The First Marquis of Huntly.

Otago Witness, Issue 1874, 21 October 1887, Page 35

The First Marquis of Huntly.

George Gordon, first Marquis of Huntly died in 1536, at the age of 74, and after enjoying the family honours for GO years. He was a traitor to Sovereign and to creed. To one at least of his minor atrocities it would be hardly possible to find a parallel, even in Zulu annals. Having a clan-teud with the Farquharsons, he succeeded in massacring almost the whole of them, and carried off their orphan children, 200 in number, to his castle. About a year after this destructive foray, the Laird of Grant paid a. visit to the Castlo of Gight, and aiter. dinner-, Huntly said he would shew him rare sport, Conducting his guest to, a, balcony which overlooked his kitchen he showed him a large trough into which all the broken victuals left from the dinner of the whole household had been thrown, and on a signal given by the cook, a hatch was raised, and there rushed into the kitchen a mob of children, half naked and as uncivilised as a pack of hounds, who clamoured and struggled each to obtain a share of the food. " Grant, who unlike his host, was a humane man, was greatly shocked at this degrading scene.

A Sad Si&ht. — Two friends are walking along the street. One of them, pointing to. a house, says : " There's a beautiful place, but it's enough to make a man sad to lqok at it." " Why so 'I " "On account of its history ; for, despite its calm and serene surroundings, it was built upon the groans, tears, waitings, and blood of widows, orphans, old men, and struggling women." "You don't say so. Was it built by a railroad monopolist ? " " Oh, no ; by a dentist."— Merchant Tia-. veller.

Moee Apples.— lt was m a pleasant town in the west country that a party of boys made nigbfo or the early part of it, hideous to. the residents of a quiet street. Particularly afflicted by the uproar of the urchins was a good woman, who was at her wits' end to discover any feasible method o£ relief. From sad experience she knew that entreaties were in vain, and that scoldings were worse than useless as applied to the juvenile roisterers. Finally, in sheer despe«

ration she hit upon a happy' expedient. Calling the boys to her door, she said : .. " Now, boys, if you will go quietly' away, and not make any more noise, I will give you all the apples you can eat." They greedily assented to the terms of phe compromise, and' filled themselves with the proffered fruit. That night the ingenious lady slept the sleep of the just ; but to her horror and amazement, the following evening the small boys again mustered in force in front of the house, with lungs redoubled in energy by the slight rest they had taken. "Boys," she cried, in the shrill falsetto of despair, " after your promise of last night, what do you mean by again disturbing me in this way ? " " More apples," was all they said,-

A Gentle Remonstrance.— Tulpenthal, the banker, directed his bookkeeper to write to Baron yon X , who, despite repeated promises, neglects to pay his debts, a letter couched in pretty strong language without being personally offensive. " Just a bit plain-spoken, you know." The bookkeeper did as he was bidden, but his principal was highly dissatisfied with the result. Tearing up the letter, he sat down and wrote as follows : " Honoured Sir, — Who promised to settle his bill by the Ist January last at the latest ? — You, Herr Baron ! But who failed to do so I— You, Herr Baron ! ! Who then pledged himself to pay his debt by the Ist March ?—? — You, Herr Baron ! ! ! And who was it that did not pay on the Ist March ? — You, Herr Baron 1 ! ! ! Who, then, has broken his word twice?— You, Herr Baron !!! I ! — Consequently, who is a dirty, mean scoundrel 1 — Yours obediently, Tulpenthal." — Fliegende Blatter.