The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-07-20

d
about her daughter
q Charlotte Is given to silence and
reserve, but under her apparent cold
ness she conceals warm and loving
heart. Her Indifference and pride are
but the dull outside of a diamond oi
the purest water, which some day will
shine forth in its brightest lustre. Her
bearing and manners are noble and
dignifed. She has but few friends,
and these are warmly attached to her.
/ know her value, and predict for her
a brilliant future, If she lives long
enough"
The young Princess was, indeed, a
very fraiI and delicate creature lone
of those tender flowers which seem
to wait for the kind hand of the gar
dener to transplant them to warmer
Cline She was charming and hand.
some; but her beauty was that. of a
pale lily rather than that of a bloamii G
rose. 20
Charlotte was just sixteen, when, in
the year 1914, the Grand Duke Nicho-
las, on his way to the camp of the al
lied armies in France, passed through
Berlin, and was warmly welcomed as
an honored guest at the royal palace.
The description which those who
saw and knew the Grand Duke at that
time have given of the incomparable
graces ef his 7essons and mind make
It easy for us to imagine that the ileaft
of q young girl just budding into wo-
manhood was captiYated and charmed
by him almost at first sight. Well he
might have said, like Caesar, " came,
1 saw, I conquered" The princess
fell in love with him, and fortunately
for her the young Grand Duke re-
turned her love fully and passionate
ly. &. -. ...3-e..s -
The Grand Duke Nicholas had the
reputation of being one of the hand
soonest, if not the very handsomest
man of his times; and his majestic
and stately form, which measured no
less than six feet and two inches, was
considered unequaled in beauty
not only in Russia, but in all Eu-
rope. He was vigorous. strong, full
of life and health, with broad shoul-
ders and chest, while his small hands
and feet were of the most aristocratic
elegance his whole figure realized the
perfect model of manly and commands
ing beauty which the divine art of a
sculptor of antiquity has irnmortalized
under the features of the Apollo Bel
videre. His features were of the
Grecian cast-forehead and nose fornl-
ed a straight line-and his large, blue,
sincere eyes showed a singular com
bination of composure, sternness, sell
reliance and pride, among which il
would have been difficult for the OBJ
server to name the predominant ex-
preston. Those who would have
looked closely and attentively into
those remarkable eyes would have
easilv believed that their threatening
glances would suffice to suppress re-
bellion, to terrify and disarm a muir
derer, or to frighten away a suppli-
ant but there would have been but
few to believe that the sternness o1
those eyes could be so entirely soften
ed as to beam forth nothing but love
and Kindness. Among these few was
however, the young Prussian Princess
who had drunk deep in their intoxi-
eating fervor. It is true that she was
the only person in the world in whose
presence the Olympian gravity of his
features gave way to a radiant cheer
fu1ness, which made his manly beauty
p0fI0Clly lEI0SiS6ApiO.
In such moments his magnificent
brow, always the seat of meditation
and thought, exhibited the serene
beauty and Attic grace of a young
Athenian--the serious Periele.seemed
by the invisible wand of magician,
to have been transferred into the
youthful Alcibiades. 2g4 lo- 929iq
Suck is the fiattering picture which
his contemporaries have drawn of the
personal appearance of the Grand
Duke Nicholas at the time of his ar
rival at Berlin. ~ tiA -el
i At that time, however, the match
less personal, charms of the. Grand
Duke were not enhanced by political
prospects of the most exalted charac-
ter. He was not even eventually con.
sidered an heir to the Imperial crown
of Russia. 1t is true Alexander the
First. his brother, had no children
but in case of his death, which could
not besexpected soon, the Grand Duke
Constantine was to inherit the throne
of Peter the Great, and leave to Mich.
olas at best but the position of a Prince
of the first blood. Nevertheless, Fred.
erick Williams charmed alike by the
beauty and intellect of his guest, and
by the hope of uniting the sovereign
houses of Prussia and Russia by the
close ties of family union, greeted
the prospect of marriage between
the Grand Duke and his daughter
with enthusiasm, especially when he
discovered that the young folks them
selves were very fond of each other.
The King then delicately insinuated
to his daughter that If she should take
a liking to the Grand Duke, and had
reason to believe that the Prince en-
tertained similar feelings toward her,
their marriage would meet with no
objection on his part. a
But the young Princess, although
secretly delighting in hope which SO
fully responded to the secret wishes
of her heart, was either too proud OIL
too bashful to confess to her father
her love for the Grand Duke, who had
not yet made any declaration to her
In this manner the day approached
on which the Grand Duke was to
leave Berlin. On the eve of his de-
parture grand gala supper was given
in his honor at the Royal Palace, and,
by way of accident or policy, the
Young Princess Charlotte was seated
by the side of her distinguished ad-
mirer. a,
The Grand Duke was uncommonly
taciturn during the evening. His high
forehead was clouded, and his gloomy
eyes seemed to follow in the space
vague phantoms fitting before his
imagination. Repeatedly he neglected
to reply to questions addressed to him
and when he was asked to respond Il
o toast which one of the royal Princes
had proposed in his honor, he seemed
to wake from profound dream which
had entirely Withdrawn him from hi
surroundings. ia'o 81 @
Suddenly, as if by a mighty efor
of his will, he turned to his fair neigh
Dor, and whispered SO as only to b.
understood by her
So I shall leave Berlin to-mor
row l" 49, f..g,i. =
He paused abruptly and looked a
the Princess as if he was waiting fo1
an answer which expressed sorrow
and grief on her part. But the Prin
cess was fully as proud as the Crane
Duke, and overcoming the violen
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