The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-03-20
NICHOLAS and CHARLOTTE.
a love Romanoe Of History,

lhC Va AAAR IdH0 Vi In
Princess Charlotte, of Russia, with
Nicholas, who was then, a 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 henceforth
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 yentured to predict for
her the brilliant career which Provi-
dence kept in store for this child, born
and brought up under such fatal aus
pices. We might, 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 a warm and loving heart.
Her indifference and pride are but the
dullest outside of a diamond of the
purest 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 are warmly attached to her. /
know her value, and predict for her a
brilliant future, il she lives long
enough"
The young princess was indeed a 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 a pale lily than
that of a blooming rose.
Charlotte was just 16, 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 atthat time have
given of the incompatible graces of his
person and mind, make it easy for us to
imagine that the heart of q young girl,
just budding into womanhood, was cap
tivated and charmed by him at first
sight.
Well he might have said, like Cesar.
Il came, I saw, / %conqured."
The Princess fell in love with him,
and. fortunately for her, the young
Grand Duke returned her love fully as
passionateiy.
The Grand Duke Nicholas had the
reputation of being n of the hand
soonest, ifnot the very handsomest man
of the times and his majestic and state
ly form, which measured no less than
six feet and two inches, Yves considered
unparalleled in beauty not only in 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 a sculptor OF an
tiquity has immoralized under the
features of Apollo Belvidere.
His features were of the Grecian cast
forehead and nose formed q straight
line-and the large, blue, sincere eyes
showed a singular combination OF com
posure, sternness, self-reliance n
pride, among which it werid 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 q rebellion, to terrify and dlsarm
q murderer, or to brighten away q 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 Frussian Princess, who had
drunk deep in their intoxicating feryor.
1t is true that she was the only person
inths world in whose presence the Olym-
plan gravity of his features gave way
to a rediant cheerfulness, which made
his manly beauty perfectly irresistlDie:
In such moments his magnlncens
brow, always the seat Of meditation ana