The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1854-01-12

serf's expectations, awaited them.
There was no want of Drawn, sour cab
bage, and hard cheese on the long, rough
table at which, after old Livonian fashion,
master and servant sat according to rank;
yet the feast did notg off SO joyously as
might have been anticipated. The young
est daughter broke china bowl which had
been in the family for fifty years-that
upset the boyardeen; the boyar became
so critical, before the bottle of corn brandy
on his right was quite empty, that he
found fault with everything said or done;
and all agreed that Peter Letski did no
justice to himself and the supper.
Peter lost no time in relating the cause
of that unwonted neglect to his mother
when safe in their own cottage; and after
minute inquiries touching what he had
to drink on the road, old Roskin said
she never heard of such traveller
in all the tales of Courland-o didn't
know what might come with corn mer-
chants legacy; but her advice was, to
keep the story between themselves till
Father Michael, their priests, should re-
turn from visiting his brother in Upper
Lithunia, which would certainly take
place before Christmas His mother's S
advice was Peters law. He went on
thrashing, basket-making, and sleeping,
as in other winters; old Roskin, too, spun
as usual at the hof but the hof was not
the place it had been. Its Industrious
quiet had been broken to bring home that
legacy, and could not be restored. The
servants grumbled for stronger quass; the
the daughters repined for new dresses;
the boyardeen grew more and more care
full than ever; and the boyar thought
that every man was stealing. Then there
were grand visitors, counts and barons,
who came from leagues away, and had
to be entertained in the great parlor, new
er before opened except for wedding
feasts. Among them was certain Count
Ratschof, who would have married The
odore's eldest daughter, but the boyar
and he could never come to an understan-
ding on the subject Of her dowry. How
ever, the count had been in Petersburg
seven years looking after a legacy he did
dot get, and having some knowledge of
the great world there, he undertook to
instruct the whole house of Nicklewitz
touching their dignity and interest.
Under his direction, the peasants were
not allowed to speak in the old familiar
forms to their betters; the kitchen was
obliged to wait till the parlor had finish
ed. and got only broken victuals: the rye
bread was weighed, the quass was meas
ured; and the boyar resolved to have
Ratinka married without delay. His de-
termination was signifed the week before
Christmas, when, one evening after din
ner, was summoned to the parlor door, to
see his master seated in great state, with
his pipe, his tobacco-box, and quart cup
in the form of an eagle, filed to the brim
with corn brandy, before him. Peter had
never beheld the splendors of that apart
ment. It's silver candlesticks, its walls
covered with crimson leather, and its gilt
ceiling, which shone on the wedding fes-
tivities of Theodore's great grandfather,
overwhelmed the Courland peasant, but
his mind was relieved from the weight of
its magnifcence by his master demand
ing: "Peter Petski, when do you mean to
marry Ratinka, my nurses daughter? I
will give her portion of twenty silver
rubles. Father Michael will be here in
three days; and my will is, that you make
ready for the wedding.''
"Master," said Peter, quietly, ''it is
my fear that Rantinka might not agree
well with my mother
"Your mother!'' cried the boyar fierce
ly, for he had tried the brandy; "I'll
haye no such excuses. Either marry Ra-
tinka. or leave my land"
Peter had never seen the boyar so an
cry, and he stammered out in his confu-
sion: 81 knew how it would be when
Trouble-the-house came after the lega-
cy."
1t SO happened that Count Ratschof
who sat drinking with the boyar, imagined
and not without private reasons, that Pc
ter was speaking of him; SO, with wrath
in his eyes, and brandy in his brain, he
made but one bound from the table to
poor Peter, seized him by the collar OF
his sheepskin, and kicked him out of the
Aof:
Though free man, Peter was brought
up in Liyonia, and ran as fast possible
from the counts boots. The nigh was
pitch dark, for the moon and stars were
hidden by a heavy mist; and when Peter
thought of slackening his pace, neithe,
the 6of nor its dependencies could be seen
There was red CLEAN on the plain before
him, however, which he took to be the
great pine-torch shining through his
mothers window. Old Roskin was al