AN ANECDOTE OF THE CZAR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 928, 16 March 1882, Page 3

AN ANECDOTE OF THE CZAR.

An occasional correspondent in St. Petersburg records an amiable action lately performed by the Czar. During the last few days the Chief Military Procurator, Pilosofoff, and his wife have returned to Russia, aud reappeared at Court. The story of their absence is a curious one. Under the regime of Gurko it was an easy thing for anyone, man or woman, to be ticketed as “politically suspected,” and dealt with accordingly. Madame Filosofoff was a cultivated and generous lady, and she employed her spare money in frequent gifts to the poor and promising students, to aid them in their careers. A student of science or literature was regarded ipso facto by the Gurko school of politics as a doubtful character ; if not already a Nihilist, there was no saying how soon he might become oneMadame FilosofofiTs gifts to youths of this class brought her into bad repute, and although no proof seems to have been found that she really aided any professed Revolutionists, under the plea of aiding scientific or literary aspirants, she was suddenly informed that she must leave Russia and reside abroad. Her husband, the Chief Military Procurator, was in despair, but his influence and office could not procure a remission of the hard sentence which reduces him to the condition of what the Gedranra call a “ straw-widower.” At a Court ball, shortly after the exile of his wife, the late Emperor Alexander 11. went up to Filosofoff and kindly asked him why he looked so wretched. “ Your Majesty knows,” he replied “ that I am a lonely man. lam no longer young, I am constantly ill, and I need hardly say that I miss the society of my wife.” “ I can fe> 1 lor you,” said the Czar, “and I wish that your wife could return to you ; but,” added he, after a pause. “ I find that it is quite impracticable.” Early the next morning, while the Procurator was at work in his study a courier arrived from the Czar, with a note in the Imperial handwriting. “ As jour wife cannot return to you,” said the document, “ you had better go to her. I grant you an extra leave of absence and 2000 roubles for travelling expenses.—Alexander.” The present Czar struck a line across Madame Filosofoff’s name in the list of “ political suspects,” and she and her husband, the compulsory and the voluntary exile,were thus enabled to return home, and, as (iur police reports often conclude, “ without as tain on their character.” —London Echo.