Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-28

car and the czartna made the pilgrimage
by the advice Of Vladimir, the metropolitan
patriarch of the Greek church-the hlghest
ecclesiastical authority in the country-who
told them that such an act OF veneratlon
would undoubtedly be rewarded by the
birth of a son. How the czarina who was
brought up q Protestant, and Is regarded as
a very sensible woman. could have been IN
duced to go through this performance is
difficult to explain. The public were not
aware Of the facts at the time. The I'M
peria1 couple were supposed to be resting
in one of their country retreats while dis-
guised in the garb Of pilgrims; they were
actually making their way on foot to the
shrine Of the holy man, distance of more
than a hundred miles. Both OF them re-
NAMED there for week or 80, praying TOT
at mass every morning with other pilgrims.
Upon their return to the capital the car
ordered the Monk Seraphime to be canon
ICED. and the latters name now appears at
the orthodox Greek church. A few months
later Alexis, heir to the throne Of Russia,
was born. He is now lusty youngster
nearly two years old.
The Charlatan Phillip.
When this incident leaked out 1t shook
the confidence Of the thinking people Of
Russia In their sovereign more than any
thing else that has ever occurred. Alex
ander III had repeatedly refused to canon
lie Seraphime, although there is no doubt
that the monk lived a life Of purity and
piety and Is quite as much entitled to can
onization as others whose names are In the
catalogues of saints. No saint in the Rus
sian calendar Is more highly venerated and,
as have said, the peasant women Of Rus
STA Always pray to him. and If possible
make pilgrimages to his tomb when they
want children. st. seraphime was a monk
of the Orthodox Greek Church. who lived in
the earlier part of the seventeenth century.
These proceedings, however, were digni-
fed and commendable compared to those IN
clairvoyant, was involved. The high society
of Russia, particularly the women. Is ex-
ceedingly superstitious and adores mys-
teries. Conjurors, sfeight-of-hand perform
ers, clairvoyants. fortune-tellers. palmists
and other members Of the occult professions
find the large Russian cities profitable
field to work in. and are generously patron
lied by the nobility. the aristocracy and
of the most successful charlatans that ever
gained an entree to this circle. He must
have been a man OF remarkable genius In
his line. while his audacity Is beyond COM
parison He told the fortune Of every per-
son of distinction at the Russian court: his
delineations Of character and his knowledge
Of the secret history Of the ladies and gen.
tlemen were astonishing. and as mind
reader he must have been q great success.
Chatted With Spirits.
Philipi was introduced at Peterhof by
the Princess Militia Of servia, wife of the
Grand Duke Peter Nikolaievich. cousin OF
the car, and her sister. Stana, wife Of the
Duke OF Leuchteuburg. His revelations
were amazing, and his majesty had such
faith in him that he kept Phillip at the pal
ace all the time, consulting him daily and
often several times day about everything
Of importance. PhiHtpi was especially &C
tive about the beginning OF the Japanese
war, and the belligerent element ef court
found him an important ally. He was in
the habit Of calling up the spirit Of Alexan-
der III for consultation concerning the af-