New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-20
MARIE FEODOROWNA.
The Life of a Russian Empress.

A MOTHER OF Glars Sketch OF the Life of
of Alexander I and Nicholas 1 BY Mrs:
CoIquhoun Grant. limo. PIP 20. E P Dutton
& Co.
Full Of anecdote and personal gossip as It Is
this volume is necessarily entertaining ana
doubly entertaining, In that # deals with q
country with which the thoughts or most IN
telIigent readers are to-day busy. 1t cannot
he regarded as serious history-it belongs to the
sentimental superficial, picturesque class OF
biopranbies which we owe to many facfle 1ernl-
nine writer's Of the period. We need not con-
denim these works, for. inadequate as they may
he they cultivate taste which may be leo 10
something better.
The heroine of the book is Dorotheap BABY
of the year, 1859, the daughter OF Duke Frederic
Eugene Of Wtirtemberg and his VIE Sophla
Dorothea the niece Of Frederick the Great Oh
Prussia She had several little brothers anu
sisters. and her childhood was joyous one in
the Chateau of Montbeliard and in the dukes
country home at Etupes. One Of her playfeHows
of the neighborhood a little countess
t5erriette de Waldner, and Il is from the
letters exchanged between the two through
ont their lives that most Of the material or
This book is drawn AS the Princess Dorothea
grew I'D into an uncommonly pretty maiden she
varied her ronps with good hard STUDY WIN
gardening and poultry raising, with dances ana
theatricals When in 1776 Catherine, the great
Empress Of Russia, sought her in marriage ror
her heir. the Grand Duke Paul, the girl was
delighted 'I am the happiest princess In the
universe" she exclaimed, as she threw herself
into the arms Of her friend Henrfette. What
did the sixteen-year-old child know Of the
gloomy race which was to shape her life?
Her mother had a sharper vision Of the posi-
bilfties which followed the puppets Of imperial
notifies and sobbed aloud "AII sorts Of disasters
happen to the Cars of Russia" The duchess
dutifuIIy suppressed her fears in the presence OF
Dorothea, who had only pleasant antlclpatlons-
There is a charming picture Of the young pr1n-
cees rehearsing court ceremonials and bowling to
empty arrnchairs with view Of acquiring gra-
cIous manners. AS to most Europeans OF her
time. the Semiramis of the North doomed large.
ST am afraid of Catherine" said the girl. II
know I shall be tinid with her, and she Will
think me little fool. I shall be well satisfied
If can succeed in pleasing her as well as the
grand duke
When at seventeen Dorothea became the sec
ond wife Of Paul, she was beauty. She was
tall and stately, with a carriage truly imperial;
her features were delicately perfect, her eyes
and coloring lovely. No wonder that for q time
at least the bitter boorish. i'll trained son or
Catherine set his heart under the feet of the
bright creature who had grown up in the sun
shine of affection and fun. II think 1 may
fatter myself that my intended is much in love
with me- which makes me very happy" wrote
Dorothea In an innocent little letter to her friend
Henriette Two months after the marriage she
conhded to the same faithful bosom that her
husband was a perfect angel" SO that we may
conclude that whatever was good in the gloomy
Russian came forth at the call of his young
wife-who was now, by the way. no longer
Dorothea, but Marie Feodorowna of Russia
Here is the authors picture of the people with
whom the young foreigners lot was cast:
The Russians OF Yesterday as Of today are
CisTn and brutal animal passions Full OF humane
ness and cruelty, of refinement ana codf It!
sons exist in the world than well pred russians
Their nv firms Then remembrances of the
lions brutality comes to check this personal adi
rnJra4ion The Slav appears on the surface ana
isurps the place OF the polished European.
THE women Of the nobility then maintained in
+beir households many Of the customs of the
T-oe+-even to the extent of causing their female
-1o-,os RI sleep under their beds like dogs III
oosa NJ their services being required N the
night"
story IS n sTiu sort of dark cage in corner Of
courI, 49, In which lived slave who served
her as oI AID have taken comb from her drawer
that he might dress n he5 ha[ The Unhappy wretch
nus seuT daylight except when adoThng tne i 80
lid taller He carried IN ms poM 20 u.
OF nis 1pen the family went our OF CoVHI, ~
couhuya har husband endured his company an, anu
sile End NJ his means In their room ioL eed
the SCUM orde- That the world might De qectlEsn
ana ~ he was eighteen years Old Egh L a rs Nc
WIZ: if++e5 10 this treatment, ana When oiTe
MIS- Sraetored 10 liberty at the deiitn -. MS
more lesbb mi and worn like an ola Hlah'
r,. ,,oung grand duchess had not a pleasant
-.h.r,tn-law. That evil old person. Catheriiie
Get was persistentIy jealous and tyrah-
n, , and would brook no homage onereu -
-,.oassors AS her little grandch1idreh ap-
iiel ne sbe took possession of them Allowing
i'es,. ~ no interference from their parents az
naacaote. illustrative OF the fashion Al 49,. 80
uJorress.rnother's Ill treatment OF heF son
raootsd upon vulgar minds is tolo Oh . IL
- PAM and his wife visited Paris' Inc pa-+
'',art one day to see NJ. de la Reynlere M ~
ao,,aottors and when they entered one u -
~oa,,,s man came forward from oilois '
ao1ar.,v and bowed to the grand duke'
r-,ts was M Clerisseau. architect to the Ei'Pte77
OF hu I at,,yned the bow with the ponteness "0
IaeA fajfed him ana moved on. .s h,,,
IT. man barred this way anu a.. P.d The grand
ssVyaat do you want, monsieur N
duke .ou,ize me ruonseigneurf"
ssTosrfectIy monsieur you are M