The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-06-21
sN1cHo1AsM HIS soWHHoUsn..

L.
Nicholas rises ut an early hour, md
goes SOON to the business of the day nf-
ter etaking a, short walk. The most
scrupplous order reigns in his study; the
walls are adorned with pictures Of regi.
mental costumes. The furniture IS ele-
CANT, but not oyer rich; while there Is
no where to be seen trace of pseless
ornamentiis The dinner meal nanallY
takes but little time, for 1T Is served
quickly, while the dishes are comparative
ly few. The Gar eats heartily, but is
very moderate IN his drink. He Meth,
er smokes nor takes snuff In the eF en-
ing he has two or three cups Of very
strong tea, and spends the interval be-
tween that and bed time at some game.
Despite his regularity of life, which, il
necessarily much interrupted by fecep-
tions, travels, &c., the Gar is no slave
to According to those who have
had the best opportunity of judging, his
relation to the Empress is simple, yet
noble-an expression that undoubtedly
admits Of varied interpretations. Wo.
men are not without their influence At his
Court. In 1886 a young lieutenant Of
the guard danced a polka with Lady
Dashkof, SO much to hear entire satis-
faction, that he was soon after installed
as one of the afd-de camps to the CzaF,
His friends composed new polka, which
they dedicated 70 him. under the ironi-
cal title of the |" Promotion Polka II
Much has never been said of the ex-
-hibitf5naaof parental feeling on the part Of
Nicholasaiat least he did not 'dispIdy
itlin anytliEelyt degree while his children
yet remained yeungsa5The Grand Dneh-
ess Olga the Princess Alexandra, and
the Grand Duke Constantine were fret
quently indicated as his. pets, though,
judgng outWardlY j Since they have been
grown up, aflaFge amount of form Tand
ceremony has accompanied their inter
course Custine, in his work on RNssig
In 1889, says: ''Nicholas forgeta bis
majesty only in domestic life, where He
isueminded that rian has his happiness
independent, of state dntieg There is
however, a degree, of eoquetry in the dos
mestic life of the Winter Palace. y
~ Persons acquainted with the I'm.
perial family assert, that though Mich.
olas may love his children dearly yetit
yet it cannot be denied. that he assumes
towards his sons a serious and cold de-
meanor, whileshis behavior to his daugh-
tiers Is chivalrous IN the extreme; but
this is the conduct which he generally
adopts towards ladies. The weak and
sickly. Empresshe treats with fcompas-
sionate affection; we can find no better
word. When from indisposition she is
confined to her apartment, he frequent
ly visits there; and the newspapers which
are always loud in praise,ofh bis undimin-
ished affection, mentioned that, at the
time of the imperial stay at Naples to
ls47, he used to carry her in his arms up
the staircase to her chambers During
the burning Of the Winter Palace in 1886
(says Gratcsh, Count Orloff reported to
the Emperor that the FIRE was about
reaching the imperial private cabinet or
study, and asked him what he desired to
be saved in it, as no time was to be lost.
(" Only my port folio, was the reply;
q 1t contains the letters of the Empress
which she wrote to me during our en-,
gagement. . --11schezsen's History.