Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-06-09

saturated with holy water, reverenuy
making the sign of the cross and Of
fering their hands TO the archbishop
to touch with his lips. The trains of
the two expresses. for they it was,
did credit to the lame little dressmaker
from southern Russia.
III While all eyes were thus riyeted on
the imperial ladies, who looked as
though they might be sisters, the car
had already preceded them, observing
| exactly the same ceremonies. But he
had glided In softly and almost i'm
| percepdbly. attired in dark greenish
military uniform. which looked almost
| ugly by comparison with the magnif-
icent uniforms of the courtiers and dig
| nitaries His size, too, was against
him I'm an assembly consisting of men
tall enough TO pass as descendants of
Og. king of Bashan.
On the right hand OF the throne. at
| the open door, stood the grand duch
eSSeS and other ladies. their gracefully
coiled trains In front of them, SO that
| they seemed at that distance like god
desseS resting on clouds tinged with
the gold Of dawn.
The car followed the movements of
the prelate attentively, crossing him
self devOutly and standing the while
between the two expresses, percepti-
bly, the smallest figure of the three.
When the last notes Of the eccleSias-
teal chant had died away two imperial
ladies glided gracefully toward the
throne and took their places in front
Of the open door on the right hand
side. Others also moved toward the
door. the choir boys and inferior clergy
among them, and the Emperor Nicholas
remained quite alone. The car then
passed through the painful ordeal of
walking the whole length OF the hall,
the cynosure of all eyes. He moved
slowly and somewhat fitfully, evident
ly keenly conscious that every eye was
fixed upon him. l saw his father in
similar circumstances and admired the
mixture of ease and dignity which |
characterized him, but II must be ad |
mitted that the conditions were very |
different, although apparently similar. |
The emperor turned occasionally TO the |
right and left, nodding slightly to the |
assembly as he passed, and more often |
to the side where gold embroidered uni
forms sparkled than TO the black mass
of the commoners.
What We're his thoughts at that criti-
cal moment? Did he reflect that he
was having the lists cleared for
political combat the like of which has
not been witnessed for centuries? Did
he realize that the old order of things
hn1 70 hn InlS hot Nfi
those now present had come to abolish
or to demolish it? He passed on with
occasional slight indications of nerv-
BUSINESS, which may have been the re-
suit of momentary embarrassment.
The emperor assembled the throne
with exaggerated slowness and deliber-
alton, as it seemed. and. leaving the
of state lying where it had been
he took a paper from the hand
of the minister of the court and in a
loud, distinct, even voice read his
speech. Every word was audible to the
farthest corners of the spacious hall
When his majesty had ceased speak
ing thunderous applause rent the air
and continued undated for at least ten
minutes without even a momentary
pause. 1t was deafening, unwonted,
eutuuSlaSIlc. but IL came from the
side where stars, ribbons, medals and
gold embroidery dazzled the eye of the I
observer. The peoples representatives I
were silent, morose, motionless. No |
chord in their hearts had been touched I
Of the magnetism which emanates
from leaders of men and takes men |
captive there was no sign in that bril- I
liant assembly. :
In half an hour the whole pageant,
which foreshadowed far resonant
changes in the Russia empire, had fit
ed before the eyes, caressing them for 8
l moment and then vanishing like
iream. The band had, at our end of
he hall, struck up God Save the Car" b
)y way Of accompanying the popular t
applause. and the emperor descended t
he throne, remaining at the lowest a
step until the procession had reformed l
md the regalia had been borne out %
Then he advanced before the two en- d
presses and moved down the throne 70
DOM slowly as before, seemingly b
ouched by the one sided applause
which accompanied him all the way. @
Passing through the door opposite theI O
hrone he disappeared from our view. r