The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-03-11
ROYAL ROMANCE.

Why the Grand Duke Alexis was Sent ON
His Foreign TraveIs-His Secret Be
y quer LOve-The Prince Marries the Girl
OF His ChOiee-Hcw the Happy Pair
= Live.
f----foorrespondence Of the Chicago Times.
DRESDEN, Saxony. Jan. ga social ro-
nance, with details of the mosf fascinating
/ interest. has lust come to a climax here.
The tongues OF Dresden, and they are
many and blithe, have the tale trippingly.
When you learn that the hero is Alexis,
third son of the Gar, you will not be sur
! prised that the eseGLaHdre is detalled III
many keys. 49,. - - -
1 In the winter of 1870 or 1871 it was
made known in the official gaZettes that
the Gar had graciously consented to de-
prive himself of his youngest and best be
loved son, in order that the young gentle
! man might complete his education by for
! eign travel. Presently thereafter it was
4 known of men that the Prince was en-
| barked on one of the imperial frigates
] bound for America. 1t turns out that de-
sire for knowledge concerning the nations
of the earth was not the moving cause OF
! AleXis's cruise around the world, which
brought him In course of time to America.
| Russian Princes are rarely known to risk
! themselves on long voyages at sea, par
/ ticu.arly in the style in which Alexis jour-
ncyed. Countless causes were assigned by
| the diplomatic world, but until lately the
real cause was but cautiously limited.
At the age of nineteen the young Prince
met the daughter of one of his neighbors,
a wealthy baron. He was charmed with
her manners and person. and forgetting
the law of the empire denying the mar
rage of Princes of the blood with subjects,
he permitted himself TO fall in love with
/ her. He wooed and won the girl, much
in the same way we all do, suppose. No
notice was taken of the matter, by the
Gar or family, as il was merely regarded
as a Irritation, in which nothing more
serious could happen than the destruc-
ton of mademoiselle. That, however, is
the common fortune of the mortals favored
by princely love, and so no impediments
were put in the young mans way. Pre-
sently, however. the court was brought to
a friend the fact that he loved the girl
that the girl loved him, and that to pos
sess her he must marry her To possess
such a secret and withhold it from the
/ Gar constitutes treason in the enIghten-
! ed empire of all the Russias. OF course
/ the friend made clean breast to the i'm
perial parent. Alexis was summoned by
the Car and sternly ordered to dismiss
! the girl from his mind.
tt.E sTEADFAsT LOVE.
/ He protested his overwhelming love.
The Gar only frowned. He might love
I his heart to ashes, but he should not
marry. If the girl loved him she would
consent TO share his heart morganatically,
1 hut as to his name and heritage, the law of
| the empire forbade it. A proper mate for
his state was even now being hunted up
in a neighboring kingdom. This was all
that the father had to say to the unhappy
/ lover. If he could prevail on his beloved
to accept him out of wedlock, the impe-
rial court hadn't the slightest objection, but
/ as wife. never. This was made known
| to the girl by parsonage of the imperial
/ household, and Indignantly rejected.
| Alexis, however, it is said, never preached
such thing to the lady, realizing from
her noble character that she would never
consent to degrade herself, even for her
! best beloved. Then came a season of
pining. Alexis mopod and fell away in
flesh, and did all manner of things dis
comforting to the imperial old fOlks-the
4 Car and CZarina. TO divert his mind
from his disappointment, the cruise around
the world was finally determined upon,
and the details of the voyage were planned
with lavish magnficence. Even at the
last moment the parents heart repented
the measure, and Alexis was informed
that by pledging himself to princess Sc
lected for him, he could remain at home.
Time, however, had made no change in
the lad, and the sO-called boyish passion
burned as steadily as ever.
On arriving in New York he was well
in health, and did not look like a person
likely to suffer keenly under the canker-
ing of cruel thought. He was sometimes
pensive, but that was generally ascribed
I TO longing for home and friends, natural
to a lad Of his years. However impassive
in outward show, the Prince was faithful
to his love. He wrote her regularly dur
ing his journey, notwithstanding the pa.
rental interdict and the watchfulness of his
governor. At least once week, missives
under cover to a friend in Paris were sent
by the Prince until his arrival in Cuba,
when, by some unlucky chance, his in
trigue was discovered, and the correspond
enCe for a time, at least, checked. Like
Lord LOvel, he was gone from her fathers
gate year and day, when his vessel
dropped anchor at Cronstadt. He was
watched closely ON arriving home, but for
all that seems TO have found an opportu-
nifty to see his sweetheart. A marriage
contract was ready for him to sign when
he arrived, but he pleaded delay, and sue
ceeded in gaining six months respite.
During these six months the course of
true love ran in grooves, and the two
young folks became still more tenderly
aud devotedly attached. The State we'd
ding, however, came up again as a near
pr liability. The Prince set out for Paris
to stave off the event, and finally, finding
there was nothing to be hoped from delay,
he sent word for the lady TO be ready at
certain time for the ceremony which would
give him wife and lose him a possible
crown.
MARRIED TO THE GIRL OF HIS CHOICE.
Coming back to st. Petersburg, the
father requested Alexis to prepare for the
betrOthal ceremony. The Prince refused.
He declared himself willing to abdicate
such rights as he held under the empire,
but demanded the liberty which the poor
est Russian has, of marrying the girl of
his choice-that is if the girl is willing.
The Emperor dismissed him in disgrace,
! and expecting severe discipline, the Prince
went straightway to take advantage
of what might be his only OppOr-
tunity. he planned his campaign
discreetly, and in week was married to
/ the girl of his heart in the indissoluble
! formula OF the Greek Church. The cere-
mony ended, he took train incognito with
his wife, and at the frontier sent cards to
his family. The Gar instantly sent
cOuriers after him, ordering him to return,
but on foreign territory the Prince is his
own master, and cannot be compelled to
return, rs in the good old times, when if
one King didn't help another he had to
fight. During the autumn and early Win
ter the Duke has been touring with his
wife, bringing up finally in Dresden,
where, within a week, they have taken
modest villa on Berg Strasse and gone to
housekeeping in a charmingly simple
way.
Dresden aristocracy was in fever over
the arrival, when it was known that the
Grand Duke was really here-a fact first
made known by the presence of fifty
trunks belonging to the Princess at the
Hotel Bellevue. Official Dresden held
alOof. 1t must first be seen what the King
would do and say. The King of Saxony
is particular person. So far as power
goes he Is not great. Saxony has perhaps
three millions of people, but what the
: kingdom lacks in the prestige of power it
makes upin the stiffness, exelusiveness and
prOdigiOus punctilio of the court. A left.