Show j S p i f J J SPLENDOR IN RUSSIA vrn rn t Subjects Czar Lead the t e World W odd Magnificent in g f S t 1 pl Display lay v 4 and B Barbaric c Extravagance Extravagance v a Court Functions 1 i. i r. r at A j Special Correspondence The eyes eyes of the whole world are upon upon Russia just now and the magnificence magnificence of its people is is the wonder of the e c century T The e. e last last of of the great European countries to become Civilized civilized civil Civil- civilized it has forged ahead with mighty y strides and to-day to shows the highest civilization and the crudest rudest barbarism combined within its vast confines It Itis Itis Itis is of its higher classes that one speaks- speaks when one uses the word magnificent for there are portions of the Russian empire in which the inhabitants are complete barbar barbarians ans These splendid high class Russians can teach the world all aU there is to know of luxury for In the comparatively comparatively comparatively few decades since they became as oth other r European nations th they Y have learned earned to to love ve the splendor o of at fine tine things and ito 0 people on earth eat th areso areso are areso so extravagant so lavish so imperially imperial imperial- ly magnificent as as these subjects o othe of af the Great White Czar Their palaces ar are the most superb in the world their jewels jewels- the most costly their dress the most lavish and ornate Yet even now you a Russian Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian and you find a Tartar and even this untamable mable Russian nature is mag mag- A court function in Russia surpasses surpasses surpasses sur sur- passes in pomp and grandeur anything else of the sort in the world and the barbaric splendor of the interiors where these same festivities are held 1 is more like something from the Arabian Nights than what the twentieth century has to offer No western west rn imagination can picture the splendor of the jewels the colossal superfluity of display I which the wealth of or generations of nobles in Europe the ser servility of numberless sultans Asiatic kings and potentates have heaped at the feet of the czar of Russia The czar is is' master of twelve vast palaces which are his homes and it itis itis itis is almost Impossible to give an adequate adequate adequate ade ade- quate idea of the treasures of this ruler of a splendid people one tithe of which are as splendid and numerous numerous numerous numer numer- ous as all other royal treasures of Europe put together and the coronati coronation coronation corona corona- ti tion n crowns of of the czar and his consort con sort make all other coronets seem seem mean and tawdry In comparison That of f the czar is surmounted by a cross formed of six matchless diamonds an and add this this stands on a single great ruby tuby Arc Arches es o of P perfect rf ct pearls support support sup- sup support port the central part of the crown c Drawing Room of Empress and about the band for the brow are twenty-eight twenty huge diamonds The crown of th the czarina Is ig one solid saUd mass massof massof massof of diamonds hundreds of f them of the purest sort At court functions th the empress Is ts tt j of weighed down with witti jewels that that fairly dazzle one ropes of diamonds as large lm as marbles necklaces and stomachers of emeralds and pe pearls pearls' like pigeons pigeon's eggs In size And the ladies of th the thee court are equally loaded h heads ads and and throats and shoulders fairly aching with th the heavy splendid gems A group of these thes e bed bedecked court ladies ladles is something something some some- some something thing to remember always always' ys and no fairy tale ever told of such Splendor And it is not only in their jewels that these magnificent Russian ladies astound the world b but t in their dress dres as w well u. u Their court g gowns are of cloth of gold or silver rare hand- hand woven velvets an and l priceless brocades interwoven with threads threads of pure gold These are entrusted encrusted d with hand em em- rodi ries' ries in gold and precious stones No such gowns are worn are worn anywhere In Inthe Inthe inthe the world but in R Russia These rich court robes are re all ll made in Russia even the silk and velvet bEing being being be bE- be- be ing woven there but all the rest of the wardrobes of these magnificent ladies are obtained in Paris Patis and even ven the reckless orders of American heiresses pale into insignificance beside beside beside be be- side those of these splendid orientals who so so love display and striking effects The palaces are fitting backgrounds for all this personal magnificence and those who have been permitted to to see seethe seethe seethe the splendor of these Interiors have been awed by the wonder of their richness and barbaric splendor The Winter Palace at St. St Petersburg Petersburg Petersburg Peters Peters- burg is is' is isa a huge red pile f feet et square One side faces an immense square across which is a semicircular mass of ministerial buildings culminating culminating culminating In the center in a tall tall arch arch- surmounted by a bronze chariot and four plunging horses of Victory Within this palace even the functionaries functionaries functionaries are laden with gold lace and dr draped ped with gold cords with their splendid 1 uniforms bearing conspicuously conspicuously conspicuously the imperial two-headed two black eagle The floors floors- are of costly polished polished pol pol- woods and there are columns and columns of of 1 polished marble In the state depart departments the d decoration decora- decora cora cora- tion Is beautiful 1 The ballroom ballroom ball ball- room at night rivals any Arabian any Arabian dream ever dreamt There are two gigantic candelabra of masSive massive massive mas mas- sive Russian crystals nearly nearly ten feet high standing on the floor on each ach side of the huge supper room doors Rows of orange orang trees stretch down the banquet hall and under these the tables are set and there are hundreds of birds in In golden cages cag s suspended from the ceiling and ana two marble fountai fountains s- s set in ri the wall vall spray spray their perfumed waters continuously from froma a succession of shells hes Near the private the beautiful young empress is a deserted suite of rooms over which hangs an anair anair anair air of mystery and awe These are the rooms of the assassinated Al Alexander Alexander Alexan Alexan- xan der II Into them he tie was borne from the fatal canal bridge near near the Nev- Nev ski Prospect with hi his below the waist shattered shatter d and b here bre re within an hour he e expired In these rooms rooms' everything Is tp-day tp exactly as the murdered dered czar left eft it t. t The study is lili with Unfed tall taU black bookcases crowned with carved heads of ot Roman emperors and In in in- inthe the bedroom bedroom bedroom bed bed- room which which- the czar used as a second study is the leather chair in which he loved to sit and read read his books on on on- history theology and jurisprudence On the mantel Is a little clo clock k with its hands stopped a minutes aL minutes past 3 the awesome foment n nent ent when the czars czar's life w went nt X C the the pendulum having been sta I the hand h nd of his faithful valet T I oar aar too still sUlI f r f I 1 w fr Indicates the date of March 1 1 1881 the fatal day And one might say that in this imperial palace time has been made to standstill The old old ld summer palace of Catherine Catherine- It Il Ms Is is ia a a huge i white te building of very attractive attractive app appearance rance It i la a royal abode greatly liked by the tho czarina a and d there she goes f for r picnics Her private privat apartments there are are- loffy splendid rooms paneled from floor to ceiling with a marvelously beautiful inlaying of purest amber of or priceless value and so beautifully carved arved that one Is awed by the exquisite exu ex ex- u ste wonder of It it r J i. i The marvelous mellow effect of this- this rare translucent setting sweeping weeping f into carved cupids carved cupids and nymphs androse's and roses rose's gives one th the idea Idea of of what fairyland fairyland fairyland fairy fairy- land might be And there are tall taU a vases vase and daintily carved c cabinets also also- of golden amber amber- standing about everywhere everywhere every- every where cat catching hing the he light softly and and- looking looking like like condensed sunshine An adjoining room room is elaborate in I OD 17 rai r Y K s Entrance Entrance to P Palace lac an entirely different way the walls walls- being inlaid with bits of mother of if pearl forming exquisite flowers and fruit The rich floor is of polished a ebony covered with delicate traceries in pearl of a fitting thing for imperial footsteps The Irish Womans Woman's Compliment rather father Thomas Hendrick Roman Catholic elect Bishop-elect of Cebu Philippine Philippine Philippine Philip Philip- pine islands is a man of many He enjoys nothing more than the study of social types especially espe espe- as he goes goes about the streets and he holds that Irish wit and discernment discernment discernment dis dis- are rarely at fault Wh When n nhe he visits New York he is sometimes entertained by y ya a f friend whose wife though a Jewess shows in her T Titian i n hair and complexion of f peaches and cream something something more more than a a. a strain of Celtic blood Walking with the lady not long ago on Twenty-third Twenty street street street-as as he tells the story they story they were accosted by an anold anold anold old Irish Irish- Irishwoman woman who huskily Jm- Jm alms The lady paused opened her purse and placed part pan of its contents In th the beggars beggar's ext extended nci d palm palIn For For- an instant the old woman wavered ered ered apparently t apparently perplexed by the u un unusual up- up i usual sual type of beauty before her But only for an instant Then salaaming to the priest as if for absolution she exclaimed Sure and the Mother of God must have been just such a swa e beau beautiful Jewess as s yourself New New York Mail and Express ff |