The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-04-23
THE UNHAPPY GEAR.
Sketch of Alexander OF
+ Russia.

intentions, but with look of sadness
perplexity in him. His voice is harsh
- ~ the grinding of a cotfee-mill out Of ord
= for an affection Of the throat, under VIII
~ he has long suffered, renders speech pa
- full to him. He would have made W
amiable private gentleman, and could ha
: got far more ease and amusement out
life # he had handed all the botheration
= government over to his brother Consta
:, tine, who has a taste for that sort of no
sense. He himself could hardly have wal
s ed toI reign. It was the Schouyaloffs, t
!, Lomberts, the Bariatinskys, the Adle
: berss, the Dolgouroukys, and some other
= who desired he should be Il firm ruler
: men. They were forever goading al
. coaxilngg him by turns, as beef is driven
:, market for those who wish to roast it.
: They must often have had Il difficult tasl
8 Tor his ponderous majesty (good, eas
: man) is slothful and heavy-witted by II:
tnre. He must frequently been unable t
Z ,s8lnderstand even what was wanted of him
n He is subject tomelancholy periods of hyr
ochonftriasis, during which existenc
seems but tlreary blank to him. He i
7 haunted by fears Of sudden death and b,
the dread of assassination. At these time
he moaps about on apparently solitar,
walks, with a large dog, but there is alway
q policeman handy to keep the sac,iligeou
from approaching him. When well, lit
deyotes much of his tine to tailoring
changing his costume with much stoliC
perseverance, and he likes to be attended
by a himpback Priyy Councillor, who acts
as foil to his fine figure and sets it off. fo1
he is a well built man, tall and straight.
| but rather too German in the rotundity of
certain Iof his curves.
His father Nicholas, who was in MANY
respects notable sovereign, had him very
carefully brought up,and foresceing that he
would want support, perhaps devotion. in
after life, to eounteract his apathy. sur
rounded him with some select young men
VINO could be relied upon. This little band
OF cronles have hung together ever since.
They have lived with and on the Emperor
without interruption from the time of his
accession until now He provides for their
wants they dip their fingers into his purse
wheneyer they are so minded
Hei b loosely-htng Emperor, more like
the good fellow of the free-and-casv than
tbe despotic master of millions, when in
midst OF these bis famlliars. He has been
known TO sit in his shirt-sleeves, astraddle
on chair, hob-a-nobbing with them.
The late Count Stogonotf, who was
preu1 cheraIier and very high-pacing per-
son generally, once broke in upon the party
thus employed. The Emperor looked at
him with those unutterably mournful eyes
of his, and held out champagne glass to
be retillfd from bottle which stood by.
The old soldier drew himself up and an
sWered, sternly, "Lct those who love you
less than do perform that service.' The |
Gar shd lived no sign of displeasure, but in
a few months Stogonoff was deprived OF
his offices, though he was nearly. connect
ed with fhe Imperial family, his son hav-
ing married the Grand Duchess Marie.
When His Majesty is in the humor, he
plays good deal ut cards with his own I
chums, and it is rather a good thing for
these gentlemen, for whenever any one of
them is in want, the Czar will lose TO him T
the sum bf which he stands in need, as a I
delicate way of giving it, and this method /
of bestoWing substantial favor is perfectly
well understood among them.
The Gear is a good shot, and has done
some grand things on bears. He some
times we dars a pe1isse which once covered IL
fine bear he brought low with his own
hands, and it has been SO eXquisitely dress
I'd that if is valued at about $4,000, which
is even more than is ever paid either for
;he sable or black fox. He can ride, too,
5hough NOT i'll the English fashion and he
would be puzzled by a sharp burst across
he country. Lately his physicians have
recommended him to walk.
His pc l.sonal department is excellent. lie
stands and marches well. He shows to ad-
'alltage i'm uniform, though for several
tears he has willingly clothed himself in
nutti. lis manners are those of a gentle
nan, anq there is something extremely
about him. He produces the
that one would like to know
lim better, if only he were not an En-
)eror 1t is this unfortunate circumstance
which ia kes amiabilitY out Of him, sets ;
i'm upon his dignity, and gives Il certain
to his aspect. There is a chub- 4
,iness and nervousness in his proceedings
lpon great occasions which reminds one E
more of u drunl-major or tugleman of !
4andWelr than an atltocrat. L. Z
formerly the Emperor, as might be jeS- I
,ected frPm one Of his lerhargie tempera- I
nent, wa averse to moFingabout; latterly
le has been troubled bysa perpetual rest
essncss. He lives very plainly, and his
able is sloarsely served. 4 beefsteak for
breakfast 4 roast gelinotte aud salad for
Inner, form the staple of his fare. His {
ppetite Is not robust, and he sleeps very {
'adly.
The first fault of his reign was the COM
non blullder of heirs apparent when they
ONE into power. He had been much 5
ouFted by the discontented, and he made {
ar too much haste to undo ali the work of t
lis father. He was emotional, pitiful, gen
rous, all in a headlong, precipitate way. {
When he resolved suddenly to abolish sert- /
ona, several of his Generals and Mobiles
II, II
ought him to manage SO great \ change
cry ginSerly. 1t was Of no use. He gave
he had to give, knocked down {
he great farmers-g general of taxes like SO {
aany nilie-pins, upset =monopolies for the i
iscreet sale of yodki, closed the free ports I
t the Blhck Sea according to the. latest t
rinciDles of political economy, dashed off I
be shackles from the press, and laughed at t
onlic newspapers. t
There WAS earleature published in st. t
'etersbuIg shortly after his accession /
thich represented him as a droschkY driver 9
i the state that droschky drivers usually e
re after tlinner. His hat was pulled over =
is eyes, and his horses were gallop- /
lg wildly on the road to Reform. Be- t
ind HIM was the Grand Duke of Constan- t
inc, saying, Gently, brother. / am the Il
are.n Still the Emperor laughed; he \
au!ghed, too, when a piece was played in Ia
le Court Theatre exposing the corruption j
bis officials, and I very fine piece it ii
fas. Then somebody shot at him and shat Ee
ered his nerves forever. He fell into 4 b
ort Of panic, trying hastily to undo all he =#r
ad done. BE had new gives put on y
riters; he ordered some awful ertlelties in .
'oland. He tried to win back his snlky= e
Eobles. 1t was all in vain, and now he is n