A formal
reception and ceremonies were organized in Tchita; and I allude to the
matter because of a curious detail mentioned in a letter to me by Mrs.
Alexyeeff. Foreigners have very queer ideas, she said, as to the
position and treatment of the political exiles in Siberia; some of the
Tchita exiles served as heads of the committees for welcoming the heir,
and he shook hands with them and treated them exactly as he treated the
Governor General of the Province.
Whether it was his admiration for the American temperance movement which
influenced Dr. Alexyeeff's views on everything American, I cannot say.
But, assuredly, not many foreign visitors have pronounced upon our
country such a panegyric as is contained in the preface to his "Across
America." He writes:
Conscientious fulfillment of every duty, industry, energy, and
moral purity are the typical qualities of the genuine
American. It is difficult to form any idea of the wide
development of philanthropy, the significance of religion, and
the practical application to life of ethical principles, the
application of moral obligations in business, the upright,
God-fearing life of the Americans, unless one has lived among
them.
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