Morning journal and courier., 1881-09-06
An Empress Among Peasants.
How the Czarina of Russia was Receive ed i'm an Old WOman's Hut.
 rEropo 4ba po1I AJo11 do-o+4,1

From the Pail Mall Gazette.
 The correspondent whose enthusiastic de-
 scription of the Czar's recent visit to Moscow and Mini Novgorod we published last week sends us the following account of an incl dent of the imperial tour As we were go- ing along the Volga the boys had been prom ised a run on the shore, and so at spot
 where all seemed to promise privacy the Empress, Miss o. a lady of honor, Nicholai
 Alexandrovitch and George, his younger
 brother, Count ", MT. S., and Prince S.
 started on an excursion. was kindly in
 vited to join the party. We clambered up 8
 steep precipice of sand and loose gravel, and after some difficulty reached the summit
 We crossed a plowed field and came to some
 cottages, the log huts of the coun-
 try. At the door of one of these there stood an old woman with one eye. The Empress
 approached her and asked if she could have
 a little milk for she thirsty. 'Milk ?'' says the old woman milk p "Yes; will
 you kindly let me have some?" "But-
 milk p was the only answer to be got. We all thought the old woman was crazed so
 the Empress entered the hut, and there sat Q
 pale listless- looking woman, with two chil- dren-one child of three years, the other
 baby, hung up in piece of sacking by cord attached to the rafters.
 While her Majesty was chatting nffably with the young mother, the old woman came in with bowl of very dirtY-looking milk
 and one spoon for the whole company.
 Haven't you got better spoon, good wo- man?" A new one was found-painted in red and gold. The Empress, for forms sake, tasted the repulsive- looking beverage, and after some conversation MT. S. asked the old woman what she wanted for it. "Want for it? ?" she replied thoughtfully. 'I want kopecks silver" That's too dear. he said. with serious air. ''The price is ruinous. Three" 'tIts 5 kopecks silver" and the old woman drew the bowl nearer to her. ''Three" No, five; it's shame for gentlefolks to haggle about few kopecks." ''He is only joking" said the Empress, coming to the rescue; "here are 10 rubles for you" But, interposed Count w.. "you must give us rubles and 95 kopecks change" ''Nine rubles and 95 kopecks! Where am to get it from ?" she asked. ''But they are joking, tell you," said the Empress ]; ''the ten ru- bles are yours, don't you understand ?" ''The milk is five kopscks silver, ''she insisted amid general laughter. ''You greedy old woman, you've got 10 rubles and now you want kopecks more. You ought to be ashamed of yourself" sgThe milk is ko- pecks silver, 'she repeated doggedly. Prince S.-'Do you know the lady who has given you the 10 rubles?' ''No, I don't, she an- swered. "It's the Cos oo- darina." "Oh, yes, very likely" she sneered- = old woman enjoyed it-"very likely" "It really is the Empress don't you know that the Czar is on the river and that all the people are gone to the town to sec him ?" It was no use. The old woman only laughed and patted the Empress arm. What was to be done? s. as last resource takes out his image. "You see, am Q Christian man. swear on this image kissing it that this lady is really our Empress" The woman was only half convinced, but she had far too lit- tie time to realize the fact. 70 Matushka," (mother,) she says, Good Matushka I" and oku v,,Nr Noahf locating, not breath of air the Empress rose to go, wished the good people goodbye and thanked them for their hospitality.
 We had not proceeded far when . small group of women and one or two men were observed following us. Let us wait for them, said her Majesty, q like to talk with these good people. ''How many are yoS in the villagef' Fifty" replied the person ad- dressed. Many other questions were put and answered, but 1t was not until she gave them 100 rubles that they believed it was really their 'Matushka, their dear little mother" and they fell on their knees and kissed her feet. She could not escape. Hell them not to kiss my feet," she said q don't like it." They were, however, all round her they crossed themselves and her they kissed the very ground on which she trod. But who Is that hobbling so eagerly toward us It is our old friend of the cottage She has had time now to realize the fact that the kind stranger really was the real Matushka that she whom all the world had gone so far to see-she, the Empress of all the Russias, the wife of the ''White Czar," had actually been in her poor hut-had spoken so kindly to her, and that she herself, poor old woman, had actually joked with her and patted her arm that she had eaten out of the old bowl -she felt it now-and she came and threw herself on the ground and kissed the hem of her garment and sobbed like child The Empress raised the old woman and said all sorts of comforting words to her, and with such success that hobbling old age took active youth under her arm and helped her carefully over the rough places across the plowed field till we came to the ravine again. We reached the steamer at last and as we left among fine group on shore we saw our old frlend but how she got there and how she cot back again is mystery to me.