The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-02-28
THE GEAR OF RUSSIA AT HOME
Some Queer Pictures of His Table
 Manners In Childhood.

A volume dealing with the private
 life and mode of existence of Nicholas
 II has been issued to-day in Paris. The
 author is M. Maurice Leudet, dis i tinguished member of the staff of the
 Figaro" who some time back pub- | lished a successful book dealing on sim
 liar lines with the German Emperor Nicholas IT, as the present work | is called, is quite unpretentious
 production With the exception of the
 preface, which discusses the disarma- | ment proposals, and one or two chap
 ters devoted to the present condition
 and destinies of Russia, it's pages are
 occupied exclusively by minor details
 relating to the personality of the Czar
 and by well-informed and entertaining
 gossip. The most varied aspects of the
 Czar's life are touched upon. A chap
 ter is devoted, for instance, to his edu-
 cation, and chapter to his marriage,
 chapter to the imperial stables and another to the imperial table. The Court fetes, the grand-dukes, the royal pal
 aces and the Czar's journey to the East
 are few more of the many subjects
 dealt with.
 The Czar, it appears, has an excellent
 memory and acquired the numerous
 languages he speaks with remarkable ease and quicknesss M. Leudet assures
 us that he talks English without an accent, but it is noteworthy that he does
 not venture to say as much with regard
 to French. MT. Heath, his English
 master is credited with a cordial dis
 like for Mr. Gladstone and pronounce
 ed fondness for boxing, but whether
 he transmitted these tastes to his pupil Is not recorded The young princes were brought up with as little cere- mony as possible. On Sundays they entertained at dinner the small boys and girls who were admitted to the honor of their friendship. These par ties seem to have been exceedingly live ly functions. There was no end to the tricks the hosts and their small guests played on one another. From end to end of the table there used to be con- tinuous firing of bread pellets, which were perpetually striking princely noses or landing in royal mouths Another favorite joke was to jog your neigh bor's elbow while he was drinking or to baptize him with a glass of wine." This "charming picture of home life," dS M. LGuuGL CELLS lp pIODl dI ally rate that there are various ways of be- coming fitted for the most polite soci- ety. Still, it must not be supposed | from this occasional license that the | Czar's education was neglected. He re- | ceived a very strict religious training, | and the impression it made on him may | be gathered from a remark he made on the occasion of the death of Victor | Hugo. He knew that the great poet was a freethinker, and on reading in a l newspaper an account of his public fu- neral he said he could not understand how such honors could be paid to a man who "had died like dog.'
 The Czar rises at 8, takes tea with the Empress at g, and at 930 retires to his studyto read the principal Euro pean newspapers. This task accom- plished, he goes out for a short walk and at Il is ready to receive his minis ters and attend to his correspondence. After luncheon he drives out with the Empress, and on his return shuts him. self up in his study, where he is hard at work until 8, the imperial dinner hour. The importance of this meal is at the Russian court, as may be imagined when it is said that over two hundred persons are engaged in preparing and serving it. M. Leudet, by the way, is able to give the recipe for Bortsch, the famous Russian soup as supplied to him by the impe- rial cook himself. In fact, the culinary chapter contains much excellent mat ter, including method of serving ''kilkis," which may be recommended to the attention of gourmets.-Paris Correspondence of The Pail Mall Ga