Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-03-29

songs (they are all set in the minor KEY, and
each carries an axe In his girdle for which
the day may come when be finds terrible use
At present. that day seems to be very dis
tant. The ignorant house slaves, like the
negroes holding the same rank elseBere, are
treated as children. A new foofman, in
household which the Englishxoman visited
a man six feet two out of his shoes-was found
to have an aptitude for breakage. He was
told one day that when next he let anything
fall he would be punished On the day fol-
lowing he dropped the fish .ladle in handing fish
at the beginning of dinner. He looked dole
fully at bis master, expecting that blows would
be ordered. His mistress put him in the
corner Their ignorance is lamentable., A
Russian gentleman returned from abroad,
where he had seen better things, determined
to devote his life and fortune to the enlighten-
ment of his peasantry. The priest taught
them that he was destroying ancient customs,
and that his-design was to subvert the religion
of their forefathers. z. The consequences was
that the slaves formed a conspiracy against
him, and shot him one evening, as he was
reading book in his own sitting ROOM
Sometimes they take vengeance upon an
oppressor and terrible incidents of this kind
come within the experience of our country
woman. The heads of cruel masters are some
times cleft with the hatchet Of the serf They
are capable at the same time Of strong feudal
attachments 1t should be understood that
all the slaves in Russia are not poor Some
of the wealthiest traders in St. Petersburg arc
slaves to nobles who will not suffer them to
buy their freedom, but enjoy the pride of own
ing men who themselves own In some cases
hundreds of thousands of pounds capital. The
inheritor of an estate in which there were many
well-to-do serfs, arrived at it for the first time
one evening. and in the morning found his
house as he thought, besieged. His people
had heard that he was IN debt; and their pride
being hurt at servitude to an embarrassed mas
ters, they brought with them gift of money
raised among themselves, not less than five
and forty thousand pounds, their free-will off
ering, to make man of him again. He did
not need this help. but the illustration still
remains of the great generosity Of feeling pos
sible among the class of Russians.
The slaves detached from their lords, and
living in a comparatively Independent state,
acknowledge their. subjection to the soil by
payment of a poll-tax. Oppressive owners
often use this claim of poll-tax as means of
devouring all the earnings of a struggling
slave.y Our EHglishwoman met with a poor
cook, who had served a seven years appren-
ticeship in French house, and earned high
wages in family besides being allowed to
earn many fees by experimenting public sup
pers and private parties. There was. an up
per servant under the same roof with him
whom this poor fellow stIeve tomary ;but much
as he earned ! he strove in vain to save. Year
by year the abrock or poIl-tax was raised pro-
portion to the progress that he had made and
the last time the English lady saw him, he
was. sobbing bitterly over an open letter-a
demand from his proprietor for more abrock.
and an answer to request from al adame with
whom he served, that she might buy his free
dom, naming an impossible sum that doomed
him to continued slavery -k eIisVT
There was a poor man In liver, a slave born
with genius for painting that in any civilized.
country would have procured for him fame
and fortune. His master, finding how he was
gifted, doomed him to study under common
portrait-painter, and obliged him then to pay
a poH-tax, which he could only raise from gear
to year by painting a great number ofcheap
portraits-he who had genius for higher and
better things " When we last saw him.
writes our countrywoman, che had pined into
a decline; and, doubtless, ere this the village
grave has closed over his griefs and sorrows.
and buried his genius in the shades ofits eter-s
nal oblivion a} s EssH
The Englishweman was present once when
bargin was struck for dressmaker. "A
gentleman had dropped in to dine the host
mentioned that his wife wanted good dress
ing-maid- The guestrecommended one skilful
in dressmaking, with whom he thought his
wife would part . Well, {" the other said, her
price ?'' 1.-Two hundred and fifty silver rou-
bles." That was more than could be given;
but the bargin finally was struck for hum
L. IL
Such servant must be content = submit
to much oppression. The mistress who parts
from you in the drawing room with smile,
may be met ten minutes afterwards in. the
garden, her face inAamed with, rage. beating
man before her, one of the serfs employed
upon the grounds. A lady who lost much
money at the. gambling table. being pressed to-
pay debt of honor, remembered that she had
not a female servants who possessed beautiful
hair. She ordered them all to be cropped and
their hair sold for her benefit. regardles of the
fact that together with their hair she robbed
them of their reputation; cropped hair being
one of the marks set on q criminal ss-q4isfl
The boxing of the ears of maids is not below
the dignity of any lady. but when the maid is
not Russian, there may be some danger in
the practice. A princess, whose hair was
being dressed by French waiting maid, re-
ceiying some accidental scratch, turned round
and slapped the face of her attendant The
Frenchwoman. had the lady's back hair in her
hands at the time, and grasping it firmly, held
her head fast, while she administered q sound
correction on the cheeks and ears of her high
ness with the back of her hairbrush. 1t was
an insult that could not be resented publicly.
"A lady of her highness's blood could not letit
be said that servant had giyens her . beat