The morning news., 1894-11-02

/ which his creditabIe career as an officer
/ should amply suffice 10 refute. Personal
/ courage is one of the most striking char
/ acteristics Of the Romanoffs. and Of moral
/ courage tho car certainly possessed
/ enough for hero or a martyr.
! Being absolutely unapproachable and
/ seldom seen of ordinary mortals, the
widest stories have been printed about
| Alexander. lie was for years described in
( the English papers as great coward. a
1 drunkard. a man of wild, vicious, and un-
] controllable temper a monarch altogether
disreputabie a libertine. Other writer's,
though. declare that all such statements
as these are the outgrowth of English
malice. Nearly all the evils things said
against him have been vehemently denied.
Several years ago all the newspapers of
the world printed accounts Of how loyal
young officer alone with the czar made
sudden, unguarded movement. Alexander
thought II was an attack and struck the
officer dead with a terrible blow Of his
sword. This story is declared by the
traveller William ElerOy Curtis, to be an
absolute faisehOod. Another story widely
printed represented that Alexander beat
the secretary of the German legation over
the head with cane. There were contin-
uaI accounts of his wild plunges into de-
bauchery, of his efforts to free his troubled
mind from its constant fear. 1t was said
that Alexander was growing insane.
On the other hand, accounts are told Of
the frequent display of a courage that
amounted to Tashness. Russia swarmed
with nihilists. each one of whom would
have felt himself glorifed to die on the
gibbet If he could get one shot a the CEar.
In many of his travels. so say some chron-
iclers, Alexander used no more precau-
tions than are thrown about a railway
journey of Queen Victoria or any other
European monarch.
once when Alexander was in Moscow
the walls Of the city blazed out one night
with posters announcing that the "com-
mittee" had declared that at a certain
hour two days later the czar should die.
Arrests by the wholesale were made, but
the police could get no trail of the per-
sons who had posted the threats.
At the hour announced for him to die
the czar announced that ne was going
to the Church of the Annunciation within
the walls of the Kremlin. His family ana
his heads of police begged him to do
nothing of the sort, but Alexander said
If his time had come he was ready to die
like soldier. So he arrayed himself In
the splendid uniform of a field marshal,
ordered the police guard dismissed, and
walked quietly, unattended, across the
parade ground to the church, half mile
from his palace. While mass was being
celebrated and the car was at his devo-
tions news of his rashness spread over
the city. Great crowds focked into the
Kremlin. At least 10000 people were there.
After the mass, Alexander, having com
mitted his soul to God, walked calmly
out of the church and into the throng,
which opened a lane for him. His elbows
brushed the people as he walked. There
would have been no need for bomb or
pistol-a thrust of pocket-knife would
have made an end OF Alexander Alex
androvitch.
But not a hand was lifted against him.
Alexander reached the steps of the pal
turned f9pinp gTpaf crowd and
spoke. He said that he had been warned
not to come to Moscow; that since he had
come there had been threats from some
mysterious enemy; that he had therefore
done as all men should who expected dam
ger; he had gone to the church to ask
forgiveness for his sins and protection
from on high. This protection, he said.
had been given him; his body, like his
soul, was in the hands of God-he feared
no harm. He believed that as long as he
governed the empire with wisdom he
would be allowed to live. Then the czar
thanked his people for their loyalty and
entered the palace amidst great cheer
ing.
At home he was always the essence 0f
kindness and good-natured jollity and
took such delight with his family and in
timateS, who We're never sure of what
was in store for them when the car was
in one of his ''rollicking moods" He was
always a devoted husband, whom not even
his worst enemies ever accused of a sin
gle fault against his wife, and he was such
an affectionate father that his children
fairly adored him. In fact, all children
We're fond of him, and during his visits
to his wife's parents in Copenhagen he
was always the heart and soul of the
young peoples entertainments He
would superintend all their sports, and
was the merriest romp among the whole
lot of young princes and princesses.
n 4haca phil6rar, ba INN oil
was simply Uncle Saslla, to whom they all
turned for sympathy when any project
was on hand that they feared would be
frowned down upon by their elders. He
was extremely fond of fishing, so one day
they prevailed upon him to take them fish
ing. He rowed them himself to a good
fishing ground. where a fine catch of fish
was secured, but instead of returning to
the palace, the emperor suggested that
they land on one of the small islands and
play Robinson Crusoe for the rest of the
day. OF course the proposition was met
with yells of delight from the young royal
Fridays, and in the midst of this little
group of children, who during that day
were his only companions, the mighty czar
of all the Russias was supremely happy.
! He gathered dry branches and built the
fire, prepared and broiled the fish. 1t is
certain never was there jollier host or a
more noisily happy crowd gathered
around an imprOmptu feast than these
children and their royal entertainer.
The car was a perfect giant in stature
and strength until overcome by illness. He
then became sadly wasted, and so weak
! 1t was pitiful to see him--he who used to
| challenge the whole crowd to wrestle and
! whom no one was able to throw, although
| the princes tried singly and in body until
| the perspiration streamed from their faces
and the good-natured raillery of the car
could be heard for quite q distance.
London, Nov. IA notable obituary
sketch of the car will appear
in the Times tomorrow. The au.
thor of the sketch of the dead emperor
was on intimate terms of friendship with
the czar and he says the latter had never
the slightest sympathy with high culture
| adding: Indeed the czar rather gloried
in the idea of being of the same rough
texture as the great majority Of his sub
jects, and If he knew that he was some
times disrespectfully called The Peasant
| Gar he regarded this epithet as a COM
pliment. His straightforward. abrupt
/ manner, savoring sometimes of grufness,
and his direct, unadorned methods of ex-
| preston, harmOnized well with his rough
hewn, immobile features and somewhat