Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-11-10
SIMPLE HABITS OF RICHEST
RULER IN THE WORLD.
Fond of Driving Out Alone With the
Empress, and is Careful to Avoid
DispIay-Uses English and German
Chiefly at Home-Prefers Service
of His Own Private Chapel.

Morris in the Cosmopolitan, and the
disposal Of every penny raised for the
government is absolutely in his con-
troll, and though he draws upon it to as
great an extent as he pleases, as if it
were his private purse, the home life
Of the imperial couple Of Russia is
very simple and almost without cere-
mOny. The cZarina in manner is
charming and dif1dent, more like a
very young girl, perhaps, than an en-
press. She bushes very easily and
has trick of dropping her head. She
dresses as an English lady and looks
English.
Although she has wonderful pearls,
star sapphires and cabochon rubies,
! she seldom wears jewels. The car
generally dresses in simple Russian
costume in the palace. He, too, has
very quiet and gentle manner, but
great determination, and both he and
! the czarina are held in great awe by
| those around them.
The car rises at 8, and his toilet
lasts until nearly o'clock, when he
sits down at his writing table to dis
charge such important matters of
state as do not admit Of delay. From
| 10 until II o'clock he enjoys a short
rest, during which he partakes of a
| light luncheon, and then the time is
again devoted to wOrk-to the sign
| ing Of documents, to the study of bills
and the reports of minis ers and gov
errors, to which he adds numerous
marginal remarks. During this bust
ness session his majesty takes one
glass of tea after another. and often
caviar sandwich. The hours from l
to he gives to his family, and oc-
casiOnally the aid-de-camp on duty is
summoned, and the car then desires
to hear if there is anything new or in
teresting in the papers.
At the car begins work again,
sometimes only until 6, but often until
7 o'clock, which is the dinner hour.
The ear likes simple food and is a
very quick eater. He seems hardly
to have begun when he is finished. His
dinner consists of but few courses, and
he likes to talk and joke during the
meal. BanQuets are his abomination,
and at the great state dinners it is
easy to see how much his majesty is
bored by the lengthy menu. The
rest Of the evening, until 10 Z clock,
he spends usually with the members of
his family. He makes it a point to do
SO when the eX-Empress is present.
After this he retires to his study and
punctually at midnight goes to bed.
Court banQuets and festivities inter
fere now and then with the daily
routine Of his life. but the ministers
try as much as possible to keep his
working hours uninterrupted,
He makes a point whenever it is
possible, of driving out alone with the
Empress and with a small attendance.
He does not give notice Of his drives
and walks abroad, and is often quite
unnOticed. The late car, when he
drove out, had the streets lined with
troops and always drove in splendid
equipage surrounded by his guards
and attendants, while the police now
seldom know in what direction their
quette of the Russian court also has
become much less strict since the
accession Of Nicholas II, and all his
subjects are allowed admission to his
presence. The peasants will travel
hundreds Of miles to bring their pc
titions to him, for they know that the
car will personally receive them and
will himself read what they have writ
ten He is grave in public, but in
private he is full Of fun and very fond
of chatting the members of his init
mate circle. The cZarina exactly suits
her husband, and happier family life
cannot be imagined. Her majesty is
almost always with the car, even
when he is at work, and when states
men come to see him his majesty often
begs her to stay with them. By the
Russian people the present car and
czarina are greatly beloved, but among
the members Of the court there are
many who sigh for the times when
the czarina Marie Fedoriwna was
reigning empress, because she was
conservative and fOndly cherished all
the tradition of court ceremonials.
The car mas many palaces, but
| those he most frequently occupies are
the Winter Palace, in st. Petersburg;
Peterh0f, in the suburbs Of the city,
which is copied after Versailles, and
Liyad.a, il the Crimea. The Winter
Palace can accommodate about 5000
| persons and contains some magnificent
apartments; but the rooms Of the car
and czarina are very plainly furnished
! in English fashion and look more like
! the apartments Of g middle-class
! family. Like all Russian palaces, the
| Winter Palace is a combination of
splendor and seediness. Visitors
are shown through many chambers,
! where everything is adapted for the
most gorgeous ceremonials of state,
but other parts CT the palace are in a
state Of positive neglect The balls
and ba1Cuetg at the Winter Palace are