of the world ; the Church is subject and responsible to 
 him alone in the appointment and removal of pastors, 
 and in the entire rule and discipline of his house ; and 
 she is unfaithful to her Head if she resigns that trust 
 to any other, or executes it at the command of the 
 highest power on earth. Nor was the question a light 
 one, since on it had hinged the death of our blessed 
 Lord himself. This truth was not the end for which 
 He died, but it was the turning-point of his death ; it 
 was the good confession that he had witnessed before 
 
THE ACCEPTED CROSS. 313 
 
 Pilate ; and it was because he would not retract his 
 declaration that he was a King, that he was led to 
 crucifixion. If this truth was great enough for our 
 Master to suffer death for declaring it, it could not be 
 too little for us to accept as a ground of suffering, of 
 imprisonment, or of death itself. 
 
 The message was delivered and left. The ministers 
 of our Church were now out of that conflict. We had 
 fought for that citadel of the truth, and had kept it 
 at great sacrifice ; and we were now bent on bringing 
 the living water to the flocks within its walls, and to 
 all who were willing to drink and live. The Assembly 
 of 1844 had been a deeply impressive one, with much 
 quickening and searching of heart, especially in the 
 ministry. Its hallowing influence was now spreading 
 throughout the country ; ministers were conferring 
 with each other, and praying together with deep emo- 
 tion, and going forth to their flocks with renewed 
 earnestness and faithfulness. Such a process was 
 going on at Huntly, as elsewhere ; and the Church 
 question was little thought of, and never suffered 
 for a moment to withdraw us from our great work. 
 After that first exception the one subject at Huntly 
 Lodge, as elsewhere, was repentance towards God, 
 and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 Three days passed, and on the fourth the Duchess 
 sent for me to her sitting-room, and said with great 
 
314 STEATHBOGIE. 
 
 emotion : " I can't get a word with you alone, and 
 how have you never come to see me ? Since the 
 night you came, I have not been able to get this 
 Headship of Christ out of my mind, and I must get 
 to the bottom of it ; you must tell me all about it." 
 This was only too welcome a task, and it engrossed 
 several long conversations. The subject had been for 
 years before her mind ; but now the special presence 
 of the Spirit so cleared the moral and spiritual atmo- 
 sphere as to render her willing to face all the conse- 
 quences of a thorough conviction. This willingness 
 to take up the cross went far to remove the intellec- 
 tual haze ; and she soon saw both the claim of Christ 
 as Head over his Church, and the obedience of the 
 Free Church in loyally submitting herself to her Lord 
 and King. Another question remained for herself, 
 with which I had nothing to do, and into which I 
 did not care to enter, her relation to the Church of 
 England. Our conflict had not been on that field, 
 and that Church must stand or fall to her own 
 Master. 
 
 After a few more days had passed, her Grace sent 
 for me again, and said very earnestly : " The last of 
 my own visitors leaves to-day, and this whole house is 
 at your disposal ; I wish you to invite any you know 
 in the neighbourhood, who may either do good or get 
 good by being here." She knew herself by name the 
 
THE ACCEPTED CROSS. 315 
 
 few gentlemen who had been zealous for the further- 
 ance of the gospel in the neighbouring parishes, and 
 immediately wrote to several of them, inviting them 
 to the Lodge with their families. This step proceeded 
 entirely from herself, and was far beyond what I could 
 have asked or suggested at the moment ; for these 
 gentlemen had been called to take a prominent part in 
 the Non-Intrusion controversy in their own parishes, 
 and such an invitation would be held throughout the 
 district as unfurling the banner of the Free Church 
 over Huntly Lodge. But though she had not yet 
 satisfied herself on the whole question in all its bear- 
 ings, her understanding was now convinced of the 
 scriptural truth of our great principles, her heart was 
 opened to embrace them, and she rejoiced thus to 
 make an open confession of Christ as Head over his 
 own Church. 
 
 After leaving Huntly Lodge, I am not aware that 
 I ever introduced the subject of our Church again ; 
 but of her own accord the Duchess proceeded to 
 examine further for herself, and to correspond with 
 other friends about it: "Huntly Lodge, *Jth March 
 1845. I cannot say I liked the paper you sent me, 
 and I think I could answer most of the objections. 
 The great fault of the Church of England is summed 
 up in three words, * want of discipline/ The Liturgy 
 was written for real Christians, and I do confess that 
 
316 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 others ought not to use the services. You will say 
 that real Christians ought to object to any form of 
 prayer ; I have not come to that conclusion. Your 
 last letter was quite a disappointment to me ; not 
 because I wanted mere praise for the step I have 
 taken, for as yet I have not been troubled by man's 
 opinion of the matter. My own soul occupies me 
 more than any outward circumstances. I think through 
 grace I am getting nearer to the light, with a more 
 single eye to my dear Lord ; I fully expect ere long 
 to have a glimpse of the King in his beauty." 
 
 If the freedom from "trouble by man's opinions" 
 included outward as well as inward quiet, she could 
 not have written this some months later, when she 
 wrote to another friend: "June 1845. I believe 
 you judge very truly, that the honour from man I 
 have so long enjoyed and cherished will be much 
 withdrawn. I would bless the Lord for everything 
 that can send me to him alone for strength." But 
 she had been counting the cost, and she met it now 
 without fear or shrinking. The penalty of confessing 
 Christ was no longer to be summoned before the 
 judges and to be fined, like her ancestor Lady Mary 
 Brodie ; but it was to stand on a pinnacle alone, bear- 
 ing his reproach. To give a single instance : she had 
 a visit from Lord Aberdeen who, after the controversy 
 had terminated in the Disruption, was most liberal in 
 
THE ACCEPTED CROSS. 317 
 
 liis own district in granting sites and otherwise, but 
 was naturally vexed at the new position taken by 
 the Duchess. He reasoned with her earnestly on 
 the line of conduct she had adopted ; and when his 
 arguments failed, he remonstrated with a warmth un- 
 like the usual amiableness of his disposition aDd the 
 extreme courtesy of his manners. But the able states- 
 man mistook his gentle hostess, when he hoped to 
 turn her from her course by strong representations, 
 unsupported by convincing arguments. The Duchess 
 felt the interview more keenly than almost any inci- 
 dent that we have ever seen cross her path. But like 
 the taunt of Methodism in earlier years, it only tended 
 to root her more deeply in her own convictions, and 
 to make her advance more boldly in the way that she 
 had chosen. 
 
 While staying at Windsor with Her Majesty, whom 
 she was frequently called to visit both there and at 
 Balmoral, the Duchess had an interview of a different 
 character with her old friend the King of the Belgians. 
 He had looked quietly on the conflict as a remote 
 spectator ; and his own feelings being engaged on 
 neither side, he spoke of it with pleasantry and great 
 good-nature. "So, my dear Duchess/' said he, " I hear 
 you have joined the Church militant?" "No, Sire," 
 she replied, " but I have a great regard for it ;" for 
 while she now fully recognised the lightness and 
 
318 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 Christian necessity of our position toward the State, 
 she was still herself a member of the Church of 
 England. 
 
 The following letter was written to one of her 
 oldest friends, a member of the Scotch. Episcopal 
 Church: "Sept. 1845. You cannot doubt that I 
 feel most deeply your present difficulties ; the more 
 so as anxiety about your sister, and all you have 
 to do, must rather unhinge the mind from that con- 
 nected view of the subject of the Scotch Episcopal 
 Church, which would make it perfectly clear. When 
 we are troubled and anxious, the externals of religion 
 lose their importance so much, that we find it a trial 
 of patience to argue about them ; but on the other 
 hand, we are more than ever surprised that those we 
 love and esteem should put the means for the end. 
 I do think it is most dangerous and deceptive, and 
 dishonouring to the character of the holy God, to 
 limit him to any means which are not expressly stated 
 in his Word ; and there I am sure there is no autho- 
 rity for, but on the contrary many warnings against 
 putting the Church and the ordinances in the place of 
 the work of the Divine Eedeemer, the grace of the 
 Holy Spirit, and the faith which worketh by love unto 
 repentance. We are weak just because we do not 
 live as near to God as he has invited and commanded 
 us to do ; in all humility obeying every ordinance of 
 
THE ACCEPTED CROSS. 319 
 
 man for the Lord's sake, but calling no man master 
 (for our Lord has said so) in those things in which he 
 has promised his Spirit to teach, and given his word 
 to reveal." 
 
 The -Duchess of Gordon had now great difficulties 
 on some parts of the service of the Church of Eng- 
 land, and she no longer relished its form of prayers ; 
 but it was on neither of these grounds that her mind 
 was specially exercised, or that she came to her final 
 conclusion. The vital Church question with her was 
 the Headship of Christ over his own house ; and the 
 three words "want of discipline" formed the chief 
 substance of her difficulty, and the main subject of 
 her inquiry, reading, and prayer. To another friend, 
 the daughter of an English clergyman, she wrote : 
 " Edinburgh, Nov. 1845. Many thanks for your book. 
 I have sought out those passages that might show me 
 something relating to the Eoyal Supremacy, but I can 
 find nothing to modify it, as I expected, since the 
 settlement of the Protestant succession." 
 
 Holding to the end of her life the desirableness of 
 union between Church and State, and the duty of such 
 union where it can be effected without sacrifice of 
 principle, she came to the distinct conclusion that by 
 its terms of union the Church of England had sur- 
 rendered its power of discipline ; on that ground she 
 left it, and during this winter in Edinburgh she 
 
320 STEATHBOGIE. 
 
 became a member of the Free Church of Scotland. 
 Having done so, she identified herself with all its 
 religious and missionary interests at home and abroad ; 
 and, as one instance of her liberal support of its insti- 
 tutions, she subscribed 1000 to the New College. 
 Doubtless her love for the people of Scotland made 
 her the more willing to become a Presbyterian, and 
 helped to open her eyes to the great mistake of the 
 aristocracy in severing themselves from the Presby- 
 terianism of the country. But the severity of the 
 trial through which she had come may be gathered 
 from a remark she afterwards made at her own table : 
 " Had it been said to me at one time that I should 
 become a Presbyterian and a Dissenter, I should have 
 replied, ' Is thy servant a dog, to do this thing V " 
 
 The trials that encompassed her through taking this 
 step are referred to in a letter, written in the summer 
 of 1846, to a valued friend who had passed through 
 the same ecclesiastical experience as herself : " Pray, 
 think of me before the Lord. My God has indeed 
 been gracious in giving me to taste of the joy of his 
 salvation, to prepare me for peculiar trials and diffi- 
 culties which have come upon me .like the waves of 
 the sea, one after another. I think that it is like the 
 outer storm now raging around me, to lift my heart to 
 Him who guides the storm, and who out of confusion 
 brings perfect beauty. I am sure there will be a way 
 
THE ACCEPTED CROSS. 321 
 
 of escape that I may be able to bear it. Pray for me, 
 that I may be willing to count all things but loss for 
 the glory of God in Christ Jesus, and that, while 
 witnessing to the great things he has done for my 
 soul, I may also be a witness for the glory of Christ 
 our King, and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide 
 and teach as man's word can never teach." 
 
 The following letter of the same summer to another 
 friend is of a practical character ; but we copy it the 
 more willingly on that account, because the final step 
 she had now taken was reached through a process all 
 along of more thorough severing from the world, and 
 more perfect readiness to take up the cross and follow 
 Christ. In the reference to Christ's confession before 
 Pontius Pilate she was recalling in her own mind that 
 night, when the truth of Christ's Headship had laid 
 fast hold on her conscience, and along with it the 
 necessity and privilege of giving up all for his sake. 
 
 " Huntly Lodge, 1st July 1846. We have been 
 apt to think (at least I have), brought up among 
 Christians and in a Christian country, with the Word 
 of God in our hands and the Spirit of God as near, 
 that the offence of the cross had ceased. But the 
 Word of God is the same as when it was written, as 
 unchangeable as the living God whose will it reveals. 
 I believe there is nothing that Satan loves so well, 
 and which adds so greatly to the number of those 
 
 x 
 
322 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 who shall partake of his punishment, as an easy reli- 
 gion ; resting on forms, doing as much as is con- 
 venient, or rather as little as conscience will allow 
 for God and his glory, bearing no testimony, taking 
 up no cross. It is true the testimony may not be in 
 words, but by a walk and conduct becoming the 
 gospel, as Christ walked, leaving us an example ; who 
 pleased not himself, but before Pontius Pilate wit- 
 nessed a good confession, even that he was a King, 
 and must be honoured and obeyed as the only King 
 and Head of his people in all things concerning his 
 kingdom. ' Thus it is written,' was his own rule, and 
 ' thus it is written' must be our rule, and no other. 
 Oh, let us above all things beware of taking for doc- 
 trine the commandments of men. . . . The great 
 secret of safety is the sense of our utter weakness, 
 which obliges us to look continually to Him who is 
 able to help and who giveth more grace. There can 
 be no compromise with the world ; that is a most 
 fruitless and vain struggle, for God will not have a 
 divided heart ; but how rich is the reward he has in 
 store for those who diligently seek him according to 
 his own command, and in his own strength. May 
 the Lord be about your path and all your ways con- 
 tinually, to keep you from every evil. 
 
 The Duchess held firmly to the last her own 
 principles, the fruit of long inquiry and deep con- 
 
THE ACCEPTED CROSS. 323 
 
 viction ; but she retained also to the end of her life 
 the same catholic spirit that characterized her Chris- 
 tian course throughout. Some cherish a catholic spirit 
 with unfixed ecclesiastical principles ; while others 
 so hold their principles as greatly to lessen their 
 Christian love. To keep fast hold of truth and love 
 requires much grace, and may be regarded as a rare 
 attainment in the Church; and we have never seen 
 the union equally exemplified in any other, as in the 
 Duchess of Gordon. Though she had left the Church 
 of England, she loved and honoured it to the end, 
 while abiding in the fellowship of her own Church 
 both in Scotland and in England. 
 
 Her thoughts in this respect are expressed in the 
 following letter on the subject of her Episcopalian 
 chaplain at Huntly ; for though that office was given 
 to a Presbyterian for a year or two after her widow- 
 hood, it had been filled by an Episcopalian ever 
 since: "1st Feb. 1847. As you ask me solemnly 
 about your friends, I may just state that the whole 
 matter is in the Lord's hands ; they have not the 
 smallest intention of moving, and I see no reason for it. 
 When an Episcopalian, I had formerly a Presbyterian 
 chaplain, and the case is only reversed. Wherever 
 the truth is preached I honour it ; and although I 
 believe godly discipline to be essential to the main- 
 tenance of divine truth, and an ordinance of God, yet 
 
 
324 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 I cannot say that doctrine and practice according to 
 godliness may not be preached effectually with the 
 Lord's blessing for the salvation of souls, where the 
 discipline is maintained more by principle than by 
 church government. But, oh, I believe that whoever 
 can hear the preaching of that ' doctrine which is 
 according to godliness/ and does not make use of the 
 privilege, will assuredly suffer by the leanness, if not 
 the loss of the soul. I have not time for entering 
 into my reasons for separating from the Church of 
 England, but they were purely conscientious ; and I 
 believe I could never be a blessing to the little body 
 of English Episcopalians, if acting against my con- 
 science. They want God's blessing, not man's help : 
 the latter without the former is a curse. * Put not 
 your trust in any child of man.' But I am not against 
 those dear friends, and can feel myself more at liberty 
 to help them now than before, because I am now acting 
 openly in all things. May the Lord Jesus enable you 
 to look to him, and to feel and say with Luther, ( Lord, 
 I am thy sin ; thou art my righteousness.' " 
 
 THE QUIET REST. 1847. 
 
 The mind of the Duchess of Gordon had at last 
 entered into rest on a subject that had occupied 
 her for so many years, ever since the suspension of 
 
THE QUIET REST. 325 
 
 the seven ministers in Strathbogie in 1839. She 
 was now to return to Huntly with a heart at peace 
 with itself, and rejoicing in the Lord with a renewal of 
 early love ; and she wrote to her friend Miss Home, 
 who had carried on so constant a correspondence 
 with her on the subject during those eight years : 
 "May 1847. I have been thinking of your going to 
 Huntly, and that it is best to be quite honest with 
 you about it. When I was thanking the Lord for 
 again making us of one mind, I thought how pleasant 
 it would be to be together there ; but I have since 
 considered that my feelings and yours are not the 
 only ones to be consulted. I think it would be better 
 at first on my return home to endeavour in the 
 strength of the Lord to go without outward help, 
 straight forward as he shall lead ; when I have been 
 a month or two at home, perhaps I may be indulged 
 with the comfort of having you. I think the Lord 
 is showing me more of his love, and how I may lay 
 hold on his strength ; but I do find it difficult to lay 
 hold of his wisdom, for I have not even wisdom enough 
 to know whether I do it or no. I think he is leading 
 me ; he has been very, very gracious, and surely the 
 lower we are in the pit of self-abasement, the more 
 clearly do we see the glory of the Sun of Eighteousness. 
 Truly our God is faithful and gracious and glorious ; 
 truly our God is Jehovah ; truly our God is Jesus. 
 
326 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 What a God ! glorious in holiness ; may we know 
 him more, and serve him better." 
 
 The Free Church with which she worshipped was 
 about to commemorate the Lord's death on the Sab- 
 bath, and although she had already joined that com- 
 munion in Edinburgh she was now to communicate 
 with them for the first time in Huntly ; and in so 
 doing was to partake of the Supper for the first time 
 along with the people, as a member of their own 
 Church. Many godly strangers had gathered in the 
 end of the week for the solemn feast, some from a 
 distance of twenty, others of fifty miles ; and the 
 place of meeting was found to be too small for the 
 expected worshippers. Ere the sun had set on the 
 Saturday evening, she heard of their difficulty ; and 
 conceiving that the old Castle might supply the want, 
 she immediately ordered the grass to be cut within 
 the open bounds of the ruins, and the broad green 
 area of what had once been the Castle court to be 
 placed at the service of the congregation. The space 
 would have held several thousands with comfort. The 
 site of the old stronghold on a rising ground was dry 
 and airy ; the walls of the Castle, like " the shadow; of 
 a great rock," afforded shelter on the south from the 
 rays of the midsummer sun ; and a circuit of lofty 
 trees formed a screen from the wind on every side. 
 The Duchess ordered two or three military tents of the 
 
THE QUIET EEST. 327 
 
 Duke's to be sought out for the ministers and for the 
 communion elements, as well as for herself and those 
 for whom the open air was too trying ; and a naval 
 Captain, with other visitors at the Lodge, assisted in 
 setting them up. The ancient fortress was turned 
 into a temple ; and the soldiers' tents, planted on the 
 turf for peace and not for war, with their white 
 canvas and scarlet mountings, added a picturesque 
 ornament to the scene. 
 
 There, next morning, a large congregation assembled 
 under the blue vault of heaven, and a noble church it 
 was ; for 
 
 " Then did we worship in that fane 
 
 By God to mankind given ; 
 
 Whose lamp is the meridian snn, 
 
 And all the stars of heaven ; 
 
 " Whose roof is the cerulean sky ; 
 Whose floor the earth so fair ; 
 Whose walls are vast immensity : 
 All nature worships there." 
 
 The long communion table covered with white, and 
 surrounded with benches for the communicants, oc- 
 cupied the centre ; and round it during the action- 
 sermon the crowd were closely seated on the grass, 
 becoming less dense in the outer circles. Some young 
 men stood outside, but drew gradually nearer as the 
 service proceeded, and their hearts softened. One 
 country young woman with rosy cheeks and gay 
 attire had taken an elevated seat on a heap of the 
 
328 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 old ruins, evidently meaning to be merely a spectator 
 of the scene. But by and by her wandering gaze 
 became fixed, her lofty neck bent slowly down, and 
 ere the services of the day were closed she had hid her 
 head in her bosom to conceal the fast flowing tears. 
 
 One of the Passover psalms was sung ; and as the 
 grave sweet melody from a thousand lips echoed 
 within the Castle walls, we could not but contrast 
 our circumstances and our employment with the 
 scenes of other days ; with the wild revelry of the 
 " gay Gordons " in the olden time ; and with the dark 
 superstition that reigned under the Popish Earls of 
 Huntly. But most of all our thoughts reverted to 
 the donjon-keep, within a few paces of the tents, with 
 its dark round pit sunk fathoms deep beneath the 
 ground ; where no ray of heaven's light ever pene- 
 trated, and whence no effort of the captive could be 
 of the least avail for his escape. "We thought on the 
 hopeless sighing of many a bondsman there, for whom 
 there was no deliverer ; while for us the Lord had 
 looked down from the height of his sanctuary to hear 
 the groaning of the prisoners, to loose those that were 
 appointed to death ; had brought us up out of the 
 horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set our feet 
 upon a rock ; and had put a new song into our 
 mouth, even praise unto our God. 
 
 The old wives in their snow-white caps now rose 
 
THE QUIET REST. 329 
 
 from their seats on the grass to take their places at 
 the table, their widowed Lady amongst them, and the 
 men following with backward and reverent air. The 
 rest of the people, who were not partaking of the 
 Supper, likewise rose ; not departing, but standing 
 compact like a living wall around the communicants 
 in deepest reverence. As the bread and the wine 
 were blessed and divided among the guests, the lofty 
 heavens appeared to open clear to where the great 
 High Priest standeth at the Father's right hand ; and 
 the blessing seemed to descend even sensibly upon the 
 worshippers below : 
 
 " There they sit, the men bareheaded, 
 By their wives in reverence meek : 
 Then the voice of pleading prayer, 
 Cleaving slow the still blue air, 
 All the people's need laid bare. 
 Noiseless round that fair white table 
 Hoary-headed elders moving 
 Bear the hallowed wine and bread. 
 Tender hearts, their first communion, 
 Many a one was in that crowd, 
 While far up, on yon blue summit, 
 Paused the silver cloud." Kilmahoe. 
 
 Seldom before or since did the good Duchess so 
 enjoy any communion. As the blue sky in the heavens 
 above met and kissed the green earth beneath, so the 
 unseen above the heavens was revealed by the Spirit 
 to the opened hearts of many ; and together with her 
 they were enabled and constrained to say, " God hath 
 
330 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge 
 of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He 
 hath spread a table for me in the presence of mine 
 enemies, he anointeth my head with oil, and my cup 
 runneth over." 
 
 We have given the scene from memory ; but having 
 since unexpectedly found it described by her Grace at 
 the time, we must present it in her own words, though 
 at the cost of rendering ours tame and superfluous : 
 " Huntly Lodge, Aug. 5, 1847. Now to tell of a time 
 I hope never to forget. Friday was the fast-day ; 
 Professor M'Laggan preached in the morning, and 
 Mr. Moody Stuart in the evening. For Sabbath Dr. 
 Kussell, who arrived on Friday afternoon, assisted to 
 arrange a pulpit and two tents in the court of the 
 old Castle, one for the elements, the other for our 
 party. Oh ! it was indeed a communion ; the Lord 
 was there evidently set forth before us, and. not only 
 set forth but present. God the Sovereign and Judge, 
 God the Creator, without whom nothing was made 
 that is made, is God the Saviour, Immanuel, the 
 Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. There 
 seemed truly nothing of man's making between us 
 and the living God; a realization of being God's 
 creatures, God's redeemed children, formed for him- 
 self, for his own glory. Mr. Dewar preached the 
 action-sermon, after which Mr. M. S. fenced the tables, 
 

 THE QUIET REST. 331 
 
 and addressed us, and served the first table. He told 
 roe he never had so realized the oneness of Jehovah 
 in Three Persons. If we had seen the Heavenly Dove 
 overshadowing us, and heard the voice saying, * This 
 is my beloved Son, hear ye hirn/ we should have been 
 doubtless overwhelmed ; but could hardly have had a 
 more real sense of the presence of Him who made the 
 heavens and the earth, the trees, the grass, and the 
 new creature in Christ Jesus. Mr. Dewar served two 
 tables and gave the concluding address ; and Mr. 
 Moody again preached in the evening on Isa. i. 18 : 
 ' Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white 
 as snow.' Many were much affected, and the place 
 was so beautiful ! I hope the weather will permit our 
 having the tents pitched again." 
 
 Before we left the hallowed spot, the descending sun 
 glanced on tower and battlement of the ancient Castle, 
 which shone now to us like the walls and bulwarks of 
 Zion. His rays brought up to the memory of others 
 the words on the lintel that were shone upon so 
 seasonably, in an hour of darkness, exactly twenty 
 years before. For the Duchess herself those letters 
 were graven on the tablet of her heart, and remained 
 there as fresh as they do this day chiselled on the 
 stone. In the long and varied interval, she had passed 
 through anticipated scenes of greatness and unlooked- 
 for days of sorrow : 
 
 "Both crowns and coronets were rent the while." 
 
332 STRATHBOGIE. 
 
 The ducal coronet had been placed on her husband's 
 head, and now lay entombed along with him, to be 
 worn by no succeeding heir. She had stood beside 
 Queen Adelaide at the coronation of William iv., and 
 his crown had been transferred to the brows of our 
 youthful maiden Queen. She had wept as a widow 
 for the husband of her youth, and her heavenly Father 
 had wiped the tear from her eye ; her spiritual light 
 had been eclipsed for a season, and had shone forth 
 brighter than before, never to be darkened again ; her 
 providential path in the Church had for a time been 
 dark and perplexed, and now her way had been made 
 plain, no more to become doubtful or uneasy. And 
 now after proving the word of the Lord for so long a 
 time, through judgment and through mercy, she could 
 set her seal to His unfailing love and truth, and re- 
 new her grateful Amen to the treasured promise : 
 
 TO . THAES THAT . LOVE GOD . AL THINGIS 
 VIRKIS TO > THE BEST 
 
CHAPTEK VIII. 
 
 THE CONTINENT. 
 1841-1857. 
 
 O'er many a weary mile, 
 And lonesome way, my child must roam, 
 
 Far from the welcome smile 
 Of her own happy home, 
 Through many a scene 
 Of brighter green ; 
 Yet oft she'll wish she had the swallow's wing, 
 Back to the one loved spot her longing soul to bring. 
 It is not that my child doth dwell 
 In high and spacious halls, 
 
 For home is loved as well, 
 Though mean and narrow be its walls : 
 Sweet to the poor, 
 Their lowly door, 
 And glad are they to reach the wicket -gate, 
 As proudest lord returning to his halls of state. 
 There is but one sure Home, 
 Where peace is ever found ; 
 
 "Whose links where'er you roam 
 Can never be unbound : 
 It is the rest 
 Of spirits blest, 
 When from the world they turn in Him to dwell, 
 Whose holy peace alone its bitter strife can quell. 
 
 Lays of the Better Land. 
 
PAU GIBRALTAR ST. SAUVEUR SPAIN. 
 1841-1843. 
 
 During her widowhood the Duchess paid various 
 visits to the Continent, for her own health, or for the 
 health of her young friends who lived with her ; 
 partly also perhaps, from the habits of travelling 
 acquired during the Duke's life ; and once specially 
 for the purpose of paying a visit to the Archduchess 
 of Hungary. 
 
 In the end of 1841 she went to Pau for the health 
 of her niece, Miss Sinclair ; and she thus notices a. 
 poor woman, in whom she had been interested during 
 her previous visit four years earlier : " I have received 
 a most satisfactory account of poor Ninette. The 
 doctor desired that she should be asked if she wished 
 to see a priest ; she replied, ' Oh, no ! I want no 
 priest ; I am a Protestant, relying on the blood of 
 Jesus Christ for forgiveness of my sins, and for 
 acceptance before my God through His intercession/ 
 She died happy." 
 
 "Pau, \Wh January 1842. I do trust that this is 
 
336 THE CONTINENT. 
 
 to be a time of much blessing to my soul ; and the 
 little differences, which prevent amalgamation be- 
 tween many whom I believe to be God's children 
 keep me closer to him, as I must take my own line 
 and walk in the path which I believe to be pointed 
 out of the Lord. In the meantime I have an occupa- 
 tion which leaves me in no doubt ; and in needing 
 and receiving help according to my need, I am en- 
 couraged to believe that I shall receive it for all other 
 things. There is a poor young widow here with two 
 little children; the doctor is surprised that she reached 
 Pau in life. It is only within the last week she has 
 consented to see me, instead of a clergyman ; she likes 
 me to be much with her, and, whenever she can bear 
 it, allows me to read the Bible and pray. I feel 
 greatly the responsibility, but I do also feel the un- 
 speakable comfort of being employed in the Lord's 
 service, and I hope that even at the eleventh hour she 
 will be or has been called. She belongs to a family 
 greatly opposed to the truth, and has been afraid to 
 show that she wanted and hoped to receive strength 
 from above ; yet I cannot see any of that conviction 
 of sin which makes a Saviour precious. Annie's little 
 schools are her pleasure ; she has the children who 
 came a few years ago, and two others they brought, 
 with a little dwarf. On other two days, she has the 
 Protestant school girls for religious instruction. Some 
 
pau. 337 
 
 of the children, and some of the parents also give 
 satisfaction." 
 
 The Duchess mentions afterwards that she had a 
 Sabbath evening service for her French servants, in 
 which she appears to have taken great pains to 
 instruct them ; she was also engaged in translating 
 the Shorter Catechism into French, although she 
 feared it might not be simple enough for the people. 
 The next letter is only a week later: "Pau, 21st 
 January 1842. I believe that it was truly the 
 Lord's will that I should come here. He has given 
 me much work to do, and by means of Annie s health 
 he hedges up my way so that I have little distraction 
 in the path of duty. I have made two acquaintances, 
 one of whom while she lived employed me entirely. 
 I was privileged to be a comfort to her the last week 
 of her life, and to speak to her of that Saviour who 
 is able to save to the uttermost. The other is the 
 wife of the banker at Madrid ; she has lost her eldest 
 boy, and is almost in despair. I trust it will please 
 God to send the Comforter to lead her into all truth, 
 and then she will find it good for her to be afflicted." 
 
 At Pau she made great efforts, and gave largely of 
 her means in founding a church for the sake of a 
 gospel ministry ; and it continued for years after 
 her return to be a subject of unceasing interest and 
 earnest prayer. 
 
 Y 
 
338 THE CONTINENT. 
 
 The most interesting incident of the winter was the 
 conversion of Manuel Fuster, a Spanish refugee, and a 
 man of some education, having been designed by his 
 parents for the priesthood. He was so destitute that 
 her Grace's butler had charitably employed him to cut 
 firewood for the house, and his clothing was so re- 
 duced to rags that she ordered some decent raiment 
 to be given him, that he might work within the 
 premises. As the Duchess passed out through the 
 court in which he cut his billets, he was overwhelmed 
 with gratitude on first seeing her, and fell down on 
 his knees to thank her. She warned him that such 
 homage was due only to the Most High, and spoke to 
 him about his soul's salvation as she passed along day 
 by day. She then gave him a French Bible, and when 
 she went south for her summer tour left him read- 
 ing the Scriptures daily with great diligence. On her 
 return next winter to Pau, her maids saw Fuster 
 breaking stones by the roadside, and on entering into 
 conversation found him quite a changed man. In his 
 zeal for the souls of his fellow-labourers he had lent 
 one of them his French Bible, and was now in great 
 distress because it had not been returned. But his 
 sorrow was turned into double joy when the Duchess 
 gave him a Spanish Bible instead ; the word of God in 
 his own native tongue was a blessing indeed, whereof 
 his heart was glad. His spiritual progress was rapid, 
 
GIBRALTAR. 339 
 
 and his character thoroughly consistent. He was 
 afterwards employed as a colporteur in France, where 
 the people of a small village looked on him as 
 their father in Christ ; then in Algiers, and now in 
 Marseilles. His son, a youth of good promise, was 
 educated by the Duchess for the Swiss ministry, and 
 gave her great satisfaction ; but death deprived him 
 of his benefactress before her kind purposes were quite 
 fulfilled. 
 
 The next letters were written in the course of a 
 tour which she made in summer. She greatly en- 
 joyed both the beauty of natural scenery, and the 
 architectural attraction of fine cities; but wherever 
 she went the Lord Jesus Christ was the chief desire 
 and delight of her heart, and wherever she lived she 
 left behind her the sweet savour of his name : 
 11 Gibraltar, 11th May 1842. We find more and 
 more reason to bless the Lord, that he has shown us 
 his glorious gospel in its truth and fulness. Oh, how 
 dreadful is the state of Spain, though perhaps not 
 really worse than France. We had some very inter- 
 esting conversations on board the steamer : and I 
 trust that they were in answer to the prayer that the 
 Lord would let us say something for Christ, and that 
 the words spoken being his own will be blessed. The 
 steward frequently put himself in our way, especially 
 one evening on deck when dark, and seemed very 
 
340 THE CONTINENT. 
 
 much pleased with a little Testament I gave him. I 
 hope it will please God to enable us to be of some use 
 here also, and to keep very close to Jesus, praying to 
 be delivered from all evil, on the plea that his is the 
 power, the kingdom, and the glory. As I am so far 
 from home, I should like to see a little of Spain, and 
 am told there is no difficulty in going to Seville from 
 Cadiz, and to Grenada from Malaga. People seem 
 most anxious to obtain tracts, and when we or the 
 maids have given one, we have been followed to ask 
 for more." 
 
 " Gibraltar, 9th June 1842. Your letter of the 11th 
 of May met me on my return from Cadiz. Through 
 the goodness of our God, everything has prospered, 
 and though I feel my difficulties greater and use- 
 fulness less than in France, still I think the Lord's 
 blessing has been with our journey ; and that it was 
 his will, not only as the God of providence but as the 
 God of grace, that I should come here. The cathedral 
 and alcaza at Seville, the cellars at Xeres, and St. 
 Michael's Church, and the city of Cadiz, so well built 
 for coolness and so clean, are all worth seeing. Our 
 reception at Xeres by the patriarchal family of the 
 Gordons of Wardhouse was very gratifying. My plan 
 is, if the Lord will, to go to Malaga on the 20th; 
 and I am very anxious to get back to France, and 
 be among the mountains before the hot weather has 
 
ST. SAUVEUR. 341 
 
 quite melted us. I bear the heat as well as possible 
 hitherto, but the mosquitos put me in mind of Beel- 
 zebub (the Lord of flies), and I feel that I need to 
 pray for patience. How frail we are, yet how strong 
 in the Lord. I have been studying Owen on the 
 130th Psalm; what courage the word of God can 
 give for his service, if we will but believe that word/' 
 It is to a member of " the patriarchal family of the 
 Gordons of Wardhouse," referred to in the preceding 
 letter as long established in Spain, that we have been 
 indebted for many of the Duchess's letters in these 
 memoirs. The following was written from one of the 
 Pyrenean baths to Miss Home, who had accompanied 
 the Duchess in her former visit to France : "St. 
 Sauveur, Sept. 7th, 1842. Everything here puts me 
 in mind of you ; the Doctor, the baigneases, the 
 porters, all inquire after you. Madame E. has lost 
 her son ; I hope to see her sometimes, and may grace 
 be given me to speak a word in season. Do you 
 remember a blind woman ? She speaks nicely and 
 seems interesting. We have found a very nice mini- 
 ster here. I enjoy this beautiful place extremely; it 
 is even more beautiful than I remembered it. The 
 weather Monday and yesterday was magnificent, and 
 I was persuaded to order guides to be ready at 
 Bareges to carry us up the Pic du Midi. In the 
 morning Annie was unable to go ; but as the guides 
 
342 THE CONTINENT. 
 
 and horses were gone I started with the maids and 
 men, and certainly a more glorious scene I never 
 beheld. How little I felt ! how great the Creator ! 
 And he by whom all things were made is my own 
 Lord and Saviour, who died for me, and washed me 
 from my sins in his own blood, and has a fountain 
 open that I need every moment. Alas ! even though 
 his blessed Spirit is no less willing than the Father 
 t;nd the Son to make me holy and happy, oh that 
 I could feel something of the love that Christ has for 
 his people ; that I could feel a true influential love 
 for souls, and really go about doing good. 
 
 " The Pic du Midi de Bigorre is the third highest of 
 the Pyrenees. I was nine and a half hours en chaise 
 a jporteurs ; many of the men the same as of old. 
 Such precipices, and such a sea of pics and hills could 
 not be imagined, unless seen ; on the north side all 
 France is under your feet, and nothing but the atmos- 
 phere prevents you seeing it. I think we shall stay 
 here for three weeks or a month longer." 
 
 Soon after this the Duchess felt deeply the tidings 
 of the death of the Countess of Denbigh, an old and 
 intimate friend, and held in the highest esteem. 
 "Pau, 13th January 1843. The loss of my dear 
 friend makes me cling closer to those who are yet 
 spared to me, and I feel a desire to ask them if they 
 are ready, should they be called as suddenly as my 
 
WURTEMBERG. 3-43 
 
 dear Lady Denbigh. Oh ! it is a breach which must 
 be felt like few others. To Lord Denbigh and his 
 eleven children nothing in one sense can supply it ; in 
 another, it will be more than supplied if, looking 
 within the veil whither she has entered to be for ever 
 with the Lord, they trust to him alone for guidance. 
 If such be the result, they will feel that it is well not 
 only for her but for themselves. I cannot now write 
 ordinary letters of New- Year felicitations ; but I can 
 congratulate those whom I believe to be one year 
 nearer that freedom from sin and sorrow, which shall 
 be the everlasting portion of those who are the Lord's 
 people." 
 
 WURTEMBERG ARCHDUCHESS OF HUNGARY. 1846. 
 
 The next visit to the Continent was an extremely 
 interesting one to the Duchess, although from the 
 peculiarity of its character we can present only a very 
 brief notice of it. The Archduchess-Palatine of Hun- 
 gary, Maria Dorothea, was well known to the Eev. 
 Dr. Keith, who made arrangements with the view of 
 forming an acquaintance between her and the Duchess 
 of Gordon. She was herself a Protestant, being of the 
 royal family of Wurtemberg ; her husband, the Arch- 
 duke, was a Eoman Catholic, but extremely kind and 
 considerate to her, and she was allowed to instruct her 
 
344 THE CONTINENT. 
 
 children in the Scriptures. Her connexion with the 
 Austrian Court made her position extremely trying, 
 but she walked steadfastly in the narrow way, and 
 cluno* to the Saviour whom she loved. When on a 
 visit to her mother, the Duchess Henrietta of Wurtem- 
 berg, at Kirchheim, the Duchess of Gordon with her 
 nieces Miss Sinclair and Miss Calcraft, and Dr. Keith, 
 stayed with her for eight days, during which the two 
 sisters in Christ had much personal intercourse. They 
 subsequently interchanged letters from time to time, 
 and the Archduchess often expressed the satisfaction 
 which this friendship afforded her, for to her the 
 opportunity of Christian fellowship must have been 
 rare. The letters from the Duchess to her corre- 
 spondents at home were of necessity extremely 
 cautious and reserved. 
 
 "Zurich, Sept. 5, 1846. 
 
 " My dear Augusta, We left Dr. Keith at Stut- 
 gart, after having visited Kirchheim. I found iniqui- 
 ties prevail against me ; my hands hung down ; but 
 through the infinite goodness of our God I have, 
 discovered, that it was just beca.use I was not suffi- 
 ciently thankful for unnumbered mercies. What base 
 ingratitude ! Instead of taking hold on the strength 
 of Him who is the strength of his people, and of all 
 the blessings and encouragements of the most faithful 
 God, to go mourning in idleness ; instead of obeying 
 
WURTEMBERG. 345 
 
 the command 'Go forward/ waiting till the Lord 
 should do that which he commands and therefore 
 enables us to do, for ' God's biddings are enablings,' 
 beca'use we cannot do all we would, we sit still and 
 do nothing. Oh, that is not the way of the living 
 child of the living God. May he give life, his own 
 holy life : and while convinced of the utter worth- 
 lessness and absence of all good in self, let us not 
 deny his grace and strength and power, for the joy 
 of the Lord is our strength, and we are called to 
 rejoice in his love and his salvation. We found the 
 Duchess Henrietta of "Wurtemberg a truly Christian 
 lady, and her admirable daughter all that we expected. 
 We cannot see her without feeling that she is a Chris- 
 tian indeed; all her proceedings are just 'What wouldst 
 thou have me to do?' but requiring the wisdom of the 
 serpent, as well as the harmlessness of the clove. There 
 is hope even of greater things than we had before 
 heard. I was induced to give up extending my 
 journey eastward, and turn my steps towards Stras- 
 bourg and Switzerland, as I found by so doing I 
 could be of a little use in gaining information for the 
 Archduchess. I now see how much the Lord has been 
 with us in mercy, and trust that yet more blessing 
 from the Fountain of Life will spring up of this 
 little tour." 
 
 This letter, as well as some portions of the pre- 
 
346 THE CONTINENT. 
 
 vious correspondence, was written to the Honourable 
 Augusta Mackenzie of Seaforth, who was not an early, 
 but a highly valued friend of the Duchess of Gordon. 
 She gave her heart, her means, and her labour with 
 singular energy and devotedness to the Lord ; quite 
 as entirely as the Duchess did. But with more acute- 
 ness of intellect and greater vivacity of temperament, 
 with lively wit and intense affections, she lacked the 
 quiet and slightly too great repose of the Duchess ; 
 and at a much earlier age she sank exhausted by the 
 combination of outward effort for the good of the ne- 
 glected in prisons and elsewhere, with constant spiritual 
 exercise in her own soul. So far as man can judge, 
 she was numbered here with the chosen virgins over 
 whom the voice from heaven saith, " These are they 
 which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth ;" and 
 not many noble on earth, nor many hard-working 
 poor are now enjoying " the rest that remaineth " 
 above, more than the honoured Augusta Mackenzie. 
 
 The next letter is from Switzerland : " Thun, Sept. 
 19 th, 1846. We have much cause for praise, and 
 much for prayer. We have made a tour in scenery 
 which is of surpassing beauty. When will these most 
 lovely works of the Creator cease to be polluted by 
 idolatry ? How marvellous does it seem that his 
 creatures should be so unwilling to acknowledge him 
 as he has revealed himself! All thine (inanimate) 
 

 CANNES. 347 
 
 works praise thee, God ! But while his people may 
 truly rejoice in him, they have cause to sigh and cry 
 for the abominations done in the land/' 
 
 CANNES 1847, 18481855, 1857. 
 
 In the autumn of 1847 the Duchess, having suffered 
 from repeated attacks of bronchitis, was advised to 
 winter in the south of Europe. She left home, accom- 
 panied by Miss Sanclilands and Miss Campbell, with 
 the intention of spending the winter at Nice ; but 
 hearing that she was more likely to be useful at 
 Cannes, she was dissuaded from crossing the frontier 
 into Italy. " Cannes, Dec. 1847. Constant occupa- 
 tion, and many many new opportunities of meeting 
 with the Lord's people, and speaking of the glad 
 tidings of great joy, have caused the delay in writing. 
 I now know what fine climate is, and the country and 
 views are beautiful ; but above all, there is a field 
 of usefulness that we could not have at Nice, and 
 an open door for the gospel. Altogether, no tongue 
 can tell the goodness of the Lord to us. He is letting 
 me get glimpses both of his love and of his glory 
 in the face of Jesus Christ, such as I never had 
 before ; and all this with such peace in outward 
 circumstances ! Is it not marvellous ? You need 
 not be alarmed about my exposition ' on Saturday ; 
 
348 THE CONTINENT, 
 
 I feel too deeply my own incapacity to attempt any- 
 thing beyond what I should say to an infant-school 
 at home. The people who come to it are either the 
 families of the servants I employ, or of the children 
 taught by Annie Sanclilands. We live as quietly as 
 possible ; Lord Brougham sends me the newspaper 
 and bouquets of flowers ; other friends lend Caroline 
 their ponies, and do all kind things. Some young 
 English girls come here once a week to a Bible class, 
 and we have meetings every other evening at the 
 chapel at home." 
 
 "Nice, May 9th, 1848. We left Cannes yesterday. 
 I never had such a parting in my life, and I may also 
 say I never had such a time of almost uninterrupted 
 peace ; ' kept by the mighty power of God ' near to 
 himself, and in some little degree employed in his 
 service. Alas ! I feel like you, a most unprofitable 
 servant ; but then I know that He, who gave me the 
 desire to seek his glory and to live in his fear, looks 
 at his poor children not in themselves, but in his 
 Well-beloved in whom they are well beloved, and with 
 whom they are well pleased. The last fortnight there 
 were several more poor people inquiring ; and so far 
 the Eevolution has given a feeling of liberty, which 
 the Lord may use to make some free indeed. I trust 
 that he has a little flock at Cannes. Our children 
 were just broken-hearted, and after we were gone 
 
BRUSSELS. 349 
 
 were roaring so that nothing conld pacify them, but 
 Monsieur Bettets taking them all into the drawings 
 room and praying with them. Those chiefly affected 
 were little Italians, and indeed they seem to have 
 much warmer feelings. There were some also of the 
 Provencals quite overcome, but all of these looking to 
 a reunion in our Father's house." 
 
 The last visit of the Duchess to Cannes was in 1855, 
 passing through Brussels on the way. " I had a most 
 pleasant visit to Brussels ; nothing could be more kind 
 than the reception given me by the King and by the 
 Duchess of Brabant/' From Cannes she narrates to a 
 young friend the dying triumph of struggling faith in 
 one of those converts to Christ from Popery, who had 
 interested her much on her first visit. 
 
 " Cannes, 27th Dec. 1855. 
 
 * " My dearest Susan, We have had here a very 
 remarkable example of the faithfulness of God. A 
 poor woman, a mattress-maker by trade, whom I knew 
 well when I was here before, was seized with cholera, 
 ending in low fever. After a great deal of teazing by 
 a succession of ' devout women,' which distressed her 
 greatly, she asked to see the priest ; but when he 
 came she said distinctly, * Monsieur le Care, je vous 
 remercie beaucoup, mais je vous prie de ne pas revenir, 
 je n'ai pas besoin de vous.' The cure, who throughout 
 behaved with kindness and moderation, was rather 
 
350 THE CONTINENT. 
 
 displeased at having been sent for to be told not to 
 come. She then told her relations distinctly that she 
 would not have the priest, that she would only see 
 Mademoiselle Charbonney and Miss Sandilands, and 
 that she would be buried by her pastor, Monsieur 
 Boucher. From that moment her peace was uninter- 
 rupted. I called on her the next day ; she was very 
 happy to see me ; she suffered dreadfully, but was 
 very uncomplaining. On Thursday evening she fell 
 asleep while we were there, and when she awoke we 
 were all round her bed. I never can forget the joy of 
 her countenance ; it was a foretaste of heaven, a proof 
 that the Lord's prayer was not in vain, that his people 
 might be all one. Some one proposed to sing a hymn, 
 and she joined in the chorus, with her feeble but 
 distinct voice : 
 
 ' Alleluia ! 
 Gloire a Toi, Jehovah ! ' " 
 
 Her last letters from Cannes, addressed to Mrs. Hay 
 of Fairlie, relate to the illness of her old friend Miss 
 Home, whom however she was permitted to see again 
 on her return to Scotland : 
 
 " Cannes, 18th Feb. 1857. 
 
 " My dearest Mks. Hay, I cannot persuade my- 
 self that I am not to see my dearest Helen again, but 
 I know the Lord will do what is best for her and for 
 those she loves. I would not withhold her from the 
 
INCIDENTS AT HOME. 351 
 
 sight of Jesus. It is a glorious thought, that her eyes 
 will see and bear the light of the glory of God in the 
 face of Jesus Christ ; but it is hard to think of losing 
 one who has loved me so long and so well, and who 
 has been so faithful to me according to her light, even 
 when I thought her wrong in her views, which did 
 happen sometimes. Tell her with my kindest love, 
 that Jesus is precious ; she cannot hear it too often, 
 well as she knows it. March 185 7. Your last letter, 
 giving the hope that I shall again see dearest Helen 
 on this earth, was most delightful to me. Truly the 
 Lord is gracious." 
 
 INCIDENTS AT HOME. 1855-1858. 
 
 Between the year 1847 when the Duchess went 
 first to Cannes, and the year 1857 when she returned 
 from her last visit to the south of France, there was 
 little remarkable in her life at home ; and not very 
 much in her large correspondence to bring out lines 
 of thought which have not been already set before 
 our readers. The Huntly Lodge narrative has been 
 brought down already to 1847 ; and the twelve ensuing 
 years, in so far as they were spent in Scotland, present 
 slight variety in their quiet consistent course of per- 
 sonal growth in grace, and Christian usefulness in her 
 sphere and neighbourhood. A narrative of this period 
 
352 THE CONTINENT. 
 
 might perhaps be drawn out more easily by a stranger. 
 But being familiar with its daily unostentatious and 
 simple details, we find ourselves incompetent to the 
 task otherwise than by a mere accumulation of letters ; 
 and if we had room to multiply letters, the most im- 
 portant of those we have omitted belong not to this 
 but to the immediately preceding period, which was 
 perhaps the most spiritually active and fruitful por- 
 tion of the Duchess's life, but has on this account 
 already occupied a large space in these memoirs. 
 
 There being thus little outstanding material for a 
 separate narrative of these years, we shall simply 
 append to the present chapter a few extracts regard- 
 ing Scotland : "Huntly Lodge, 7 th February 1849. 
 The sermons of Charles Stuart (of Scone, her 
 Grace's cousin) on Sabbath were most excellent. If 
 he had done nothing else, I should owe him an un- 
 payable debt of gratitude ; for his view of the text 
 'under the curse,' Gal. iii 10, in the morning, and of 
 the whole of the 13th verse in the evening, was the 
 most useful that I ever met with." 
 
 Soon after this her Grace had a settled pastor after 
 her own choice in Mr. Kainy, now Dr. Eainy of the 
 New College Edinburgh, who left Huntly to her great 
 regret after a brief ministry of four years. " Huntly 
 Lodge, 3d Feb. 1853. I wish much you had heard 
 our three last sermons from Mr. Eainy ; I never heard 
 
INCIDENTS AT HOME. 353 
 
 any more useful, striking, and impressive. I was 
 particularly struck by the way he brought out the 
 necessity of taking up the cross in these days ; in a 
 real giving up of self, self-love, self-righteousness, 
 self-pleasing." 
 
 Two months later we find her lamenting the death 
 of the Duchess of Bedford, the only surviving sister of 
 the Duke of Gordon, whose removal broke the last 
 link with her husband's family circle: " Huntly Lodge, 
 15th March 1853. You will see by the papers that 
 my sister-in-law, the Duchess of Bedford, died at Nice. 
 I feel her loss very much ; she was always as a sister 
 toward me ; and the severance of the last tie which 
 bound me to the generation that has passed away, and 
 to which I belong, leaves a very solemn impression on 
 my mind, which I trust will not be without effect. I 
 had the comfort of being with her when in England 
 last summer, and of having a good deal of serious 
 conversation with her ; she was much occupied about 
 her soul ; and I take comfort regarding her, from the 
 accounts I receive of her latter end, that she was 
 really through grace resting on the Saviour/' A few 
 years later she had a fresh sorrow in the death of 
 her nephew, the Duke of Richmond : " My mind has 
 been much absorbed by mournful circumstances. The 
 death of the Duke of Richmond, and the feelings of 
 regret and respect shown by all in this country, re- 
 
 z 
 
 
354 THE CONTINENT. 
 
 minded me so much of my own great sorrow, and the 
 feelings expressed throughout this country twenty- 
 four years ago/' 
 
 The last event that we have now to notice occurred 
 the year after her return from Cannes ; the death of 
 her oldest, dearest, and most faithful friend, Miss 
 Helen Home: "April 1858. I am sure you will 
 feel for me in the loss of my beloved and oldest 
 friend, Miss Home. It is very selfish, and perhaps 
 wrong to feel so deeply, when her great gain is so 
 certain. But her very blindness and feebleness gave 
 her more time to pray for me and others, and perhaps 
 I leant too much upon her prayers. 8th April. This 
 is the day of Helen's funeral, and I have been trying 
 to get some profit from the event, so much on my 
 mind. I see infinite love and grace, but oh ! I feel it 
 hard to think she is no longer praying for me, though 
 her prayers could only be accepted through Him who 
 ever liveth to make intercession. He ever liveth, the 
 living One and the life-giving One ; he will hear I 
 trust for us, as he is now realizing for her, the last 
 expression of her feelings : 
 
 More of thy Spirit, Lord, impart ; 
 
 More of thine image let me bear ; 
 Erect thy throne within my heart, 
 
 And reign without a rival there." 
 
CHAPTEE IX. 
 
 THE CASTLE PARK. 
 
 1860-1863. 
 
 "I say to thee, do thou repeat 
 To the first man thou may est meet 
 In lane, highway, or in the street ; 
 
 "That he and we and all men move 
 Under a canopy of Love, 
 As broad as the blue sky above ; 
 
 " That weary deserts we may tread, 
 A dreary labyrinth may thread, 
 Through dark ways underground be led ; 
 
 "Yet, if we will One Guide obey, 
 The dreariest path, the darkest way, 
 Shall issue out in heavenly day. 
 
 "And ere thou leave him say thou this, 
 Yet one word more : They only miss 
 The gaining of that final bliss, 
 
 " Who will not count it true that Love, 
 Blessing not cursing, rules above, 
 And that in it we live and move." 
 
 Tkench. 
 
THE CASTLE PARK. 
 
 The revivals in America and in Ireland were 
 followed in the year 1859 by remarkable and exten- 
 sive awakenings in the north of Scotland. For more 
 than thirty years the Duchess of Gordon had passed 
 through a varied and deep religious experience, 
 adorned by a most consistent and attractive Chris- 
 tian life ; and she had a mind capable of discriminat- 
 ing doctrinal truth, and delighted in this spiritual 
 exercise. But there was nothing more remarkable 
 throughout her course than her perception of the 
 presence of the Spirit ; whether in comfort or reproof, 
 in personal teaching for herself, or in the Lord giving 
 the word and making the company great of those who 
 publish it. She was herself the work of the Spirit 
 of God, and she quickly discerned the working of the 
 Spirit around her. 
 
 In some periods of its history, there seems to be a 
 strange division in the Church of Christ as regards 
 the scattering of the word of life. The wisest and the 
 
358 THE CASTLE PARK. 
 
 best appear often to have little aptitude, and some- 
 times little taste for the work ; while men of more de- 
 fective views, or less evenly balanced mind, are sent 
 to reap a great harvest. But the Duchess combined 
 heavenly wisdom and a beautifully fashioned charac- 
 ter with prompt consent to become a fool for Christ 
 that she might win souls. She deeply and constantly 
 lamented how little, in her own estimation, she did 
 directly for the salvation of others, because from her 
 position those with whom she spoke were either apt 
 to be timid and reserved, or else to profess more than 
 the truth for some worldly end. This earnest and 
 ungratified desire to win souls made her eager to 
 embrace every opportunity in which her influence 
 might be of service in the cause of Christ. 
 
 How much her own mind entered into the loving 
 persuasions, which always characterize a time of 
 awakening, may be gathered from her manner of 
 writing to the daughter of a noble Lord, bound to 
 her by ties of old family friendship : 
 
 " My dearest : I trust you may have found 
 
 some word in the tract I sent you, which is comforting. 
 God is love, and has so loved the world that he could 
 do no more than he has done. He is quite willing you 
 should come to Jesus for all the fulness of his grace 
 and salvation, and the power of his Holy Spirit ; if 
 he were not willing he would not suffer me to tell you 
 
THE CASTLE PARK. 359 
 
 so, for lie cannot lie. Let me entreat you to roll your 
 care on Him who careth for you ; roll it, if you have 
 not strength or energy to cast it, on Jesus our blessed 
 Lord and Saviour, our most merciful High Priest, 
 who was tempted in all points like as we are, yet 
 without sin. His name is Love, for God is love. 
 put away thoughts of yourself, and only think how he 
 loves, and what he has done and what he is doing. 
 He freely offers you, without price or work, all the 
 blessings he has to bestow. He would not put it into 
 my heart to say so, or enable you to read his words 
 of love and mercy, if it were not true that the full and 
 free offers of his love and compassion are for you. Do 
 look away from self, 'look off unto Jesus ;' remember 
 that he died for the ungodly and sinners, and saves to 
 the uttermost ; not to help our efforts, but to enable 
 us to make them at all, ' for without me ye can do 
 nothing/ " 
 
 In those times of awakening the Duchess threw open 
 her house to the Lord's servants, Mr. Grant of Arn- 
 dilly, Mr. Brownlow North, and Mr. Eeginald Eadcliffe 
 whose efforts at Huntly were specially blessed. Mr. 
 Macdowall Grant, whose forefathers were neighbours 
 and friends of the Dukes of Gordon in times when the 
 pleasures of this world were the great object in life, 
 was giving himself with all his heart to the Lord's 
 work in his own district, and was invited by the 
 
360 THE CASTLE PARK. 
 
 Duchess to aid it at Huntly Lodge. " Lord, I have 
 given this house to thee/' was the speech of her heart 
 as well as of her lips ; and she asked those to visit 
 her to whom she hoped a blessing might be given 
 though his faithful conversations. Her hope was not 
 disappoiuted, for the Lord gave her the exceeding joy 
 of having souls born in her house among the guests 
 whom she had invited for that end. 
 
 In the beginning of May 1858 the Duchess wrote : 
 " We are to have prayer-meetings at the Cottage to- 
 morrow for prayer for the outpouring of the Spirit. 
 We had three last week, besides the Wednesday prayer- 
 meeting at the church." A year after she wrote in 
 reference to evangelistic efforts, most liberally aided 
 by her, at the feeing-markets which had been formerly 
 scenes of dissipation and quarrelling : " There were 
 eight thousand tracts given away at the feeing-market 
 yesterday ; Mr. Williamson preached in the square, 
 Mr. Mailler (United Presbyterian) gave the first ad- 
 dress, and Mr. Troup (Independent) concluded with 
 prayer." Six months later she wrote again : " 18th 
 Nov. 1859. We had a glorious day yesterday; the 
 Lord was truly with his poor people in the midst of 
 the crowd at the feeing-market. ... Oh that the Spirit 
 of the Lord would come in power to Huntly ! We 
 do want greatly to realize the things we believe, to 
 make them our own, and to witness the mighty 
 
THE CASTLE PARK. 361 
 
 operation of the love of God in overcoming all his 
 enemies. If the truth of the eternal ruin of every 
 unrenewed soul were really believed, there could not 
 but be feeling ; how much more if there were faith in 
 the unspeakable love of God in Christ Jesus." Many 
 souls were awakened under these efforts, the Lord's 
 people gave themselves to assist in the work, and 
 company after company of anxious souls came to 
 them and to the ministers and catechists for counsel. 
 Of Insch the Duchess wrote : " 17th Nov. 1860. The 
 market at Insch was something wonderful, so dif- 
 ferent from former years. The eagerness to hear of 
 Jesus was most earnest, the solemnity great, with the 
 warm pressure of the hand of all around. The hall 
 taken to speak to anxious ones was filled all day. 
 The greatest wonder is that they did not see one 
 intoxicated person, nor hear one bad word." 
 
 In January 1859 there was a meeting of ministers 
 at Huntly Lodge of a very searching and quickening 
 character; the ministers who were present being 
 deeply impressed, and resolving to aim at a closer 
 walk with God for themselves, and to strive for an 
 awakening in their congregations. They held similar 
 meetings at the Lodge frequently during the year, 
 and in every one of their congregations some shower 
 of blessing fell. Of her own neighbourhood the 
 Duchess wrote: "The Lodge, Huntly ) March 26, 
 
362 THE CASTLE PAKK. 
 
 1859. It is singular to mark the various and yet 
 similar dealings of the Holy Spirit with different 
 cases. We have had some exactly similar to what you 
 describe ; and the work is going on, giving great joy 
 and hope to all who desire the glory of God, espe- 
 cially to those who come immediately in contact with 
 those who have, we trust, been effectually called. 
 What strikes me much more forcibly than anything of 
 the kind ever did before, is that the young converts 
 are really new creatures. The giddy and vain have 
 become thoughtful, happy, unselfish ; the naughty 
 and sulky have become so happy and obedient. Old 
 men and women, and many young men, continue to 
 attend the prayer-meetings. There is a great move- 
 ment in Drumblade parish ; hardly a cottage of any 
 size that has not a prayer-meeting in the week for 
 fifteen or . sixteen among themselves. We have also 
 cause in this place and connected with this house to 
 thank him daily. Gifts have indeed been given to 
 our Immanuel for the rebellious. Almost every day 
 we hear of a new case of deep conviction and conver- 
 sion among my people, or the young at the schools, or 
 others. A young man, who has been long halting, 
 was overheard disputing in the byre with an old self- 
 righteous man, and saying, ' Na, na, that'll no do ; if 
 ye dinna get Christ first ye can do naething/ " 
 
 In January 1860 there was a much larger confer- 
 
THE CASTLE PARK. 363 
 
 ence than that of the preceding year, and drawn from 
 a far wider circle, when twenty-four ministers slept at 
 the Lodge, some also staying at the manse, and those 
 from the immediate neighbourhood returning home. 
 At a public meeting in the church in the evening, they 
 gave deeply interesting and most remarkable accounts 
 of the work of the Lord that had taken place in 
 their various districts. Throughout the winter and 
 spring, the word of the Lord spread with amazing 
 power through Aberdeenshire and the surrounding 
 counties ; the fishing towns on the coast, the inland 
 villages, the upland hamlets and farms, were visited 
 with showers from the Lord of Hosts, " that waited 
 not for man, nor tarried for the sons of men." Every- 
 where throughout the country the children of God 
 were quickened. There were new-born souls rejoicing 
 in the great salvation, anxious and awakened souls 
 asking what they should do to be saved, and souls 
 still dead in sins that were willing and even desirous 
 to be addressed on the things that belonged to their 
 peace. 
 
 The proposal was suggested if the Duchess might 
 not throw open one of her parks for a great assembly 
 for prayer and the preaching of the Word for two or 
 three successive days. The circumstances were alto- 
 gether peculiar. The people had never been in such 
 a condition before, and might never be again ; hun- 
 
364 THE CASTLE PARK. 
 
 dreds were longing for an opportunity to praise the 
 Lord for his mercy towards them, and thousands were 
 more or less earnestly hungering for the bread of life. 
 But the Duchess was by education and habit averse to 
 novelty, and all her feelings were against publicity for 
 herself. There was no light cross involved in such 
 a step, with the scoff of the world, and the opposition 
 of some valued friends. But her eye was single, she 
 believed it to be the will of God, and gave herself 
 to it with her whole heart and soul, and the Lord 
 added his blessing abundantly. 
 
 The suggestion was made by Mr. Duncan Matheson, 
 who had been her Grace's missionary in the district 
 for many years ; it was earnestly adopted by Mr. 
 Williamson, on whom the chief burden would neces- 
 sarily rest ; and I must also accept the responsibility 
 of a cordial concurrence. The Duchess herself wrote 
 invitations, and sent them far and near to ministers 
 and laymen of all denominations in England and 
 Scotland to come to assist in this great work for the 
 Lord. The time fixed for the meetings was on Wed- 
 nesday and Thursday of the third week in July ; and 
 the site was the Castle Park, which lay immediately 
 after the entrance to the Huntly grounds through the 
 archway in the centre of the schools. Both Huntly 
 Lodge from top to bottom, and the adjoining houses, 
 were thrown open for the crowded guests of the 
 
THE CASTLE PARK. 305 
 
 Duchess ; and the good people of the town, moved 
 by her example, exercised a large hospitality. The 
 schools were filled with vast stores of provisions at 
 the expense of the. Duchess, for ministers and their 
 families, and for all whom they chose to invite ; while 
 there were tents erected in an adjoining field for the 
 sale of tea and coffee to the public. Everything great 
 or little was arranged in the same beautiful order 
 which always characterized Huntly Lodge. 
 
 But a dark cloud seemed to hancr over the long- 
 expected spiritual feast. All depended on the weather, 
 for it was impossible to meet under rain. Whatever 
 numbers might assemble, and however efficient the 
 speakers, all would be scattered in disappointment to 
 their own homes if the weather should prove incle- 
 ment. The rain had been falling for weeks, to the 
 great discouragement of all concerned ; and now on 
 the 25th of July there was no brighter prospect. It 
 seemed as if the Prince of the power of the air was 
 bent on raising an outward obstacle to the inward 
 work of grace ; and as if after all the preparations, the 
 historic record might run, " but Satan hindered." But 
 prayer was made unto God without ceasing ; the rain 
 ceased before the people began to muster ; and though 
 the clouds hung low all the first day, as if they must 
 break at every moment, not another drop fell. The 
 second and great day of the feast was bright and 
 
366 THE CASTLE PARK. 
 
 cloudless, and the rain recommenced only after the 
 forenoon train of the day following had borne away 
 the last of those who had lingered to the close of the 
 blessed assembly. The crowds came, waited, and re- 
 turned in the most perfect order ; the fears of the 
 timid even for the injury of the place were wholly dis- 
 appointed ; not a plant on the grounds was injured. 
 Her Grace had written to Herbert Mayo, Esq. : 
 
 " Huntly Lodge, 16^ July 1860. 
 
 " My dear Mr. Mayo, I must give up all idea of 
 going to Switzerland this year ; there is too much 
 going on here to admit of my doing so. The Lord 
 needs likewise all the help my purse can give (and it 
 is his own) for the young men who evangelize for his 
 glory and the good, of souls. I am very thankful to 
 be able to tell you that the work in this country is 
 prospering ; Mr. Williamson is greatly owned of the 
 Lord, especially in his evangelizing tours. He is going 
 to-morrow with Duncan Matheson to itinerate for five 
 days, and next week he has summoned a great gather- 
 ing for open-air preaching, which will be held in the 
 Castle Park. It is singular how well suited it is, 
 having two or three places like amphitheatres on 
 which the hearers can sit. Of course we are at pre- 
 sent much occupied with the arrangements, but I 
 trust that the Lord himself will be manifestly present 
 
THE CASTLE PARK. 367 
 
 at the gospel feast, and that there will be more Marys 
 than Marthas at that time. The news from the coast 
 is most cheering ; the change in whole villages wonder- 
 ful ; why may we not hope for the same here ? Oh 
 pray for us ; get all praying people to wrestle for a 
 blessing on Huntly and the district ; and pray that 
 the Spirit may speak with mighty power in and by 
 his ministering servants on the 25th and 26th. There 
 will be many lay preachers, although Mr. Macdowall 
 Grant is quite laid up. Mr. North also is unable to 
 speak much, but he means to be here, and he may 
 perhaps meet some inquirers ; Mr. Kadcliffe has pro- 
 mised, D. V., to come ; Captain Trotter and his family 
 are to be here. I expect Mr. Moody Stuart and Mr. 
 Drummond and other ministers from Edinburgh, as 
 well as from other places, of all evangelical denomina- 
 tions who love the work. It is very remarkable how 
 the Lord is working everywhere ; souls are prepared 
 to listen to the gospel, some of the most notorious 
 characters are convinced of the truth of the Word, 
 and are the means of convincing professors that they 
 do not act up to the standards of their Church. 
 Everywhere there is a readiness to hear, and for my 
 part I cannot doubt that the signs of the times are 
 such as to lead to the necessity of very close watching, 
 not only of one's own soul, but of the Lord's doings. 
 This is enjoined at all times on the people of God, 
 
368 THE CASTLE PARK. 
 
 but now quite indispensable. So many, too, of the 
 people are evidently taught of God, and their prayers 
 carry up the heart of believers as the heart of one 
 man. The change in the fishing villages seems to 
 extend all round Scotland ; in the neighbourhood of 
 Edinburgh, as well as in the North and East." 
 To a friend in Glasgow she wrote : 
 
 "HtnsiTLY Lodge, 14th July. 
 
 "My dear Mrs. M'Coll, We are very busy now 
 arranging about ' the gathering ;' I went yesterday to 
 plant the tents, at least to fix the places. Truly the 
 field seems made on purpose for preaching stations ; 
 and if it shall please the Lord to bring many souls to 
 himself by the word spoken, we shall be sure that he 
 ordained the place and fitted it for his own glory, 
 even though partly by the hand of man, for it was 
 once the Castle Garden. The railway people are very 
 obliging. Children are to be sent from Aberdeen by 
 special train at tenpence a head, and a teacher gratis 
 for every twenty. I have invited the Fochabers 
 (Gordon Castle) children, about six hundred, to whom 
 I shall give tea and buns. There will be a platform, 
 with a canvas shade, below the bank in the West 
 Park, with a tent on each side (an arrangement 
 slightly altered afterwards), and five other tents in 
 the same field, besides the Duke of Richmond's large 
 
THE CASTLE PARK. 369 
 
 tent on the top of the bank ; refreshment tents will 
 be in the East Park ; but oh ! what we want is the 
 Lord's blessing. There is an awakening at Fochabers ; 
 Mr. Dewar has grown young again." 
 
 Another letter to the same lady is dated after the 
 meetings were over: " 1st Aug. 1860. The blessings 
 showered on the gathering by our heavenly Father are 
 bringing forth fruit to his glory. Pitcaple has been 
 again revived ; and most of the small places between 
 Pitcaple and Huntly are calling for help very urgently. 
 But the most remarkable awakening was in a farm not- 
 far from here. Mr. Williamson went there on Sunday 
 evening ; I am told that thirty out of fifty in the barn 
 were most deeply impressed, and many went away 
 rejoicing. He has seen nothing like this except the 
 first day he was at Hopeman ; which had been quite 
 awful, so that he could imagine nothing like it except 
 the judgment-day. There is no excitement, but so 
 much depth of feeling and earnestness. He is going 
 to-day with D. Matheson to Glass market, of which 
 the character used to be so notorious that it was 
 a common saying that there would not be a good 
 harvest if blood was not spilt there. Blessed be God 
 that is all over. I love to mark our Father's care in 
 little things. There was much rain before the 25th, 
 and that morning it was showery till ten o'clock. 
 My housekeeper greatly feared the things that were 
 
 2 A 
 
370 THE CASTLE PARK. 
 
 to be sent to the schools would not keep, especially 
 the milk and the meat of which an ample supply was 
 required. But she told me with grateful amazement, 
 that both were preserved twice as long good as they 
 had been for some time previously. Truly there was 
 not one thing out of place or unseemly. We are all 
 so delighted with General Anderson ; the meetings 
 owe him a great deal, and to Captain Trotter also. 
 The effect of their prayers, when all the people were 
 kneeling in the open air, was overpowering." 
 
 The heart with which the Duchess entered into 
 those great assemblies extended to every work for 
 the Lord in the neighbourhood. * I must tell you 
 that the meetings at Kinoir (about three miles from 
 Huntly) have been so well attended, that neither 
 barns nor houses would hold the people ; and so I am 
 going to put up a wooden kirk that will hold three 
 hundred. . . . The Kinoir Kirk was opened last Lord's 
 day by Mr. Williamson, and was as crowded as 
 possible ; the people greatly delighted, and many 
 much impressed. Have you heard of the wonderful 
 work in the fishing villages on the north coast of. 
 Banffshire ? Let me entreat prayer that the flood of 
 blessing may extend to Port Gordon and Fochabers. 
 . . . Hector Macpherson, whom I employ as a mission- 
 ary, and who has been very much owned of the Lord 
 in some places, is gone to Buckie. Mr. Williamson 
 
THE CASTLE PARK. 371 
 
 says the work in Port Gordon is wonderful, the whole 
 village greatly moved ; it has been a spot of much 
 interest to me fox nearly forty years. May the Lord 
 himself carry on the work and extend it over the 
 whole land/' 
 
 Soon after the first large assembly a party went 
 from Huntly on a missionary tour, which resulted in 
 a permanent mission at Tomintoul, on the Duke of 
 Eichmond's estates. "Aug. 6, 1860. Our friends 
 came back from their Highland tour, all full of thank- 
 fulness and joy. The Lord has met with them every- 
 where ; I should rather say gone with them, and given 
 them tokens of his presence. At Dufftown, at Glen- 
 livat, at Tomintoul, which was most interesting, there 
 were meetings till late at night, and early in the 
 morning ; and along the roadside in picturesque glens, 
 old and young and middle-aged coming out to stop 
 the carriage, because they wanted to know if they 
 could know that they were saved. Then a long way 
 to Kingussie, where the ' cold clay soil seemed very 
 stiff;' but still after the meeting at night, there were 
 a hundred ready to meet them at six in the morning. 
 At Alvie they were more impressible, but could 
 hardly speak English ; so some Gaelic-speaking Chris- 
 tian men remained with them. How blessed it is to 
 feel that his hand guides everything that his omniscient 
 eye looks upon ; that eye of love and tenderness, 
 
372 THE CASTLE PARK. 
 
 which yet cannot look on sin even when laid on his 
 own beloved Son." From the following spring till 
 her death the Duchess supported a mission-station at 
 Tomintoul. Mr. Anderson, who was selected by her 
 for the work, was remarkably owned by the Lord, 
 and she rejoiced greatly in the good that was effected 
 through his devoted labours. 
 
 Large meetings, similar to those of 1860, were held 
 in the three following years in the Castle Park, all of 
 them marked by the same character of order and 
 solemnity and the gathering of many thousands. The 
 first was characterized by many tokens of the Lord's 
 special presence, by much freedom and power in the 
 speakers, by refreshing and lively joy and thanks- 
 giving in the Lord's people, by the awakening of 
 many of the dead, and by holy liberty granted to 
 those that were bound. The number of persons then 
 present was estimated at 7000, and in some of the 
 subsequent years at 10,000. Of the last of those 
 meetings the Duchess writes : "August 1863. I can- 
 not but wonder to see these meetings increasing in 
 numbers and interest every year ; not as a rendezvous 
 for a pleasant day in the country, but really very 
 solemn meetings, where the presence of the Lord is felt 
 and the power of his Spirit manifested. I trust that 
 I have been somewhat awakened by the preaching of 
 our own minister, which has been very striking indeed." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 , 18 6 4. 
 
 Hath a snow air 
 
 Passed through the room, and clothed it thus in white : 
 What lieth there, 
 
 So hushed, so still, so shrouded from the sight ? 
 Cease rushing tears, be still, oh sobbing breath, 
 Let sorrow own the majesty of death. 
 
 " With reverence 
 
 Draw down the covering, gaze upon the face, 
 With solemn sense 
 
 That sacred is the moment and the place, 
 One silent prayer, one gentle touch -and lo ! 
 There sleeps the sufferer of an hour ago. 
 
 " Never again 
 
 Shall woe or care fall on that placid brow, 
 No moan of pain 
 
 May ever pass those lips so tranquil now ; 
 Her burden at His feet lies peacefully, 
 And 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 
 
 " Grief stands apart, 
 
 And scarce dares look upon the holy sight ; 
 The mourner's heart 
 
 Is filled with a strange wonder and delight, 
 As prayer enclasps her hands within her own, 
 And casts her down before the great white throne. 
 
 " The glimmering morn 
 
 Pierces the shadows of the solemn room, 
 Where newly born 
 
 To endless life lies shrouded for the tomb, 
 She who yet speaks, with voiceless lips and dumb, 
 The awful words : 'Even so, Lord Jesus, come.'" 
 
 La Duchesne. 
 
THE PREPARATION. 
 
 In January 1861 the Duchess was visited with a 
 severe and all but fatal illness, which was inscribed 
 by the Lord's own hand with all the characters of the 
 believer's deathbed, except that He brought her up 
 again from the gates of the grave, and prolonged her 
 precious life for three years more. She had been un- 
 well in December, and for the last time in her life 
 personally entertained the children at the schools 
 with a Christmas-tree, making an effort for the occa- 
 sion to which her strength was unequal. She wrote : 
 " 6th Dec. 1860. I think of having Christmas-trees 
 for the schools this year, of course covered with little 
 presents ; I suppose I must provide for 600 children. 
 I have thought over this matter, and had my scruples 
 about it, but they are overruled ; I desire to do it to 
 the glory of God. Children must have amusement, 
 and if this is accompanied with good addresses, the 
 little presents may sweeten the advice and cause it to 
 be remembered." 
 
376 THE PREPARATION. 
 
 One evening in the end of January, after some 
 days of illness, she was suddenly seized with prostra- 
 tion of strength, and sunk into an extremely alarming 
 state, accompanied with much suffering. But her soul 
 was kept in unbroken calm and peace ; and she gave 
 directions, with faultless accuracy of memory, for 
 various remembrances to be left to her relatives and 
 friends. She then asked Miss Sandilands to repeat 
 the hymn : 
 
 " One there is above all others, 
 how he loves ! ** 
 
 and said, after it was finished, that she had been 
 depressed for some time with a sense of her many 
 sins, but that the Lord was now giving her tranquil 
 and joyful rest. Next day, with that forgetfulness of 
 self and thoughtful remembrance of others which 
 always characterized her, she gave directions for 
 some letters to be written by which she hoped to 
 promote the welfare of several persons in whom she 
 was interested. 
 
 The manner in which her soul was comforted, on 
 that to her ever memorable night, she often related 
 afterwards. There was nothing of the nature of a 
 dream or trance ; but as she lay sleepless, there ap- 
 peared as if really before her eyes a white scroll un- 
 rolled, glistening with unearthly brightness, and with 
 floods of vivid light ever flowing over it. Written at 
 
THE PREPARATION. 377 
 
 the head of the scroll, in large bright letters of gold, 
 she read this inscription : " The Lord our Eight - 
 eousness." All her darkness was dispelled in a 
 moment : with the glorious words, the Spirit im- 
 printed on her heart and conscience the fresh seal 
 of the pardon of all her sins ; she believed and knew 
 that the Lord Jesus Christ was of God made unto her 
 "righteousness," and that his blood had made her 
 whiter than snow. Her soul entered in a moment 
 into perfect rest ; the peace of God that passeth all 
 understanding now kept her heart and mind through 
 Christ Jesus ; and she rejoiced in the full assurance 
 that for her to die that night was to depart and be 
 for ever with the Lord. 
 
 Next day, at the desire of Dr. Wilson of Huntly, 
 Dr. Kilgour of Aberdeen was telegraphed for, and 
 ordered her to be kept quiet, fearing aneurism of the 
 heart, and that she might be carried off at any moment. 
 But she listened frequently to a few verses of Scripture 
 or a short prayer or hymn, and sent messages to vari- 
 ous relatives and friends, assuring them of the Lord's 
 loving-kindness to her, and that the ground of her 
 perfect peace was the finished work of the Lord Jesus. 
 She found unspeakable rest and satisfaction in the 
 fact, that it was so glorifying to God to save sinners 
 through the righteousness and sacrifice of Jesus 
 Christ. She regretted not being allowed at this 
 
378 THE PREPARATION. 
 
 time to see the servants individually ; and sent to tell 
 them not to trust in a general way in the mercy of God, 
 but that each of them must be found in the Lord our 
 righteousness if they would be saved. To her butler, 
 who had served the Duke at Gordon Castle and been 
 with her ever since, she spoke afterwards in such a 
 way as to make a deep impression both of her own 
 peace in the prospect of death, and of the importance 
 of the truth she urged on himself and others. One 
 night to the doctor sitting by her she repeated the 
 whole of the hymn : 
 
 " Just as I am, without one plea, 
 But that thy blood was shed for me, 
 And that thou bidst me come to thee 
 
 Lamb of God I come : " 
 
 and added at the close, that it was only according to 
 the truth expressed in that hymn that any sinner 
 could find acceptance with God. Two days later Mr. 
 Williamson conversed and prayed with her, and as he 
 left the room she said with a most joyous face, " Jesus, 
 the Lord my righteousness : how he loves !" 
 
 Three days more brought her to the 2d of February, 
 a day memorable in her calendar as the anniversary 
 of the Duke's birth and of Lady Emily Montagu's 
 death. She entered on it under some impression, that 
 it was to become still more eventful as the day of her 
 removal into the everlasting rest above. But there 
 was no excitement or agitation ; she was calm anc 
 
THE PREPARATION. 379 
 
 peaceful as on the previous days, unencumbered by 
 cares of any kind, and free from anxiety about herself 
 or others. Meanwhile prayer had been made without 
 ceasing by the Church on her behalf. The meetings in 
 the Park in the previous summer had greatly extended 
 the already large circle of those who looked up to her 
 with esteem and Christian affection ; the value of her 
 life to the cause of Christ in the district was felt to be 
 inestimably great ; and life preserved for so many days 
 on the borders of death gave encouragement as well 
 as opportunity for prayer. Some letters were brought 
 into her room referring to the many prayers that were 
 offered to God on her behalf; while they were read, 
 her face slightly changed in colour and expression ; 
 and she afterwards said, " I felt it rather trying to 
 hear that so much prayer is made for the sparing of 
 my life, deeply as I appreciate the kindness and love 
 of my friends. Not that I should speak the truth, if 
 I said it would make me unhappy to live ; for I have 
 far too many blessings, and too much to make life 
 happy, to regret living here for a time. But you know 
 I shall never be freed from sin till I depart to be with 
 Christ, and I do desire to be delivered from it ; and 
 it was the thought of life continued in these circum- 
 stances that made the conflict in my mind." The 
 conflict soon passed, and left her again in the same 
 heavenly happiness. It is difficult to express the 
 
380 THE PREPARATION. 
 
 peace, holiness, and joy that filled her soul for days 
 and weeks after that night, when the Lord was so 
 gloriously revealed as her righteousness. The grace 
 of God was indeed exceeding abundant toward her 
 through Christ Jesus, and the fruit -of the Spirit was 
 in love, joy, peace, meekness, gentleness, faith, and 
 patience. Her recovery from an illness so severe was 
 slow and partial ; it was the commencement of a 
 comparatively invalid state ; and after a few months 
 apartments were fitted up for her on the ground-floor, 
 which she occupied ever after. It was during this 
 illness that she acquired the taste for learning hymns, 
 which proved such a source of spiritual comfort and 
 profit in her latter days. At its commencement one 
 was frequently read to her, which begins 
 
 " A mind at perfect peace with God, 
 Oh what a word is this ; 
 A sinner justified through blood, 
 This, this indeed is peace.'' 
 
 The whole hymn expressed her own feelings ; but 
 she remarked that it would not be such a favourite 
 without the second verse 
 
 " By nature and by practice far, 
 How very far from God : 
 Yet now by grace brought nigh to Him, 
 Through faith in Jesus' blood." 
 
 After hearing it often read, she desired to commit it 
 to memory ; and having succeeded more easily than 
 
THE PREPARATION. 381 
 
 she expected, she proceeded to learn others, having 
 them repeated to her line by line ti]l she knew them 
 by heart. 
 
 The following note w r as pencilled in recovering : 
 
 "Huntly Lodge. 
 
 "My dear Mr. Moody Stuart, I make the first use 
 of my hand in writing to express the joy of my heart at 
 the Lord's goodness to your family. . . . The Lord has 
 been gracious to me far above what I can tell ; truly 
 the half of his love to a most unworthy one had not 
 been told me. Pray for me, my dearly valued friend, 
 that I may not as aforetime forget these gracious bene- 
 fits ; but that henceforth truly, with all my heart and 
 soul and mind and strength, I may love and serve the 
 Lord in Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Ghost. 
 Huntly Lodge, $th May 1861. I am very grateful 
 for your kind letter, and must thank you for it 
 myself, although my hand can write but very little. 
 When first I was ill, and for weeks, through the won- 
 derful grace of God I could see nothing but 'the 
 Lord my righteousness ;' and I trust your letter is 
 helping me to regain that 'perfect peace' in which 
 the Holy Spirit can keep the soul by taking of the 
 things of Christ. I know, my dear friend, that you 
 pray for me ; oh pray that the life it has pleased God 
 to prolong may be used for his glory alone. I long 
 greatly to see you ; I have not yet been down stairs, 
 
382 THE END. 
 
 and scarcely off my couch ; perhaps when T get pos- 
 session of the rooms prepared for me below, I may 
 gain strength and get out of doors. But in regard to 
 that and all else, I am well pleased that ' my times are 
 in his hand \ I have not a wish but as he willeth. Oh 
 that I could love and serve him more, who is alto- 
 gether lovely." 
 
 THE END. 
 
 The Duchess spent the winter of 1862-3 in London, 
 and enjoyed much of the society of her many friends 
 in their morning visits to her in Queen Anne Street. 
 After her return to Huntly in the following summer, 
 the chief event in her spiritual history seems to 
 have been the impression made on her mind by a ser- 
 mon of her minister, Mr. Williamson, on Philippians 
 iii. 8, " That I may win Christ and be found in him, not 
 having mine own righteousness." She always enjoyed 
 his preaching, and her letters testify the very high 
 esteem in which she held him ; but the closing words 
 of the chapter on the Castle Park allude to the special 
 benefit she derived from this sermon. It brightened her 
 countenance all the Sabbath on which she heard it, and 
 was afterwards spoken of by her as a remarkable time 
 in her history. " I thought my life was spared," she 
 said, " to give the opportunity of devoting for a longer 
 period my influence and substance to the cause of 
 
THE END. 383 
 
 Christ, but I see now a deeper meaning in it. There 
 is more personal holiness to be* attained, more near- 
 ness to Christ, and more joy hereafter through a 
 deeper work here in my heart." Two aspects of mind, 
 partially unlike each other, now became more evident 
 in her day by day : one was an increasing persuasion 
 that she had still a lengthened period before her in 
 which to serve God on earth, and the other a rapidly 
 growing ripeness for the heavenly glory that was now 
 so unexpectedly near. In the beginning of the winter 
 she was forming plans for the following summer, such 
 as visiting the scenes of her youth at Kinrara, but 
 making the tour quite a missionary one ; while at the 
 same time her affections were more and more trans- 
 planted into the better country above. 
 
 " What a privilege it is," she wrote about this time, 
 " to see the work of the Lord prospering, though we be 
 but as the hewers of wood and drawers of water to 
 the great work. I can do but little, but I want more 
 of the spirit of prayer, and then I might hope that I 
 was filling up the measure by a drop or two. But I 
 can only look to Him who has done all, and will finish 
 all ; to Him be all the glory. Don't you love that 
 hymn on the last words of Eutherford : 
 
 " ' The sands of time are sinking, 
 The dawn of heaven breaks ; 
 The summer morn I've sighed for, 
 The fair, sweet morn awakes ; 
 
384 THE END. 
 
 Dark, dark hath been the midnight, 
 
 But dayspring is at hand ; 
 And glory, glory dwelleth 
 
 In Immanuel's land. 
 
 " ' Oh I am my Beloved's 
 
 And my Beloved's mine, 
 He brought me, a vale sinner, 
 
 Into his house of wine ; 
 I stand upon his merits, 
 
 I know no other stand, 
 Not e'en where glory dwelleth 
 
 In Immanuel's land.'" 
 
 A little incident of this autumn will serve to bring 
 out the Duchess's habit of intercessory prayer, in 
 which she had remarkable power and perseverance, 
 never forgetting any person or object that had once 
 engaged her interest. Unable now to rise early, 
 she was in the habit of praying, meditating, or 
 repeating hymns during the early morning hours. 
 One morning at this time, when her maid who had 
 been long with her entered the room, the Duchess 
 said : " I awoke very early this morning, and have 
 been very happy and busily engaged. My thoughts 
 have been much occupied with three things all so 
 different, yet each needing God's help to-day. The 
 first is the Queen s visit to Aberdeen to inaugurate 
 the Prince-Consort's Memorial ; the second is Mr. M.'s 
 prayer-meeting in London in a hall that had been 
 a dancing-saloon in his parish ; and (referring to a 
 young man formerly in her service, but then studying 
 
THE END. 385 
 
 for the ministry) the third is John's College exami- 
 nation." 
 
 Our space will only permit us to present extracts 
 from three letters, written during the last month of 
 the Duchess's life. The first is to Miss Marsh : 
 
 " Huntly Lodge, Dec. 31, 1863. 
 
 " Most beloved Katie, I have just received your 
 card of prayer and note with your own dear words. 
 Surely the prayer will be answered, and your wishes 
 that are so much according to the Word of God. 
 "What unspeakable blessing to know that the work of. 
 our sanctification is in the covenant of the Holy One, 
 and for the glory of the one God ; and that He will 
 finish that work, as in the person of Christ he finished 
 that of our justification. Should we not then 'lie 
 down in his strong hand : so shall the work be done.' 
 I am so fond of that hymn, always desiring to re- 
 member that it is the perseverance of saints and not 
 of sluggards which we look for. The text which has 
 been given me for the New Year I send you, 1 Peter 
 i. 13, etc.: we shall indeed seek to pray with you." 
 
 The second is to the Countess of Aberdeen : 
 
 "Huntly Lodge, January 12th, 1864. 
 
 * My dear Lady Aberdeen, . . . Mr. Muller's letter 
 is very nice ; the wisdom of one taught of God. It 
 
 2 B 
 
386 THE END. 
 
 appears to me that the faith to act as he has done is a 
 special gift, quite independent of saving faith, and of 
 a sort which is seldom given to those who have other 
 claims besides those to which they desire to devote 
 their energies. Where God gives wealth he gives 
 responsibilities, and those he has given are not to be 
 put away for any object, however interesting. I could 
 not pray in faith for a supply of money for an object 
 to which I did not feel myself specially called in a 
 way of duty ; and even if circumstances had formed 
 claims before, the will of God was the paramount 
 guide. I believe it to be duty to remain in that state 
 wherein we are called. I fear I ought not to write 
 on a subject which I am incapable of realizing from 
 the claims which have been accumulating for fifty 
 years, none of which I should feel myself justified in 
 neglecting; but I could not pray in faith as Mr. Miiller 
 does, unless I could really do as he does, consistently 
 with other duty give up all to the one object. 
 
 " I have very great reason to be thankful for the 
 measure of health I enjoy, but Miss Sandilands and 
 my people take great care of me." 
 
 The last was to her niece Lady Sophia Cecil 
 (Lennox), who accompanied her to the Duke's funeral, 
 and to whom her letters testify the warmest affection. 
 It was written by the Duchess within ten days of her 
 own death, and refers thus to the death of a relative : 
 
THE END. 387 
 
 " But should we not rejoice for him since he had 
 learned the way of peace, and had fled, I trust, from 
 his sins to an almighty Saviour ? Nothing can be 
 more clear than the word of truth, 'Whosoever be- 
 lie veth on him hath everlasting life,' and it gives us 
 good hope through grace." 
 
 In the end of the year the Duchess had a great 
 desire for the renewal of the ministerial conferences, 
 which had been first held at Huntly Lodge soon 
 after her widowhood, resumed again from time to 
 time, and found so quickening in 1859. A meet- 
 ing was accordingly held on the 13th of January, 
 which was felt by all who were present to be of a very 
 awakening and encouraging character. The Duchess 
 was deeply interested with the rehearsal of the con- 
 versation which the ministers had held together, and 
 remarked : "I liked the meeting, and had only one 
 thing to find fault with : some of the gentlemen prayed 
 for me as if I was something, and I am nothing. I 
 must speak about that before the next meeting." 
 She warmly invited them all to meet again on the 
 10 th of the following month, but it was an invitation 
 to her funeral. Between the 13 th of January and the 
 10 th of February there intervened the unexpected 
 summons of death ; withdrawing now the Duchess 
 Elisabeth from the holy conference, as fifty years 
 before it had withdrawn the Duchess Jane from the 
 
388 THE END. 
 
 gay assembly. To saint and sinner both the Son of 
 Man cometh in an hour that we think not ; and the 
 day appointed for the next conference at Huntly 
 Lodge was the day after her Grace's burial, when the 
 invited ministers were assembled with others to mourn 
 over her grave. 
 
 Her last illness, which was found to be gout in the 
 stomach, gave little time for prayer on her behalf; 
 and was at first so slightly alarming as to defer any 
 urgent call for supplication. Indeed she was never 
 herself aware of her dying condition ; not knowing 
 at first the attack to be really dangerous, and then 
 sinking rapidly into a state of mental unconscious- 
 ness, though far from one of bodily ease. During the 
 three first days of illness she reverted frequently 
 to spiritual things ; and desired, when she felt able, 
 to listen to a few verses of Scripture, or to a hymn, 
 or to join in a brief prayer. She lamented her own 
 inability to think ; but when the words were given 
 her, " I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh 
 upon me," she replied, " Yes, that's it : ' In thy strong 
 arms I lay me down : ' " quoting the line of a hymn 
 she had frequently repeated to her friends during the 
 preceding weeks, and of which she had said the last 
 time but one that she was out : "That hymn more 
 than any other expresses the present state of my 
 feelings :" 
 
THE END. 389 
 
 "I only enter on the rest 
 
 Obtained by labours done ; 
 I only claim the victory 
 By Him so dearly won. 
 
 11 And, Lord I seek a holy rest, 
 A victory over sin ; 
 I seek that Thou alone shouldst reign 
 O'er all, without, within. 
 
 "In quietness then, and confidence, 
 Saviour, my strength shall be ; 
 And ' Take me, for I cannot come? 
 Is still my cry to Thee. 
 
 " In Thy strong hand I lay me down, 
 So shall the work be done ; 
 For who can work so wondrously 
 As an Almighty One ? 
 
 "Work on, then, Lord, till on my soul 
 Eternal light shall break ; 
 And in Thy likeness perfected, 
 I ' satisfied ' shall wake." 
 
 Before the mind became wholly insensible to out- 
 ward things, and for thirty-six hours afterwards, the 
 last enemy seemed to the onlooker to wrestle with 
 her in a painful struggle of bodily distress. On the 
 evening of the 29th, making an ineffectual attempt to 
 ask for something, Miss Sandilands at last repeated the 
 words, " My Beloved is mine, and I am His/' " Yes," 
 she replied sweetly and calmly ; but from that time 
 made no further attempt to speak, or to respond to 
 any spiritual sentiment. Beyond this she left no 
 dying testimony nor any parting words. She sank 
 finally into the repose of the last sleep at half-pasfc 
 seven on Sabbath evening, the 31st of January, in 
 
390 THE END. 
 
 her seventieth year. " All His saints are in his 
 hand ; He must increase, but they must decrease." 
 
 No member of the Church of Christ in Scotland 
 could have left a wider blank by removal, or be more 
 deeply lamented by a large circle of mourners far 
 and near, in all ranks and of all denominations. 
 The company that assembled in the house for the 
 funeral included a small number of her Grace's nearest 
 relatives, and the larger circle of her household. They 
 met for devotional exercises around the coffin, which 
 was laid in the large sitting-room occupied by the 
 Duchess for the last three years, where the lively 
 associations with herself in this life enhanced their 
 sorrow ; while the snow-whitened trees without, and 
 the walls within draped in white as if "a snow-air 
 had passed through the room," seemed to relieve the 
 gloom, by their harmony with the white robes* in 
 which she now stood before the Lamb above. The 
 spectacle was deeply affecting as the funeral passed 
 through Huntly. All work was suspended in the 
 town, the shops closed, the places of business vacated, 
 and the schools set free, one object engrossing rich 
 and poor, young and old. At the gate of the Lodge 
 the funeral was met by a large procession of many 
 hundred mourners, and by nearly seven hundred 
 children from the schools built and supported by 
 her Grace. In the town it was lined on both sides 
 
THE END. 391 
 
 by crowds with sorrowing hearts and weeping eyes ; 
 the spectators gazing with no vacant or curious stare 
 at the plumed hearse, followed by the carriages of the 
 more immediate mourners, but looking with wistful 
 grief on the last they were to see on earth of their 
 beloved and honoured Lady ; and the mourners com 
 forted in their own affliction by the rare sympathy of 
 a sorrow at once so wide and so deep. Her life had 
 been passed amongst them for half a century, with the 
 exception of a break of nine years spent at Gordon 
 Castle ; it had been mingled to nearly all with their 
 longest, to most with their earliest, and to many with 
 their happiest associations ; many were mourning for 
 the loss of a personal benefactor, and all as if for the 
 ]oss of a personal friend. Conveyed thirty miles by 
 rail, the funeral passed through Elgin, in the midst 
 of deep silence and respect and universal regard, to 
 the burying-vault of the Dukes of Gordon in the 
 noble Cathedral ; the coffin was placed beside her hus- 
 band's in the last space that remained untenanted by 
 the deceased wearers of the ducal coronet and their 
 children ; and till time shall be no more the vault 
 was for ever closed on the last and the best of an 
 illustrious race, who had ennobled the title far more 
 than it could ennoble her. 
 
 On the following day the first man that we 
 chanced to meet, thinking that he spoke to a 
 
392 THE END. 
 
 stranger, made these remarks in these exact words, 
 while the tear moistened his aged eye : " This is 
 the greatest calamity that ever befell this district ; 
 of a' the Dukes that reigned here there was never 
 ane like her ; there's nane in this neeghbourhood, 
 high or low, but was under some obligation to her, 
 for she made it her study to benefit her fellow-men ; 
 and what crowds o' puir craturs she helped every 
 day ! And then for the spiritual, Huntly is Huntly 
 still in a great degree, but the gude that's been done 
 in it is ii through her/' The next but one upon the 
 road was a soldier, who had seen hard service in the 
 Crimean trenches amidst the flowing blood of friend 
 and foe. His countenance was changed by the force 
 of a sorrow only beginning to subside ; it was too 
 evident that his tears had been both many and bitter ; 
 and even now he could not command his strong 
 emotion, but broke out at once : " You know that I 
 have seen much to render my heart callous, but I 
 never was unmanned till now ; I never knew before 
 how tenderly I loved that honoured lady." A third 
 man, a devoted follower of the Lord and once a faith- 
 ful servant to her Grace, wrote at the same time that 
 if it were lawful, " he could wish to die with her, and 
 to serve her in heaven." 
 
 On the Christian character of the last Duchess of 
 Gordon, we shall not add much to the delineation 
 
THE END. 393 
 
 traced by her own letters. Her progress throughout 
 was marked by the deliberation and slowness with 
 which she took every step at first, and by the 
 firmness with which her foot was planted on the 
 ground that had once been gained. The fulness of 
 righteousness in Jesus Christ imputed to every be- 
 liever, the penal satisfaction to Divine justice on the 
 cross, the Divine sovereignty and eternal election, 
 the love of God to a perishing world, the work of the 
 Spirit in renewing the heart, the fruit of the Spirit in 
 holiness of life, the joyful assurance of faith and the 
 lively hope of life everlasting, were both firmly grasped 
 by her as doctrines of Scripture, and practically sub- 
 mitted to, received, and rejoiced in with her whole 
 heart. 
 
 Side by side with her glorying in the cross of Christ 
 as all her hope, there was a prompt, patient, and 
 courageous taking up of the cross and bearing it after 
 Jesus. Her Christian character was thoroughly prac- 
 tical from the first, and the knowledge of the Lord's 
 will was followed step by step with walking in the 
 Lord's way. Two deeply-rooted natural dispositions 
 made her carrying of the cross often peculiarly pain- 
 ful. One of these was an intense love of order, with 
 dislike of all change, and deep aversion to disturb the 
 settled economy of the social world ; while the firm 
 witnessing for truth and the earnest spreading of the 
 
394 THE END. 
 
 gospel message often led her into steps which, to a 
 heedless world or a slumbering Church, savoured only 
 of innovation, and seemed like " turning the world 
 upside down." The other was great natural amiable- 
 ness of disposition, in which her friends rejoiced as 
 one of her chief attractions ; but which she spoke of 
 with a mixture of severity and truth as an excessive 
 desire to please, and often lamented as one of her 
 most easily besetting sins. Her position of rank and 
 influence with ample means at her command, placing 
 her in the midst of a wide circle ; her talents and 
 accomplishments rendering her a most attractive 
 centre ; and a marked and fascinating individuality of 
 character, all gave a power of pleasing many in various 
 ways, with a corresponding temptation to please the 
 world in its more plausible demands. But grace so 
 sanctified nature wherein it was innocent, and so 
 overcame it wherein it was evil, that she boldly and 
 steadfastly carried the cross through all gainsaying 
 and reproach ; at the same time so walking in love, 
 so providing things honest in the sight of all men, so 
 thinking of whatsoever is lovely and of good report, 
 so immovable in her friendships of every kind even 
 when they proved unworthy of her, so kind and faith- 
 ful to every dependant, and so urbane to all, that even 
 those whose views most differed from her own pro- 
 bably admired and loved her more as she was by the 
 
THE END. 395 
 
 grace of God, than as they would themselves have 
 had her to be. 
 
 Her increasing fruitfulness with increasing years was 
 marked and evident to all who knew her. Others 
 sometimes fade in old age grace seems in them to 
 become less lively by abatement in the warmth of the 
 natural affections or by the world occupying more 
 space in the heart. But with her the growth was 
 constant and decided, and only more abundant in the 
 last three years of her life. Jesus Christ alone is the 
 same yesterday, to-day, and for ever; but he hath said, 
 Because I live, ye shall live also. He loved her, and 
 gave himself for her, and revealed himself to her ; 
 and having loved, he loved unto the end, and through 
 grace she abode in his love. Continuing to love Him 
 who had first loved her, she brought forth fruit in old 
 age to show that the Lord is upright ; and to the 
 very. last hers was the path of the just, "like the light 
 that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." 
 
 It is told of one of the Dukes of Hamilton, who 
 died in early youth, that he called his younger brother 
 to him the day before his death and said, " To-morrow 
 you'll be a Duke and I'll be a King." This beloved 
 mother and princess in Israel wears the ducal coronet 
 no more ; but her spirit mingles with the kings and 
 priests above, where she casts her crown of glory 
 before the Throne, saying " Thou art worthy, Lord, 
 
396 THE END. 
 
 to receive honour and glory and power : unto Him 
 that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own 
 blood, and made us kings and priests unto God, unto 
 him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen/' 
 While we mourn her departure, let us rejoice in 
 her everlasting rest, let us ask grace to follow in 
 her footsteps, and let us prepare to meet our own 
 hastening summons for the Great Day : 
 
 " Another old friend is gone, 
 Another familiar face ; 
 Another has laid her burden down, 
 And finished the weary race. 
 
 " Peace with her gentle hand, 
 Has quieted one more breast ; 
 There's another soul in the spirit land, 
 There's another spirit at rest. 
 
 " Patience : time fleets apace ; 
 
 The Present soon grows the Past ; 
 Others are swifter upon the race, 
 But our time will come at last. 
 
 " See that the lamp burns bright, 
 
 For the way is dark and unknown ; 
 None may aid us to gain the light, 
 The path must be trodden alone. 
 
 14 Patience : we stand and wait, 
 Till in trembling we rejoice, 
 And we pass the eternal gate 
 
 At the sound of the Bridegroom's voice. " 
 
 /"\ 
 
 EDINBURGH : T. CONSTABLE, 
 PRINTER TO THE QUEEN, AND TO THE UNIVERSITY. 
 

Kiiwoqo ct 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY