Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-08-17
A CARS FUN.

l
a considerable sum for those days, and
he had taken possession with much GER
enony of a fine house in the Tartar
quarter of st. Petersburg.
Now it happened that Zotof, feeling
himself growing old, proposed one
evening .,when the car was in especially
good humor, to retire to a monastery.
Instead of agreeing, Peter, to the great
establishment of the old and infirm
dwarf, forbadelIhis thinking of such
thing and ordered him to marry again.
Zotof was much put out, but Peters
passion for shows was not one whit less.
He chose as wife for his favorte bufloon
an old lady, widow of a man named
Stremonkof. Preparations were begun
in the autumn of 1712, and in the fan
tastic procession the Empress Catherine
and the cars daughters, Martha and
Prascovia, and even some of the am
bassadors were obliged to take part.
Four stammerng old men gave out the
invitations; infirm and tottering Great
ures were appointed to conduct the
bride, and four of the latest men in
Russia served as runners. The must
clans were seated in car lei by bears,
and as these novel steeds were always
being picked by the points of steel
lances, their low growlings served as
fitting accompaniment to the weird airs
that arose from the chariot. The SER
vice at the cathedral was performed by
very old priest who was half blind and
deaf and who wore spectacles. The
procession, the ceremony, the nuptal
fest and the ilngling of the wedding
bells were all of piece in this strange
diversion.
Iotof's descendants were forbidden to
bear the title of count so strangely ac-
quired until 1902, when member of an
illustrious and princely family with
which one of them had intermarried
obtained permission from Emperor
Alexander |. to bear the title conferred
upon the dwarf, his ancestor.
In ITO Zotof and his royal master
arranged another wedding between two
dwarfs. This was celebrated at st.
Petersburg with great show and parade.
Zotof, as high official, was head and
front of the performance. 1t took
long time to prepare for this great
event Invitations to the wedding were
sent out several months before the day
appointed for the ceremony, and all the
couriers and ambassadors were hidden
to the marriage of this tiny man and
woman. All the dwarfs living within
200 miles of the capital were command
ed to be present. The bride and groom
rode on an elephant under a canopy !:
some of the mldgets followed on camels
or rode in sledges carved in the shape of
various animals.h Many of the vehicles
contained a dozen dwarfs at time
Some of these small people did not like
the idea of being hidden or commanded
in this way. OF course the procession
of dwarfs was followed to the city by
laughing mob, and the pigmies
objected to being made sport of; but
Peters word was law, and he punished
the disobedient ones by making them
wait at the banquet on those who were
docile.
Seventy dwarfs sat down to table be-
sides the tiny bride and bridegroom, who
were richly adorned in the height of the
prevailing Russian mode. Zotof took
care that everything provided for this
marriage should be of suitable size. \
low table was set with small dishes.
glasses, plates and other articles, all ar
ranged according to the size of the
guests. The dwarfs, we are told, con-
tended with much pride and gravity as
to which should be first. but it was
finally settled that the smallest should
take the lead ana then there arose dis
putes, as none of them would admit that
he was smaller than the others. The
car. who was present. finally interfered.
order was restored and the banquet pro-
ceeded. Dancing followed. The bride
groom, who was thirty-eight inches high,
opened the bail with minuet. The
company soon followed the example of
the groom ard entered into the dancing
with great spirit, and after all their
trouble became very gay and had a good
time generally.
As has been before remarked, Peter
was very fond of the pigmy tribe, and at
the funeral OF one who had long been
attached to his court, twenty-four male
and twenty-four female .dwarfs walked
IN procession, followed by the emperor
in person and his ministers and guards
| never heard of his being cruel to
dwarf, although he frequently made
sport of them, and his love for practical
Joking was so great that even Zotof did
not always escape.
COUGHINGh LEADS TO CONSUMP-
TON. Kemp's Balsam stops the cough al