The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-03-05
NICHOLAS and CHARLOTTE.
L Love Romance OF History.

4 Love Romance Of History,
The betrothal and marriage Of the
Princess Charlotte, of Russia, with
Nicholas, who was then, q Grand Duke,
but afterward became Emperor Of Rus
STA, forms one OF the sweetest and most
romantic episodes in the world of Eu-
ropean courts, which is usually SO de-
void of love and romance, and would
on that account alone, deserve being re-
membered. quite regardless of the his
torical interest which will hence forth
adhere to all the members of the family
of the conquerer of France:
Princess Charlotte was born in the
year 1898, and was the eldest daughter
of King Frederick William the Third of
Prussia and his beautiful and accom-
plished wife, Queen Louisa. Her
early childhood elapsed amid scenes of
terror and humiliation, for the royal
family of Prussia, and nobody would at
that time have ventured to predict for
her the brilliant career which Provi-
dence kept in store for this child, born
and brought up under such fatal aus
piees.>. We hi ght, indeed, make an
exception in favor Of her mother; Who;
with that prophetic intuition which
seems to have been the distinguishing
feature of that high-minded woman.
wrote one day to her fater, the Duke of
Mecklenburg, the following lines about
his daughter:
Charlotte is given to silence and re-
serve, but under the apparent GOODNESS
she conceals warm and loving heart.
Her indifference and pride are but the
dullest outside of q diamond of the
pnrest water, which some day will
shine forth in its brilliant luster. Her
bearing and models are noble and dig
nifed. She has but a few friends, but
these few hre warmly attached to her.
know her value, and predict for her a
brilliant. future, if she lives long
enough"
The young princess was indeed very
frail and delicate creature-one of those
tender flowers which seem to wait for the
kind hand of the gardener to transplant
them into warmer cline. She was
charming and handsome, but her beau
ty was rather that of pale lily than
that of a blooming rose.
Charlotte was just Is, when, in The
year 1914, the Grand Duke Nicholas,
on his way to the camp of the allied ar
mics in France, passed through Berlin
and was warmly welcomed as an hon.
ored guest at the royal palace:
The description those who saw and
knew the Grand Duke at that time have
given of the incompatible graces of his
person and mind, make it easy for us to
imagine that the heart of young girl,
just budding into womanhood, was cap
tivated and charmed by him at first
sight.
Well he might have said, like Caesar,
II came, I saw, conqured."
The Princess fell in love with him,
and. fortunately for her, the young
Grand Duke returned her love fully as
passionately.
The Grand Duke Nicholas had the
reputation of being one of the hand
soonest, if not the very handsomest man
of the times; and his majestic and state
ly form, which measured no less than
, six feet and two inches, was considered
unparalleled in beauty not onlyin Russia,
but in all Europe.
He was vigorous, strong, full of life
and health, with broad shoulders and
chest, while his small hands and feet
were Of the most aristocratic elegance.
His whole figure realized the perfect
model of manly and commanding beau.
ty, with the genius of sculptor of an
tiquity has immoraliEed under the
features of Apollo Beltidere
He foafuroc yroro off Tho .o.l
forehead and nose formed straight
line-and the large, blue, sincere eyes
showed singular combination of COM
posure, sternness, self-rel1ance and
pride. among which it wonld have been
difficult for the observer to name the
predominant expression.
Those who have looked closely and
attentively into these remarkable eyes
would have easily believed that their
threatening glance would suffice to sup
press rebellion, to terrify and disarm
murderer, or to brighten away sup
plicant. But there would have been
but few to believe that the sternness of
those eyes could be entirely softened so
as to beam forth nothing but love and
kindness.
Among those few, however, was the
young Prussian Princess, who had
drunk deep in their intoxicating fervor.
1t is true that she was the only person
In the world in whose presence the Olym.
plan gravity of his features gave way
to reliant cheerfulness, which made
his manly beauty perfectly irresistible.
In such moments his magnificent
1>,.ou, ~ - =
thought, exhibited the serene beauty
and Attic grace of a young Athenian;
the serious Pericies seemed, by the in
visible wand of magician, to have
been transplanted into the youthful
Aicibiades.
At this time, however, the matchless
personal charms of the Grand Duke
were enhanced by political prospects of
the most exalted character. He was
not eventually considered an heir to the
imperial crown of Russia. It is true,
Alexander the First, his brother, had
no children, but in case of his death,
which could not be expected soon, the
Grand Duke Constantine was to in
herit the throne of Peter the Great,
and leave to Nicholas at best but the
position of Prince of the first
blood. Nevertheless, Frederick Will
lam, charmed alike by the beauty and
intellect of his guest, and by the hope
of uniting the sovereign houses of Prus-
STA and Russia by the close ties of fam
lily union, greeted the prospect of a mar
riage between the Grand Duke and his
daughter with enthusiasm, especially
when he discovered that the young
folks themselves were fond of each 9th.
er.
The king then delicately insinuated
to his daughter that, if she had taken
liking to the Grand Duke, and had rea-
son to believe that the Prince, enter
tanned similar feelings toward her, their
marriage would meet with no objection
on his part.
But the young Princess, although Sc
cretly delighted in hope which fully
responded to the secret wishes of her
heart, was either too proud or too BASH
full to confess to her father her love for
the Grand Duke, who had not yet made