THE EMPEROR NICHOLAS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1315, 13 May 1897, Page 12

THE EMPEROR NICHOLAS.

A capital story of the Emperor Nicholas and his visit to the Old Country in 1844 is contained in the pages from the diary of the late Sir Charles Murray, now being published in the Cornhill Magazine. At Windsor a great State bed was provided for the Emperor, and to the surprise of Sir C. Murray and his staff, “ we were shown by his first valet a great sack, seven feet long by four broad, which we were requested to fill with clean straw, that being the only bed on which his Imperial limbs ever reposed.” There are pleasing traits in the following :

“ I had placed about the,person of the Emperor one of the Queen’s principal pages, named Kinnaird, who had attended him when he visited this country in 1817, and whom he had not seen for 2T years. When the Emperor entered the luncheon room this day at two with the Queen, tho Prince, and the King of Saxony, Kinnaird was standing behind the chair appointed for him. The Emperor fixed his eye upon him for a momont, and said, ‘ I remember you very well; you attended mo when I was here before.’ ‘ T bad that honour, Year i'll;i jesty mi which ( he Emperor walked across the room and shook hands with him. Kiimaird was ‘ dmubfouadered,’ and it may bo imagined he had various jests and jokes to hear from the other servants below stairs, who declared that they should now be afraid to touch a hand that had been shaken by the Czar’s. Tho evening was dull and formal enough, and tho Royalties retired about eleven. On entering his apartment the Emperor observed Kinnaird, whom ha.desired to come in and shut the door, after which he carried on tho following conversation with the astonished page : —‘ Kinnaird, many years have passed since I was last here; I was very young then, and we saw some merry scenes together. I am now a grandfather. I suppose you think I am a happy man because l am what people call a great man, but I will show you wherein my happiness consists.’ So saying, tho Emperor opened a travelling desk, and showed to the page miniature portraits of the Empress and the Princesses. ‘ There,’ said he, ‘ there are the sources of all my happiness —my wife and children. Perhaps I ought not to say so, but there is not a better nor a handsomer young lady in St. Petersburg than my daughter, the Princess Olga. These are the sources of my happiness.’ Yv r itli these words the Emperor 1 closed tlio box and permitted Kinnaird tc • retire, who was so astounded and taken by

(surprise that he could scarcely speak, and when ho related to me the above particulars the tears stood in his eyes. It was too much for him to be thus made the depository of the private feelings of the Czar, and the man was really overcome by it.”