The record-union., 1894-03-17

Alexandra, the Princess of Wales, and the
Duchess of Cumberland. ex-Queen of
Hanover, and was betrothed to the
brother of the present Gar Alexander.
When that brother, promising young
man, died in Nice, OF consumption, 1t was
his wish that the young Princess should
marry Alexander. His father, at the
birth of the Czarowitz, had been En-
peror for three years, as be succeeded 10
the throne on the very day OF the assaS-
sination of his father, Alexander H.,
''the Liberator." March l3. 1851.
THE FUTURE RULER.
The future ruler was born at Gatchino
amid the rejoicings OF a great people
They realize that any failure in the suc-
cession means anarchy and war, and
when he attained his legal majority six
teen years. in 1884, the rejoicings through
out the empire were great and magnlh-
cent.
Since that time only two events have
brought him prominently before his peo-
pie, and that of Europe-his donning the
uniform Of a commissioned officer on at
tanning his majority, and his voyage
around the world in 1890 War is still
the trade of Kings, and every successor
to throne must go through the military
training, on which may at some time rest
the destiny OF his Empire. The life OF a
Russian Grand Duke is not all sunshine.
There is great deal of hard work at
tached to it. From his very infancy he Is
turned over TO the care OF tltors and in
structors, The CZaroWitz has a harder
ordeal to go through than any of his
brothers or cousins. His education is
directed to preparing him for the weighty
cares of state. There is not branch of
political science that he is not thoroughly
grounded in. 1t is no wonder, then, that
these young men on escaping from the
hard grind of the sehoolroom are apt to
plunge deeply into the pleasures of life.
ON attaining his majority, Czarowitz
Nicholas went through the ordeal OF
public examination, that is, his father,
the Car, and his immediate relatives
were present, when the professors that
had prepared him put a number of
searching questions.
HE PASSES EXAMINATION.
Having passed with credit Nicholas en-
tered the army. being attached first to all
Infantry and then TO cavalry regiment.
He had TO rise through the various grades.
though in his case promotion was eXcep-
tionally rapid. The post of "Hetman of
the Cossacks'' is made more of an honor
ary character, but it serves to prepare
him for higher commands. The CZaro-
witz is quite as unaffected in his demean-
or as when he was young soldier, and
he was then very popular, and later with
the CosSacks, whose commander-ln-chlef
he is. His reputation among his brother
officers of the Preobrazenski Guard is
that of bon cdmardde, who never al
lowed his rank to prevent him from en-
tering cordially into all the amusementS
of messroom and reglmental club.
"The royalty that doth hedge" an En-
peror, present or prospective, keeps him
and his movements from being known,
but the young man is often seen mounted
on his bicycle or driving about on the
streets. He delights to escape from the
restraints of imperial life and run over to
London whenever he can get a chance,
He has much less freedom than his
younger brothers, the Grand Dukes
Michael and George, the latter of whom
has seen service in the Russian navy.
ANsIMPERIAL CoRTEGE.
An witness tells me: lone bright
summer morning l witnessed the return
of the Gar and his family from the coro-
nation at Moscow. With few privileged
/ friends l stood at the very entrance of the
! imperial yacht pier on the English quay.
! The yacht Czarevna was putting great
! clouds of steam and smoke in preparation
! for the imperial journey to Peterhof, the
summer palace on the Baltic. On the
pier, connected with the granite bull
! warks of the quay by q broad gangway,
/ stood three score Generals, in full gala
! uniform, with white astrachan caps and
gold lace without end. On the Nicholas
bridge, spanning the river to Vassili
Island, not q fnrlong distant, was an i'm
mense mob of people, waiting for the i'm
perial party. Far up the river, as far as
the eye could follow the mile upon mile
of granite embanklnents, black crowds
were waiting.