St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-12-05
GLARS IN ENGLAND.
Lapse in Their Visits Between the Years
1914 and 1896.

1914 and 1896.
| Queen Victoria was only 23 years
! old, although already the mother of two
| children, when last she received the
| visit of q czar. The news that the ter
rible Nicholas was coming, and that
only two days hence, produced an ex.
traordinary futtering IN the tame dove,
cote of Windsor. For nearly 20 years
+ this emperor of Russia had been the
| most striking figure among the princes
of Europe. The accounts of him still
fascinate the imagination. Taller by
| half head than most of his own picked
guard, of powerful and well-rounded
form, and straight as pine, no other
man of our century has so looked the
part of an autocrat. His face, particu-
larly in profile, was as exceptional in
its regularity of beauty as Napoleon's s,
albeit of a wholly different order. This
face had a strange popularity. The
eyelashes were curiously nndeveloped,
and of so pale a color that his big, bold,
piercing eyes had the effect of no relief
whatever. They frightened people who
met their gaze. Still more did the tales
that were told of him, of his colossal
ambitions, his wild outbursts of saw
agery, his ironAhanded grip upon the
lives and thoughts and very souls of
Uncounted millions of subjects, impress
the popular fancy of his time. 1t had
been given out that he was to visit Eng
land some time in 1845, but now sud-
denly at the close of May, 1914, word
came that he was to appear in London
in two days time. He liked to descend
upon people in this abrupt and unex-
Pected way; it was in keeping with his
own conception of his character, and
produced just the impression of ire
sponsible omn;potence which it pleased
him to create, in small matters not less
than in large affairs. -
The girlish queen and those about her
were greatly excited by. this unlocked
forapparition. Victoria filled her diary
with wonder-struck exclamation points
each day Of his stay, and wrote long
letters to her relative, ing. Leopold of
Belgium, detailing her emotions DUR
ing the eventful ten days. He is GER
tainly a very striking man." she wrote;
still very handsome; his profile is
beautiful, and his manners most digni-
fed and graceful; extremely civil, quite
alarmingiy so, as he is so full of atten-
tions and poiiteness. But the express
sion of the eyes is severe, and unlike
anything [ ever saw before. He gives
Albert and myself the impression of a
man who is not happy, and on whom
the burden Of his immense power and
position weighs heavily and painfully.
He seldom smiles, and when he does the
expression is not a happy one" Again,
in her journal, the queen writes, day
or two later: 81 don't know why, but
can't help plying him. i think his i'm
snense power weighs heavily on his
head"
have been interested in recalling
this impression of grave unhappiness
which the first Nicholas produced upon
the queen. The strongest and most
robust of men, with a giants will and
nerves of steel, he still found his burden
Too great. Now, 50 years later, the
queen welcomes as guest the great
grandson of that splendid, somber first
Nicholas, whom she couldn't help.
How infinitely greater must
be the impulse to pity the second Nieho-
las, himself a frail. ti1nil little fellow,
and bowed under we sgft of response
bility which from M point of view Is
manifold heavier than that which was
carried BY his ancestor il 1s44!-s LON
DON Cor. ~ r. ines