The Czar at Home.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 447, 19 February 1890, Page 3

The Czar at Home.

To see the Emperor to best advantage he must be sought in the bosom of his family. The Czar has most wonderful strength of muscle. He can bend a horse-shoe or strangle a bear by mere force of hand. Once while in Denmark, when a conjuror was showing his skill, the Czar ottered to produce a specimen of his own abilities ; he took a pack of cards and tore them through with the greatest ease. At Gatschina he loves to go fishing with a harpoon by torchlight. Like Mr Gladstone, he is fond of felling trees, but, unlike that gentleman, he equally enjoys sawing them into lengths. The Czar has five children, three sons and two daughters. The Empress has her daughters much with her, and has not even a so-called governess for them. Her own persoual attendant and her lady of honour serve also for them. In part, this springs from the Emperor’s . love for simplicity of life, but in part also that they try to surround themselves with as few people as possible, so that as little as may be concerning their private life should transpire to the outer world, of whom they are, and not without good reason, much afraid. The Empress superintends in person the education of the two little Grand Duchesses, Xenie and Olga, aged respectively fourteen and six'. The Emperor in his leisure moments tries to do the same for his boys.