Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-10-02
The Melancholy Gar.

MS COAT or NAIL AND ms "srLESD!D rRr,-
oN oP STATE"
Fari- Correspondence u Now York World
! have come TO the conclusion that
Russia wants new Peter the Great.
! may have taken this conclusion 10 St.
Petersburg with me, but at any rate
came away with IL. rs result of the
little saw and of the great deal heard.
The country is ready for "A new depart.
ure, and AS willing 10 be led as ever by
its Cars, but IL must be led in new
way. Alexander now wants To lead in
the old way, and hence all the troubles
Of this part OF his reign. Yet no man
has such AN opportunity, for he still has
morally speaking, kind Of absolute
power. The great mass of the people
worship him AS their priest and father
not less than ~ their Lord. 1t is touch.
ing, ! am told, TO see them prostrating
Themselves before him in the streets,
and even kissing the ground on which
he walks. This only intensites the
awful solitude Of his position--a solitude
which they say is driving him mad
lie meets no man on footing Of init.
macy, not even in his sports. have
=
Of his early life at court, preserved in
the albums OF De Iichy, who was for
some time painter TO the imperial fam.
.ly. Whatever the Car may be doing
hunting, dancing. dining or idling-it
is always under conditions which re.
mind him that he has no true fellow
ship with his kind. When he kills a
boar he stands well ahead OF his suite
To meet the monster, the rest being 30
disposed, indeed, A. 20 help him in case
the boar should show himself unduly
forgetiul Of the distinctions Of etiquette.
The very winter palace, which IL the
Cars ordinary residence at st. Peters.
burg. j. but splendid prison Of state
where 5000 titled lailera stand between
him and the other world. II had time
! should like TO describe that palace, at
the risk OF travelling over ground already
covered by the guide books. II is a
town within n town. lis inmates are a
veritable population, duly graded into
the mInutcst Subdivisions Of official
rank. The Gar, to do him Justice.
often breaks bounds. and indeed up to
a late date he continued the habit of
all his predecessors OF going out on foot
every day. But the recent attempt on
his life has changed all that, and made
him more lonely than ever. lie has
now fallen completely into the hands
of his advisers, and their advice, in de
fault of better. is that he shall increase
the distance between him and human
nature. Before that unlucky pistol
shot he went out aioot 10 pay his regu
lar morning visit to a person in whom
he took particular interest, and TO two
or three laughing children, who were
perhaps the only subjects" who could
venture to treat him with the familiar.
ity for which his heart must sometimes
yearn. lie was returning 10 the palace
from such visit when that madman.
with the method OF NihIlism IN his mad
ness, meeting him face TO face began TO
make him a target for ball practice
with n revolver. IL has been a mystery
to met was a mystery 10 every one
how the Car escaped with his life The
Nihilist meant 10 kill him he fred
point blank, and shot after shot. IL
was given out that Alexander was not
once hit--no doubt TO make his preser.
walton appear something in the nature
OF a miracle. This was only true in the
sense that he was hit more than once,
although not wounded. lie wore a
shirt of very fine, strong chain mail
under his coat. IL was made for him
by Leblanc, Of the Boulevard Magenta,
a well.known Paris armorer. who sup.
plies the theatres for their mimic wars.
but who also knows how TO turn out
work that would bear the brunt of
real one. Leblanc's first imperial Gus.
al
and il was probable through the recon-.
mendation Of some friends Of the En-.
peror that Alexander, st the beginning
of the present troubles, was led to APP
ply to Leblanc for one OF his patent
suits. The armorer's own story is that
a gentleman sought him out and with
some mystery asked IL he could make
coat of mail that would turn a revol.
yer bullet. lie was doubtful himself Of
his own powers in this respect, though
he had already provided Napoleon with
an undershirt Warranted to turn the
edge of knife. But an experiment
was made with one Of his best suits, and
ii was found that even Colts army re.
volver made no impression on its serried
rings of steel. This explains the mira
Gle of the Emperor's preservation. Le-
blanc has other illustrious customers,
among them Prince Bismarck. and the
confidential distribution OF his business
cards seems 10 be a common courtesy
among the potentatcs Of Europe. But
the wearing Of a coat Of mail can hardly
be conducive to unalloyed cheerfulness
of disposition. The Emperor has
troubled look there Is unrest in the
very fixity Of his gaze. He stares at
You when he meets you in the street as
though he we're wondering with what
weapon you we're going for him this
time--the one shooter, the six.shooter,
the bomb or the knife.