Show W P t aixa 4 r R k I 1 o 0 0 o 00 1 y ROM time to time the press of europe has recorded accounts of the ailments of the russian empress the russian press even now that there Is to supposed to no censorship in russia la is forbidden to print any thing concerning the im penal family aside from the official reports dis tributes tri buted by the off official leial news bureau from the various frag reports it has become known that the czarina had come to russia with lofty ideals and a liberal western estern A education Is an invalid and a martyr alone in the palace of the czar misunderstood and tormented alth ith melancholy and fear now a chronicler intimately famil lar with the home life of the russian czar has described vividly the sufferings of the woman moman who had hoped to reform reform the czar and the rus rua man land and it may be said without exaggeration that alexandra feado rovna Is today the unhappiest of all queens princess alice of hesse darmstadt according to the biographer of the czarina lived amid ideal and idyllic surroundings throughout her child hood the small good looking prin cess dressed as beautifully as her dolls was told that the flowers daily presented her were so beautiful and fragrant for her sake and that when bhe she was ras crying the little flowers were also shedding tears and when she was laughing the little flowers were kind hearted and obedient and she did all she could to retrain refrain from cry ing tor for she recalled that every tear drop of hers would cause so much pain to all those who loved her but the tears she repressed in her childhood days she is shedding now within the walls of the palace as the queen of the long suffering russian people being of a sensitive imbres and artistic nature the prin cess was deeply interested in the best kind of literature she familiarized herself with the most important works of the masters of fiction in eu rope and she even made some at tempts at writing poetry and dramas As she was trail frail the physicians feared that she was undermining her health by devoting most of her time to books and she was told that her health was as more important than all the books in the world and then tor for the first time she learned that she v as not tree the books were now se leered for her by physicians and she was permit permitted tOd to read only a very limited number of such books to while hile her time away she took up the study of drawing and soon showed considerable talent in that direction little by litt little lei she commena commenced ed to notice the life beyond the boundary of her fairyland bhe she saw the life of the people who were suffering and starving and she learned that what was new to her was not new to her father to her mother to her aunts to all those who lived contented in her fairyland of luxury and she began to ask herself the question which she was for a long time unable to answer how can they all remain care tree free and so shamelessly cheerful when be bl bond ond the windows of this palace Is the moan of an entire suffering na don princess alice became the czarina of russia she came to the russian land at a time when the people ex hausted by the harden burden of absolutism were returning from the funeral of alexander III and were hopefully waiting tor for a more merciful reign on the part of the new czar nic nicholas holas who was reputed at that time to be a liberal the first day of the new reign was marked by the Kho Khodl dinka nka tragedy when thousands of people lost their lives amid the festivities the tragedy made a profound impression upon the czarina it seemed to her a ing of a terrible future the superstitious inclinations and neak weaknesses nesses of the czar manifested in his eagerness tor for a male heir to the russian throne filled the czarina with untold grief bhe she had to obey the orders of va rious charl charlatans adans who were welcome advisers of the czar and the in ML lall palace added to the misery ot of the young empress she noticed that the czar was angry at her because she was endeavoring to introduce in rus sla western reforms and that she con eldered herself more intelligent than the entire household in the palace in the meantime storms of unrest had broken out in the land and or ders were given to pacify the discon tented at all cost the empress did not know of the horrors that a ere per pet rated in russia and wha cheti she learned of them she consoled herself in the thought that all the cruelties directed against the russian people were not committed by order of the czar she believed that the czar like herself was ignorant ot of what v was as go ing on in the land but she soon found out het her error then her suffering grew eyer more in tense she looked with disgust upon the clique surrounding her upon their h hypocritical smiles and greetings but she was unable to change anything even in the palace it was then that she became seriously III when the empress had recovered she divided her time between her chil dren and her desk she turned once more to the reading of books and also devoted considerable time to writing nevertheless the feeling that she was alone and misunderstood in the palace weighed heavily upon her she grew ever more and more melancholy one day after having worked for some time upon the tragedy she was writing the empress entered tb abe e czar s study she found him seated at his desk looking over numero is docu ments he brightened up when n she entered and he kissed her hands why are you so sada she asked I 1 am thinking of the future of our children he replied the empress looked at him surprised I 1 do not understand she began looking into his troubled eyes A plot has just been unearthed he said cheerfully yet with a shade of confusion oh I 1 know about it no I 1 mean another plot a new one they have just learned of it today and shaking his head he added do you understand now f and he described to her in detail the conspiracy of the terrorists against his life they became more sad than before the shadow of da dan ger vaa as still hovering over their heads er but somehow their words were un certain thank god it Is all over now said the empress heaving a deep sigh I 1 had a terrible presentiment during the last few days wherever I 1 went I 1 could not rid myself of the terrible thoughts that haunted me really do you know answered the he czar I 1 also felt III f feverish weak they keep me in a constant state of terror the empress tried to calm him again he ile smiled bitterly and hand ed her a document bearing numerous notes in red ink the empress made an effort to ap pear calm as she read the document tor for she felt that the emperor was watching her closely V what wicked people savages said the empress as she looked up to him that Is exactly what Is troubling me replied the emperor with a sad forced smile I 1 should not like to leave to my son a heritage in such a dreadful state I 1 do not speak ot of this do not speak ol 01 this the empress advanced to him and took his hand with the help of god all will be well all will be well she repeated and you would you want to remain a widow the czar suddenly smiled strangely his eyes were cold and moist the empress shuddered at these words she released his hand and words looked ool ked at him fixedly 0 my dear she said in tremulous voice I 1 have wanted to speak to you seriously for or some time this Is im possible do you understand 9 this life we are leading Is impossible you must do something to change it you must decide to do 60 3 the empress voice quivered and there were tears in her eyes for my sake and four yours for the sake of our dear children do something even it if you have to even it you have to yield do it what can I 1 do asked the czar tell me do they know what they want some of the people want one thing others want another don t you know that yourself lour self will you deny that there la is a sye tern tem of provocation and spying in rus sla she demanded i the empress spoke with firmness and authority there Is an internal machine in hands she said and you I 1 look 0 0 k your and yobu plaything I 1 know t that h a t u upon on it as a aa A ilk 70 7 0 authority but when a matter require requires energy and determination you yield to the first adviser who knows how to in fluence youl you j then the empress spoke more softly I 1 understand that you often find yourself in an embarrassing position but you believe everything that should be repulsive to you you yield to flattery and my dear do not talk to me about these tables fables you and I 1 cannot think i of anything that will change all thia this the laws of nature cannot be changed same of the people will demand water others will demand fire all I 1 could do would be to make some con cessions otherwise everything must remain as it Is it must be so do you understand I 1 the czar seemed pleased with his hi words he ile leaned back in hie his arm chair and added angrily 41 1 I have tried everything but I 1 cannot go on like thie this cried the empress I 1 cannot I 1 am going away I 1 have no strength any longer I 1 am afraid to look at myself f when I 1 see myself in a mirror I 1 am seized with terror what can I 1 do you must consult the physicians the empress looked at him angrily and shook her head perhaps things will run mor more smoothly when you will be a widow said the czar rising from his seat and running n g b back a and f forth 0 r th in his study I 1 brunni runni selina ond Ins ilisa tildie and that h a t 1 Is nonsense se n s e he said e aud denly and rang the bell pausing la in the center of the room perplexed when the servant entered the czar shouted and stamped aits feet the empress had tainted fainted she was taken to her room and remained for a long time under the care of her physicians the czar neglected all important at fairs of state when the empress wa was 1 ill in the evening the minister 0 ol 01 t the interior arrived at the palace wit with b an important report when he was wa ushered into the czar czars study the czar r a shouted a at t hlin n nervously r vo us ly housted akim F for 0 r s s sake le leave e m me e alone I 1 the empress Is 1111 do whatever you like I 1 it Is all the same to me I 1 when the mini iter of the interior offered a few words of consolation consolati on the czar interrupted him i 1 I know you I 1 know everything I 1 know you all and he waved bis his hand I 1 the minister of the interior walked out of the czar a study confused contused and humiliated and the minister of the interior heard the czar shouting to himself himsel f monarchy constitution anarchy even my nearest are against me the health of the empress was sh shattered ati and tor for a long time she was suf ruf fering from a nervous breakdown during that illness various rumors were spreading in the palace it was said t that at t the h e ri n a was planning t to 0 leave hh the e p palace a lacza a and n d return to her u na a tiep land it was then also rumored that she wanted the czar to abdicate and leave russia but all knew that she rebuked the c czar zar tor for his lack ol 01 or |