AN UNHAPPY RULER.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXI, Issue 6338, 11 June 1889, Page 4

AN UNHAPPY RULER.

If is' fortunate that Alexander" 1 1" is a I inun of Herculean build, and of n air.d ] almost as powerful as his physique. < '.herwise lie would end by being crushol under' the accumulation of sorrows which iiave oast their shadows over his reign >md liav& blighted ltis wholo lito, Sligh'd by both father and mother, who for -surae reason I6ved him far less than any oJ 'heir otheficliiidroD, his infancy-andjquth were exceedingly no-i. Ho became stiH more distasteful do his parontb after tho death of hjs eider brother, who expired at Nice, on the eve of his marriage, from tho effects of a malaily due to an unintentional blow inflicted by tho present Czar in the ootiree of some rough horse-plny. A man of uncompromising honesty, lie made no effort to hide his indignation at. the immorality and, coii'iiptinn wlijph were rifo both anion? the Iniporial'family and at court here during tlie closing years of his roign. He was . thoroughly out of touch with the rnjhne which then prevailed. The disgraceful neglect to which his m»ther wps subjected, and which ultimately led to her death, created a deep imprsssion on his mind, notwithstanding nil |«r coldness towards hiiH ; and whsn.Ja few wee to after feer demise, her hnsbaud went so fa' as to contract a siorganotic alliance with, his mistress, the" Princeßs Jnrieffsky, the relations:'between failief and son became moro strained than evor. The tragedy whiqh brought Alexander 111. to the throne eight yea'rs ago has been followed since then by repealed attempts to assassinateboth liimaolf and those most dear to him ; and though the efforts of th& would he murderers have in eiieli case been frustrated tho constant peril and the frequently wellfounded distrust of those with whom he iB brought rate contact .hav* liad a very ■saddening effect clwraater and anneiinmoe

' The crowning.; sorrow- of bin life lias, however, jnat com)! r.pou liim. His wife, to whom, lie is passionately devoted, and who ii the most gracioii3'and,captivating woman tliat lias aver ad.ivncd a European throne, lias Ijwjobis entire!}' insane. Hor h'yvmis system has already been completely shattered by (lie repented attempts on her husband's life, and since the terrible railway accident at ' fiorki a few montl)3 ago, when so many of her favorite attendants lost their lives, her mental depression has increased to a most -'alarming degree. She passes wliolo. days in absolute silence; on other occasions alio refuses.to touch a morsel of fond, while at times she even fails to recognise the mombers of her family. Her dementia has assumed the samo aggravated character as that which two years ago necessitated the detonlion of Her Majesty's younsior sister, the Priucees Thyra, in a private lunatic asylum near Vishna for the space of eight months. The extreme gravity ef the Czarina's case can beat be estimated by the fact that at the request of the Emperor and of his physicians, Dr Charcot, the famous Parisian mad-doctor, and Professor Von Leiders.iorf, the directoi of the celebrated lunatic asylum at Dobling near Vienna; who had charge of the Duchess o? Cumberland's case, have both arrived in this city en route to Gatßchina. Serious fears aro outertained that the Empress may attempt to destroy horself, and she is watched day and night without intermission by iba physicians and trained nurses. Hor recovery is extremely doubtful, for so long as her husband remains on the throne tlic danger of his assassination will exist, and hence sta will never be permitted to onjoy perman®it reSef from the horrible anxiety which has wrought such havoc in herbiain.

Poor little Marie Foodorovna was the brightest, prettiest, and most charming of clover old Queen Louise of Denmark's' daughters. Had sho any inkling of the sad fate in store for ber when on the morning of her departure from her father's palace at Fredensborg to become tho bride of Alexander Alexandra witch at St. Potoreburgh she' drew a diamond riug from her finger and scratched on the window-pane of her little boudoir:" Mit elskede Fre'densborg," farewell (My beloved Fredensborg farewell) ? There were many at the time who made gloomy predictions ■concerning the marriage, for the Princess Dagmar had been betrothed to Alexander's eldest brother who Jias died at Nice, and only consented to marry her present husband in accordance with tho dying wishes of her fiance, It must bo admitted, however, that she benefited by the change, for tho present Czar is a far more noble and sterling character than biß eldest brother ever was, though perhaps less handsome and refmed looking. No breath of scandal or intfilgne lias ever clouded their marital relations, and it is impossible to find anywhere a more affectionate and devoted couple than the Emperor and Empress of Russigi. A painful feature of the present state of affairs is tlie complete isolation of Alexander 111. in his great grief. Theresa an utter absence of sympathy on % part of his cousins uncles'and even of fiis brothors. Jtodasd, for several months.;,past his relations with the Grand' Dukes Alexis and Yaldimir have been decidedly strained, and ko makes no preterm of concealing his sentknente toward them, lie thoroughly approved of their conduct during tlioir recent visit to Paris, and with the people with whom they associated while there. What, however, particularly offended him was their failure to return to Russia on hearing of tho horrible railway disaster at Borki. The catastrophe had been so terrifclo, and tho destruction of the Emperor, and Empress!, aod their children so narrowiy averted, that it w only natural to suppose that the fer'n brothers would hasten to his sidefoj the mirpW of congsatulatinir him on his providential escape. They, however, preferred to remain at Paris,and none of the Czar's rolativou were present here at St. Petersburg to take part in tho unpurallelled display of loyal enthusiasm which altcndod the popular welcome oli the Imperial party after the accident.—St, Petersburg correspondent of tho Now York Tribune.