, 1874-09-06


from Liverpool. and Ncckar from Hrenlen~
LONDON, Sept. 5.-Steamsiaip Hcrder, from
New lo.k, for Liverpool has arrived out.
Choosing Il wife.
There was said to be . very ancient precedent
among The byzantine EmpcEo:s for choosing
wife as Ahasuerus chose Esther. Sophia's son,
cut off frum all equal choice. sent ENJOYS with
letters to ali the Boya7s and Princes throughout
the Empire. commanding them to asslst IN an
examination Of the young girls Of their respect
i've liuticts rich, NOBLE poor, or se1f, that ee-
lection might be mado aud the most beautiful
sent to Moscow for his inspection the inhaEl-
tnuts wcio warned that auy one who disobeyed
OF tried to conceal his daughter would be visited
with condign disgrace and punishment NO ono
durat dsobev the edict; the young girls were
passed i'll review, and 900 esteemed worthy Of
tihir masters appreciation we're sent to Moscow
10 form AL idea OF the sacrifice we must try to
fancy what Russia Was in .Lc fifteenth century
These immense distances. those spassely-settled
districts, those rude habits which dlsmay the
traveller OF to-day, when stages md railroads
a::d hotels aud I'll the torms OF modem
nsa are at hand m tH sash Ssr far tne
n:dap1o pristine difficulties. TIE risk,
the cost the fatigue Of II journey from the re-
n,utest J;ro:i;ces to the C,pi.ai we're appalling
iet these LE1lsiips had to be taccu. ths tumuits
Ut lopo ami fear cun; rolled. aad the hatred and
jealousy OF rivals encountered, AID tho hlter-
nlss I'D lao::itieai;a" OF disappointment en-
dared. On arriving a. Moscow further e1A1nl-
,n:;org were made. and various competitors dts
n1:ssel unseen iy this Gar. until The number re-
scrrct. Il. tte :c;u.l exhibition was con1para-
lively small. They were ii loe!Sed in one large
housc. a3d slept III doimtorics OF twelve beds.
In each r;.onl T,A tluo on which the Gear
sca:eu himself; tho Young girls kneit before linn
il turn. After he had contemplated each at bis
leisure sic dropped Professionalism cl1cf cH-
sroider1ti Wit. pearls at his feet, and withdrew
ivan tho Terrible, the eccond Who adopted this
custom, married t:itee times, and always IN the
same fashion. His first and 1avorito wife was
An:sta-ia Eo.nano!I. When about to make third
choice 2010 glrls we're sent from every part Of
lie Emfire; of these, only eighty
passed tho subsequent examinations, and finally
but twelve, who Wcro then turned over to|hyEl-
Clans and r.idwivea for certificates 0! health VI
THIS dozen the Car, after much dcliberatlon,
cl1uee one for himself AID one for his son Thus
in two re;c cns the custom became liked III tho
manners Of the uation, and the people SOON camc
to regard it as + right Of their daughters, which
gave tho humbiest-born beauty chance OF be-
comm. Enlrrc4s. Thus. girl, who but few
weeks before had been gathering mushrooms iu
the folds for the support of her family, cana to
iuc hcreelf wife Of the Emperor Of ali the 1lus-
sias. How did ate adapt herself to such posi-
ton How did the autocr.ts tolerate her ,,
homely ways? Tho French commentator On M.
Zabieline observes that the difference was but
slight then between the daughter Of tho proud
est bovar and the poorest peasant: 1t is the de-
veiopment Of education and luxury WHICH makes
tic true distinction of classes. In Russia three
centuries ago au we're nearly equally ulterate
aud dirty.
When the monarch had made his choice the
bride-c!ect at once treated H au august per-
sonaso: sho was lodged i'll the Ieren among
the sisters or daughters OF tho Czar, in charge
Of his mother or Of ladies OF high birth and
standing; the WAS given coronet such as tho
Imperial Princeescs wore, and saluted as Gar
ey1la; the nobles aud ofIicers ct tho Court came
! J.[o% In m
fidelity; sLo IVES publicly prayed for among the
members Of tbs Imperial family. but under
new name, which she WAS henceforth to bear, as
though robaptized for heE new life. It Was a
lifo beset with danger, and the period between
the Sovc1eign's choice and tue marriage was the
most hazardous OF all for the object OF his favor.
Tae mortality OF these Young glrs. chosen from
thouEands for their health as well az their
beauty, was too terrible to be mysterious. SO
many of them died before they kneIt at the altar
or the coronation that the triumph Of SUCCESS
did not console them for tho terror OF the risk
tuey incurred. The Cars of Moscow administer
cd tho Empire ia if it were 3 patrimonY which
they had the right to Hharo with their kinsmen
and dependents tho Stale was 8 mcrc family
property. When the sovereign was young be
was generally surrounded and controlled By bis
maternal relatives the chief posts were occu-
pied BY the next OF kin, secondary ones by those
more remotely 1elascd, while inferior grades
were filled by third and fourth cousins; the
whole realm was in the hands OF one iamily; the
duration of tho power of each has a name IL
Russian history-Uren.id. ''the moment" tha
leaders weto known as tic men of the mo-
ment." The Cars marriage WAS the signal for
general change Of Ministry. It WAS rare that
the family Of the new Czarina did not succeed in
oustinc the incumtents and Beizlng on their
otliccs new moment was inaugulated; uattI-
rally the brides influence was used for her own
relations and whether the e1erted it OF not, their
right was recognized. 1t is easy to imagine tho
| 1aye Of the ore party, the greed OF the other
ihe furious enmity to which the poor young girl
often fell victim Plots OF tho blnckest de-
scription wero woven round her from tue mo-
ment when the crown Of the Czareyna Was placed
on her bro1 every one employed about the
Teren, from those who filled the highest to those
who filled the meancst Offices, became the object
Of bribes and ,nlrigues- If she could be made
| away With before the Wedd1ng-ler the compesl-
| ton must begin again, with the chance of the
successful candidate bcn. momber OF the fam
! ily Of .'the moment" But even after tha mar-
rage she could not feel safe; Ivan the Terrlbles
first two wives died, as 10 believed, OF poison !:
| no sooner had he chosen third than she sick
| ened, and efforts Tere made to induce Lam to re-
! iDquish his choice. He persisted; fo1tn!sht
| after ther union she was dead. Then nus tufy
! broke forth and terrible butcher- ensued; In
| his defense before the Bishops OF tho Church he
| professcd himself convinced that each OF nls
! wives had been taken from him BY POISON. =
| From - Our Monthly Gossip" IN L1Pp1aco0s
| Maydz1ne for September