The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-10-04

news bureau. From the various frag-
mentary reports 1t has become known
that the cZarlna, who had come to
Russia with lofty ideals and a liberal
western education, is an invalid and a
martyr, alone In the palace of the
car, misunderstood and tormented
with melancholy and fear
Now a chronicler, intimately famIl.
lar with the home life Of the Russian
car, has described wildly the suffer
ings Of the woman who had hoped to
reform the Russian car and the Rus
Nan land, and 1t may be said without
exaggeration, that Alexandra Feodo-
pyna Is today the unhappiest of all
queens.
Princess Alice of Hesse-D armstadt,
according to the biographer of the
csarins, lived amid ideal and idyllic
Surroundings throughout her child
hood The small, good looking prin-
cess, dressed as beautifully as her
dolls, was told that the flowers daily
presented her were so beautiful and
Migrant for her sake, and that when
ss was crying, the little flowers were
Au shedding tears, and when she
va laughing, the little flowers were
End hearted and obedient, and she
GM she could to refrain from cry
iS, for she recalled that every tear
drop Of hers would cause 30 much
pain to all those who loved her.
But the tears she repressed in her
childhood days she is shedding now
within the walls of the palace, as the
queen Of the long suffering Russian
people. Being of a sensitive, impress
sonable and artistic nature, the prin-
cess was deeply interested in the best
lind Of literature. She familiarized
herself with the most important
works Of the masters of fiction In Eu.
rope and she even made some at
ienpts at writing poetry and dramas.
As she was frail, the physicians
feared that she was undermining her
health by devoting most Of her time
70 books, and she was told that her
health was more important than all
he books In the world, and then for
the first time she learned that she
was not free. The books we're now Sc.
lected for her by physicians and she
was permitted to read only a very
limited number Of such books. To
While her time away she took up the
Hldy Of drawing. and soon showed
considerable talent In that direction.
Little by little she commenced to
aotiee the life beyond the boundary
o her fairyland; she saw the life Of
ue people who were suffering and
uarVing, and she learned that what
was new to her was not new to her
Alner, to her mother, to her aunts,
all those who lived c~ontented in her
laryland Of luxury. And she began to
OAK herself the question which she
US FOR a long time unable to nswer
now can they all remain care free
'na 90 shamelessly cheerful when be-
yoad the windows of this palace is
ta1f"
rfincess Alice became the czarina
Z Russia. She came to the Russian
sna at a time when the people. ex-
aaus'ed by the burden of absolutism,
,se returning from the funeral of
A'eaander Ill, and we're hopefully
ssiuhs for a more merciful reign on
y part of the new car, Nicholas,
liberal,
me FIRST day Of the new reign was
-srkeo by the Khodinka tragedy, |
h thousands of people lost their
MN amid the festivities. The tragedy
.aoe a profound impression upor the
.srlna' 1t seemed to her a forebod.
Oh a terrible future.
ae superstitious inclinations and
A. aneSses Of the car, manifested in
ssserness for a male heir to the
aatoid grief.
sne mad to obey the orders OF va.
' e~narlatans who were welcome
tus ns Of the car. And the in
os directed against her in the