The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-30

az ~ " she grew up with her sister Alex
srdra- now the Princess OF Wales, ut the
Danish court, with very modest surround
ings. The Queen was an excellent MOTHER
and soucht 80 develop In her daughters the
woman in preference TO the Princess. IL
msed 10 be said at the capital that
the Princesses were made to help IN
making their own dresses. and that
their furniture In their common bedroom
wxs covered with inexpensive calico.
story Of the uaive admiration expressed Dy
princess Dagmar, a. she used to be cal'ed,
ON being shown the wedding trousseau OF
one Of the noble ladies' at court, and her
hanging wonder whether she would ever
herseli own "such things" was told WIN
smcb a touch Of sympathetic pride by the
y..onle az Copephagen, with whom the TWO
pr,rcesscs were great fayorites. Dagnar
had won her way deepest into the peoples
hesrf however. Her sweet disposition,
the winning grace OF her manners, ana the
nerfect freedom with which she, Ike her
Sisters and indeed the whole royal family,
moved among all classes OF the people, were
well calculated TO gain for her an affection
that followed her to her new nome anu u
found expression at her weddtng ~ .
score Of ways that touched the near VI
the Princess profoundly. Az every SUBS.
auent appearance at her fathers cour, sue
was received by the people with an entou'
siasm that even embraced her huspano'
despite the rlmors OF his sinister charac-
ter and violent temper that from the De.
ginning had threatened TO make tne niae.''
an unpopular one. The CzarewIcn "praS,
rentIy took kindly to this popularity, ana
when AT Copenhagen mingled freely with
the populace. His bluff, sOldieriy way
coon found favor, and when Dagmars
children. in little killed suits, and with
dark hair changed" over their foreheads,
hogan 10 be seen about the park at Ere
densborg. "grandpapa's" summer palace,
the reconciliation TO the foreigner was COM
plete. . ,ho
One Of the causes that contribute TO the
nonularity OF the Princess Dagnar was
ncrhaps her name. Her father had wisely
given 10 all his children, except Alexandra,
old historical Danish names, identlned
with the past Of the nation: Freder'ck,
Christian, Valdemar, and Thyra are All
names that hold high place III Dai'sh
history, and live in its songs ana traui''ohs'
But OF all the nations great names none
Ia dearer to the heart OF the Danish people
than that OF Dagmar, the Queen OF the vic
forious Valdemar, and the friend OF the
needy and oppressed throughout the
land. whose goodness was SO great
that on her untimely death-bed, accord
ing to tradition, no greater SIN we'ghed
upon her conscience than "sewlng mce
sleeve on Sunday" The people OF Copen-
hagen, among whom the Princess Dagmar
moved. liked to compare her virtues with
those OF the beloved Queen, and Ut her de-
parture for her Russian home the feryent
wish followed her that she would prove In
truth a veritable Dagmar-a "harblnger
OF day" TO the unhappy people whose
Empress she was some day to become.
The Princess Dagmar was not handsome
child, her features being clumsy, though
pleasing; but she grew into very beauti-
full woman. like her sister Alexandra. In
every print-shop in Copenhagen pictures
OF her and her husband, with their emil
dren, are for sale. The children have little
OF their mothers looks, but bear strong
resemblance to their father.
She was originally betrothed to the late
Czarewitch Nicholas, mt whose bedside she
stood when he breathed his last. When
he died there seemed no prospect OF the
daughter OF King Christian ever recover
ing the chance which had slipped from her
Of one day wearing the crown matrimonial
Of Russia. However, Prince Gortschakofl
and her father put their heads together and
managed to hand her on to the Czarewltch
Alexander, to whom she was married IN
her nineteenth year.
Her marriage did not give promise OF
domestic felicity. Czarewitch had formed
an attachment for. q maid OF honor OF the
Empress, nee Metcherski, and the daughter
Of q noble poet. The Princess was highly
gifted with beauty, intellect, and delicate
possibilities. He proposed to marry the
beauty, and told his parents he would
never accept any one else for wife. They
sent him from st. Petersburg with his reg
iment. When he was absent she was
Obliged to accept an offer which rrlnce
Paul Demidoff had been instructed 10
make her. He reluctantly Obeyed. She,
believing that the Czarewitch had for.
saken her, went with breaking heart to
the altar, and directly the ceremony was
over she was taken abroad. Within yea
she died at Vienna, leaving an infant son
behind.
When Princess Paul Demidoff was nc
more, Alexander yielded to la rdiSor
d'etai. and became recOnciled to the Prin'
cess Dagmar. He soon forgot his great
disappointment. At his wife's entreaty ht
consented to study. and took lessons, al
WAYS with her at his side, from professors
OF history, mathematics, and pOitlcafec
omy. He and she became inseparable com
paniOns, and, indeed, comrades. She wen
with him in his hunting excursions. WheI
the state Of her health admitted, she rod,
out with him, mounted on a fleet and pow
erful horse. He, on his side, always &C
companies her in her annual visits TO Den
mark, where they cast state aside and liy,
natural bourgeois life.
The Czarina is slight and tall, but look
mignonne beside heT husband. She ha
less regular features than the Princess o
Wales or the Duchess Of Cumberland, bu
has more expression and animation. He
eyes are those Of IA song-bird. The face /
oval and the nose slightly retrousse; tn
mouth is pouting, for this illustrious lad
has full, rosy lips. She has beautiful silkel
hair. Her figure looks TO advantages in a rid
ing habit with fur collar. The Czarina
imbued with grace, amiability, and II Is sal
the faculty OF OWNING spirits. Her vulners
BILE point is horror Of what Is vulgar
coarse, unrefined, or democratic. She ha
never yet been to the Elysee. The Czar'
witch visited there when he soiourned |
the Hotel Bristol, but she could not brin
herself to 20 with him. The Czarina W,
Mt Copenhagen during the last war of Il
Duchics, and has never forgiven the &c
mans for the evil they did then to her n
tive land.
the ffr~t European Porcelain.
tl3 IThe Atheneum.l
80 tpa.a buo ham fo,apH ~