Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-03-25
EVENING STAR.
THE SNOW STORM.
Translated from the German, for the

| 1lO iO>iuCNs luo Nntle year. at his
domain CT Nenaradoff, where he was well
known for his hospitality. Every evening his
house was open to his neighbors and his nu-
merous friends, who were attracted according
to their age, by the pleasure of a quiet game
OF cards, or by the hope of gaining the good
graces Of the beautiful Mary, who, at the Pc
Rod of the opening of this story, was scarcely
seventeen years of age and the only child,
and consequently the only heir of Gabrilo-
With, and his wife, Petrowna
Nevertheless, the young girl had been ac-
customed from an early age to the reading Of
French romances, and had engaged her heart
to young Ensign, at that time on leave of
absence in the neighborhOod, who returned
her love with the same ardOr. 1t is hardly
necessary to add that the parents of the young
| hciress were opposed to the alliance, and that
wherever they met the unfortunate suitor,
! they treated him with pretty much the same
attention with which many persons receive
| tie tax collector. In spite Of this opposition.
"lr lovers maintained a constant correspond.
| cnce, and met each other secretly, under the
| thick shadows of the fir trees or in the old
| chapel. In these circumstances they pledged
| themselves mutually to eternal love, and re-
preaching fate FOR its unjust rigOr, they form
ed thousand projects to combat it Finally
they arrived at the conclusion that since,
| cruel parents were opposed to their marriage
1t was necessary thai it should be accom-
| plished secretly. 1t was the ensign who one
hne day made this proposition, and he had
tho delight of seeing it favOrabIy received.
| The approach Of winter suspended their in
| terVIcws, but their correspondence became SO
much the more active. In each of his letters
Vladimir Nicolavich conjured his beloved to
| hasten the moment Of their happiness aWe
will disappear for a time," said he "then we
| will return some day and cast ourselves at the
| feet CT your parents, who, touched by our he
| rolc constancy, will not refuse US their par
don" ." Mary yielded at length to entreaties
which became more pressing from day TO day
1t was agreed that on the day fixed upon she
should contrive pretext for not appearing at
| supper, and that she should retire at an earlv
hour to her room, where the preparations
would be already made by the femme dc
| chGmbre, who had been entrusted with the
| secret. Both of them were afterwards to
| leave the house by back door, near which n
| sleigh was to be ready to conduct them to the
| chapel OF Jadrino, which was situated about
| hve verStS OF, and there the young girl would
be ATTENDED by her lover and the priest who
was to unite them.
The preparations having been made, Mary
| wrote her parents a long letter, full Of tend
erness and excuses She had complained the
whole day OF a violent headache, which her
excitement made only too real. The tender
soiicitude of her father and mother served
| only to augment her physical and moral suf-
| fering; she quilted them, however, after
| having sat for few moments at the family
meal, in which her increasing agitation and
trouble cf mind had prevented her from
taking part, and she received as usual their
benediction. 1t was not without difficulty
! that she retrained then from bursting into
sobs-and repairing hastily to her bedroom,
she abandoned herself 10 her grief Her
| maid, however, used every effort to console
her, and at length succeeded.
The snow fell that day in thick gusts the
wind howled plaintively, and the clattering
OF the window frames struck terror to the
souls of the two young women. Nevertheless
as soon as the household had sunk into silence
they wrapped themselves in large cloaks and
taking with them only some trifing luggage
they descended to the back door, where they
found sleigh awaiting them. AS soon as
they had entered it the horses galloped off at
full speed We will leave then for the pres
ent to pursue their journey, and see what
Vladimir was doing
The day had been actively employed BY
him. In the morning he had called upon the
priest OF Jadrino to make the necessary ar
rangements with him for the ceremony.
Thence he had gone TO procure witnesses.
The first person TO whom he addressed him
self was an old retired officer, who willingly
consented to what was asked of him, as such
an adventure, be said, agreeably recalled TO
his mind the happy days of his youth. He
engaged Vladimir 10 dine with him, promis-
ing to find him two other witnesses and, in
fact, some hours afterwards, he presented to
him the GeOmter Schmidt and the son Of Cap
tain 1Spravik, young fellow Of seventeen,
who had recently entered the service The
new comers promised the happy lover to serve
him as far as depended on them, and all hay
ing cordially embraced, Vladimir returned to
his own house to occupy himself with the final
preparations. Then putting the sleigh, which |
he destined for his betrothed, in the charge Of
faithful servant, he took one for himself and |
started for Jadrino. |
But hardly had he set out when the tempest |
Commenced with violence. The entire horizon |
was covered with thick yellow cloud, from !,
which fell enormous avalancheS of snow. |
Soon all traces Of the road disappeared, and |
it became impossible to guide the sleigh in the |
midst of this arrangement of nature. The |
horse proceeded at hazard now climbing up |
mountains Of snow, now foundering in deep |
ravines Every moment increased the danger |
to which the young officer was exposed, and |
he soon convinced himself that he was no |
longer going in the direction Of Jadrino.
At length, after two hours Of struggle with |
the tempest and at the moment when the |
horses, exhausted with fatigue, seemed about |
to fall never to rise again, black line became |
visible on the horizon, and almost in an instant
Vladimir found himself on the boarders of q |
was to conduct him to the end of his journey.
The branches Of the trees were so closely IN
terlaced that the snow had not penetrated
them, and the route was easy to follow. The
young mans courage revived and tho poor
horse, who felt the ground again becoming
firm under his feet, seemed to recover per-
tion of his mettle. |
On emerging from the forest, however, it be- |
came evident TO Vladimir that he had wand |
cred farther than ever from the road. The /
tempest had ceased, and the moon bursting |
through the clouds illuminated landscape |
covered with snow. In the midst of the plain |
four or five houses rose to view, and towards |
that Vladimir directed his sleigh. After |
having knocked for some time at one Of the |
doors without receiving any answer, little |
wicket fixed in the window shutter was sud |
denly opened. An old man with white hair |
appeared at it and asked him what he wanted. |
:. would lketo know" said the young
officer, "ifI am still far from Jadrino.
"Jadrino. You are about ten versts from |