Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-04-13
ImrER1AL ROMANCE.
How the Emperor Nicholas WOed
and Won thS Princess Charlotte.

The young princes was in truth a
very frail and delicate creature
one of those tender flowers who
seemed to wait for the kind hand of
the gardener to transplant them in
to warmer cline. She was charm
ing and handsome, but her beauty
was rather that of the pale lily than
of the blooming rose. Charlotte
was Just sixteen, when in the year
1914, the Grand Duke Nicholas, on
his way ito the camp of the
allied armies in France, pass
ed 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 incompatible graces of his
person and mind makes it easy for
one to imagine that the heart of a
young girl just blooming into wo-
manhood was captivated and charm
by him almost at first sight. Well
he might have said like Cesar, Ve7si,
oidi, Vici. The Princess fell in love
with him and fortunately for her,
the Young Grand Duke returned her
love passionately. The Grand Duke
Nicholas had the reputation of be-
ing one of the handsomest, if not
the very handsomest, of his time
and his majestic and stately form,
which measured no less than six feet
and two inches, was considered un-
eoualled in beauty not only in Rus
sia but in all Europe. He was Wig
orous, strong, full of life and health,
with broad shoulders and chest
while his small hands and feet were
of the most aristocratic elegance
his whole figure realized the perfect
model of manly and commanding
beauty which the divine art of 8
sculptor of antiquity has immortal.
lied under the features of the ia.
nous " "Appollo Belvidere." His
features were of the Grecian cast
forehead and nose formed straight
line, and his large blue, sincere eyes
showed a singular combination o.
composure, sternness. self-reliancC
and pride, among which it would
have been difficult for the observer
to name the predominant express
sion.
Those who would look closely anC
attentively into his remarkable eyes
would have easily believed thar
their threatening glances would suf
flee to suppress a rebellion, to terri
fy and disarm a murder, or fright
en- away supplicant; but there
would have been but a few to be
lieVe that the sternness of these
eyes would ever be so entirely soft
ened as to beam forth nothing bu
love and kindness. Among thes,
few was, however, the young Prus
sian Princess, who had drunk deer
in their intoxicating fervor. 1t j
true she was the world in who's,
presence the Olympian gravity o
his features gave way to radian
cheerfulness which made his mani,
beauty perfectly irresistible. Il
! such moments his magnificent brow
always the seat of meditation ant
thought, exhibited the serene beau
ty and attic grace of a young Athe
nian-the serious Pericles SCENE,
by the invisible wand of magicial
to have been transformed into
| youthful Alcibiades. Such is th
| flattering portrait which his contem
| DOIdIlcS nav OIdN II VI llC pGISO4a
appearance of the Grand Duk
| Nicholas at the time of his arriVs
at Berlin. At that time, however
the matchless personal charms of tn
Grand Duke were not enhanced b
political prospects of the N ost exalt
ed character. He was not eve
eventually considered an heir to tn
Imperial Crown of Russia. 1t
true, Alexander /, his brother, ha
no children, but in case of his deatI
which could not be expected sooI
the Grand Duke Constantine was [
inherit the the throne of Peter til
Great, and leave to Nicholas, at bes
but the position of the first primo
in the blood. Nevertheless, Fredel
lex William, charmed alike by IL
beauty and intellect of his CUES
and by the hope of uniting the so7
erign houses of Prussia and Russ
by the close ties of q family uniol
greeted the prospect of amarrias
between the Grand Duke and b