Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1913-12-25

Itself. Trepon was one of her favor
ties, and she danced delightedly will
him, And yet beneath all her san!
souci exterior there dwelt a deeply
moved soul of human companion. Sht
was, 1t is sure, deeply sorry for hel
husband. And pity is akin to love
The Moscovites had an instinct of this
On the few church and ceremonial
days when the Grand Duke Serge
drove out from the Krem2in the Grand
Duchess Elisabeth sat b. : de him. and
they returned safe
| AS the political black cfouds weigh
ed down more and more threateningly
on the governor of Moscow the car
In st. Petersburg was advised to abol-
ish the office. This was decided on;
and one February morning Serge was
driving out in a single horse closed
carriage to pay a final poor prendre
congo" call on one of the successors
to part of his authority when the
young student, Kalaieff, threw the
bomb that killed master and coach
man together In a few minutes the
Grand Duchess, bareheaded and wrap
ped in pelisse, darted across the
snow and knelt by what remained in a
blood-drenched cloak of her husband.
A day later, again bareheaded, she
walked through the snow-clad streets
at the simple funeral of the coachman
taking her place side by side with his
nd ho 70 nf
people. She went to see Kalaieff in
prison and begged in simple, pitiful
way to be told why the young man
killed her husband. Kalaieff remained
unmoved by this appeal, but her own
distress brought tears to his eyes. He
would not ask for pardon, although
she said to him, stretching out her
hands, that She herself as a Christian
woman pardoned him, and would pray
for him to God.
1t is from that tragic day that the
Grand Duchess put this world behind
her and fixed her whole being on the
consultations of religion. For many
months she lived in complete seclu
sion. Then Trepoff, who had been
transferred to st. Petersburg as gov
nor and had beaten down the angry
population, had himself fallen in dis
grace and died of sheer exhaustion and
an overweight heart. The czar and
his family were cruising at the time,
mates at the court would, return to
stand by Trepoff's grave. The .czar
even signified that the occasion need
not be recognized, but the. Grand
Duchess Elisabeth defed his will,
She left her retirement in Moscow,
came to st. Petersburg and attended
every one of the elaborate services
for the dead held beside Trepoff's
collins. and stood by while it was put
in its grave. ..,. |
When she returned to Moscow she
gave her mind to organizing her re-
ligious life into system. At first
she took the regular VOWS of a nun
of poverty chastity and obedience. |
Then in large, bare house outside
the Kremlin gates she started on the
of a Convent of Mary and |
Marta. At first ten ladies of high |
Russian families worked under, her
Their day began at Z in: the morning !
with prayer. Later they occupied |
themselves with needlework for the |
aged poor and for the sick in hos
pitfalls, and they were taught the dis
pensing of simple medicines. Since |
then the numbers in the convent |
have grown to about thirty Some
Of them go out reading to the bedrid-
den; and the Grand Duchess herself
performs the duty of wash
ing the dead. There are no servants
whatever in the convent. All the
work is done by the aristocratic sis
ters themselves.
AS Mother Superior the Grand
Duchess has four rooms. At first
some of her followers thought that
ler complete devotion might pass
away as her personal sorrow was soft
ened by time. But the travail of her
soul is leading her rather to more
complete abnegation of earthly CON
Germs. She attends all the severe
hight services of the Russian Ortho-
1ox church where prayers of interces-
sion are said. One of the sisters of
he convent has mentioned to her fam
ly how the Mother Superior the
Grand Duchess, on returning from tire
hight service, pins an ikon over her
bed and again prays alone before it.
At times the life of Serge's widoR
seems to suggest remote parallel
with that other fate-crossed imperial
the Empress Elizabeth of
Austria. With both great beauty and
physical health bore them till middle
ife through years of what seemed
complete enjoyment of this world,
md then came sudden turning aside
But with the Russian Elisabeth this
las been marked by no failing of the
mental faculties. Women like the
1rand Duchess Serge make their
'hoice definitely and with serene vi
ion. Even among the Moscow poor,
Us they see her tall, graceful figure in
Ter white robe moving actively and
among their dwellings,
here is just a silent look of recogni.
ion. They know of her vows and, like
Ill the other Russians, see in her a
,yoDoop uho will 1.-Two For +bo 400. - |