The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-02-22
OBJ 1ailp 9ournaL
A RUSSIAN HUSBANDS REVENGE.
BY CHARLES LESLIE.


. and wearing long, grey mouStaches. The
lprincess, his wife, was on the contrary, a young
# and lovely creature, with blooming cheeks
I: faxen tresses, and large blue eyes, that seemed
d redolent of love.
/. How in the world had this charming GREAT
ure become the Princess ---? The an
5 swer lies in the sad fact, that the General was
s lall powerful in Poland, and that Varinka was
a Pole. Her father was on the eve of being
brought to the scaffold-her fondly loved
brother was about to be captured, when death
would await him. The General alone had the
power to save them both. Being madly in
love with the beautiful Varfhka, he offered to
save her father and brother, on the condition
of her giving him her hand, to which the poor
lgirl consented in an agony of terror.
1t is not that the prince was quite unworthy
either of the treasure he had appropriated
Under the rough coating of a Russian soldier
there beat noble heart. He was wealthy
and the representative ofan illustrous family, |
and had acquired both fame and glory in his
own person. But he was old--he loved with |
q kind ofsaVage loFe-and was moreover, jeal-
GUS to pitch Of frenzy.
No sooner was the marriage celebrated, or.
rather the bargain concluded. than the prince
ihastened to conceal his young wife in dismal |
old castle, that seemed to haYe been hung by
Igiant hands on the edge of steep rock, whose |
basis was lashed by the foaming waters of |
rapid torrent. 1t was like some vulture's i
eyrie, or the inaccessible stronghold ofa magi- /
Ician, or rather Blue Boards gloomy. abode |;
ITSELF
For the time all went on smoothly enough:
the young wife appeared, if not happy, at least |
resigned to her fate. The laden atmosphere
of enRu@ that breathed around her had not yet
blanehed her cheek, and she even occasionally L
lpndaavOrn to cfpila Rnt /.
turning, after a short absence, ,and before he was
Expected, the prince crept up stealthily to his
Wte's room, situated in turret projecting be-
lyond the rock, and whose balcony oYerhung the
IyaWning abyss below and as he paused mo-
ment before he opened the door, he started on
hearing a strange voice in the chamber-and
that the voice of mani
He looked through the keyhole, and could
see young man seated beside the princess.
lie now listened to their conversation. M
"a nd what was your dream about, my dear
Farnka? asked the stranger in tone of ten
der solicitude.
''0hl it was frightful!" replied the young
wife, shuddering. Il fancied we were both /,
clinging to the rope by which you climb up to
my balcony from the bottom of the precipice; >
and that the rope, through so securely fasten- !.
ed, snapped asunder.'
Poor Varinkah' exclaimed the young man.
'And then we were dashed against the rocks,
and swallo owed up by the torrent' resumed '
she. HOh! shucder at the bare thought of
that frightful dream!"
"At any rate,' observed the young man, az
ter pause, 1--WE should have had no more sad q
partings, and death would have gathered us
into ore grave" IA
Yes" replied the prince IS in melancholy g
voice; 81 should hail the thought that nothing =
more could part us-that the winter winds n
would mourn, and the summers bright sun Il
would smile over our watery grave, and that
we shall still be together I
The husband could scarcely restrain an out
burst of rage.
a think l hear some onc," said the youngl
man. cat any rate, it is time to go, for dawn 4
is advancing. So, farewelln'
Then, embracing the princess, he climbed v
over the balcony railing and disappeared.
"Farewell till Tomorrow" cried Varinka,
leading over the chasm.
"Iill tomorrow" echoed the young mans y.
voice from the depths of the abyss II
"Aye-till tomorrow muttered the hus-
band, who retired as stealthily as he had
On the morrow the Princes nephew arrived
at the castle. He was quite a young mani :
a mere cadet-entertaning the most enthusi- I
astic admiration for the hero he was proud to
Call MS UNCLE &
"Alexis,'' said the old man with a fierce :
look. ''is the honor of our family dear to
you% .s.- .sssasa.as liza .z,5l l.. ~
The nephew, as in duty bound, replied by
glance and gesture worthy of the Cid. :
The uncle was satisfied, and said, "then fol- q
low me-" ..f... l.
In a short time, after wading through some
nearly impossible paths, they had reached the
brink of torrent, but distance from the cas- by
tie -. =
"Now look, Alexis" said the General, point 8
ing to the reefs nearly level with the water, :
whose sharp eaks rose close to the basis of the
rock overlooked by the Princess balcony-"a
man will come hither tonight in boat, which %
he will probably moor to one of yon reefs =
The boat will perhaps be his only chance of
safety-and mark me! he is not to escape from
the just punishment which awaits him." re
81 understand" replied the nephew q
"What do you understand ?'' asked the Gen !
eral B
'fThat as soon as this man shall have secur-
ed footing on the rock, am to cut the cable 8
of his boat, which the waves will presently &
dash pieces" said the hopeful cadet. l.
"But are you aware that you risk your life
boy by plunging into the torrent?'
"Did you not say that it was matter of er
more than life and DEATH and that your honor :
stood on the de?' said Alexis. T
"WeIl said, youngster," answered the un-
Gle.
Net word more was exchanged between
them on the SUBJECT At night the youth was 9
at his post. It was lovely starry night in
August, but the depths Of the abyss were dark
and gloomy Alexis flung himself unhesita- .,
.tinglv into the roaring torrent Being an ex- 6u