n November, 1891, the secret police came on the scent of
a conspiracy at Moscow, and in April, 1894, they learned of one at St.
Petersburg. In constant fear of assassination, Alexander resided at
Gatschina, twenty-five miles south of St. Petersburg, as in an armed
fortress. The never-ceasing tension wore out the strong man. He caught
cold and suffering from inflammation of the kidneys he went south, but
experienced no relief. He died on the 1st of November, 1894.

In his private life he was essentially a good man; as czar, he acted
according to his convictions. He gave much thought to the welfare of
the peasants and as such deserved the surname of The Peasants' Friend.

[Illustration: Nicholas II] (p. 250)

XXVII--RUSSIA UNDER THE PRESENT CZAR. (p. 251)

NICHOLAS II.

"Neglect nothing that can make my son truly a man!" This was the
instruction given by Alexander to the tutors of his son. Consequently,
Nicholas in his youth was allowed to indulge in manly exercises and
sports, while special tutors taught him mathematics, natural
philosophy, history, political economy, English, French, and German,
besides his native language. Destined for the throne, he began his
military career at the age of thirteen as hetman of the Cossacks, and
passed successively through the different grades. In 1889, at the age
of twenty-one, he was appointed president of a committee to prepare
plans for the Trans-Siberian railway, and the following year he made a
tour in the Far East, visiting China and Japan. In the last-named
country he was attacked and wounded by a police officer who had been
brooding over the wrongs which his country had suffered at the hands
of Russia. Nicholas recovered and proceeded to Vladivostok, where he
initiated the building of the great continental line. He returned to
St. Petersburg by way of Siberia and Moscow, and was the first czar
who had ever visited his Asiatic empire.

Born on May 18, 1868, he was twenty-six years old when he was (p. 252)
called to the throne. He announced that he would "promote the progress
and peaceful glory of our beloved Russia, and the happiness of all our
faithful subjects." On the 26th of November, 1894, the czar married
Princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt, the granddaughter of Queen
Victoria, who, on entering the Greek Church, received the name of
Alexandra Feodorofna. The czar retained his father's mini