The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-12-10
SISTER OF THE
CzARINA A nun
With Fortune of $15,000,000 She
Is Worker in Sums

NHioHe' Sne moves Quietly among the
novels of the great cities of Russia, so
beautiful and so miserable. She is the
Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia,
widow of the Grand Duke Sergius OF
Russia, uncle of the ear. who was
killed i'm Moscow in 1906 when social
revolutionist hurled bomb into his
carriage. She is in England now Wis
itinS with another sister Princess
Louise of Battenberg.
The grand duchess escapes public
notice because she is a nun and takes
no part in social functions. Formerly
regarded as one of the most beauti-
tul women in Europe, her face now
bears signs of the ascetic life she
leads. Before her husbands tragic end
the Grand Duchess Elizabeth was one
of the gayest and most care free and
nOn-religious women i'm Russia. But
that event sobered her life and led her
into the Orthodox Greek church from
which she had hitherto held aloof. She
introduced a new form OF convent life
into her adopted country, modelled after
Mercy working in this country. The
Russian nun is supposed to devote
herself entire to prayer and does not.
as 4 rule undertake charitable work.
Revives Old Order.
The grand duchess revived in Rus
STA an ancient order known as "Hab-
itation' for the furthering of charitable
works. Ii was to be carried on by sis
tiers who should promise TO live only
for good works, but should not take
religious VOWS. She opened the "Habi.
tatiOn Of Mary and Martha" in Mos
COW. the city in which her husband
held sway as governor general and the
one in which he paid with his life for
his cruel measures of repression
against The people.
The ceremony of dedication was a
gorgeous one. The central figure was
the grand duchess herself With her
were two beautiful young princesses,
everything was done to increase the
solemnity of the dedication. An an
Gent dress worn in Russia "A thousand
years ago was revived by the duchess.
Everything was snow white. The head
dress called apostolic" white linen
Kerchief and above this n long white
linen cloth which falls on both sides
20 the waist line. was worn. ON the
breast hung an eight-pointed cross
with the etligies of Christ and Of the
Virgin on one side and those OF Mary
and Martha on the reverse.
Visits Thieves Dens.
ROBBED thus and surrounded by a
brilliant assembly of priests of the
Greek Catholic church, officers and
high officials of the army and state, the
grand duchess was consecrated for
the work in Moscow. Immediately af
ter the ceremony the duchess made
a round of the slums and thieves dens
of Moscow and TO prove the genuine
ness OF her conversion went down
upon her knees in her snowy robes and
washed a dirty floor in the Stun dis
trict. The order now has A. sisters, all
Of noble birth, of whom Is have taken
the final VOWS.
The Grand Duke Sergius seems to
have been an unprincipled man, who
was thoroughly hated by the Russian
common people. lie was the richcs.
Of all the Romanon grand dukes. He
lived ON his salary as governor of
Moscow, boarded his vast private in
come and added largely to his fortune
by various ruuguish enterprises. To-
day the grand duchess has command
of sl5.OO0,OU0 aud il has enabled her
10 add many charitable works to give
to many charities.
In Feminist Movement.
Not long after her husbands death |
Grand Duchess Elizabeth spent several |
months incognito in Europe attending |
meetings, specially in London |
and associating with the leaders both |
there and in Paris ON her return to |
Russia she began to express her ideas |
till the car. hearing some new ex-
preston that had escaped her lips sent |
'or her.
What does this mean" he asked,
repeating her words, to the effect that
women should have equal social and |
political right with men. Though she
saw that the ear was genuinely an
cry with her. she put up a bold front
and answered:
1T means that think women should |
Dc freed from the political slavery in
which they have been kept for CEN
uries. You men have had enough of
his monopoly"
Then YOU are a sutfragette?" asked
he astonished czar.
Yes. But not "A militant one" the
grand duchess replied. Il believe we
women will get what we want by in
luence and not by disorder"
"lm Sufragist,' Tells Czar.
When later the car heard that she
1ad held meeting in her palace and
'ead paper to the assembled women
n sympathy with suffragism. he again
sent for her. This time he told her he
'ould not have her expressing those dis
urbing ideas in st. Petersburg She
must go away and refrain from spread
ng so dangerous "a doctrine In st. Pc
.ersburg.
IL think "A woman can find plenty to
10 I'm a nunnery." the car is said to
have remarked. Suppose you go TO