The Washington herald., 1911-02-03

Nowhere in Europe among royalty mas
the element Of intimate and unostenta-
tious family life played so predominant
a part as in Russia, where the raising of
the four daughters of the Car and Car
ina. the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tauana,
Maria. and Anastasia, has been attended
by circumstances so peculiar in court
life as to produce in those children an
example of practically new departures in
the educatio of royal offspring.
This may have been due to the fact
that the four girls. coming before the
yearned-for heir to the throne. were not
very welcome arrivals. When the first
child (Grand Duchess olga was born to
the imperial pair. in 1886. the Car said
to his courtiers. assembled at Peterhoff
palace to congratulate their sovereign:
II am very glad that our child is girl.
Had it been a boy. il would have be-
lcnged to the people; but, being a girl.
she belongs to u.s.
These words gave the keynote for the
plan of the upbringing of the child and
of that of her sisters when they arrived.
Had a son been born first. the fate of
these girls might have been quite differ
ent. But, as it was the four sisters from
their infancy were reared in and con-
stantly surrounded by an atmosphere of
home life. Their education is supervised
personally by the Czarina, their mother.
The two older children. Olga and Tatiana,
inherit from their mother fondness for
music and both play well. All OF their
gowns are made according to the Gar
mas own ideas. Usually the four girls
are dressed in white. exactly alike, and
their hair is arranged in the same way,
brushed straight back from their fore
heads.
English is the language generally used
by the members of the Cars family
when by themselves, often also German,
although, of course, the children con-
verse quite f1uentIy in French, heretofore
the language of all Of the courts of Eu-
rope All had the same governess-Miss
Eager, an English woman-a gentle, but
clever little woman, whom all of the lit
tie ones adored.
The girls had but few playmates. apart
from their own family. their royal cousins
or children of one Of the relatives of
their parents abroad. Left most Of the
time to themselves. the children join
their mother in her pastimes whenever
this is possible, and I hear that amateur
photography especially is one of the
things of which they are very fond.
Olga, like a great many other children
who have been the firstborn, always has
been the most selfwiIled and impetuous.
Maria, on the contrary. is the person.
ification of sweetness and unselfshness.
She is so frequently held up as model
and an example to her three sisters that
she has been nicknamed the 'step-sister." :"
A neat little story was told me by a
lady member Of the Russian Embassy in
a foreign capital bearing on this sub
ject It appears that one day when no
one was noticing Maria at tea time she
helped herself to some cake which was
served to the older persons present. anr
began to gobble II down as fast as she
could. With her mouth still full, she
looked up at Miss Eager, who had en-
tered to take her from the table and said:
I've eaten it all up. You can't get
II now" The Empress felt that Maria
should be punished for this. 80 her nurse
was told to take her OF to bed. But
the Emperor interyened, saying he had
always feared that Maria would be grow-
ing wings, and he was glad to zee that
after all she was only human child.
To casual observer the Cars children
appear a. full OF frolio as girls in Amer
ica, ana in the nursery and the household
apartments of the palaces they are -
ingenious. - irrepresstble, And often
quite - elmbafrAssinG - children eyeey.
Vh6a On ono ooca6ton, oovoea1 vo1so