The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-10
PROPHECY OF ST. sERAPHIM
A Russian Superstition That Victory
VIII Come When the Czar Goes
to the Front.

By Marquise DE Fontenoy.
In no country of Europe are the
masses more superstitious than in
Russia. and throughout the length and
breadth of the Muscovite Empire the
.firm conviction prevails that until
the Gar goes to .Ae front there will
be no change for the better in the tide
of the fortunes of war, which, until
now it must be confessed. has been
running strongly against Russia. This
belief, which is by no means restrict
ed to the lower classes, but which ex-
tends to the aristocracY and to the OFF,
cial element is based on the prophecy
ascribed to Russia's most popular
saint. St. Seraphim. that the year after
the translation of my remains terri
BILE war will break out which will cause
much harm to Russia. The Car will
go to the front. and 1 shall go with
him and we shall tear the apron of the
English"
Now the translation of the remains
of ST. Seraphim took place last year.
with much pomp and ceremony at the
monastery of Sarof. situated in the
midst of a desert. which pilgrims are
obliged to traverse before reaching the
end of their journey. The Emperor who
was accompanied by the Empress and
nv all the grand dukes of the house of
ceremonies connected with the trans
fer of the body to the new and mag
nificent church in which it is now en-
shrined. the body being carried by
Nicholas, his uncles, his brother and
his cousins in person. There was
special reason for this. since IT Is as
serted in Russia that the Saint to
whose body are ascribed many mira
clcs was no other than the great
granduncle of the present Car. EN-
peror Alexander /. whose death far
from St. Petersburg has always been
shrouded in mystery, whose body new
err lay in state, and who is said. after
the official proclamation of his demise.
to have withdrawn to the monastery OF
Sarof and to have spent the reuainder
of his days as monk to atone for his
responsibility in the assassination Of
| his demented father, Emperor Paul /.
His second brother. Constantine, was
barred from the throne on the same
account. while the crown was passed
| on by him to his younger brother.
Nicholas I. who had had no share
| whatsoever in PauTs death.
The Car. aware of this superstition
| with regard to his going to the front.
| is resolved to take his departure for
| the seat of war as soon as ever the
| Empress becomes a mother once more,
next month. and it may be stated that
| the saints reference to the tearing
away of the apron of the English" is
| not regarded as implying war with
England but with an ally Of England,
that is to say, with Japan. When
! Nicholas starts for the far East he
| will. 1t Is said, take along with him
| the sarcophagus containing the re-
| mains of st. Seraphim and will, at all
| events, be escorted by his own particu-
lar regiment, the famous Preobrajen-
| SIKH Guards, the dark green uniform of
which, with its red cuffs. red collar and
| facings he Invariably wears 1t out
| ranks every other regiment in the Rus
sian service. is without exception the
| crack corps of the army and it's Colo
mel is the Emperor. who likewise COM
manded ii prior to his accession to the
| throne.
| II was the first regiment in the Rus
| sian army to be organized in European
| fashion by Peter the Great, when still
sixteen year old boy. with the help
of his French tutor, Lefort 1t was with
| the assistance of this regiment thus
| formed that Peter secured possession
| of the Russian throne, which had been
usurped by his elder sister. the Grand
| Duchess Sophia, on the pretext that