Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-10-11
MISCELLANY.
OF THE CZAR Al.
EAANDEK IL. OF RUSSIA.


[From the Correspondence Of the London Times.
His majesty, who is attired in military uni
form, is followed by his ministry and aid-de-
camp generals, aud Immediately behind bin,
walks the commandant Of the Cheyaler Garde.
with his naked sword in his hand and his hel.
met on his head. This officer, who is a oene-
raj IN the army, is man Of great stature. and
his person set off by his uniform-a gill casque
and crest Of silver eagle, a white tunic. with
scarle, back and body, on both of which are
stars OF briianis and silver and long Jack boots.
The emperor. who possesses the personal ad-
van,ages of the Romanoff famiy-a fine erect.
and stately fgure-marched with measured
stride, and bowed right aud left as he passed
down to the estrade. The empress followed
behind him, under the same das, with thirteen
ladies' Of honor around her. and her appearance
was the signal for repeated outbursts of cheer
ing. Her majesty was dressed with the utmos,
simplicity, and presented a most charming con-
trasi 10 the glare by which she was surrounded.
There was gracefulpess in her movements
a quiet dignity and genteness which touched
every heart, and turned every eye even from
the person Of her imperial husband. As the
dais was borne down the steps amid the sheen
Of gliiiering sword blades flourshed at the
presence of the emperor. the picture offered by
the conrt Of the Kremlin was snch as one sci.
dom sees-the splendor of the pageant, the
steady lines of the soldiery, the waving masses
of The galleries as they rocked to and fro in
their homage and ecstacy. A platoon Of the
Chevaier Gardes followed the dais, and after
them came a member of each family of the
high Russian nobility, three and three behind
whom again, in strange juxtapositon, marched
a band Of arlizans and manufacturers; after
them followed the corps Of first guild of mer-
chants, by threes, and the procession was clos
ed by another platoon of the Cheyaier Gardes.
The hourishlng Of trumpets, the strains Of the
numerous bands, the cheers of the people. the
measured hurrahs Of the soldiery, the roll of
drums, the clang of bells, deafened the ears and
almost overwhelmed the sense The metropol-
iians Of Moscow and Novgorod, who had pre-
Siously blessed aud WaieI1d the imperial Gu
sign, stood at the door of the cathedral Of the
Assumption, and as their majestios approached,
the former presented them the holy hood to kiss,
which they did most revcrently, and the latter
sprinkled them with the holy water.
We are now inside the cathedral with them,
and we are about to witness a ceremony instinct
with meaning and full of sacred solemnity to
the mind Of the unsophisticaied Russian. The
Empress Dowager and the imperial family have
already entered the church and taken their places
on the platform around the thrones. Amid the
ringing Of bells and the shouts of the populace
the young emperor and his bride reached the
entrance of the church. And now they detach
themselves from the crowd Of officials about
them, and passing along the gorgeous screen
that separates the chancel from the church, they
fall on their knees before the images of the
saints, kiss with farvcnt reverence the sacred
relics, and offer up silent prayers 10 Heaven
Let the perfect grace and earnesiness with
which the young empress performs these acts
be noted. She is richly attired in a white robe,
studded with the finest jewels, but her head is
adorned only by her own luxuriant hair, with
out single ornament Her right hand is un-
gloved, and with this she repeatedly crosses
herself as she performs her religious offices,
not mechanically, as il going through part of
a prescribed ceremony, but fervenlly, religious
ly and with the grace Of perfect womanhood
And now the emperor, followed by his bride,
mounts the platform of the throne, and repeats
from book delivered TO him by the archbishop
of Moscow the confession Of his Christian faith
He then receives the benediciion of the arch
bishop, and suddenly the choir, which has hlh-
erlo preserved silence, bursts ont in psalms and
praise to God, and the holy building ybrales
with the ring Of their harmonious voices