The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-05-23
N 7 3 O e L T. a N E o L :.
THE PAIR OF GLOVES.
A RUSSIAN ROMANCE.

cstchet, the abuse of which, it is now
needless 10 dwell on were not peculiar 10
France. hu, may be traced throughout Eu-
rope, disguised under various forms and
names. In England, the Bastle was the
Tower of London; in Prussia the fortress
Of Spandau: in Spain the castle of Pam
peluna; in Russia. it was represented by
Siberia. The following well authenticated
fact. the last scenes of which have been
under our very ewes. may be deemed in
seres,ine. as a matter Of comparison.
No sight is more striking than review
Of ST. Petersburg, under the balconies of
the mahIe palace or in the Place sof the
Admiralty. The bronzed faces of the SOL
diers, the unmoved sternness of their as
pec', the automaton like precision of their
evolutions, the strange mixture of costumes
as varied as the different races that wear
,hem-here the Tcherkesses, in oriental
uniform-there the royal guardsman. with
their silver breast-plates, in the midst of
which shines a golden sln-then the drag
oons, in black hamlets. and the Don Cos
sacks, with their long lances; and the most
remarkable Of all the imposing figure of
the Emperor towering above the rest, and
surrounded by his staff, consisting of the
most high.horn mobiles. and the finest men
Of the Empire-all comhired to form an
unparalleled scene. battling all description
and the characteristics of which are as diff
6cult for the Imagination to picture 10 itself
as for the pen the describe.
The military ceremony is held in St.
Petersburg every year. on Easter SUNDAY
I, took place as usual i'll lS4S. and would
have presented no peculiar feature to spec
ulate upon had not the Emperor, during
the whole time of parade, appeared in
company with little old Inan.-dressed in
a white coat turned up with red. yellow
breeches. white buckles in his shoes. three
cd him about with look of bewilderment
mixed with sadness.
The sigh, of costume belonging to the
time Of Catherine ii Of course excited the
greatest surprise. and gave rise to thou
sand coniectures. the truth. however,
was soon made known; and we will re-
peat, in the fewest possible words, the
mournfnl tale of the old man with the
white plume, as we heard it related on the
spot.
Potemkin was at once the most singular
and the most lucky man of the age he lived
in. When an ensign in the body guard he
had the good fortune to be noticed by the
Empress, in whose service he drew his
sword, in the time of the revolution that
occasioned the death Of PeterIlI. He was
handsome, enterprising and ambitious; he
became her favorite, and completely sub
jugated the strong minded woman, whom
the Orloffs had frightened, but had vainly
endeavered to subdue.
Potemkin never loved Cathetine II nor
was he long beloved of her. Being drawn
together rather by the sympathy OF natural
genius than BY any tender feelings, they
were reciprocally unfaithful to each other.
Potemkln, like the true spoiled child OF
fortune, tired Of his easy conquests over
the fragile danes al court had grown skep-
tic in matters Of love, and only believed
81 galllnry. A polish lady under ook his
conversion. The Princess Zoumowski
was pretty, graceful, capricious, complete
coquette. full of wit and frivolity; aud was
in short, like Countess Veroeff d. Asciikef
ofour times, the sovereign arbiter of fash
on, and the divinity of Russian society,"
She inspired the favorite with violent
passion, to which she herself appeared not
wholly insensible.
But, just at the very moment when Po-
,emkin thought himself certain of his trl-
umph, the princess suddenly changed her
mind, and became distant, reserved and
cold. 1t was observed that this change
had taken place ever since the fire at the
principal theatre, where her life had been
IN danger had she not been rescued by the
heroic efforts OF a young Major. who, on
hearing her screams haG rushed into the
burning house. and thanks to good luck,
and devoted courage had borne her from
her box already encircled in flames.
Po'emkin, in despair of his non success
became desirous of ascertaining atleast the
cause OF the rebuffs he had to bear: and
from that day The Princess Zoumowski
became the object of incessant, though COW
ert, espionage. Not the slightest clue,
however could be found 10 the secret OF
her coldness; and Potemkin half beginning
10 recover from his fears, attributed it TO
one of those caprices as frequent as they
are transitory among women of her stamp
when circumstance apparently Insignificant
In itself, directed his suspicion in another
quarter.
On the 9th of March l774, the Empress
dressed in the national costums Of which