The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-03-23
The CZarina Anne.
lnemGn's Magazine.


Grona the GentlemGn's Magazine.
The slim fragile type of beauty is
not popular in Europe. Above all
things the ladies of 81. Petersburg
desire to be plump. Beauty is
measured by the avoirdupois stand
ard, and no lady can lay the least
claim to it unless she turns the scale
at 200 weight with ease. Therefore
Anne, whose proportions were most
massive, was regarded by her sub
jects as a very beautiful woman.
Her head was buttressed on either
side by pair of the chubbiest ver-
million painted cheeks, which trem-
bled like jelly at every motion she
made. Mr. Carlyle compares them
to a pair OF Westphalia hams for
size; and he might have added, for
expression. Certainly they were SO
self asserting as to dwarf all her other
facial features. Her big bones were
well padded with tiesh-fesh that on
the whole was rather quiescent and
unobtrusive tor a Russian empress.
She had brown complexion, black
hair, deeply embedded dark blue
eyes, which in so far as they were
visible sparkled with satire and
shrewdness.
For so large woman, her motion
and carriage were easy and graceful
and her twenty.stone weight glided
among her courtiers without much
snorting or grating of the machine,
admirers, We We might add, almost L, as
silently and lightly as sunbeam. In
spite OF her weight, she was dis
tinguished pedestrian, She showed
herself exceedingly affable and gra.
clous at her receptions smiles lin
expressibly sweet" says one who
was favored with a few, lowered over
her mouth and lit up countenance
which the same gossip says had some
thing awful in it-and doubtless
there is something solemnizing in
abnormal bulk. "Her affability is
such" says Mrs. Vlgor, that you
seem talking to an equal; and yet
she does not tor a moment drop the
dignity of sovereign"
Others found it safer to talk to her
in monosyllables. There is a story
told Of Euler, who taught in the
Academy OF Science, established in
St. Petersburg by Peter the Great,
during the whole Of her reign. In
l74l he accepted from Frederick the
offer Of the Protessorship of Mathe.
MATES in Berlin Academy. On his
arrival in Berlin he was invited by
the queen mother to visit her at her
palace. Euler trembled in her pre-
sence, and, III spite of her kindly
efforts to put him at his ease, was
quite unable to overcome his terror.
The queen, simple, gentle and unas.
Stunning, knowing that there was
nothing of the bogie about her, asked
him why he answered her in mono
syllables and trembled. MADAM"
said he, sit is because have come
from court where, if one speaks at
greater length and with more free.
dom, the chances are that he will be
hanged"
Her majesty's habits of life were
very regular. Her ministers arrived
at the palace every morning, summer
and winter alike, at nine O'clock, to
transact affairs OF State, before which
hour she had breakfasted. She dined
at noon with the Duke of CORTLAND.
On public occasions she dined in pub
lie, and then she sat on throne I'M
der a gorgeous canopy, the Grand
Duchess Anne and the Princess
Elizabeth being the only guests at
the table at which she presided, and
the lord high chancellor acting as
waiter. After light supper she re.
tired to rest at eleven. Not even in
the court of France was ostentation
and display carried further than it
was by Anne. People who came to