The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-14

nOtnlnR out NeTlUeu lhCLB, tnb NCluai career VI
the subject was so abnormal aud sensational
as to seem to belong to fiction. Whether we
consider the extraordinary contradictions In
GATHERINGS character or the bewiderinR vlcis-
STUDIES in her experience. we may well feel
that she pertains rather to mythology than to
history. Yet. when we read her correspond
snce. we cannot but see that this woman was.
in truth. intensely m odern. and would probably
understand our own time much better than We
do the snvironm ent In which she lived.
She who. for upward OF thirty years. was
TO be known as Catherine thu Great, was
born. according to all appearances, at
,Rtettin In Pomerania. and her parents by
law, 10 not by nature. were Prince Chris.
tian August of Anhalt- Zerbst- Dornburg and
Princess Jeanne Elizabeth OF Holstein. For q
princess. one could hardly be born poorer or
more obscure No register OF any parish in
Stettin has kept a trace OF her name. but q
seemingly authentic record indicates Dorm
burg as the place where Catherine was born
and baptized. A letter. however. OF her puts-
tive father is dated from Stettin. May >. 1929.
and states that. on that day. a daughter
had been born to him In that town. This
daughter can have been no other than Cath
crime. but 1t was far from Stettin- namely. at
Paris-that the Princess OF Xerbst had passed q
part OF tho year 1928 and German historians
have pointed out that there was at that time
in Paris. at the Russian Embassy. a young
man called Betzky. who attorwnrd became
parsonage of i'm Importance. He died IN st. Pc
tersburg at an advanced age. and there 10
tradition that Cath crime. who showered kindly
and gracious attentions upon the old man. was
accustomed. when she visited him. TO bend
over his armchair and kiss his hand. Those
conjectures came later; nobody in 1920
would pay any attention TO tho birth
OF a little princess OF Zerbst. Her family formed
ons Of the eight branches OF Anhalt. and was
among the most insignificant OF the princely
houses with which the Germany OF tho period
was swa:ming. Up to the time when an I'M
expected stroke OF good fortune made Cathe-
rine the wife OF tho heir OF the Russian en-
pire. mono OF these Anhait families had at
tained any particular distinction. and. within
. short time tho whole line became extinct.
without any history worth recording up to
1920. the house OF AnhGlt- Zerbst ceased to
exist In 1893.
Baptized under the names OF Sophia Au-
gusta Frederika. in honor OF three OF her
aunts. Catherine was generally known As Fig
chen. apparently diminutive OF Sophischsn.
Not long after her birth her parents moved
into the Chateau OF Stettin. and there she was
brought up very simply. Often did the streets
OF the town SEQ her playing with tho neigh
ever thought OF calling her your Highness.
When the mothers OF these children paid a
visit to the chateau. Figchen was ordered 10y
her other to 20 before them and respectfully
kiss tho hem OF their robs. At the same time
fiGchen had good many tutors 20 look after
her education. besides a governess who OF
course. was French. She had also French
chaplain and a French writln: master.
A certain Wagner taught FiEchen her
natl ra nd far har Ill.
had another fellow countryman. Her gov
erness, It seems. used to tell her that she had
ar awkward disposition. and was always bid
ding hor to kee back her chin. According to
Cath crime. she considered 1t excessively
sharp. and she said that by sticking It out |
knocked against everybody came across"
But this govsrnsss did more than getting her
pupils chin into line; she made her read
Racine. Cornsille. and Moliers. and TO ber
Catherine was undoubtedly indebted for the
keen relish for French literature which abe
afterwards exhibited An important part OF
the girls education was acquired from Ter fire.
auent journeys in tho company OF her parents.
In all the neighboring residential towns were
relatives or connections by marriage. who. II
not affuent. were hosptable. 1t was at Eutin.
in 1879. that the Princess Sophia saw for the
FIRST time the man whom she was TO de-
priye OF q throne. after having shared 1t
with him. Peter Ulrich OF Holstoln. son OF her
mothers first cousin. was then IL years OF
age She herself was ten This first m Getting.
which at the time passed unnotlcsd. did not
give her favorable i'm prsssion-at least so
she declared later. when she came to write her
memoirs. : The child seemed TO her weak
ling. She was told that he had bad disposi-
ton. and that he had already n taste for drink.
Another excursion left in her young magma
tion deeper trace. In Brunswick. at the
house OF the Dowager Duchess who had
brought up her mother. expert In chiro-
nancy bethought hms elf to see In her hand
no fewer than three crowns To find crown
along with husband was the dream OF every
little German princess. and FiRehsn was
naturally enchanted to hear that she was to
have three. At Berlin the young princess
saw Frederick H. but without caring greatly
what he thought OF her. or attracting from
him any particular attention. He was great
King on the threshold OF q magnificent career;
she was but little girl. destined, to all APP
psArances, to ornament some infinitsslmal
court. lost in the mAZes OF the German en-
pire. To the inadsquAcles OF an education
like hers, Catherine in later life became alive
and tried to make good tho deficiencies of her
early training. What would you have ?" she
sad. Il was brought up with the idea Of
marrying some little nsghboring prince and
] was taught as much as that demanded"
The Baroness Won PTintzsn. maid OF honor
e. GATHERINGS mother. did not hesitate to de- |
clare that on her part. with the best Opportu-
mites OF observing the future Empress. she
had never seen in her any exceptional quail
ties or faculties. She expected her to turn out
an ordinary woman. So much for the insight
and foresight OF maids Of honor.