The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-11-28
Their Roval Hirhness tha Prinna nf


Wales, the Crown Prince of Prussia,
and the Prince of Denmark entered
next. Then came the younger sons OF
the Emperor, Princess Vladimir,
Alexis, Serge, and Paul, the Grand
Duke Constantine, and his consort with
their children, and. after them the other
Princes and PrincesSes of the blood
closed the Royal part of the procession,
All went through the same ceremony
OF kissing the cross offered them by the
Metropolite, and all in turn were kiss
ed, so Il seemed to me, by the MetrOpo-
lite. He bowed lovingly down to the
little children, as they went up to him,
one atter the other, and when the last OF
them had made obeisance before the
cross, returned with his clergy to the
altar. The Imperial family and their
Royal guests then likewise proceeded to
the centre OF the church, the remaining
members of the procession, as they
came in, disposing themselves in the
entrance hall. There were but few
ladies' in the train. -.,'.s.-,5 --,E,,
And. now the service began. The
clergy having ranged themselves round
the altar, prayers were intoned by them
and hymns and responses chanted by
the singers. The serious and measured
music of the Greek Liturgy is rich in
beautiful cadences, and may, perhaps,
be best described as something between
Choral and the lighter rhythms of the
Romish Church. The solos are chiefly
recitattVes, broken by. the constant rep
etition on the part of the choir of the
responses, s'God, be gracious to us, .
and "GOd, we cry to thee.n In the more
independent parts of the choral sing
ing, soft voices of children are effective-
ly blended with sonorous basses. at a
certain part of the service the Care
witch and his bride stepped forward
from the circle Of the Imperial family,
and having been conducted by the EN-
peror to a raised dais, Joined in the
prayers of the Metropolis. Later, two
younger Princes of the blood, one OF
whom recognized as Prince Alexis,
approached and held above the heads
OF the bridal pair the marriage crowns
peculiar to the orthodox ritual Thev
resemble in shape and size the Episco-
pal uaras, and seem to be of silver wire,
or some such material, interviewer with
silk.
This singular ceremony continued
for about twenty minutes, the officiat-
ing Princes being repeatedly obliged
TO change their hands from Weariness,
Suddenly the music became softer;
quicker and more melodious. Its elo-
quent notes predicted the speedy con.
summation of the hallowed act, To
this tune bride and bridegroom were
led thrice round the altar by the Metro
polite. Then they We're pronounced to
be man and wife. An exchange of
rings in this country only takes place
at the bethrotal. ~ 40 %
While the young Prince and Princess
Alexander were still receiving the con-
gratulatiOns of their illustrfous rela-
tives, a hoary arch-priest, with stentor-
ian voice, tntoned "a prayer for the health
andwelfare of the Gear, his wife, and
his children. His appeal to the Deity
was preferred in urgent accents, the
other clergy Ginning in, and with many
infections and genuf1ections, asking
blessings on the head of their beloved
sovereign. A rolling TIE Deum termin-
ated the service. It was a glorious
composition, and jubilantly sung.
AT its close the Imperial family, hay
ing received the fluctuations of the
clergy, left the chapel with their royal
guests. The only difference to the or
der in which they entered was that the
bridegroom and bride walked side by
side. They all acknowledged the re-
pectful salutations of the spectators,
The procession reformed, and accom-
panied the Imperial personages to their
private apartments.
As LETT the place the first snow had
fallen. Russia had assumed her ma
tional garb to welcome her future
Queen.