CARRIED SOME WOOD

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 152, 24 March 1938, Page 4

CARRIED SOME WOOD

Duke Of Kent's Good Deed

The story of how the Duke of Kent carried a bundle of wood for an elderly Scotswoman was told by Mrs. D. Simpson, of Florida, Transvaal, South Africa, who, with her husband and two daughters, arrived in Sydney recently by the Ceramic on a world tour. “My late mother-in-law, Mrs. A. Simpson, was toiling up the hill at Aboyne with a large bundle of firewood, when she heard a voice behind her say, ‘‘Aren’t you rather old to carry such a heavy load? Perhaps I could help you?’” explained Mrs. Simpson. “She turned round and saw a party of three people—a tall, regal woman, a smaller younger woman, and a young man. She refused the tall woman’s offer of help, but then made the remark that ‘perhaps the hefty young man’ might carry the wood? And the tall woman immediately said: ‘Yes, George, you carry It.’ Later, old Mrs. Simpson entered into conversation with the younger woman, and said to her: ‘That tall lady looks like Queen Mary.’ ‘lt is Queen Mary’ was the reply, ‘and I am the Duchess of York.' ” When the Duke ,of Kent visited South Africa, Mr. D. Simpson, who was then mayor of Roodepoort-Mariasburg, and his wife, welcomed him at a civic reception. Mrs. Simpson showed him her visitors’ book, in which was a photograph of her mother-in-law’s cottage at Aboyne, and asked him did he remember the wood-carrying incident. He answered that he did.