South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-04
BEHIND THE SCENES
With Rulers and Leaders of Wartime Europe
By the Princess Radziwin
By the Princess Rddziwi1

mate. Inc room was essentially
living one, but it did not contain
one single real work of art or pic
ture Of value, and indeed might
have passed for that Of any we'll
TODD woman. But Alexandra was
fond of il, and she hardly ever left
il except 20 take the regular walks
in the park which she considered as
part Of the daily routine of her
existence.
Nichols lis apartments were
rather far away from those occu-
pied by his consort, and the dining
room and one large salon hung up
in pale lilac silk where the sover-
/ eigns receiy ed their guests, before
! dinner, divided them. This dining
room was also simply furnished, but
some Of the carved wood panels
which ornamented its walls came
from an old Spanish convent. and
! had been a present from queen
Ena of Spain 10 her Russian cou-
sins.
The Palace Legend.
There is curious legend con-
nected with this Alexander palace
of Tsarskoie Selo When Alexan-
der III began to build it there was
standing just opposite it's windows a
small hut, belonging 10 an old sol
der. a veteran of the Napoleonic
wars. which had been given TO him
for his life by Alexander /. The
grand duke, as he still was at the
/ time, objected TO the cottage being
| left i'm sight OF his new abode and
/ offered TO have il removed at his
! own expense to some more cOnven-
man refused 10 do, saying that he
had been told by the car to remain
in this one spot until his death, and
/ that he meant TO do so.
! But it was not an easy thing TO
oppose the will of a future emperor
/ of Russia and. i'm spite of the pro-
testations of the owner, the home
that had sheltered him for so many
years was taken down and another
one, far lofrier and handsomer, so
much must be said, was given to
him in exchange. This did not
satisfy him and he died Of a broken
heart very soon after his forcible
election, saying that it would not
bring luck TO the prince who had
caused il 10 be performed, and that
an awful fate was i'm store for him
as a punishment for his injustice
fate which he did not predict, but
which. he added. would befall ev-
cry Romanoff who would live in the
place which they had taken away
from him.
People laughed at this prophecy
for a good many years, and ther
Alexander IL was murdered by
nihilists. His successor never cared
for Tzarskoie Selo which for fam
! lily reasons was obnoxious TO him
and he never once during his :
years reign entered the palace which
had been the favorite residence oil
his father and predecessor on the
throne. But Nicholas ii had be.
come attached to it from the timt
: when he had been doing his mill
tary service in the ranks of the Hus
sars of the guard. whose garrison
was at Tsarskoie Selo, and when hi
4
his residence in that Alexander pal
ace which alone, among the differ
ent ones belonging to him, was APP
to be arranged according TO moderr
ideas. His liking was shared by the
empress, and gradually the imper
, ial couple came to live in it alto
gether, forsaking the winter palace
] nj % Il sr-,I
ing theirs time between it and Liv
,adia in the Crimea
The Prophecy FULFILLED.
No one gave a thought to tn,
prophecy of the old soldier who's,
unjust spoliation was forgotten. anC
it was only the other day that. aft
er the abdication and subsequent
exile in Siberia of Nicholas IL. tina
some one or other remembered i
and spoke about it as of a curiou.
coincidence. 1t is not likely. how
ever, that the fact OF its fulfllmen
Will deter any one DESTROYS of ac
quiring for his own self the former
abode of the last-crowned Roman
off. But probably other reasons
VIII not make II thing easy TO bt
disposed of.
The palace is very expensive {
keep up, and it might come TO be Z
; white elephant in she hands of
person enterprising enough 10 bu,
it, at least as a private residence
while its inner arrangements anC
construction could hardly be adapt
ed TO the requirements of schoo
or factory. not TO mention
museum. Besides, this is hardI,
the time when people would hav,
sufficient money to spare TO be abb
to indulge in such a costly acquisi
ton. We must therefore. eXpec
that for some years 10 come, a
= least the palace which was tn
scene OF the married life of Mich
olas II and Alexandra Feodorowna
viii remain one Of the show place
of Tsarskoie Selo and nothing else