The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-10-05

TUESDAY. OCT. 5. 1886.
ALEXANDER OF BATTENBsRC.


the handsomest men of his time, and
if physical PROJECTIONS were still
sufficient to make ruler, he would
be emphatically every inch a King.
Nearly six feet in height, he carries
himself not only with majesty, but
with elegance and even grace, and
is as far removed from ungainly
awkwardness as from effeminacy
and affectation. Although lie be-
longed to the Prussian service and
is of German origin, he has none of
the stiffness supposed to be the in
variable attribute of the soldiers of
Emperor William. He closely re-
sembles his mother, the Princess of
Battenberg. born Countess of Bos-
sak-Haucke. whose father was Min
lister of War and Voiuode in Poland,
and who was justly famed as the
loveliest and most facinating of wo-
men. His face is oval and strong.
His mouth parts with ready smile
in slightly ironical curves. His
desp blue, well-opened eyes have q
gentle, caressing softness, but when
he commands, discusses or rebels, a
light passes in them like the flash of
steel, and the indomitable will of the
man stands revealed.
The young Hospodar's work at
Sofia was purely military. The
absence of presiding woman was
visibly felt. The Bulgarians ardent
ly regretted that he had no consort,
and he himself would gladly have
welded had he been able to follow
the inclination of his heart. A ro-
nance of love had had its opening
chapters at Berlin, but the Princess
who had enslaved his affections was
too closely allied to the Imperial
Court, too near the Throne, to be
readily given to one who could at
best offer himself only as morgan
attic sutton. Prince Bismarck evoked
the bugbear of etiquette and policy,
and the tender affair was allowed to
proceed no further.
From his cradle the young Prince
had an overweening ambition, and
as a child dreamed of accomplish
ing great things, of making his
mark in Europe and history, and OF
raising himself above his compeers.
A mute, lnglorious life was odious
to him, and he preferred the uncer-
tainty and perils of adventure to the
princely ease in which he was
Tapped. He never was narrow,
minded or exclusive. Liberal and
well read, he has travelled enough to
be free from national prejudices.
"Paris," he once said, "has strange
and unrivaled destinations which the
stranger who has once breathed its
Intoxicating atmosphere can never
forget. / was there twice, and
each time only for short time, but
/ can thoroughly indorse the truth
of the words. Each man in this
world has two fatherlands, his own
and Paris. !"
The antagonism between the
Prince and the Gar is not of modern
birth or latter growth. 1t dates far
back, from the time when they were
both children. They used to meet
every year at Damstardt. The EN-
press Marie of Russia was in the
habit of annually revisiting the cit,
of her birth, to spend few weeks
with her brothers, Alexander o
Hesse and the former Grand Duk'
Louis III. They were SO much likec
by the Gar, Alexander III, that, il
order to be near them, he had fixet
his summer residence at the castl,
of Jugenheim, and never failed tt
summon near him the two little Bat
tenberg boys, his nephews.
Prince Alexander was so particu
larly a favorite of the Emperor tina
the jealous rivalry of his own sons
was thereby excited. Thus wer'
laid the seed of enmity which ha
attracted so much attention. ON
day at Jugenheim the little Batten
berg boy, seated on the Cars kne'
and toying with his orders, asked
the name of one particular star. 81
is the cross of st. George" answer
ed his uncle, "a cross you will wea
on your breast when you are Rus
sian General and have won you
first victory"
At these words of his fathers til
Czarowitz turned away, inpatient
muttering so as to be heard, &c
course all the good things must /
for Germans now"
Are you not German yourself?
asked the dauntless little boz
"German blood flows in your vein
Imperial Highness.
The Czarowitz never quite forga,
or wholly forgot the retort of IL
pampered child, whom in his hea
he considered as an objectionab
poor relative; and there never w
then or thereafter much love 10
between the cousins.
Alexander belongs to family VIII
if prone to misally, are always for
most in war and adventurous undo
taking. A brother of his moth
distinguished himself in 1870 und
the order of Garibaidi, and later
for a brief period commanded a b
gade at Dion. The young Prin
corya1 in the prussion Guard al