Sharp County record., 1899-10-20
In ROYAL FAMILIES.
A Great Contrast in Vitality and
Temperament
The HohenIollerns Of Germany
Are Much More Vigorous
Than the Romanoffs of
Russia,

Russia.
The Romanofs Of Russia are ABOUT
as much German in blood as the Hohen-
zollerns OF Prussia. Many marriages
with German princesses have made the
former royal houses more German than
anything else. The mother Of the pres
ent car was q Dane, but the mother
Of the kaiser was English by birth,
though almost wholly German in
blood.
These facts make the sharp contrast
in vitality and temperament between
the Romanoffs and Hohenzolierns all
the more remarkable. The Russian
family are short-liyed. Few of its men
live beyond 60, and hardly any have
reached Co. Many die young Even
when, rs in the case of the late En-
peror Alexander III. and the Gar Men
6las T., they are very large and power
Jul, they only illustrate the difference
between muscular strength and the
tenacity Of the vital forces which gives
old age. The German Hohenzollerns
are very different.
Many Of the princes of the family
which reigns in the German empire
have been long-liyed. Most of them
have shown great energy and capacity
for cXcrtiOn, Some have been both big
and strong. The royal house is marked
by resolute and rather sanguine tenn
permanent. Its head is usually a zig
orods, practical, healthy man of the
type well able to make Roadway in the
world anywhere, no matter under what
conditions he might have been born and
reared. There has been very little Of
the morbidness, inertia and inclination
toward abstract speculation and de-
/ spondency which have been noted in
most Of the Romanoffs.
Now the ruler ofthe German empire
has large family of boys. There are
six sons to only one daughter, and all
I of the children are believed to be sturdy
and promising. Some of the oldest boys
are already more than match in yigor
and endurance, it is probable, for the
Russian car, who is young enough to
be in the very prime OF his strength
There is not the least danger of any
lack Of ylrile and hardy heir to the
German throne for a long time. The
present kaiser, in spite of all the
Stories told of his ear and his arm, tc
say nothing of his mind and temper
gives abundant proof that he has i'm.
mense energy and fairly tingles with
life and vitality.
The contrast is great in st. Peters
burg The czar is neither large moi
powerful. His vitality is believed to be
low and his temperament has a goo(
deal of the Romanoff tendency toward.
gloom, or at least keen consciousness!
Of the dark side of life. lie is nine year!
younger than the kaiser but the latter
seems the more youthful man, except
perhaps, in the Russian emper0r's dis
position to indulge in fancies and hopes
which would have been too idealistiC
for the kaiser Of any age. The czal
has three daughters, but no son. The
heir to the throne, therefore, under the
Russian law, is his youngest brother
Grand Duke Michael,
The prince is strong enough, but
Grand Duke George, who was three
years younger than the head of the
family and but seven years older thar
Grand Duke Michael, has just sue
cumbed to consumption after a long
fight for life. lie was only 2S years old
Grand Duke Michael, who now stands
next to the throne, is not quite q. He
may not live even to the age of his
brother who has died.
These family conditions cannot fail
to have a depressing effect upon the
czar. His never buoyant disposition
will be less sanguine than ever, and in
Russia any man who has a sensitive
nature and Is in a position OF power
and responsibility has plenty OF rea-
sons for sadness and doubt II is easy
to pe oppressed by the dark facts OF
life in a land so vast, so poor, so sadly
in need Of many great and difficult
changes
Of course, IL Is true that Russia has
great resources and unmeasured prom
ises for the distant future. The coun.
try is believed by excellent authorities
to be entering an epoch Of wonderful
development and gains in many direc.
tlons, with better times for the Rus
sian people, apd happier conditions of
existence thc world may brighten, also,
for the Romanotfs, and the family may
shake OIL It's Tendency for premature
weakness, dependency and death, For
the present the outlook is not hopeful,
--Cleyelapd Leader.
1890 -