Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-10-30
The Story of Russian Priest.

During an excursion near st. Petersburgh,
Mr. Jermann made the acquaintance Of Rus
sian priest, in whose story the cruel complica-
tons of serfdom, and the heartlessness of serf-
owners, are exempIifed. We give it as follows:
The priests father was serf on all estate
near Kasan, and was permitted by the count, his
master, to take service in the town, he paying
a yearly dbrOk or fine, in lieu of the labor he was
bound TO perform. He obtained employment in
the household of a rich goldsmith, and there oc.
cupled his leisure in drawing, for which he had
natural taste. One day he surprised his en-
poyer by the exhibition Of beautiful arabesque
design. The goldsmith, struck by his ability,
released him from his menial duties and took
him as pupil into his workshop, where his tai
ent, backed by unwearied asslduity, soon con-
Veited the dull peasant into highly skillful ar
list. Thus he continued until he reached his
tve and d-twcntsth year, when he fell IN love with
the godsHlths daughter, beautiful girl of IS.
She ardenty returned his love, and her father
consented to their union on one condition, that
the serf should become freeman. The condi-
ton could not be complied with The count
obstlnaleIy refused to berate his vassal. All
that entreaty could wiring from him was the pro-
mise that, without absolute necessity, he would
not withdraw him from the town. This did not
satisfy the old goldsmith but he could not re-
slst his daughters tears and the lovers were
united, A year Of perfect happiness flew rapidly
by; then came the war with France the bride
groom's younger brother was taken for military
service, his father died, and he himself was
summoned by his owner to manage the now de-
serted farm. On his brothers return from the
army, he was to be at liberty TO go back to Ka-
san. But his brother never returned, and the
poor artist, the cunning worker in gold and sill.
yer, was condemned to follow the plow, whilst
his free born wife sat beneath a serfs roof, nur-
sing her infant son. This child was her only
consolation in her sadly altered circumstances
she passed her time in dressing and adjoining it,
ana me F'7'sv vf- ~. ls-s-syH-f
hamlet, til il reached the ears Of the countess,
who demanded to see the child The proud
mother decked it out like lamb for the sacr-
fee and took it to the castle. The countess was
delighted with its beauty, as she might have
been with that of poodle or parrot, and declar-
ed her intention to do its parents the honor of
adopting it. In vain the mother wept, implored,
and raved in despair at the prospect of losing
her son. The infant remained upon the coun-
tess's lap-the mother was forcibly turned out
Of the castle
Brought up in luxury, the boy thought not of
the parents he had scarcely known. The count
died soon after his adoption, leaving his widow
with two sons and a daughter, besides the adopt
ed son and two adopted daughters. The six
children grew up together in perfect equality,
receiving the same educaion sharing the same
sports, until the serf's son reached his fifteenth
year. At that period the young count fell dan.
gerously ill. The physicians abandoned him,
and his desparing mother made vow that if he
recovered she would devote all her adopted
children to the church. He did recover. She
sent her two adopted daughters to convent
one took the veil; the other so obstnately re-
fused it, that the superior of the convent sent
her back again to The countess, who, furious at
her refusal, gave her in marriage to a game
keeper, dissolute fellow, who took her away tc
Moscow. Then came the turn of the gold
smiths son. He had no taste for the priest
hood; but what could he do? A serf and the
son of serf, obedience was his only passport tr
freedom; refusal would condemn him to life
of toll and misery. BY conseuting, he at leas
secured his emancipation, for no serf can be {
priest in Russia. He yielded, and was received
into the church.