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the　Grand　Duchess　Xenia；　at　Peterhof。　It　was　very　brilliant；　and



was　conducted　after　the　usual　Russian　fashion；　its　most　curious



features　being　the　leading　of　the　couple　about　the　altar　and



their　drinking　out　of　the　same　cup。







Coming　from　the　ceremony　in　the　chapel；　we　of　the　diplomatic



corps　found　ourselves；　at　the　foot　of　the　great　staircase；　in　a



crush。　But　just　at　the　side　was　a　large　door　of　plate…glass



opening　upon　an　outer　gallery　communicating　with　other　parts　of



the　palace；　and　standing　guard　at　this　door　was　one　of　the



〃Nubians〃　whom　I　had　noticed；　from　time　to　time；　at　the　Winter



Palacean　enormous　creature；　very　black；　very　glossy；　with　the



most　brilliant　costume　possible。　I　had　heard　much　of　these



〃Nubians；〃　and　had　been　given　to　understand　that　they　had　been



brought　from　Central　Africa　by　special　command。　At　great



assemblages　in　the　imperial　palaces；　just　before　the　doors　were



flung　open　for　the　entrance　of　the　Majesties　and　their　cortege；



two　great　black　hands　were　always　to　be　seen　put　through　the



doors；　ready　to　open　them　in　an　instantthe　hands　of　two　of



these　〃Nubians。〃　I　had　built　up　in　my　mind　quite　a　structure　of



romance　regarding　them；　and　now　found　myself　in　the　crush　at　the



foot　of　the　grand　staircase　near　one　of　them。　As　I　looked　up　at



him　he　said　to　me；　with　deferential　compassion；　〃If　you　please；



sah；　would　n't　you　like　to　git　out　of　de　crowd；　sah；　through　dis



yere　doah？〃　By　his　dialect　he　was　evidently　one　of　my　own



compatriots；　and；　though　in　a　sort　of　daze　at　this　discovery；　I



mechanically　accepted　his　invitation；　whereupon　he　opened　the



door；　let　us　through；　and　kept　back　the　crowd。







Splendid；　too；　in　its　way；　was　the　funeral　of　the　Grand　Duchess



Catherine　at　the　Fortress　Church。　It　was　very　impressive；　almost



as　much　so　as　the　funeral　of　the　Emperor　Nicholas；　which　I　had



attended　at　the　same　place　nearly　forty　years　before。　The　Emperor



Alexander　III；　with　his　brothers；　had　followed　the　hearse　and



coffin　on　foot；　and　his　Majesty　was　evidently　greatly　fatigued。



Soon　he　retired　to　take　rest；　and　then　it　was　that　we　began　to



have　the　first　suspicion　of　his　fatal　illness。　Up　to　that　time



there　had　been　skepticism。　Very　few　had　thought　it　possible　that



a　man　of　such　giant　frame　and　strength　could　be　seriously　ill；



but　now　there　could　be　no　doubt　of　it。　Standing　near　him；　I



noticed　his　pallor　and　evident　fatigue；　and　was　not　surprised



that　he　twice　left　the　place；　in　order；　evidently；　to　secure



rest。　There　was　need　of　it。　In　the　Russian　Church　the　rule　is



that　all　must　stand；　and　all　of　us　stood　from　about　ten　in　the



morning　until　half…past　one　in　the　afternoon；　but　two　high



officials　covered　with　gold　lace　and　orders；　bearing　tapers　by



the　side　of　the　grand　duchess's　coffin；　toppled　over　from



exhaustion　and　were　removed。







As　to　other　spectacles；　one　of　the　most　splendid　was　the　midnight



mass　on　Easter　eve。　At　my　former　visit　I　had　seen　this　at　the



Kazan　Church；　now　we　went　to　the　Cathedral　of　St。　Isaac。　The



ceremony　was　brilliant　almost　beyond　conception；　as　in　the　old



days；　the　music　was　heavenly；　and；　as　the　clocks　struck　twelve；



the　cannons　of　the　fortress　of　Peter　and　Paul　boomed　forth；　all



the　bells　of　the　city　began　chiming；　and　a　light；　appearing　at



the　extreme　end　of　the　church；　seemed　to　run　in　all　directions



through　the　vast　assemblage；　and　presently　all　seemed　ablaze。



Every　person　in　the　church　was　holding　a　taper；　and　within　a　few



moments　all　of　these　had　been　lighted。







Most　beautiful　of　all　was　the　music　at　another　of　these　Easter



ceremonies；　when　the　choristers；　robed　in　white；　came　forth　from



the　sanctuary　and　sang　hymns　by　the　side　of　the　empty　sepulcher



under　the　dome。







The　singing　by　the　choirs　in　Russia　is；　in　many　respects；　more



beautiful　than　similar　music　in　any　other　part　of　the　world；　save



that　of　the　cathedral　choir　of　Berlin　at　its　best。　I　have　heard



the　Sistine；　Pauline；　and　Lateran　choirs　at　Rome；　and　they　are



certainly　far　inferior　to　these　Russian　singers。　No　instrumental



music　is　allowed　and　no　voices　of　women。　The　choristers　are　men



and　boys。　There　are　several　fine　choirs　in　St。　Petersburg；　but



three　are　famous：　that　of　the　Emperor　at　the　Winter　Palace



Chapel；　that　of　the　Archbishop　at　the　Cathedral　of　St。　Isaac；　and



that　of　the　Nevski　Monastery。　Occasionally　there　were　concerts



when　all　were　combined；　and　nothing　in　its　way　could　be　more



perfect。







Operatic　music　also　receives　careful　attention。　Enormous



subsidies　are　given　to　secure　the　principal　singers　of　Europe　at



the　Italian；　French；　and　German　theaters；　but　the　most　lavish



outlay　is　upon　the　national　opera：　it　is　considered　a　matter　of



patriotism　to　maintain　it　at　the　highest　point　possible。　The



Russian　Opera　House　is　an　enormous　structure；　and　the　finest



piece　which　I　saw　given　there　was　Glinka's　〃Life　for　the　Czar。〃



Being　written　by　a　Russian；　on　a　patriotic　subject；　and　from　an



ultra…loyal　point　of　view；　everything　had　been　done　to　mount　it



in　the　most　superb　way　possible：　never　have　I　seen　more　wonderful



scenic　effects；　the　whole　culminating　in　the　return　of　one　of　the



old　fighting　czars　to　the　Kremlin　after　his　struggle　with　the



Poles。　The　stage　was　enormous　and　the　procession　magnificent。　The



personages　in　it　were　the　counterparts；　as　regarded　dress；　of　the



persons　they　represented；　exact　copies　having　been　made　of　the



robes　and　ornaments　of　the　old　Muscovite　boyards；　as　preserved　in



the　Kremlin　Museum；　and　at　the　close　of　this　procession　came　a



long　line　of　horses；　in　the　most　superb　trappings　imaginable；



attended　by　guards　and　outriders　in　liveries　of　barbaric



splendor；　and　finally　the　imperial　coach。　We　were　enabled　to



catch　sight　of　the　Cossack　guards　on　the　front　of　it；　when；　just



as　the　body　of　the　coach　was　coming　into　view；　down　came　the



curtain。　This　was　the　result　of　a　curious　prohibition；　enforced



in　all　theaters　in　Russia：　on　no　account　is　it　permitted　to



represent　the　sacred　person　of　any　emperor　upon　the　stage。







As　to　other　music；　very　good　concerts　were　occasionally　given；



the　musicians　being　generally　from　Western　Europe。







Very　pleasant　were　sundry　excursions；　especially　during　the　long



summer　twilight；　and　among　these　were　serenade　parties　given　by



various　members　of　the　diplomatic　corps。　In　a　trim　steam…yacht；



and　carrying　singers　with　us；　we　sailed　among　the　islands　in　the



midnight　hours；　stopping；　from　time　to　time；　to　greet　friends



occupying　cottages　there。







As　to　excursions　in　the　empire；　I　have　already　given；　in　my



chapter　on　Tolstoi；　some　account　of　my　second　visit　to　Moscow；



and　a　more　complete　account　is　reserved　for　a　chapter　on　〃Sundry



Excursions　and　Experiences。〃　The　same　may　be　said；　also；



regarding　an　excursion　taken；　during　one　of　my　vacations；　in



Sweden；　Norway；　and　Denmark。







In　1893；　a　new　administration　having　brought　into　power　the　party



opposed　to　my　own；　I　tendered　to　President　Cleveland　my



resignation；　and；　in　the　full　expectation　that　it　would　be



accepted；　gave　up　my　apartment；　but　as；　instead　of　an　acceptance；



there　came　a　very　kind　indication　of　the　President's　confidence；



good…will；　and　preference　for　my　continuance　at　my　post；　I



remained　in　the　service　a　year　longer；　occupying　my　odds　and　ends



of　time　in　finishing　my　book。　Then；　feeling　the　need　of　going



elsewhere　to　revise　it；　I　wrote　the　President；　thanking　him　for



his　confidence　and　kindness；　but　making　my　resignation　final；　and



naming　the　date　when　it　would　be　absolutely　necessary　for　me　to



leave　Russia。　A　very　kind　letter　from　him　was　the　result；　the



time　I　had　named　was　accepted；　and　on　the　1st　of　November；　1894；



to　my　especial　satisfaction；　I　was　once　more　free　from　official



duty。















CHAPTER　XXXIX







AS　MEMBER　OF　THE　VENEZUELA　COMMISSION1895…1896







Early　one　morning；　just　at　the　end　of　1895；　as　I　was　at　work



before　the　blazing　fire　in　my　library　at　the　university；　the



winter　storms　howling　outside；　a　card　was　brought　in　bearing　the



name　of　Mr。　Hamlin；　assistant　secretary　of　the　treasury　of　the



United　States。　While　I　was　wondering　what；　at　that　time　of　the



year；　could　have　brought　a　man　from　such　important　duties　in



Washington　to　the　bleak　hills　of　central　New　York；　he　entered；



and　soon　made　known　his　business；　which　was　to　tender　me；　on　the



part　of　President　Cleveland；　a　position　upon　the　commission　which



had　been　authorized　by　Congress　to　settle　the　boundary　between



the　republic　of　Venezuela　and　British　Guiana。







The　whole　matter　had　attracted　great　attention；　not　only　in　the



United　States；　but　throughout　the　world。　The　appointment　of　the



commission　was　the　result　of　a　chain　of　circumstances　very



honorable　to　the　President；　to　his　Secretary　of　State；　Mr。　Olney；



and　to　Congress。　For　years　the　Venezuelan　government　had　been



endeavoring　to　establish　a　frontier　between　its　territory　and



that　of　its　powerful　neighbor；　but　without　result；　and　meantime



the　British　boundary　seemed　to　be　pushed　more　and　more　into　the



territory　of　the　little　Spanish…American　republic。　For　years；



too；　Venezuela　had　appealed　to　the　United　States；　and　the　United



States　had　appealed　to　Great　Britain。　American　secretaries　of



state　and　ambassadors　at　the　Court　of　St。　James　had　〃trusted；〃



and　〃regrette