The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-03-19

ElEJ
keen satisfaction to the Russian people. mas
much as they desired that the next Empress
should. at'sll events. not be a German.
We are told that natural vivacity and an op
timistic temperament have enabled the Gar
ina. in spite Of some nervous excitability. Il
cheer her husband In the midst ofhis incessan'
conflicts with himself and the world. Tho Cza'
has nothing to fear from her influence. for II
is never directed to subjects OF q political ma
ture. It has been occasionally rumored thai
the Empress sympathlzed with the Films. but
It has never been suggested that these sym
pathies would be translated into acts. as they
we'll might have been when the question Of
modifying the exceptional position OF the
northern province arose. Maria Feodorovna's
aspirations are the most moderate possible.
II she now and again takes q womanly
interest in the lions" Of the court balls. orthe
admirers Of her ~favorite ladies. It is done In SO
naive q way that no one can object to 1t. 1t is
because the Emperor is personally unsociable.
and because participation in court festivities
gives him pleasure only In exceptional cases.
that he is glad to see his wife find mex
haustible Joy in dancing and amusements,
even though she runs up bills as long 40 those
OF Josephine. the first wife OF Napoleon. who
spent half her life In her dressing room. The
| Empress mas tne GIC Ol ilNluk pcbCcduiy WIN
everybody. including her brother-in-law and
sister.in-law, and Of threading her way ~cleverly
through the cliaues and intrigues which are
unavoidable at courts. 1t is also certain
that she meets the Emperor's occasional
outbreaks OF violence with extraor-
binary tact. No doubt Maria Feodor-
ovna's b%uoyancy and cheerfulncss have 81.
ready received one shock. Although the
Empress was able to surmount the heavy
trials and dangers OF the last year OF the
former reign and the first years OF her hus-
bands rule with apparent lightness OF heart.
tho railway catastrophe at Borki unhinged her
completely. For weeks her highly strung
nerves were unable to recover from the Impact
OF the terrible pictures OF destruction. and for
q considerable time she had to observe a
regime OF care and rest. q striking contrast to
her former habits at court. The fear that
the terrible day would leave permanent
traces behind 1t and necessitate tho entrance
OF the Empress into u hospital has. however.
not been realized. and tho imperial circle has
almost regained its former aspect,
1t appears that only a few OF the higher
officials maintain regular relations with the
court and court society: the majority OF the
Emperor's advisers belong to circles OF an en-
tirely different description. They are i'm
msrsed so deeply in official cares that they
have no time left for the salon. In spite OF
conservative traditions. the days. we are as
aured. are past in which elegant" men and
high dienitaries were convertible terms. and
this statement applies to St Petersburg with
even greater force than to the rest OF the Eu-
ropean capitals. Tho doings Of exclusive So
ciety lost the last remnant Of their serious Sig
nihcance from the time when liberal ideas
went out OF fashion and when political salons
ceased to exercise an influence on the
State. Surh circlaS aa were to be
found in st. Petersburg thirty yoars
ngo exist no longer. and cannot exist.
for the watchword has gone forth from
the highest place that affairs OF state concern
the Emperor alone and his officials. and that
society must connne itself to pastimes. The
example set by the Empress in this domain is
authoritative. and the society which she loads
Is not qualified TO raise itself above the Lowell
marked out for II by her.
To the so-called small courts at St
Petersburg our author pays but little at
%tention. on the ground that the private
lives and characteristic peculiarities OF the
brothers. uncles. and cousins OF Alexander
III. are already as we'll known both In
and out OF Russia as they deserve to be.
The romantic relation which subsisted for
years between Alexis. the Emperor's second
brother. and a lady who is at present living in
Dresden. and who Is married to an officer. has
long been O favorite subject with German novel;
lists OF the third class. The so-cnlled Count
Paul Vastly has gone into q multitude OF details
with regard to the more or less ~platonlc az
lection OF Alexis for the beautiful Countess
Zeneida Beauharnals tnse Skobelefr. What
goddess is at present worshipped by the Grand
Duke the author OF this book docs not pretend
to know. and he expresses n doubt whether
the inconstant Prince knows himself. Alexis
is Al. but he has remained a bachelor. O thing
which has never happened before in tho an
nails Of tho house Of Romanof. He Is an Ad-
miral OF the Russian feet. but he preiers dry
land to the sea and the inland city OF Paris to
any seaport The position which the Grand
Duke Vladimir. the eldest OF the Emceror's
brothers. occupies In the State and in society
is an incomparably more important one. On
several occasions this brother Of the Car has
stood in the foreground OF public notice.
The first time was when the Emperor. with
q view to the contingency OF his early death.
conferred the regency upon Vladimir 30 long
as the successor to the throne should be still
an infant. The second time 1887 was when
he was commissions by the Emperor to visit
the Baltic provinces in order to quell the DO
litical discomfort which was raging there.
In the first case. he had not the oppor-
tunity Of proving his qualities as a statesman:
in tho second. the opportunity remained I'M
- - "eS SO So % AhSst
tious. and because Vladimir had received in
structions from Russia against which his
counter proposals were in vain. and which.
from the very first, excluded all possibility OF
success. Since then the favorite brother OF
the Emperor has been talked about SO little.
except by scandalmongers. that his Ill humor
is easily explained. The agricultural and
other exhibitions In which he was supposed to
take an interest have not been held for q con-
siderable time.
Vladimir's wife. Maria PavlovEa. who was
born n princess Of Mecklsnburg. is ofan active
disposition. She Is described as undoubtedly
che most intellectual woman In the imperial
family. and. next to tho Empress. she is moro
talked about than any one else. Her position
from the beginning hns been q difficult one.
She had the courage on the occasion OF her
marriage to impose conditions guaranteeing
that she should be allowed to retain her own |
religious belief. A similar case had not hap
psned for a hundred and fifty years. Her Diff
~fculties have increased since It has become
known that she possesses q certain indepen-