The Portland daily press., 1871-07-01
81 expected SO. May hope to hear its his

tory?"
"Why not? My first governess was Swiss
lady by the name of Wildermatt. Once she
went to switzerland in order to enter upon an
inheritance which had been bequeathed to her
by distant relative. When she came back
to Berlin, a few weeks afterward, she showed
me quite collection OF pretty and costly Jew.
elry, which formed part of the inhe ritancp.
"This is curious old ring" said to her, as l
put this old-fashioned little ring on my finger.
SDces it not look queer and cunning? Perhaps
it is an old relic or taiisman, andsmay have
been worn centuries ago by pious lady who
had received it from her knight, starting for
the holy land l tried to take the ring from
my finger again, but could not get it off; for
was little feshier then than now," said
Charlotte smilingly. "My governess insisted
ON my keeping the ring as souvenir. l ac-
cepted her present, and the ring has been on
my finger ever since. Some time afterward,
when was contemplating its strange work
manship, L succeeded in pulling it from my
finger, and was much surprised at seeing en-
graved on the inside some words which,
though nearly rubbed out by the wear OF
time, were still legible. Now, your imperial
hishness, what do you think were the words
engraved upon it? think when you hear
them you will take some interest in the ring"
'Ah! and pray what were they?"
1.-THE words engraved upon the inside we've,
Empress Of Russia The ring had undoubt-
eddy been presented by an empress of Russia
to the relatives of Mrs. Wildermatt, for was
told that both this lady and her mother had
formerly belonged to the household of the
czarina your august grandmother"
This is really remarkable" said the grand
duke thoughtfully. 81 am quite superstitious
ard am really inclined to regard this ring, if
should be happy enough to receive it from
you as pledge OF your love, as an omen of
very suspicious significance"
In answer to this second and even more d.
rect appeal to her heart, the princess took a
small piece of bread, played carelessly with it,
and managed to press the ring into the small
crumbs. Then she dropped it playlully on
the table, quite close to the plate of her
| Deghbor. And alter this adroit exhibition
OF her skill as an actress, she continued to eat
as unconcernedly as if she had performed the
most insignificant action OF her life
With the same apparent GOODNESS and in
difference the grand duke picked up the bread
inclOsing the ring, took the latter out of its
ingenious envelope, and concealed it in his
breast, for it was too small to fit any of his
fingers. 1t was this rng-both the pledge of
Charlottes love and the suspicious omen of
his own elevation to imperial dignity-which
Nicholas wore on golden chain around his
neck to the very last day of his lite, and which
if we are not mistaken, has even descended
with him into the vault of his ancestors.
Three years after, in 1917, Princess Char
lotte, then only nineteen years of age, and in
the full splendor of beauty and happiness,
made her entry into ST. Petersburg by the
side of her husband, whose eye had never
looked prouder, and whose Olympian brow
had never been more serene than at this hap
piest moment of his life. As he looked
down upon the vast multitude who had flock
ed together from all parts of the vast empire
to greet the young princess with shouts and
rejoicings, and then again upon his fair young
bride, perhaps the inscription on the ring re-
CURED to his mind; for, bending his head
| quite close to the ear of Charlotte, he whs-
pered, SNOW empress of the hearts, and some
day, perhaps, empress of the realm"
At this moment the procession reached the
| main entrance OF the Winter Palace, where
Alexander the first, the emperor surrounded
by brilliant suit OF generals and courtiers,
came to meet his beautiful sster-in-law, and
conducted her into the sumptuous drawing
rooms OF the magnificent palace of the czars.
Who would believe that eight short years al
terward the brilliant young emperor had
breathed his last, and that Nicholas and
Charlotte would succeed him on the throne
Of Russia? Truly the inscription of the en-
gaoement ring had been DrODhetic