Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-05
ON CORONATION EVE.
The Preparations thnt Have Been
Made for Crowning Alexander III. nj
Moscow

The Minster-Sire can take upon myself to
assure you that your life viii be safe through
out the memorable day soon to dawn upon us
The Czar-aenorable day? Memorable day?
It's memorable day Icould very well dispense
with it. (Sighs)
Minister assure Your Majesty that no pre-
caution has been neglected. In the first place
there will be nobody i'm the streets
Czar-Nobodv in the streets? But bless me.
that will be rather dull for coronation
Minister-Nobody but the police, | mean.
have detailed 10000 men. who. in assorted dis
guises of peasants. moujiks and tine like. VIII
surround and escort Your Majesty's carriage,
filling the air with Joyous cries.
CZar-But are you certain that there are no
nihilists among them?
Minister have provided for that. Each
man is instructed the moment that he notices a
suspicious movement On the part ofhis neighbor
to blow out that neighbours brains
czar-But, say. may be hit by one of the
flying balls, you know.
Minister-Then, Your Majesty, will suppress
the reviewers and serve out da2gers instead.
Czar-An improvements great improve
ment. And how about the windows along the
route OF the procession?
Minister-They have been seen to and will be
duly locked and the curtains Will be drawn.
CZar-But the fellows might pot me throuo,,
the glass. you know. They wouldn't stand at
smashing it-they have no respect for ANYTHING.
Min!ster-Then will have all the windows
boarded up.
Czar-That'n be expensive. won't II? It
might be better to drive all the inhabitants
down into their cellars and keep them there for
twenty -four hours
Minister-An excellent idea and one that re-
fleets great credito Your Majesty's imperial in
genuify. But will permit myself to observe
that II confined to the cellars the population
.alip
Czar-By Saint Sergius, l never thought of
that! Still we might put a detective in each
cellar to give the alarm.
Minister-But if there should happen to be a
household OF n,hilists: solitary Waterman
would be strangled before
Czar-Right, right! / fear we must abandon
the idea and fall back on boarding. up the win
dows. AS to the church
MiniSter-It has been rightly inspected and
the walls have been sounded.
CZar-The pictures behind which nj
Minister have had them taken down and
the organ pipes removed. The whole building
is as bare as my hand. There is not cover for a
cat, let alone a cOnspirator.
CZar-Still it is pity to omit the musical
portion of the ceremony i.
Minister-We shall have a band from one O
Your Majestys most faithful regiments
Czar-Be sure there are no explosives in the
brasses. and see that no nihist conceals him
self in the drum.
inside of it, Your Majesty As for the list of in
Vlted guests. L shall go over that in person and
give special attention to the delivery of the in
vtatiOns.
Czar-It seems to ME that there is a good
deal of risk about that. ticket might 90
astray or one might be forged.
Minister-fe-es, there's no denying that
Still. don't see how-but let me see is it alb
solutey necessary that there should be any
spectator present?
CZar-Certanly not!
Minister-In that case think it would i'm
part an additional character Of grandeur to the
ceremony were it performed without the
presence OF O crowd to stare and distract Sup
pose that We make it mere tete-a.tete be-
tween Your Majesty and Divine Providence?
CZar-That is by no means bad idea. and it
mas something majestic and autocratic about it.
You may cancel the list Of invitations. The
vaults Of the cathedral have, suppose
Minister-Tney have been visited, Sire and
the only mines We found there has been
carefully removed. SO that there is not the
slightest ground for apprehension on that score
Czar-And my carriage has been made iron
clad?
Minister-It has, Sire; four inches of iron.
with three-fOot backing of solid teak All
being seen to, /
Czar-But, hold on, we have overlooked the
greatest danger Of all. The crown. They
might have a cartridge, or a spring-gun or
something in it, and blow my Amounted head
Off
Minister-Your Majesty need not fear will
carry the crown In hat-boX under my own arm
and give it to the Patriarch with my own hands.
CZar-'Tis Well Ali our arrangements then,
are made. find them satisfactory. and will re-
ward your prudent and loyal care. Goodnight
shall see you in the morning. exit Minster.)
Now, let me see. who in thunder shall set to
keep an eye on him till tomorrow morning.
Translated freely from he French Of u. Veron.
How ThurIow Weed Cultivated His
Memory.
From the New York World.
Within the past month Mr.. Weed, i'm the
course of an interview, was told: .You seem to
remember as well as ever" Better than |
did once, hope" he answered. eff had not
cultivated my memory should have been a dis
NAL failure. had to adopt a regular method.
and hit on one that was very elective. Some
OF my friends had thought 1 was cut out for a
politician-that is. l probably impressed my
views strongly on those about me. But saw
at once a fatal weakness. Ny memory was a
sieve. l could remember nothing Dates.
names, appointments. faces-everything escaped
me. said to my wife: Catherine. shall never
make successful politician, for cannot remem-
Der. and tnat Is prime necessity of politicians
A politician who sees man once should re-
member him for ever My wife told me that |
must train my memory. So, whenI came home
that night | sat down alone and spent fifteen
minutes trying silently to recall the events of
the day. could remember little at first; now
remember that l could not then remember
what had for breakfast. Finally / found
could recall more. Events came back to me
more infinitely and more accurately. After fort
night or SO of this Catherine said: .Why don't
you tell it to me? 1t would be interesting.
and my interest in it would stimulate YOU
Then began habit of oral confession, as 1t
were, which followed for almost fifty years.
Every night, the last thing before retiring. /
told my wife everything that could recall that
had happened to me or about me during the
day. l generally recalled tie very dishes had
for breakfast, dinner and tea; the people had
seen. and what they said; the editorials had
written. and an abstract of them; the letters |
had sent and received. and the very language
used as near as possible; when, had walked or
ridden-everything, In short, that had come
within my knowledge. found could say nv
lesson better and better every year. and, instead
of growing irksome, it got to be pleasure to
run the events of the day in review. am in
debted to this discipline for memory Of some
what unusual tenacity. and / recommend the
practice to all who expect to have much to do
with influencing men,"
An Odd Wedding.
From the New York Tribune.