Imperial Valley press., 1936-10-04


despair the poor mother blamed the doctors and
the whole science of medicine. Of what use were
medicine or doctors or all their boasted science
if they could not cure her Alexis? She became
bitter and said harsh things about doctors
every possible occasion. The Czarina began to
pray over the relics of departed Russian saints,
to burn candles by the bushel before pictures of
the Virgin. And this, the granddaughter of
Queen Victoria
"All of these events prepared the stage for
the appearance of a miracle-worker The two
Montenegrin grand duchesses, still ignorant,
gullible and superstitious, told the Czarina of
holy man, a saint who could make the lame
walk and the blind see. He is marvellous they
said. He is new saint. He cures all ills. He is
a simple peasant from Siberia, but you know
Alix God never entrusts His power to the
spoiled children of sophisticaton.' They had lit
tie difficulty in convincing the Czarina of the
powers of this new saint or in persuading her
to receive him. Rasputn enters the scene, Ras-
putin the savior. Rasputin the holy man. Ras-
putin the devil
IITHE story Of Rasputin has been told so
many times that in its essential details his
story is we'll known to the reading public. 1t is
an interesting tribute to the ability of this ras-
cal that his name became household word in
all nations of the world and his career was of
Vulnerable biographies. most of which agree in
their main outlines
"Rasputin was the son of a poor, ignorant
peasant whose disorderly conduct resulted in
his being given the name of Rasputin or de-
bauchee.' Gregory Efimovitch Rasputin was
born in Siberia and received so little education
that he never learned to write properly. He
lived until the age of 33 in his native village
where he had married and brought several chill
dren into the world. He underwent sudden
change in 1904, declaring that he was now in
spired of God who commanded him to leave
his family and devote himself to religious exer-
cises. He adopted the view of religious sect
whose teaching was that salvation could be
achieved only by repentance Rasputin carried
this doctrine to further conclusion. Sin in
order that you may obtain forgiveness he
taught. Whether he obtained forgiveness we
shall never know, but there is plenty of evil
dence that he snned, and if the sum total of
his sins were balanced with the forgiveness he
must have been of the most forgiven sim
ners of history.
'Rasputin fascinated the Czarina from the
first meeting Accustomed since her elevation
to the throne of the Romanotfs to servlity and
hattery from all her retainers, she found in
Rasputin new type Of person. This uncouth
Russian peasant with his long unkempt beard
and dirty nger-nails looked the Czarina boldly
in the eyes and announced that he had come
to save her child and to save the royal family
No harm, he assured her, could befall her. the
Car their beloved son, as long as he was
near. Curously enough, the attacks of bleeding
ceased after his visits to the palace began 1T
is still open for discussion, writes the Grand
Duke Alexander, whether the absence of at
tacks of hemophilia merely conceded with his
visits to the palace, whether that scheming
fakir successfully used mysterious methods
known to the Mongolian medicine men of his
native Siberia AS far as the Empress was CON
cerned he saved her son from death All the
specialists of Europe had pronounced his case
hopeless, but the holy man from Siberia
was healing her son."