The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-06-28

WV possible occasion is general
ly looked upon rs bed2g ex-
clusively American, yet in one Respect,
at least, Russian women beat the
American women out and out. Among
the Russian aristocrats the custom OF
giving and collecting Easter eggs IS
universally followed, and some women
have carried it to an almost extraVa-
CANT extent.
Both the do,Eager empress Of Russia
and the young czarina have become
collectors Of Easter eggs, and their
collections in point of bRth value and
extent greatly excel those of other
wealthy Russian women, and as the
custom is widespread in Russia that
is saying a good deal.
Among court circles it seems that
there is an unwritten law which has
existed from time immemorial that the
reigning car shall give the czarina
an Easter egg containing some valu-
able gift, which usually takes the form
Of a reproduction of some recent not
able event worked in precious metals
and jewels.
Alexander I'LL, the father Of the
present czar, never failed to observe
the custom, and the result is that the
dowager empress has some magnifi-
cent eggs among her collection. One
Of the eggs given her by her husband
the one she prizes more highly than
any other-is made Of ivory and con-
tains miniature ship made Of solid
gold mounted on beryl stone. 1t is
said that the goldsmith spent more
than nine months in making it.
Its intrinsic value, however, is by no
means the thing that appeals to the
empress herself. Its true value to her
lies in the fact that it is a souvenir Of
the happy termination Of what had
been a most trying and anxious ordeal
for her.
1t seems that the present car, Nicho-
las H., had a most unreasonable love
affair when a boy. The car, his fa-
ther, insisted upon his visiting the con-
tinent, hoping that his ardor might be
somewhat cooled in that way. Around
the world Nicholas was accordingly
sent, and, as expected, the voyage
proved that the saying absence makes
the heart grow fonder" is not universal
ly true, for when the young prince re-
turned his love had died out. Never
theless the empress grieved greatly
over the affair, which had been some
what Of a shock to society, and it was
a long time before she was really sat-
isfed that the danger was passed. AS
a souvenir Of their happy escape from
what had at one time seemed about to
end in royal scandal the car present
ed his wife on the following Easter
with the miniature gold ship, which
was a perfect representation Of that
in " lich the young prince had made
his tour of the world, complete in every
detail, even the smallest cable being
accurately reproduced.
Among the present czarina's collec-
ton is large golden egg enameled in
rose color, containing small but per-
feet model Of the state carriage in
which the young couple were driven to
the Cathedral Of Moscow on the day Of
their wedding. The model is made Of
gold, with red enamel cushions, and
little silver curtains are suspended on
golden wires, while on the panels the
imperial crown is 1nlaid in beautiful
diamonds and other precious stones.
This egg was given to the czarina at
Easter Of her coronation year.
Not long ago the czarina received
from her husband as an Easter present
a jeweled heart set in rare many COL
ored stones. This heart was surround
ed by twenty-five tiny miniatures of
the members of the Russian royal fam
lily. The Easter egg collections Of the
empress and the czarina were exhib-
tied at the Paris exposition, with the
rest of the crown jewels, and they
were much admired.
In all, the young czarina has over
125 different eggs, many Of them hay
ing been given to her when she was a
child. The collection of the empress
dowager Is somewhat smaller, but con-
tains some ninety-flve beautiful speci-