PEASANTS AT THE FUNERAL OF THE CZAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6099, 4 June 1881, Page 7

PEASANTS AT THE FUNERAL OF THE CZAR.

The Russian Courier,' : of Moscow, contains a touchingly simple !naxratiye,V written by a member of a deputation l of- peasants who travelled express -from .the ancient i» the modern capital for the purpose of laying a :floral.tribute at' ; ;thft feet of -deid Einperor. " More and ; im6re,?/i.writes . this' good peasant,«Maa we approached othe,church did I feel myheart sink: withmime.-At last we entered. : : There were? many.;generals present. They made way to let Us pass. From that moment my remembrance bectfmes confused. We fell on our knees and!, wept bitterly. We struck the pavement witli ourforeheads, and our tears flowed abundant and inexhaustible. 1 was ashamed before ( '.so mauy, generals, but all was of no a.vail, and I continued to weep. Three times we tent the knee. There are no words that will express what I felt. The coffin had disappeared between a mountain of. wreaths, but General ■ RyliefF parted the mass asunder in > order "to place our crowns on the breast of our father. ;Yes, tlie wreath of the, poor rested on the heart of our. liberator, of our. martyr. Then our tears began once, more to flow. The General permitted us to Kiss the hand of the Sovereign. On- beholding the! countenance of the .dead/ monarch,' X became as' though petrified, ir It. did not at J all resemble the portraits which we all know. The hair and beard were completely white'; the traces of the crime were visible,on left eyelid and on the cheek. They say this was due to the action of the execrable dynamite. But he was thers'in his cSffin,' our martyred Czar, with an, expression of-ineffable sweetness as though he slept; A sacred: image was between hi:i hainds,: flowers: encircled his head, and the whole visage bore an aspect of such mildness that the most hardened and depraved heart might, haye been softened by the spectacle of this-cruel martyrdom.":