The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-02-05
TIE GAR OF TIE RUS~tAS.
Ghmpe Of the Everyday Life of the
PGvle flu Monarch who Ives
Constant Fear.

Alexander has selected for his residence
small town, Ga,chiua, twenty-eight miles
from this city; and there, 10 an old-fash-
toned little palace, he tiles 10 enjoy life a,
best he can. The Gatchina palace was
built by the Gar Paul who used % seclude
himself there from fear OF his cour,iers
who at length assassiuated him.
Alexander usually rises at z, and nur.
riedly dresses himself, with the assistance
of his trusted servant, Ivan Savelieff. 1t
is Ivan who informs bis majesty earlier
than any of the officials OF all news OF in
portance. 1t is Ivans power either to set
his majesty ia . rage for q whole day or to
make him beam with bensS oleuce The
ministers are folly aware 81 VANS influ-
euce and treat hin as their equal, if not as
their super ior Af,er he is dressed the
Gear enters the reception loom and re-
ceives The report of Gen. TeheTeviu, ehe
commander of GafcbiIa aud ibe chiei of
tue Cars body guards. Then he takes d
long walk in the pald"e garden. When in
good humor he enters the palare
yard, throws OF bis overcoat, seizes
huge AZ, aad ctops wood Thick
logs OF oak add pine are one
after another eagerly and dextriously cut
and split hy the autocrat of all the Russias.
How skillfully he yields The heavy AK!
How swiftly and nightly he w1irls it
down upon the thick logs! Jf he welded
MS scepter as nightly as he does bis az,
the shade OF Peter the g. eat would Test
perfectly satisfied in the tomb. But, alas
Alexander III is good wood chopper and
a very poor luler. If he were not sur
rounded by so many logSe1heads he would
be popular. Suppose that, instead of the
picture of the Gar dressed in gorgeous
uniform, they should distribute everywhere
q picture of the Gar with his coat off
cutting wood. The good natared lvans
would give up body aud soul for the CHa,
who, like them, was ehopping wood AL
ezander would be satisfied with his QUILT
life at Gatchina if he were not troubled
daily by his ministers gOveI nors. gene ala
bishops, the foreign ambassadors, VARIOUS
and SO on. Here, for in
stance, comes Platou, the met opoltan of
Kief, TO distribute his benediction and to
lay the golden holy Cross on each and
every member of the imperial family OF
course the Gar is ready to listen 10 tue
metropolitan's talk of Gods providence
and inscrutable ways but when he has
to give up MS muscular exercise on
account of lie holy iataeC. ne can lot Ielp
exclaiming, Here comes a holy mummv"
Then comes the m'3isier o. war and IN
forms the Gar that lately the officers arr
often heard singing new song, Our
Gear is doing nothing but eating cake
with manV-oolored sugar
flowers" The salt of it is this There is
a well-known satire of Schedein 10 wb.c
the Russian Car are Tidiculed. 'fhere
is country os fools" said Sehedrin. who
are aled by a king who is the biggest fool
of all, for he does nothing but eat an i'm
mense cake ornamented with many -colored
sugar flowers"
Alexander hates everything that re-
minds him of electricity, aud yet strong
desire to bear the opera without desire to
hear the opera without e=posiog himself
at the theatre induced him 10 have teie-
phohe put up in his Gatch;0e palace, and
now the Car and Czari "a. putting their
heafs together, listen TO operas given at
ibis city, tweaty eight miles away. They
hear the songs, the lcctapions tue music, |
and the Applause No doubt they recall |
With regret those days when they did not |
need any telephone in oder 20 hear an |
opera, when thew we're rot 9urded ike |
prisoners and not tortdted lie criminals. |