Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-24
PRINCE OF MONTENEGRO
FATHER TO HIS PEOPLE - CALLS
SUBJECTS BY CHRISTIAN NAMES.

Helene yscaresco In the Outlook
The Poet-Queen of Rounania is not the
only sovereign In Europe who writes verse
and leads an intellectual life. Less known
than Carmen sylvia, Nicholas 1. reigning
prince of Montenegro. may claim the at
tention OF cultivated minds. Indeed. the
great friendship by which his royal high
ness honors the writer of these lines has
sprung from literary intercourse. The
prince is real poet. and some of his
dramas dealing with the incidents OF Mon
tenegrin history might at any time thrill
an audience and win real success for their
author The Prince of Montenegro sue
ceeded his uncle when he was stu quite
youth. and broke up his studies In Paris
rather abruptly to take possession of the
throne left vacant by the oecease of his
uncle. From that day the prince and his
beautiful wife, Princess Milena. devoted
themselves to the welfare of their subjects,
Cettinje, IL one of the smallest among Eu-
ropean capitals. Is not one of the less pic
turesque The shrfll whistle of railway en-
gines has not yet broken the peace and
freshness that reign in Its pure mountain
air. Many traits of modern civilization re-
main unknown to the dauntless sons OF the
Tchernagora (Black mouutains), and In
many features their customs and their
character resemble those OF the ancient
Scotch clans. The prince is far more the
father OF his subjects. the chieftain Of his
warriors, than their ruler. He wears the
national garb and on state occasions tall
white plume attached to his purple cap by
q costly diamond jewel. He addresses his
subjects by their Christian names, and ev-
cry one of them calls him father.
The scenery of the Black mountains is
splendid indeed, and leaves a lasting I'M
preston of grandeur and Wild liberty to all
hose whose privilege 1t is to gaze on the
huge rocks and the tiny dark-blue lakes
that border the way leading to Cettlnje.
Nor is the spell broken when one reaches
the princes palace though detail OF
comfort is spared to make the traveller feel
at his in the strange, weird land OF
battle freedom and song. The aspect of
such chieftains as grace the soyeretgns
| table, the handsome and noble countenance
of Princess Mi1ena, the pleasant and spirit
| ed anecdotes related by the prince in fluent
| French and with air of utter simplicity
everything combines to bestow a feeling OF
novelty and warmth. Prince Nicholas be-
| longs to very ancient dynasty indeed,
and by his daughters brilliant marriages
| he Is now allied to almost all the great
| reigning houses In Europe. He was the
| best friend of the late Emperor Alexander
| III of Russia, and the present car shows
| him great affection and filial reverence.
| Our mountains are rugged and bare,
| writes the Prince of Montenegro, but our
| hearts are full lof vigor and fire. The
| prince always cuts conspicuous figure In
| such court ceremonies he is prevailed
| upon to appear in. whether in Italy or in
| Russia. His tall form towers high above
| the crowd, and the brilliant coors of his
costume, the great ease OF his every move
| ment, the glittering row of knives he wears
| in his belt, always make him the center Of
| attention. Lately he stood sponsor to his
| grandson, Umberto, Prince of Piedmont
| and heir to the Italian throne. Queen
| Helena OF Italy. while still young girl.
| spent her time at CettnJe in helping her
| father not only to attend upon the wants
| and demands OF the poor, but also In the
pursuit of his literary labors. Together
| they collected or composed ballads whose
| ardor patriotic feeling and strange orig
| inal beauty have rarely been surpassed IL
| ever equaled. Another of the prince $
| daughters Is married to Russian grand
| duke. a third to the Duke of Leuchtenberg
| fourth to Prince Francis Joseph of Bat
| tenberg, while his eldest daughter, the
| Princess Zorka. who was the wife of the
| present King of Servia, died many years
| ago In giving birth to a son. Princess MI
| lena is very clever and well versed In Eng
| lish and French literature. Her husband
| speaks four languages. and the palace in
Cettinje is a place where books are always
! received and perused with JOY. The prince
| is, moreover, as brave as his subjects and
| loves to hear or to tell the old feats accom-
| pushed by his ancestors or the great heroes
| of his heroic land Two daughters of the
! gifted pair still remain unmarried: their
| grace, goodness and beauty are already
| much spoken of. and they are excellent
| sportswomen. In fact, the reigning family
| of Montenegro is one In which virtue and
| intelligence are we'll cared for and tradition
| is not abandoned. though the prince keeps
| in touch with every intellectual movement
| of the present day.