A TRAGIC FIGURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1918, Page 5

A TRAGIC FIGURE.

EMPRESS-DOWAGER OP RUSSIA. In a humble little country house in the Crimea, with little more than the bare necessaries of life, sick, and mourning for her country, there longs, amid tears and prayers, for the eternal rest, the tragic figure of a woman. She is the sister of Queen Alexandra, the widow of Alexander 111, Marie Feodorowna, Em-press-Dowager of Russia. Tragic t'ho destiny of this good woman, the friend of France and England, whose hatred of Germany and Wilhelm ll—a feeling she had transmitted to her son—was unshakable. . Some weeks ago (writes Comte Gaston de Merindol in the Morning Post) a German general was sent on a mission to her to inquire as to her wishes. He was not so much as admitted. This old woman of 70, to wlhom Trotsky and Lenin dole out bread and sugar, who possesses nothing of her own, would rather die of hunger than be indebted to a German. And docs not this trait better than any other depict the character, so compact of dignity and pride, of toer whose husband made the Franco-Rus-sian, alliance? Ah! Let the Allies, forgetting to what party they belong, salute, with hearts full of umotion, the attitude of this noble aud unhappy lady!' The last time I saw her was during one of her daily visits to a war Ihospital in Petrograd. What simplicity in her bearing, what graciousness in her glance! Each sufferer, whether prince or moujik, and a word of consolation from her lip;, and the reward of her I smile was more to these wounded heroes than all tthe other recompense to&mtj ..." " ." ■