The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1909-12-08
A QUEEN OF TEARS.
DESIGNATION WELL FITS DOW
AcER EMPRESS OF RUSSIA.
Well Loved in Her Adopted Land, She
Has Had Few bright Moments
Since Her Aarriase to
Late Gar.

No other royal lady in Europe has
more claim to the title "A Queen OF
Tears" than the Dowager Empress OF
Russia, and the brightest moments OF
her life now are during her yearly
visits TO England as the guest of her
sister, Queen Alexandra.
She was little more than child
when she became betrothed to the
then czarevitch, but before the mar
rage could take place her fiance was
stricken down with a mortal illness.
He summoned the princess and his
younger brother TO his bedside.
Marry her" ne said 20 his broth
or, joining their hands. IT is my dy-
ing request And you,i my dearest,
you will be empress Of Russia all the
same. Your destiny will be accomp-
lisheo."
A few years after this marriage had
taken place her tather.in-law, the En-
peror Alexander H., was blown al
most 10 pieces il the streets OF St
Peters burg. This horrible tragedy
brought home 10 her the daily, almost
hourly, danger 10 which she and Der
husband lived.
She resolved. therefore, never 10 al
low her husband TO appear III public
if she could possibly help il without
beng herself at MS side. She telt
that ner best way Of shielding Lin
from assassination was 10 give him
The protection Of her presence
And indeed, she IS regarded with
superstitious reverence by the Rus
siabs. Many Of the poorer Classes are
firmly Convinced that she is surround
&c by host OF guardian angels, and
she has been spoken Of as The tomb
proof empress"
The enpeTor's nerves had been SO
shattered and his health so under
mined by the shock Of his fathers
assassinatiOn that his reign was prac-
tically 4 Flow death. The unhappy
empress vas IN despair. Hoping that
a change Of air might DC good she bur
rie0 her husband of to the palace at
LiVa0ia il the Crimta.
At the same tine arrangements were
Mastered Tor the oetrothal OF The still
unmarried CzaTevitob Nicholas The
Princess Alix OF Hesse was cbo,tn as
the future empress, and few days
after the dying emperor had received
her lie breatbed his last, and the
brave empress vas d wioow.
The pext great horror that eIgulfed
her TOOK place at the coronation of
bsr son, the present Emperor Nicholas.
all. a4 20 hx
distributed among the poorer classes
| Of MOSCOW, where the coronation took
! place. Eager Groves began 10 assem-
| ble the previous night OIL the knoGin-
| .Ey plain. BY the next morning the
| crowds had assumed enoFmous pro
portions, ard through the broken
ground and the faulty arrangements
hey became uncOntrollable, and q
| great panic epsutd. Nearly fifteen
| bunCreC people wer. crushed to death
and many bunGreds were injured.
! TIE oowaleI empress, as,-soe bad
| ncv become. hurried from the cor
! onltior Festivities and went roucd the
! charity at Sentleness. the suterinss
| e. the victims OF this awful calamity.
/ Or TIE same evening q much-tslkesi-
Of bsli took place al the
| FreIch embassy ard. instead of re.
! guessing that ii should be postponed.
| tbe new emperor and empress attend.
eG in full state.
This csllous Indifference mace tben
very unpopular, while the tender care
| The oowsger empress took OF the sur
vivOrs produced IN impression.
she has nov no fears Tor herself.
! but few can know the ssonies She
| suffers on account OF her son and biz
| wife and their children.