New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-04-20
CATHERINE OF RUSSIA.
(Tran,iated from the French, by Anne t. Wilbur


Open biographies, interrogate history, search
popular annals-you will find everywhere, under
various forms, this striking truth that certain
beings are destined to the joys and triumphs of
greatness, as others are to the trials Of uoyertv
and obscurity. Of all those astonishing eleva-
tions which are the secret Of Providence, no one
perhaps is more marked than that Of Catherine,
the poor Livonian villager, become Empress Of
Russia, the wife Of the founder of dynasty,
and the first woman of her age. The most for
midable obstacles, the most cruel misfortune
which arrest most men in the pursuit Of happi-
ness, were for Catherine but fortunate circum-
stances, smoothing the way to throne; ard
Ike Cromwell and Napoleon, she blindly obeyeti
the mysterious instinct which guided her to st-
preme rank, by several times refusing fate far
above that which seemed reserved for her by her
humble origin
Born in village near the town Of Dorpat, in
Livonia, Catherine could receive no inheritance
from her parents, but their virtues and the Sc
cret of finding contentment in peaceful and
simple life Early deprived of her father, she
remained alone with her mother, who was suf
fering from the combined evils of age and
poverty. Both dwelt in their natal cottage
with earthen walls and roofof straw and there
far from the eyes of the world the Young
Catherine, by the labor of her hands, supported
her mother, whom years and infirmities rem
dered incapable of labor. While Catherine spun
the old woman, seated beside her, read some
| pious book; then, when the tolls of the day
were over, these two humble females reposine
by the fireside, with the contentment which in,i-
gence borrows from labors ended and daily bread
| gained, gaily shared very frugal repast.
| Her features, the whiteness and deicacy OF
her skin, her form, her gait, were models Of per
fiction; and admiration, at sight of so many
charms, knew no bounds. But the beautiful
young girl seemed to be attentive only to the
culture of her mind Her mother had taught
her to read, and an old Lutheran minister h had
instructed her in the doctrines of religion and
taught her to love its duties. Nature had en-
dowed Catherine with ready imagination
united to solid judgement, and an intelligence
as correct as powerful. The assemblage of SO
many Of the qualities which make the accom-
plished woman, brought Catherine numerous
proposals of marriage from the neghborine
peasants; but all were politely refused Cathe-
rine loved her mother too tenderly to dream OF
separating from her. Thus, the purest Of vir,
tues, flial piety, prevented her who was to share
the throne of Peter the Great, from becoming
the wife of Livonan serf gjse
! Catherine was but fifteen years Of age when
she had the misfortune to lose her mother She
then left her cottage and went to ask an asy.
lum OF the Lutheran minister, from whom she
had received her early instruction She re.
|
his children, and, in this new position, won nd
miration by two qualities rarely united-con-
summate prudence and surprising vivacity ot
| character.
The worthy minister, who looked upon he1
and loved her as one of his children, had her
taught music and dancing by the masters who
gave instruction to his own family in these arts
and the young girl was rapidly adding to her
natural graces the acquired talents Of good
adm do - Al
who had been to her a father This event again
plunged Catherine into her primitive poverty
To complete her misfortune, Livonia was at thi:
period, the theatre in which war was extending
its ravages and spreading misery everywhere
As it is especially on the poor that such calam
tiles fall most heavily, the unfortunate Gather
inc, although endowed with all the advantage
which render a woman accomplished, expert
enced all the sufferings of hopeless indulgence
Food, and all the comforts of life, becoming
daily more rare in the province, and the littl
finances of the orphan having been soon ex
r hausted, she took at last the bold resolution t
repair to Marienbourg, great city, whcr
) abundance reigped.
She therefore started on foot. carrying unde
her arm her scanty wardrobe, wrapped in al
apron. In order to reach the end of her jour
ney, she had to traverse a country naturall-
poor and barren, and now rendered still NOR
so by the Swedes and Russians, who by turns
conquerors and conquered, pitilessly ravage,
the unfortunate land But hunger, more impe
rious than the fear of fatigue and still create
dangers, urged Catherine to brave them
One evening during her solitary journey, sh
was about to enter a farm house beside tn
road, to ask there shelter for the night, whel
she was suddenly seized by two soldiers, VIII
insulted her, and would perhaps have proceeds
to still more dlsgracetul treatment but for tn
arrival Of young officer, who at once took til
part Of a defender. At sight of their com
: mander the soldiers fed, and the surprise c
Catherine was equal to her gratitude, when sh
recognized in her youthful deiverer the son {
the Lutheran minister who had been her teacher
t I3benetactor and friend.
This was for Catherine an encounter not les
pleasant than fortunate. Nothing now RENAME
OF the little sum she possessed on quitting til
house of the minister, and her clothing, piec
by piece, had served to pay for supper and
bed IN the places through which she had trav
eled Moved by her distress, her generou
countryman shared with her his scanty savings
that she might buy other garments he procure
= her also horse, and gave her letters Of recon
! mendation to NJ. Gluck, who had been the init
!. mate friend of his father, and was then super
intendent of Marienbourg
: The beautiful stranger had but to appear t
be warmly welcomed She was immediatel
d admitted into the family Of the superintendent
d as governess of his two daughters. Althoug
: she was then only seventeen, Catherine Shove
herself capable of forming and instructing he
e sex, not only in virtue, but in manners Sue
: was the effect produced on NJ. Gluak by til
e beauty and intelligence of the young girl, ths
y. a short time after he had admitted her to Ii
h house, he offered her his hand, but to his gres
t. surprise, the young villager, portionless an
e unprotected, thought it her duty to refus
i. Guided to this step by sentiment of gratitud
she had resolved to have no other husbar
c than her deliverer, although he had lost a
=, % arm and was disfgured by wounds received
battle. So much virtue was to receive its r.
l. ward; she had already, for love of her motle
refused the hand of a peasant; for the ms
whom she loved she now declined a brilliant n
stion. But she is not to be the wife of a supe
. intendent or OF poor invalid officer; it is d.
creed that she shall be sovereign of one of Il
D greatest empires in the world Resolved henc
: forth to avoid all solicitations of the kind,
$ soon as the young officer came to Marenbour
ID Catherine offered him her hand which he 10,
50 fully accepted, and their marriage was Gel
a hrated according to the rites of their religit
and the customs of the times.
= The very day of the marriage of the tv
young LiVonians, the Russians besieged M;
y \, rienbourg; the husband was summoned to Dc
" fend its walls, and undoubtedly lost his Ii
| boy ,f