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reigns　of　his　father　and　grandfather。







Having　made　the　usual　visit　to　the　Foreign　Office　upon　my



arrival；　I　was　accompanied　three　days　later　by　the　proper



officials；　Prince　Soltykoff　and　M。　de　Koniar；　on　a　special　train



to　Gatchina；　and　there　received　by　the　Emperor。　I　found



himthough　much　more　reserved　than　his　fatheragreeable　and



straightforward。　As　he　was　averse　to　set　speeches；　we　began　at



once　a　discussion　on　various　questions　interesting　the　two



nations；　and　especially　those　arising　out　of　the　Behring　Sea



fisheries。　He　seemed　to　enter　fully　into　the　American　view；



characterizing　the　marauders　in　that　sea　as　〃ces　poachers



la〃using　the　English　word；　although　our　conversation　was　in



French；　and　on　my　saying　that　the　Russian　and　American　interests



in　that　question　were　identical；　he　not　only　acquiesced；　but



spoke　at　considerable　length；　and　earnestly；　in　the　same　sense。







He　alluded　especially　to　the　Chicago　Exposition；　spoke　in　praise



of　its　general　conception　and　plan；　said　that　though　in　certain



classes　of　objects　of　art　it　might　not　equal　some　of　the　European



expositions；　it　would　doubtless　in　very　many　specialties　surpass



all　others；　and　on　my　expressing　the　hope　that　Russia　would　be



fully　represented；　he　responded　heartily；　declaring　that　to　be



his　own　wish。







Among　the　various　subjects　noted　was　one　which　was　rather



curious。　In　the　anteroom　I　had　found　the　Greek　Archbishop　of



Warsaw　arrayed　in　a　purple　robe　and　hatthe　latter　adorned　with



an　exceedingly　lustrous　cross　of　diamonds；　and；　engaging　in



conversation　with　him；　had　learned　that　he　had　a　few　years　before



visited　China　as　a　missionary；　his　talk　was　that　of　a　very



intelligent　man；　and　on　my　saying　that　one　of　our　former　American



bishops；　Dr。　Boone；　in　preparing　a　Chinese　edition　of　the



Scriptures　had　found　great　difficulty　in　deciding　upon　a　proper



equivalent　for　the　word　〃God；〃　the　archbishop　answered；　〃That　is



quite　natural；　for　the　reason　that　the　Chinese　have　really　no



conception　of　such　a　Being。〃







Toward　the　close　of　my　interview　with　the　Emperor；　then；　I



referred　to　the　archbishop；　and　congratulated　the　monarch　on



having　so　accomplished　and　devoted　a　prelate　in　his　church。　At



this　he　said；　〃You　speak　Russian；　then？〃　to　which　I　answered　in



the　negative。　〃But；〃　he　said；　〃how　then　could　you　talk　with　the



archbishop？〃　I　answered；　〃He　spoke　in　French。〃　The　Emperor　seemed



greatly　surprised　at　this；　and　well　he　might　be；　for　the



ecclesiastics　in　Russia　seem　the　only　exceptions　to　the　rule　that



Russians　speak　French　and　other　foreign　languages　better　and　more



generally　than　do　any　other　people。







This　interview　concluded；　I　was　taken　through　a　long　series　of



apartments　filled　with　tapestries；　porcelain；　carvings；



portraits；　and　the　like；　to　be　received　by　the　Empress。　She　was



slight　in　figure；　graceful；　with　a　most　kindly　face　and　manner；



and　she　put　me　at　ease　immediately；　addressing　me　in　English；　and



detaining　me　much　longer　than　I　had　expected。　She；　too；　spoke　of



the　Chicago　Exposition；　saying　that　she　had　ordered　some　things



of　her　own　sent　to　it。　She　also　referred　very　pleasantly　to　the



Rev。　Dr。　Talmage　of　Brooklyn；　who　had　come　over　on　one　of　the



ships　which　brought　supplies　to　the　famine…stricken；　and　she



dwelt　upon　sundry　similarities　and　dissimilarities　between　our



own　country　and　Russia；　discussing　various　matters　of　local



interest；　and　was　in　every　way　cordial　and　kindly。







The　impression　made　by　the　Emperor　upon　me　at　that　time　was



deepened　during　my　whole　stay。　He　was　evidently　a　strong



character；　but　within　very　unfortunate　limitsupright；　devoted



to　his　family；　with　a　strong　sense　of　his　duty　to　his　people　and



of　his　accountability　to　the　Almighty。　But　more　and　more　it



became　evident　that　his　political　and　religious　theories　were



narrow；　and　that　the　assassination　of　his　father　had　thrown　him



back　into　the　hands　of　reactionists。　At　court　and　elsewhere　I



often　found　myself　looking　at　him　and　expressing　my　thoughts



inwardly　much　as　follows：　〃You　are　honest；　true…hearted；　with　a



deep　sense　of　duty；　but　what　a　world　of　harm　you　are　destined　to



do！　With　your　immense　physical　frame　and　giant　strength；　you　will



last　fifty　years　longer；　you　will　try　by　main　force　to　hold　back



the　whole　tide　of　Russian　thought；　and　after　you　will　come　the



deluge。〃　There　was　nothing　to　indicate　the　fact　that　he　was　just



at　the　close　of　his　life。







At　a　later　period　I　was　presented　to　the　heir　to　the　throne；　now



the　Emperor　Nicholas　II。　He　seemed　a　kindly　young　man；　but　one　of



his　remarks　amazed　and　disappointed　me。　During　the　previous　year



the　famine；　which　had　become　chronic　in　large　parts　of　Russia；



had　taken　an　acute　form；　and　in　its　train　had　come　typhus　and



cholera。　It　was；　in　fact；　the　same　wide…spread　and　deadly



combination　of　starvation　and　disease　which　similar　causes



produced　so　often　in　Western…Europe　during　the　middle　ages。　From



the　United　States　had　come　large　contributions　of　money　and



grain；　and　as；　during　the　year　after　my　arrival；　there　had　been　a



recurrence　of　the　famine；　about　forty　thousand　rubles　more　had



been　sent　me　from　Philadelphia　for　distribution。　I　therefore



spoke　on　the　general　subject　to　him；　referring　to　the　fact　that



he　was　president　of　the　Imperial　Relief　Commission。　He　answered



that　since　the　crops　of　the　last　year　there　was　no　longer　any



suffering；　that　there　was　no　famine　worthy　of　mention；　and　that



he　was　no　longer　giving　attention　to　the　subject。　This　was　said



in　an　offhand；　easy…going　way　which　appalled　me。　The　simple　fact



was　that　the　famine；　though　not　so　wide…spread；　was　more　trying



than　during　the　year　before；　for　it　found　the　peasant　population



in　Finland　and　in　the　central　districts　of　the　empire　even　less



prepared　to　meet　it。　They　had；　during　the　previous　winter；　very



generally　eaten　their　draught…animals　and　burned　everything　not



absolutely　necessary　for　their　own　shelter；　from　Finland



specimens　of　bread　made　largely　of　ferns　had　been　brought　me



which　it　would　seem　a　shame　to　give　to　horses　or　cattle；　and　yet



his　imperial　highness　the　heir　to　the　throne　evidently　knew



nothing　of　all　this。







In　explanation；　I　was　afterward　told　by　a　person　who　had　known



him　intimately　from　his　childhood；　that；　though　courteous；　his



main　characteristic　was　an　absolute　indifference　to　most　persons



and　things　about　him；　and　that　he　never　showed　a　spark　of



ambition　of　any　sort。　This　was　confirmed　by　what　I　afterward　saw



of　him　at　court。　He　seemed　to　stand　about　listlessly；　speaking　in



a　good…natured　way　to　this　or　that　person　when　it　was　easier　than



not　to　do　so；　but；　on　the　whole；　indifferent　to　all　which　went　on



about　him。







After　his　accession　to　the　throne；　one　of　the　best　judges　in



Europe；　who　had　many　opportunities　to　observe　him　closely；　said



to　me；　〃He　knows　nothing　of　his　empire　or　of　his　people；　he　never



goes　out　of　his　house；　if　he　can　help　it。〃　This　explains　in　some



degree　the　insufficiency　of　his　programme　for　the　Peace



Conference　at　The　Hague　and　for　the　Japanese　War；　which；　as　I



revise　these　lines；　is　bringing　fearful　disaster　and　disgrace



upon　Russia。







The　representative　of　a　foreign　power　in　any　European　capital



must　be　presented　to　the　principal　members　of　the　reigning



family；　and　so　I　paid　my　respects　to　the　grand　dukes　and



duchesses。　The　first　and　most　interesting　of　these　to　me　was　the



old　Grand　Duke　Michaelthe　last　surviving　son　of　the　first



Nicholas。　He　was　generally；　and　doubtless　rightly；　regarded　as；



next　to　his　elder　brother；　Alexander　II；　the　flower　of　the　flock；



and　his　reputation　was　evidently　much　enhanced　by　comparison　with



his　brother　next　above　him　in　age；　the　Grand　Duke　Nicholas。　It



was　generally　charged　that　the　conduct　of　the　latter　during　the



Turkish　campaign　was　not　only　unpatriotic；　but　inhuman。　An　army



officer　once　speaking　to　me　regarding　the　suffering　of　his



soldiers　at　that　time　for　want　of　shoes；　I　asked　him　where　the



shoes　were；　and　he　answered：　〃In　the　pockets　of　the　Grand　Duke



Nicholas。〃







Michael　was　evidently　different　from　his　brothernot　haughty　and



careless　toward　all　other　created　beings；　but　kindly；　and　with　a



strong　sense　of　duty。　One　thing　touched　me。　I　said　to　him　that



the　last　time　I　had　seen　him　was　when　he　reached　St。　Petersburg



from　the　seat　of　the　Crimean　War　in　the　spring　of　1855；　and　drove



from　the　railway　to　the　palace　in　company　with　his　brother



Nicholas。　Instantly　the　tears　came　into　his　eyes　and　flowed　down



his　cheeks。　He　answered：　〃Yes；　that　was　sad　indeed。　My



father〃meaning　the　first　Emperor　Nicholas〃telegraphed　us　that



our　mother　was　in　very　poor　health；　longed　to　see　us；　and



insisted　on　our　coming　to　her　bedside。　On　our　way　home　we　learned



of　his　death。〃







Of　the　younger　generation　of　grand　dukes；the　brothers　of



Alexander　III；the　greatest　impression　was　made　upon　me　by



Vladimir。　He　was　apparently　the　strongest　of　all　the　sons　of



Alexander　II；　being　of　the　great　Romanoff　breedbig；　strong；



muscular；　like　his　brother　the　Emperor。　He　chatted　pleasantly；



and　I　remember　that　he　referred　to　Mr。　James　Gordon　Bennettwhom



he　had　met　on　a　yachting　cruiseas　〃my　friend。〃







Another　of　these　big　Romanoff　grand　dukes　was　Alexis；　the　grand



admiral。　He　referred　to　his　recollectio