The herald., 1894-11-02

bio Nm into kindling wood by bomb,
but the czar escaped all injury.
Constant surveillance and great sever.
ity have about crushed the nihilists.
They have also been discouraged bv the
loyalty OF the great mass Of Russians;
who look on the car 90 the father OF
his people.
All the talk OF his great industry was
sheer nonsense. He spent most OF his
time sleeping. eating and drinking. This
was the cause Of his disease. He did
not take sufficient exercise. When his
ministers presented him with projects
OF lava he would retire to his study and
60 to sleep over them.
He was also very miserly and hated
expense. He was very shy and q poor
speaker. In fact. he had no talents.
But he was an honest and . moral man.
who tried to do his duty who was brave
and did not fear death. and who. il he
could. would have done . great deal Of
good. But he had not the originality OF
and he was intensely jealous OF his i'm
perial authority.
The death OF the car makes OF the
first Importance the traits aud training
of the czarowi,z, Nicholas Alexandra
witch. who now comes to the throne.
He 10 short in stature. insignifi cant in
appearance, generally supposed to be an
idiot; he has nevertheless many.a mi BILE
and gentle qualities aud q kind heart,
besides very atroug will.
Born in 1868, he developed 90 slowly
and showed 40 few mental gifts, that his
parents called In q specialist to pro-
nounce upon his health. This scientific
gentleman pronounced the youth con-
genital idiot and wac nearly killed for
his frankness by the irascible czar, who
gave him Q swinging box on the ear.
The young prince, If very far from be-
ing q genids, is certainly no fool. As a
boy, his appearance driving through the
streets OF st. Petersburg in his cossack
uniform and eeated in q small sleigh,
was distinctly Insignificant. His
masters. charged with the the duty OF
educating him for his great position, in
the freedom OF private conversation.
used to testify to his intelligence and
application. 1t hss been stated that he
has no knowledge OF politics. This is
not correct. For the last five years he
has been in the habit OF presiding over
the council OF state. q duty which his
fathers leziness made irkeome to him.
At these meetings the young man con.
Quoted the business with surprising
ability and tact.
He has q will of his own. His father
wanted him very much to marry one OF
the daughters Of Nikita, the reigning
prince OF Montenegro, These young
ladies are of the Greek faith, 30 they
we're educated at faehinable school
at st. Petersburg and they are fine.
handsome, tall and ntrong, OF superb
physique, with coal black hair and eyes
to match. But the young czsrowitz
would have none OF them. He had
fixed his affections elsewhere.
Alexander III, mindful OF the sad fate
OF his brother Nicholas, who died Of
nervous debility, determined that his
delicate son should escape that fate.
Manners are still somewh hat primitive in
Russia, and so the czarovitz was intro.
duced to q very charming actress, with
whom he fell violently in love and who
became his mistress. He loved this
woman. who had an excellent disposi-
tion, so passionatsly that he declared
his intention Of marrying her, backing
his resolution by the theories of Tolstoi.
His father lost his temper, but did not
succeed In Tightening the young man.
who declared that if he was not al
lowed to marry her he would not marry
anyone else.
1t was for this reason that the czaros
witz was sent on his famous journey
around the world, in order to give him
other ideas. The wild and boisterods,
but extremely powerful, Grand Duke
George OF Greece went with him to
amuse and take care of him.
The young princes behaved with any
thing but repess. The journey was a
perpetual orgy, interrupted by boxing,
swimming and fencing matches. 1t was
on this trip that the czarowiiz's brother.
Grand Duke George of Russia, sowed
the seeda Of the disease which is now
killing him.
The trip around the world had its de-.
sired effect. 1t very much fortified the
constitution of the czarowitz, showed
him ''citiss and Manners" and cured
him of his love for the actress, who had
meanwhile been spirited away. On his
return, however, he fell in love with
the Princess Alix of Hesse. He had
always had penchant for her, and now
ne determined to make her his wife.
His determination gave his parents
more trouble. but his good.natured
aunt, the duchess of Cobure, then duch-
ess of Edinburgh, stood his friend. He
WAS brought to London, and the queen
took to him.