Identifier: withinroyalpalac00font (find matches)
Title: Within royal palaces : a brilliant and charmingly written inner view of emperors, kings, queens, princes and princesses ...
Year: 1892 (1890s)
Authors: Fontenoy, marquise de, pseud
Subjects: Courts and courtiers
Publisher: Philadelphia, Hubbard Pub. Co
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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the day approached, followed at ashort distance by a gray-haired moujik dressed in the costumeworn by the peasantry of Southern Russia. In reply to theEmperors inquiries, Colonel F. informed him that the oldman craved for an audience with His Majesty for the purposeof thanking him in person for decreeing the emancipation ofthe serfs twenty years previously. On the Czar beckoning to the peasant to approach, thelatter threw himself prostrate on the ground, and begankissing the Autocrats feet, and amidst sobs to offer up prayersand invocations to him, just as if the Emperor had been somecanonized saint. When at length he regained his composure,he explained to the Czar that at the date of his emancipationfrom servitude he had made a solemn vow to thank thelittle father before he died for his great act of mercy to his30,000,000 serf subjects. On three previous occasions hehad walked all the way on foot from his village in SouthernRussia—a distance of some 1,500 miles—for the purpose of
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The Czar of Russia. 248 WITHIN ROYAL PALACES. accomplishing his vow. But in each instance his pilgrimagehad been rendered fruitless by the close guard which thepolice kept over the person of the Czar while at St. Peters-burg. Being, however, seventy years of age, and feelingthat death could no longer be far distant, the old peasant haddetermined to make one more effort to accomplish his vow,so as to be able to depart for another world with his mindat rest. This time, he added, he had been fortunate enoughto find the little father at Tcharskoe-Selo, where it waseasier to obtain access to him. And thus he had been ableto fulfill his hearts desire, and would now go home to die atpeace with himself and with the world. Much moved, Alexander extended his hand to be kissed,exclaiming, It is I who thank thee, my old friend, and I amoflad to have seen thee. Now return home with Gods bless-ing and my own, and having directed Colonel F. to providethe old man with food, railway tickets, and money

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