The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-04

Straits of Behring Variegated are their
features and sumptuous their gay tnrbans
and their towering headgear, their richly
jeweled cimeters and their fantastic saddles.
The bands strike up and the kettledrums be-
gin to roll; but nothing disturbs the digni-
fled serenity of these princely Asiatics as
they move on to the palace OF their feudal
lord
Then follow numerous group OF deputies
from the various CoSsack tribes, sitting their
horses like practiced cavaliers, and after them
a molly crew of Russian boyards, represent
ing the haute noblesse of their nation. Strid-
ing along after, two abreast, walk no fewer
than sixty stalwart lackeys gorgeous in pam
falcons of scralet plush and coats all blazing
with heavy gold brocade, their rear being
brought up by four court negroes, wearing
gracefully folded mantles over their shout
ders, precisely in the manner of a Scottish
plaid; but in these woolly-headed Africans,
toilng through the sand, we miss the springy
step and athletic gait of the lissome sons of
the mountain and the heather. Here comes
troop of CHEEKY huntsmen, with horn and
! dagger and coats OF something not unlike
Lincoln green, and after them, in kaleidosco-
pic succession, bewildering the eye, flood
of court and official dignitaries of various
kinds, mounted or in gorgeous gala carriages,
rolling, rolling, ever rolling past:
THE CAR
"When is the Emperor coming?" We begin
to ask. Do we hear cheers? Certainly not
English ones, They do not strike the ear
like sharp successive explosions OF pent-up
enthusiasm, but fall upon the sense like the
steady, continuous roar of an ever-advaneing
sea- Onward, nearer, closer comes the SWELL
ing tide of sound, till at last we are caught
in its rising waves, and every straining
Slavonic throat utters deep and loud hur-
rahs, as, preceded by two squadrons of pom
derous cuirassiers, with eagle-crested helms
and shining mail, the Gar appears and
crosses himself devoutly in passing the
ranked-up priests and their holy icons.
| Dressed in the dark green uniform of an in
fantry general the Emperor, with the
national sheepskin cap which he himself has
| introduced into the army. is mounted on an
extremely beautiful snow-white steed, and
thus attired and mounted looks the picture
of a very perfect, gentle knight" His
countenanCe is pale and not unclouded with
anxiety, but he looks from side to side with
cheerful semblance and sweet majesty" and
necessarily bows his salutations to the cheer
| ing multitude. As he passes the British
embassy, from which many banners Of
England are proudly flowing, he turns
in the saddle and makes a gay remark
10 the Duke of Edinburgh, who, in
scarlet uniform, is riding on the left rear side
of his imperial brother-in-law. But who
shall number up the names and titles of the
Emperor suite, with the stormer of Tel-el-
Kebir conspicuous in it, which now sweeps
pasta many-uniformed and variously-ar-
rayed mass of fairest chivalry, filling up all
the street with a flood OF rainbow colors,
| waving plumes and glittering steel?
The tardy sun at last begins to struggle
| through the clouds, and what better object
| could it have in doing so than to smile on
the Empress, who, seated with the Grand
| Duchess Xenie Alexandrovna in a magnih-
| cent carved and gilded state coach, drawn by
| four pairs of cream -colored steeds, now ad-
| vances preceded by dense group of all the
| princes of the bloodP Sweet and gracious she
looks this other rose of Denmark, this sister
of England's adopted sea kings daughter
| from over the sea, as III her golden chariot
| with all the pomp of pages and squires and
| palefreniers, she follows her imperial consort
| to his high ancestral seat. place aux
| damesi'' is still the cry, and on glide more
gala carriages each one seeming to eclipse its
| predecessor in value and splendor, with the
various grand duchesses, including her High
ness of Edinburgh who sits in the coach
second from the Empress. About three
quarters of an hour have elapsed since the
| head of the procession reached us, and yet
| the dazzling panorama has not all revolved
| Here is another squadron of proud and
| pennon- bearing cuirassiers "a certain number
| of lances is borne by every kind of cavalry
| in Russia) and an equal body of uhlans fol-
| lowed by half a dozen mounted masters of
| the ceremonies. and at last we begin to see
the crowd close in on the line OF route, and
| surge down toward The Kremlin.
Perhaps the most interesting If not the
| most comprehensive point of view in the
whole route was the gate of the Kitai Gorod
or Chinese town. leading into the portals of
| the Kremln itself Between the double
archway of this gate is shrine to the Ibe
rian Madonna whose ic0n or in1aue yaiund
| at four or five million rubles, is held to be
the most sacred of all the myriad symbols of
| the same kind in Moscow 1t IS believed to
have miraculous healing powers, and it is
not uncommon to see it being transported
through the streets by the orthodox coach
and six to the bedside of some poor, despair
ing sinner in articuo morts. None pass the
shrine without most reverently crossing
themselves, and few go by without entering
to kiss the sacred simulacrum. to light a
taper, and to drop coin into the offertory
box which yields an annual rev.
What the meanest of his subjects never
fails to do the Emperor would not neglect;
50, dismounting from his horse at the Iberian
shrine, he assembled the steps with her Ma
| jesty. and was received on the Threshold by
the First Vicar, with the cross and holy
| water.
| From the Iberian shrine, through the gate
of the Savior, into the Kremlin, the way was
short. With ali due courtly and eccesiasti-
cal pomp their Majesties worshiped success
sively in the churches OF the Assumption, of
the Archangel Michael and of the Aununca-
ton, where tie Deums" were chanted for
their safe arrival. Finally, their retirement
to their apartments, to which they were con-
Quoted with imposing ceremony was an
nounced by the thunder of a royal salute
and an outburst of the universal clangor of
bells, and Alexander III, with his imperial
consort, safely reposed in the gorgeous halls
! of his ancestors
A Severe Criticism.
CHICAGO, June I'm addition to the re-