Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-21

his majesty IS rot fond OF shooting
md he is not Il good shot. His tastes
| 10 not lie i'll the direction of skill i,
he destruction either Of game or OF
| ncn. DOmeSticity is his ideal as a re-
| taxation during the Scanty minutes OF
| 'is leisure. Emphatically he is not a
| sportsman.
There was a storm at court, early in
the cars married life, on the subject
OF the ladies smoking. In the time Of
| the Emperor Alexander cigarettes were
permitted. When the present empress
| acceded to power she forbade her
ladies-in-waiting to solace themselves
"I.n All occasional cigarette. This
| smoking question raised a confia grafton
at >~NGatschina, Peterhof, Anitchkoff
Palace ana I.ivadia, the glare of which
has scarcely yet disappeared from the
sky. Between the dowager empress ana
her dauShter-in-law there is not much
i love lost and the failure of the sweet
| and lovabic daughter of the Princess
Alice to produce a mail heir to the
throne has been strong reason for
causing much feeling on both sides.
The emperor receives one minister
every day, when he is either at
G;tts"hina or Peterhof. The foreign
minister's day is Tuesday. But Count
L&nSdorff sees the emperor more often
when necessity arises. Twice week
his majesty has a general reception,
which consists. for the most part, of
prominent officers Of the army and
navy. and citizens who for any reason
are h"nored by an imperial audience.
The greatest care IS taken at these
general receptions to prevent any at
tempt on the ennero.'s life. The sys-
TEN OF espionage at court is the most
elahcrat" that can be devised. Never
thcinSS. there are, from time to time
alarming; indications that the pre-
cautions taken are Inadequate. In the
nonih of May lest an explosive was
foCnG IL the clock in the chimney-piece
OF III" troakfast-room III Gastchina in
which the little daughters of the ear
were accustomed To take their break
fast With their English govcrness. For
some reason it vas notirtd that the
hands Of the clock pointed to five
minutes to nine for several consecutive
minutes. although the mechanism OF
the tlmepiece WAS operating as usual
on examination it was found that 4
iis5H tAEiO3!Nt Euu Deen inserted in the
clock.
The atmosphere Of suspicion and
gloom produced by the constant sense
Of impalpahlc danger ovt rshadows The
spirits OF everyone at the Russian
court. This is the reason whv the
annual visit to Copenhagen or Frpdeus-
borg is 50 eagerly anticipated ana so
| Thoroughly enjoyed by the Russian
royal family. At Fred, nsborg Al
though the emperor is guarded nv A
considerable force Of detectives they
are not in evidence: and during his
stay he is accompanied only by one or
/ two aideS-de-r camp who are r-nc-al1v
personal friends. The crtraor,,;norv
feature about nihilsm in Russia is the
extent 10 which the upper classes
synpathiZe with the efforts Of tba in
: tellectual prOlet3riat to bring the
/ present system to ar END. The czar
never knows who are his friends and
who his enemies. An abiding sensa ,f
distrust is the result. and hence the
passionate affection that his uaiastv
feels for his wife. whose faithful
counsel and patient sympathy ara the
bright spots in one OF the saddest ,ivas
in Europe