KAEDEN HOUSE 



quil retreat, for although the tide of villas has 

 flowed around it, and continues to flow, fine 

 old trees confer a venerable appearance upon the 

 mansion, and completely screen it in sequestered 

 dignity from the world of trams and pillar boxes 

 outside. 



It would be difficult to contrive a climatic 

 contrast more rapid and complete than I experienced 

 in leaving London on a dripping, smoke-laden even- 

 ing in June, and arriving next morning in brilliant 

 sunshine at Aberdeen. The all-prevailing granite of 

 the northern city (Aberdeen possesses the only 

 granite-built cathedral in the world) sparkled clear 

 and clean-cut in the morning rays ; neither streets 

 nor houses bore any suggestion of the grime and 

 mud engrained upon those of London, and the drive 

 out to Raeden lay through suburbs wreathed in 

 verdure and garden fronts gay with Clematis montana, 

 laburnum, hawthorn red and white, lilacs, Weigelia 

 and hybrid rhododendrons. True, there was a "snell" 

 north wind ; but nothing could dim the brightness 

 or stint the abundance of blossom on tree and shrub 

 and herb. 



207 



