The herald., 1894-11-08
T. THE GAR OF ALL THE RUSSIAS
An Interesting Account of the
Late Ruler.
Some of His Physical and Mental
Peculiarities.
! Music und ths Drama Hs Lovsd, Bu,
Scene He Hsted-A Glance at
tho Duties end Privileges
of Royalty.

powerful. The feats of physical strength
with which he was won't to apnuss him-
self in his youth would make the for
tune OF any of his subjects. He has
twisted and broken thick iron pokers
and bars with his hands. hae bent
fpNwter tankards into bouquet holders.
has burst open doors. raised heavy
burdens. and accomplished enough to
Justify his claim to the title OF the Rue
sian Samson. But the nickname which
stuck to him throughout his life, ais
though equally indicative OF strength,
included such other physical peculiari-
ties as his upward scowl, his unwieldly
gait and strange butting OF the head.
Bullock was tho term of endearment by
which his father was accustomed to call
him, and he was known as tho Bull by
the majority OF his Russian subjects.
Haughtiness, distrust, and wiliulneuS
were among the qualities with which no
was almost universally credited, out in
reality it was difficult not TO merge the
first in natural shyness. or to dissociate
the other two from the caution that be-
fits q conscientious autocrat and the
firmness that should characterize the
lieutenant of the Lord. His habits of
life were simpler and more proaic thnn
those OF his courtiers; his highest pleas
ures those of the enlightened burgeon.
OF balls, dances, ceremonies, receptions,
and official dinners he had holy horror,
and he never broathed freely except ct
his writing table or in the circle OF mis-
family. At GatshinR. near st. Peters
burg, no generally rose at q. IA, and
after quiet etroll through the grounds
Of his palace, returned to partake OF q
light breakfast, after which an hour or
so OF severe manual labor prepared him
for the official business of the day. He
was always ready to put his hands
to anything in the shape OF
work that had to be done. He
WAS often willing to assist the
gardeners, forestail the upholsterer, vie
with the woodmsn and outs.rip the
snowcerrier. But his usual work fre-
quently was telling trees, saving them
in TO planks and planning them for the
cabinetmsker, or else choppilg them up
for fuel. In winter he frequently put
on a short, plain Jacket, shoveled all tho
snow that had fallen on the avenues
and walks of the palace into mounds,
and, If time permitted, csrted it away
to distant spot in the grounds.
His official duties were severe. He
had piles OF ukasee and edicts to read
and sign, and numerous lette.s and pc
titione to answer, and he almoet always
wrote his comments and decisions with
his own hand. with an outspoksn re-
gard for truth, as he conceived it, which
at times bred Berious trouble. Nearly
every day he gave audiences to hia min-
listers, listened to and discussed their
reports, and endeavored to gst an iE-
sight into the progress they were msk-
ing. He received his knowledge OF
what was going on in tho outside world
rom two different sources. The
one was General Tsherevin, the
czar's "jester," whose piquant stories
about the adventures and mishap5 Of
the actors ON the stage of high life in
terested and amused the appreciative
monarch; the other, the so-callsd I'm
perial Review, which, to my knowledge,
existed during the reign OF the Emperor
Alexander III. 1t is q manuscript selec-
tion OF extracts from the principal
newspapers, one cahier containing q
number of items culled from Russian
journals, and the other composed OF
resumes of foreign organs. Both were
always written out on the finest paper.
in most legible handwriting. and reached
the emperor one day after date. He
occasionally glanced through them him
self, but generally left them to be read
by the adjutant on duty.
In the days of which am speaking
only O short time since-lunch was
always served at O'Clock, and consisted
OF three courses. including soup. After
this modest meal his majesty took his
recreation, walking in the garden
with the members of his family,
chatting with General Tsherevin or
one of his adjutants, or else fin
ishing the manual task from which
pressure of official work had called
him away in the morning. This re-
Taxation was again succeeded by
audiences. the reading and signing Of
edicts aud orders, and the killing
routine of government by signature. At
8 p. IN. dinner, consisting OF four
courses, was served en- fsmille; and In
the evening there was always an in
formal tea in the empress's irooms, az
which tho czar appeared in q simple
check blouse and leather belt. In town
he never dined, unless compelled by
etiquette to entertain q foreign prince
or diplomatist; lunch was served at 80,
and consisted OF four courses instead of
three; and in the evening, at Z, q cold
supper was always substituted for
dinner, after which he would drive to
the theatre, which was one feature of
city life that no enjoyed. The drama
he appreciated and encouraged; the
opera ne loved and enjoyed. He was
peculiarly susceptible to the soothing
influences of music, and, although he
manifested prediction for the louder
kinds, Was not an enthusiastic admirer
of Wagner's latest compositions. He
himself played the trombone with as
much feeling as can be evoked from
such an instrument, and no had taken
part in nurarous quartsttes in his
palace.
His love of art, however. was rather
liking than an affection, but the correct
taste which he invariably displayed in
all his purchases OF pictures bespeaks
the appreciative critic as much as the
muniticent Mecenas. He was always
happy TO encourage Russian artists. and
ne seldom Quilted the annual exhibition
OF paintings in st. Petersburg without
having bonght the beat two or three ex-
hlbits. He was likewioe fond OF liter
azure. De read q considerable number
OF novels, RuGeian and foreign; and
among the former he much preferred
those OF Count Tostoi. mainly Tor the
very quallties which that versatile writer
would himself now most emphatically
condemn. For science he had scant re-
spect. 1t produced too many rovolu-
tlons In politics and too many schisms
and heresieH in religion to commend
itself to OE6 whose miseinp uau IN kaa,