Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1867-02-02
THE CRYSTAL. PALACE--A STORY
OF PETER THE GREAT.


1t is wei! known that ice is capable Of so
great soldi'y as to retain, in cold cuuuIies,
any desired Stare fer a long time: and
houses have been Constructed OF IL which
have resisted the elements, not only throueh
the winter. but far into the succeed ing sum-
mer, and in some insa ices curing several
years.
Peter the Great had in his service baf
ioon, named Nihoe II, dwa.f in size ani
particularly ugly IN appearance, bu, possess.
ing mind :uil OF lMeIIietnce. and overflow
ing with wi, and sarcasm, in Ike exercise Of
which even the sacred TIA sty Of the Car
was not always respected. lIr one day ap-
preached his mas;er, and requested permis-
sion 10 mary
And who do you suppose would marry
you p demanded the Car.
"Ca,he1inc l,al~aski.' reflrd Ike dwarf
"Ca'herine l'ahvask! h t majestic,
beautiful creature, attached as file de cAam-
bre to one cf The Emprr ss' adi. $ in waiting,
Impossible my poor Noko'ieI; >he is young
and beautiful, ard you Gre old and ue,y.'
"She loves me- said Niholi, E, swelling,
with o,~er led rriie. Every ore does nc,
look ur"n me with the uufavoralIe eyes Of
your mi sty
'Ion mast be very rich. then. or she
could not love you," sad the Gar.
"AiI" wing tha, to be, | should not be the
first one who has Lcen loved for his wealth"
replied the butfoon, with . cv.ica! smile. II
know one far richer and more powerful then
am, who has thought himself loved for
msei' alone, instead Of for bis piles Of
yellow gold and was SO plaiuly deceived
that he a'one was unsuspc, us OF the true
ohiect'
Ihc Emperor tusned pale with anger. and
bit his lip aniit III" blood flowed FIR the huf
tom alluded 70 love advet ~: e If the mon
arch we'll known at court, bu; Of which none
bad dared to speak above vi i>rer. "Nerv
we'll, said he, controlling bis rase by pew.
ertul eHoit, "since you desire to marry
Ca'harne Itnhsask', you sbal! do so /
charge myself with the exp"nse Of the nap
,'as, aud you will receive from me the pal ,
ace which you will occupy With your char
ming bride. Meanwhile, you are forbidden
to leave your chamber, under the penalty Of
being made acquainted with the knout, in
comparison with which, the blows of my wife
which nave often made your shoulders ache
are mere love caress.s."
Fifteen days after, on the l+,h day OF
January, 1929, the buHoon was awakened at
day break by the sound Of r,usic at the door
| OF his chamber which served him IS q prison
ed, and clothed him in magnificent suit of
garments, then placed him on q sledye, to
which were attached four Of the most beau
| tful horses in the imperial stables, and sur
rounded by cortege composed of the great.
est lords and ladies Of the imperial court,
conducted him to the cathedral Meter Dame
de kazan, where The nup,ial ceremony was
celebrated with selendor and extravaganza,
which not only completely treasured, bu,
delighted the proud E,kci,ff.
The nrpt al beEedietion vas pronounced,
The happy couple were placed npon sledges
and conducted to an isolated pace, short
distance from the city, on the banks of the
Neva, where had been built palace, tie like
Of which never existed, except in fairy tales
The palace, which seemed TO be constructed
Of cryst&l, and which reflected in a thousand
luminous rays tho blaziEg torches Of the
| cortpgn, was built of massive blocks of ice.
eat oa, as it from stone, and fastened with
water in place Of cement. The dwarf and
his wife were introduced into an immense
hall the furniture Of which tables. chairs
chandeliers, everything-was made Of ice,
and were served in the presence Of the EN-
peror ond his attendants, with a feast o.
regal sumptunusness. Choice and most
delicate wines were served IN abundance,
and the gobIets Of Nikoletf ynd Catharine
also carved from blocks Of ice--were KEEP,
constantly filled until, at a signal from
Peter, the spouses, stuaied with wine, were
carried to the nuptipl chamber aud pace d
upon bed Of solid ice, richly covered aud
, silded, and there left without Gre, OF cloth
ing. iu the frigid atmosphere Of Russian
winter. The doors Of the cheloss aud