Ogden Evening Standard | 1912-10-30 | Page 3 | Obeying a Despot's Whims

OBEYING A DESPOT'S WHIMS Emperor Paul of Russia Was Violent and Eccentric to the Verge of Insanity. Endless are the stories which are told of Empercr Paul'3 (1797-1S01) violence and eccentricities, writes A. J. C. Hare In "Studies In Russia." Ono of his fancies was that everyone he met, wherever he met thera, must got out of their carriages and sledges, stand in the mud or on the ice atid make him a bow. Thla was. of course, considered the greatost bore possible. One day thero was a poor dancing master who wa3 going to give some lessons, and he had nothing but a pair of very thin pumps on. lie was dreadfully afraid of encountering tho emperor, for It was tho depth of winter, and the ground was covered with enow and ice; and ho thought if he did his feet would certainly be frostbitten An he went along ho saw to his horror that the emperor was coming; there was no way of turning turn-ing aside; ho must meet him. Ho determined de-termined at onco that tho only way was to pretend not to see the emperor, em-peror, and to turn the other way. Paul was not to he outwitted. Ho stopped at once and sent ono of his escort to see why tho dancing master mas-ter had .not obeyed his orders The poor man pleaded not having seen tho emperor, and Implored not to be forced to get out, on account of his thin shoes. The emperor would not hoar of It "Let him walk round and round my sledge," he said, "and see if that will amuse him, and since ho If too blind to see me, tell him that I desire for the future that he will always, at all times, wear green shades over his eyes." nn