South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-10

mediate attendance on his person.
and their desertion was TO add 10 his
sorrows in no small way. Strange
TO say, il was those to whom he had
not shown himself particularly grac-
ious. but whom. on the contrary, he
had rather avoided on account of
the frankness with which they had
expressed 10 him their opinions,
who proved faithful when the peo-
pie whom he had loaded with fav-
ors turned their backs upon him and
left him to his fate.
Among the officials intrusted with
the management Of the imperial
household Count Benckendorff and
Prince Dolgoroukon (whose family
must not be confused with that Of
! the Princess DolgOrOuky, which is
one quite differently occupied prom
} inent positions. The former a man
already advanced in years. is the
son of one of the most trusted
j friends and advisors of Nicholas III
and Of a princess of Croy, belonging
/ TO the French branch of that illus
triOus family. He is the brother Of
/ the late Russian ambassador at the
court of st. James, who was very
much persona grata with King
! George and Queen Mary.
The Benckendorffs were never
rich. and in his youth Count Paul,
Of whom 1 am speaking. found great
difficulty in meeting the many ex-
penses inseparable from the life of
| a fashionable member Of Russian
society, especially at a time when
I that gay coterie INDUCED in every
degree of extravaganza. It must be
said TO his credit that he never con-
tracted any debts or allowed himself
TO be drawn into the many embar-
easements which at the period to
which | am referring seemed almost
daily occurrence among the smart
set of St Petersburg, as PetrOgrad
was then called. The leanness of his
purse prolonged almost beyond the
limits of human patience his en-
gagernent TO one Of the most beau
tifuI women in the Russian capital,
| the Princess Mary DOlgOrOuky, at
whose feet he worshipped for some
thing like 20 years, if not more.
She. a widow, was also poorly en-
dowed with worldly goods.
At last a kind friend put in
word in Count Benckendorff' favor
at court. This happened after the
death Of Car Alexander III, and the
latters son and successor took pity
on the lovers. whose best years had
been spent in such weary waiting.
/ The new car gave Count Bencken-
dorff an appointment in his house
| hold and a salary which allowed
| him at last 10 be united to the OBJ
| iect Of his long-standing affections
/ Ii was the first time that this ap-
pointment had been given to a Rus
sian Catholic, 10 which faith Count
Benckendorff belongs. and as a re-
suit Nicholas II was accused BY the
ltra-conserVatives in Russia OF hav-
| ing forgotten the tradition requir
| ing that all posts which brought
| their holders into immediate con-
\ tact with the sovereign should be
filed by persons belonging TO the
! established Orthodox Greek church.
/
what he owed 70 his imperial mas
ter. Thus, when the latter was
brought back a captive 10 Tzarskoie
Selo, and when the sentries station
| ed at the gates OF the palace were
ordered not TO salute him any
more. the count, dressed in full uni
form, with all his orders and medals,
awaited the former car at the bot
tom OF the great staircase of the
| castle and received him with all OF
the old-time evidences of respect.
During the i've months that the car
was kept in his favorite residence
Benckendorff applied himself 10
smooth down for his one-time i'm
perial master as many annoyances
as could possibly be alleviated, and
though compelled 10 manage the
imperial household according to a
routine quite different from that OF
former times-za routine demanding