The record-union., 1899-11-22

where paths have been cut and seats
arranged Only one of these paths is
closed to the public, and that is one
leading to his pavilion on the summit
of one of the loveliest hills, where ne
used to dine and take tea sometimes
Once, upon his return from Denmark,
he was much annoyed to find that the
seats had been removed, and he imme-
diately had them restored for the COM
fort of the public. At a little distance
stands the palace of the Grand Duke
Alexander, more imposing looking than
the palace Of Prince George. A private
path connects the two palaces.
Abas-Tuman is exceedingly beautiful.
It's mountains are covered with pine
forests, where delicious raspberries and
Strawberries grow, where bears and
wolves find a home, and sometimes
brigands hiding place. I cannot at
tempt to describe the freshness Of the
mornings there; one seems almost in
toxicated with new life; while the even
ing air has a stinging bracing effect,
making ones blood bound and sending
one home with the appetite for dozen
people
The mineral baths are we'll arranged
and splendidly kept under the direction
of DR.. k. They stand in the CEN
ter of a park, where a band plays each
morning. The military hospitals built
by Colonel B are the best I have
seen in Russia The two groves have
innumerable seats, where the band
plays once a day, and where dainty
+ I'm,
every hour. But the beauty of Abas-
Tuman consists in it's rocky nights,
i towering one above another, looking
down on the foaming waters dashing in
angry ilnpatience at their base; and as
one mounts higher and higher. leaving
| the tops of the pines far below, one
comes upon plains covered with flowers
OF extraordinary size and beauty, while
little higher than these Elburz bursts
upon us in all his wonderful majesty
But with an aching sorrow comes the
| thought that he who so loved Abas-
Tuman and so gloried in it's beauties
has been ruthlessly cut down in the
morning of his life. Let me recall his
form as l first saw it-tall, slender,
slightly stopped, but manly and digni-
fled His face was beautiful ethereal,
spiritual, and from it eyes as deeply
blue as the sky looked out at you with
pathos that brought tears to your
own. His smile was like fleeing sun
shine, and his manner was quiet, gen.
tie and exceedingly gracious. 1 never
could look at him without a feeling of
plying reverence. He had a most
beautiful character-gentle, modest,
and unselffsh. He was idolized by his
family and adored by the people
around him. We heard his valet say:
His Highness-God bless him!-
would put himself to any inconvenience
rather than give trouble; 1 would give
my life for him." The extreme gen
tleness and winsomeness of manner
which characterized the late Czarevitch
is possessed by all the members of
the imperial family.
The Grand Duke George so gener-
ously responded to every appeal to his
pity that the Empress mother had to
arrange that requests were passed on
to him only after being considered by
his adjutant. A short time ago he was
! compelled to dismiss from his service
his architect; but his pity obliged him
to charge himself with the education
of the culprit's children, and there are
many cases of this kind AS a guest
he was charming. I remember one day
his adjutant having arrived, madame
went into the salon and entered into
conversation with him. Madame no.
ticed something wrong with the table
cloth, and went to put it straight, when
there was peal of laughter from
Prince George. who crept from under
the table. He would often romp with
the children, and enter into their mis-
chief, and he kept on his writing table
the photographs of two little ones to
whom he had taken a fancy His
thoughtfulness extended even to me,
for, fancying that I was lonely, he
sent me his own books to read: but
then his sympathy was unfailing tow
ard all.
He lived a simple, retired country
life. One day he came to bid us good
by before leaving for Denmark and
when he rose to go he said: "Oh, dear
Stiff collars stiffer manners, and stiff
est of dress suits will be the order of
! the day. How I do dislike them! I
am happy here where 1 can dress as 1
please" AS he spoke he glanced at
his shoe, in which appeared a slit, and
we all laughed.
lie was very IOnd or photography, but
( disliked being photographed. I have
! before me the most delightful photos
I taken in all kinds of laughable ways,
but of course, they are strictly private.
They were taken at picnics in the
mountains. At these picnics he was
the life of the party, even helping in
the cooking with all his might I re-
/ member at one of them he accidentally
hit a lady with a morsel of bread in
I tended for a gentleman, and how very
distressed he was. At another, when
his Cossack servant was bitten by a
serpent, how he promptly had the
wound cauterized
He was passionately attached to his
, mother and sisters, who came every
summer to visit him. The parting was
agony to him. and for days after their
departure he would shut himself in his
rooms. He disliked foreign languages,
and never spoke them when he could
avoid it. indeed, he always weighed his
words.
But with all his gentleness and cour-