The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-18
THE GROWING OF THE GEAR.
Ceremonies Attending the Corona
ton of the Late Gar.

ton of the Lnte Car.
Miss Mary Grace Thornton in the Century
The service began with the emperor
confession of faith. which was so like our
own that I could follow it easily. The
metropolitan came forward 10 hear him
make it, and responded at the end, May
the grace OF the Holy Ghost abide with
thee" 1 understood comparatively little
OF the rest; but they say that the prayers
are wonderfully beautiful From the first
moment to the last the emperor was the
central figure. If one looked away II
was only to see how every one was watch
ing him. His voice certainly trembled
when he began TO read, but il gained
confidence as he went on, and ne looked
las he always does, TO my mind with or
without CROWN every lnch an emperor 1,i:
Throughout the whole service ne pore
himself with great dignity and in man
ner worthy of such an occasion.
After the creed and the reading OF the
epistle and the gospel he ordered the inn
perial mantle to be brought, which was
clasped round his neck with the collar OF
St. Andrew, lifted the magnificent crown
from the cushion on which II was pre-
scented, and, receiving the benediciuon
from the metropolitan, in the name OF
the Father, and of the Son, and OF the
Holy Ghost" placed il on his head, and,
holding the scepter in his right hand and
the globe in his left, seated himself upon
the throne, looking very noble present
ment of a car of all the Russlas. Inc
empress seemed to have caught something
of his air for that day a certain state
illness was added to all her charm, she
had never seen her look more sympa-
thetic. She now left her place, and went
to kneel before her husband on a cusn-
ion which had been placed for her at his
feet by Prince Waldemar.
The car lifted his own crown from his
head, and placed ii an instant on hers be
fore replacing 1t. Then, taking her crown crown
from its bearer, he held it in place while
the four DANES d'hOnneur fastened IT Sc
cureiy to her head. These were countess
Adlerberg, Princess Wisconsin, Princess
Kotchoubey and one / did not know-the
oldest in rank in Russia, / believe; and
they also helped TO fasten the imperial
mantle of cloth-of-gold and ermine, OF
great weight. AS the czarlna returned 10
her place, she turned full face or emo
ton to her husband and held out her hand,
and he taking it and stoCping down, they
/ kissed each other. His majesty now re-
| ceived the scepter and globe again. and
emperor and empress stood crowned be-
fore their thrones and wearing imperial
nantes, while the priests proclaimed the
titles of the autocrat of all the Russias
at full length; and the beautiful chants
that followed We're drowned in a changing
of bells and a noise that seemed loud
enough to announce the coronation TO the
whole of Russia. During the singing the
imperial family left their places to come
and congratulate the emperor and ems
press, the little cZarOwitZ first There was
much embracing and plenty of tears.
1t was after this that, as the noise Of
the bells and cannon died away, the en-
peror took the book from the metropolitan
and knet to pray, reading the prescribed
words he alone kneeling, while prizes 8
and congregation stood.
AS the emperor rose from his knees we
all knelt down, and then followed the
prayer of priests and congregation for
him, led by the metropolitan, the emperor
alone standing in the crowded church. As
l have said before, this was the most inn
pressive moment of all.
The choir now sang again-that beauti-
full unaccOmpanied singing of the Greek
church, though here it had an accOmpani-
ment of all the Kremlin bells After a
magnificent TIE Deum the mass began, in
which before communicating the car was
to be anointed with the holy chrism Cthe
seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost'O on
forehead, eyelids, nostrils, lips, ears,
breast and hands. The oil for this anoint-
ing is prepared by the priests with the
greatest care in vessels of silver; and they
themselves fast absolutely for sixteen
hours before a coronation spending the
time in prayer. After the emperor, the
empress IS anointed at the holy doors but
only on the forehead. Also in the holy
member of the Greek church; but the EN-
perOr, on the day of his coronation. lin
view of the sovereignty that resides in his
both kinds separately
OF all this l saw nothing because of the
intervening pillar. But 1 did see their
majesties leave their thrones and go down
the steps of the platform to the holy doors
of the screen, closely attended by the colo
mel of the Chevaliers gardes with his
drawn sword, and preceded and followed
by endless high dignitaries, returning in
the same order after the amounting and the
holy communion. After this there was
very little more of the ceremonial in the
cathedral At the end of the usual service
there were some special prayers and
chants for the newly crowned pair, "long
life to the crowned Of Godr-and in the si-
lence that followed the priests held up the
cross for their majesties to kiss, the en-
peror replaced the crown, which he had
laid aside at the beginning of the mass.
and carrying the globe and scepter. moved
with the empress toward the cathedral
doors.