Czar and Czarina.

Hastings Standard, Issue 118, 11 September 1896, Page 4

Czar and Czarina.

INTERESTING IMPRESSIONS OF A VISITOR. As we are likely to hear a good ieal presently about the Czar and C zarina, who will shortly be visiting England, a short sketch of these two Royalties may not prove uninteresting. The Neue Freie Presse correspondent who attended the coronation has returned, and.writes about his impressions at the Russian Court. His account of Czar Nicholas is interesting. He says that both morally and physically the young Emperor is as different from his father as possible. He is slight and ot small stature. His eye meets the gaze of everyone unflinchingly. His expresion is kind, and almost childlike in its friendly ingenuousness. It Is not true that he has an aversion to the army; he is very fond of reviews, parades, and visits to the camp. He is conscientious, reads all the documents placed before him, listens to his. • councillors whenever they crave an ear, and never has any arrears of work. What he thinks of Russia or his own unlimited power no one has yet guessed. He is the unfathomable mystery of Btpsis. He was always reserved, but bum Us accession he is more so. He ■yerr and answers only MQflgfity. X&u»it,theaune

insurmountable wall between him and bis people which existed in his father's time. He seeeed at first inclined to pull it down, bat he has been convinced that it would not be good. He rarely expresses an opinion different from that of his Ministers. "I feel my youth," he said to one, " I will not act without experience." His father's views have still their weight with him. He loves his mother devotedly, but she is also conservative, and repeats the words of the late Czar. She has more political influence than in her husband's time, and all Russia is wondering how long this influence will reign supreme. The young Court and the old do not exist "side by side, but in opposition. The Emperor is very fond of his young wife, and in the centre of a brilliant Court, destined, the writer thinks, to extinguish all true and warm feeling, the young Czar preserves intact a warm love for the sweet companion of his youth. So far, however, the young Empress exercises no political influence. She is still German, and hard at work to get over her prejudices and likings. Husband and wife are almost inseparable. When he is at work in his study he likes her to sit beside him, engaged in embroidery or similarly occupied. Often a Minister comes, and she rises to go, but the Czar invariably says, " Stop here, Saseha! You do not disturb us in the least," and the Empress remains and continues to work in silence.