El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-08
FRENCH WRITER
FINDS GZARIHA
HARD At WORK
Russian Royal Family Al
most Whole Time in Hos
pital Among Wounded.
CONVALESCENTS ARE
FOND OF DANCING
by Ia RACONTEUsE.

! -ARIS, France. Jan SHINE Marke-
witch, young French widow. bet
- ter known under her nom de
plume. Amele ,de Merry. now travelling
I in Russia, has had the honor OF being
received in private audience by the
czarina.
4 found her majesty, % Nine Marko-
witch writes. 'in small room adjoin-
ing the operating room of the military
hospital at Czarskoe Selo. where she
has worked for many hours every day
during the last four months, with her
, four daughters
THE czarina, who wore the white
uniform Of a sister OF mercy, with the
red cross on her sleeve and a white
hood completely framing her head, was
standing at the other side OF the room
as I entered. but she came forward and
held out her hand 10 me in the most
charmingly informal manner. The
white hood enhanced the regularity Of
-~the features OF her charming face,
which no one who has ever seen il will
ever forget, and the old expression Of
sadness and fatigue known from near
" all recent photographs Of her mai
esty had given way 10 an expression Of
gentleness and sweet hopefulness.
Is Cordially Greeted.
with a charming smile she took my
hand and told me she was very happy
to receive representative of the WON
en- Of France, who, like their sisters in
Russia. had so bravely borne their bur
den of anxiety during this cruel war
Let me introduce you to my daugh-
ters, she said as soon as I thanked her
for granting me an audience This is
Tatiana-'
Grand Duchess Tatiana also shook
hands NTH me- nd said e
much interested in meeting a woman
journalist for the first time She is a
beautiful girl, with big blue eyes, full
Of life, Illuminating her fair, young
face.
AT this moment the door opened and
a young girl. also in the garb Of a sis
ter of mercy, entered the room.
And here is Olga. my little French
daughter said the cZarina.
Grand duchess Olga is no less beau
tiful and charming than her younger
sister, but she is more calm and there
is something Of the serenity OF the
ferred to her stay in Paris, it seemed
TO me as If a dreamy expression came
into the daughters dark soulful eyes.
Colonel de Fitchkowsky will in
ters, said the czarina, as she parted
from me 10 take up her duties IN the
operating room and once more felt
the firm grip of her hand.
lie LHO niue 5Lallu QlClltSe6Ss MA
RE and Anastasia, were in the conva-
descent ward. I found that both. wear
ing plain white dresses and red hats
standing close to an officer who, seat
ed on the window sill, was playing the
balalaika- They both shook hands with
me and the music went on
who is going to dancer asked Ma
dame DOusehkine of two other officers
standing near their cOmrade who was
playing. None Of them seemed inclined
to dance and both murMured excuses
They are merely bashful.' said Ma
dame Douschkine TO me; all our con-
valescent officers are fine dancers,
even some who have only one leg. To-
day they are lazy, but you shall not go
back to France to tell that you did not
see a Russian dance
she gathered up her dress and, with
infinite charm between the rows Of
beds, she went through one Of the
beautiful folk dances Of her people,
v hile the little grand duchesses laugh
ed and applauded her.
Proud of Her Gay Courage.
Madame said Madame Dousch-
kline when she finished another dance,
I am so years old. my husband is a
prisoner IN Germany, one OF my sons
has fallen, and for a long time I have
no news OF. the other. who is in our
flying corps, while my third and
youngest boy is a patient in this hos
pital and has Just passed through a
dI eadful operation. and still can
dance-you may write that to your pa
per II you like
d" Most assuredly 7 shall write it.
said, for there is nothing that the peo-
pie Of France admire more than gay
courage, because we think it is the
shortest and suresU way to victory.