New-York tribune., 1918-05-25
An Empress and Some Others
Book News and MISCELLANY

Inc thought OF Nicholas III marry
ing German princess was not received
with favor by either court society or
by the nation, as such an alliance
princess was reputed to be q strong
minded woman, whereas the heir-ap-
parent was known for his absolute lack
of character and his vRcillation, 1t was
feared that his wife might attain too
much influence over him, and through
that influence the Grand Duke Sergius
who was one of the most hated and un-
popular men in Russia and the hus-
band of Alexandra's sister, become a
power at the Russian court. The au-
thor believes that great deal of the
ness began in her first winter at St.
Petersburg, partly because of her not
having. good advisers appointed who
might have been of great help to her,
as she was very ignorant of Russian
life. and partly, also. because. owing
to the death of Alexander III and the
subsequent Fastening Of her marriage
there had been no time in which to
prepare suitable apartments for the
imperial couple, and they wero forced
to occupy Nicholas's former bachelor
Dowager Empress. In such small
household there was bound to be cer-
tain amount of servants gossip, and
this gossip reached higher than the
backstairs and contributed great deal
to the Czarina's reputation of being
headstrong and Of capricious tenn
per, a reputation which was to harm
her later on in public opinion. She
would not allow any one to advise or
criticise her, and it was in that first
winter that. she withdrew entirely
Consequently the Dowager Empress
and the imperial family had gone over
to the side of her too numerous en-
emies.
In those days Alexandra was most
anxious to become popular, but because
Of her natural diffidence, lack of tact
in showing when people bored her. and
her sarcasm, her efforts only tended to
prejudice the people against her. AL
exandra Feodorovna made few friends
until after the Japanese war, and then
did not choose as wisely as she might
have done. But she was guided mainly
by her elder sister, the Grand Duchess
Elizabeth, a clever ana ambitious wom-
an, who made a pretence Of being alb
sorbed in the religion of the Orthodox
faith. It was she who introduced vari-
GUS I'M ediums," among them Rasputin,
to the Czarina and the imperial family.
Besides being very superstitious, the
Czarina also believed in miracles and
would worship any dirty relic, and the
influence which Rasputin had over her
was because of this weakness, she be-
lieving him to be one of the greatest
saints in the Russian Orthodox Church
and so falling an easy prey to the adj
,yenturer. Nine. Mouchanow rather
thought that the murder Of Rasputin
was due to the idea held by the peo-
Pile that as long as he lived the En-
press would be able to influence the
Emperor and if Alexandra could be
separated from Nicholas II the prestige
of the dynasty would be recovered
There was great contrast between
the nrivate life and the public life of
the Czarina, as in the former the En-
press was most simple in her tastes
and orderly in her habits, and was de-
voted TO many charities, in which she
was often misunderstood. There was
listing between the Czarina and her
husband, both enjoying the outdoor
life they were denied in St. Petersburg
and so spending more and more time
at Tsarskoe-Selo Palace, and it was
here that the former Empress was ar
rested by the Provisional Government,
and from here sent into exile. They
were most affectionate couple, in
fact. almost bourgeois" for powerful
sovereigns, and extremely fond Of their
children.
Nine. Mouchanow's impressions Of
the Czarina are absolutely without
prejudice, writing as she only found
her., sweet. good woman and fond
mother, but also much misunde--
stood woman possessing a disposition
destined always to be misunderstood.
She; unfortunately, was overpowered
BY, her position as Empress, life far
different from the one she had pre-
viously lived at Darmstadt, and main
tanned a reserve for which she was
bitterly reproached. Aside from the
personal interest and the authentic
narrative of the life of the former
Czarlna, there is more or less political
value attached to the book. as this is
the first detailed and authoritative
effort at denying that the Empress was
feat Of Russian arms. The author is
inclined to believe that Mile. Schnei-
DER, the only attendant the Czarina
brought from Darn stadt, was possibly
IN touch with the German govern
ment. AS Nine. Mouchanow saws:
Mile. Schneider could enter the apart
ments Of her mistress whenever she
liked. She was the medium through
whom Alexandra Feodorovua communi-
Gated with her relatives IN Germany, to
whom she always felt afraid to write
by post, and she was also the one and
only person with whom the Empress
spoke German, but l shall not take it
upon myself to say whether or not she
gave to the German government infor-
nation it would have been better to
have withheld" n. A. Fl.