Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-05-07
THE HANGING GUEST.
A RUSSIAN STORY,

II is grand discovery of our day, and one
that has furnished the material for many
distinguished authors rcnOwn, that nothing
IN the world il more interesting, admirable,
disniiicd, and cdtfying, than the life Of re-.
spectacle rubber. The Jail Is yOWr only real
| la!nce Of romance; blood Is the lemonade Of
modern literature. We Russians must not
Remain behind the age, we must have our tales
of r"bbcrs, If We would not appear In the eyes
OF all civilized Europe as people utterly de.
void 0f all culture and taste. For the honor
Of our country, therefore, will for once con.
strain myself to conform TO the fashion Of
the day; hut on condition that it shall be for
TIE first and last time in my life, and that no
one shall second time demand such sacri-
flee vt me. will relate a simple anccdote,
! which had from persons Of undOubtcd We.
racity, and who, moreover, Lad an excellent
knack Of telling story 1t is one tina; made
tGrp impression upon me, as an instance
of the marvellous ways of Divine justice.
Two vcrsts FROM
One condition more. You must allow me
To premise that my robber il none Of your
virtuous sort | tell my tale only for the
amusement Of my readers, perhaps, also, for
their instruction, but bv no means for the
purpose Of acquiring for myself the reputation
| Of philosopher OF the "yoUng school" of
literature moreover, rather pride myself on
not being able to comprehend their philosophy.
Two vtrsts from Va, upon an cnincncc
between wood, a moraSs, and q river, at
some distance from the high road, stands a
woC'lcn country house, with green and an.
ti1uatc'l roof Here usually throughout the
summer. and sometimes, too, IN autumn. re-
sides Gaurila Michailowtch p, a retired cap.
tain, and at present district justice, very
worthy man, aS are all district justices in the
W-a dcpa' tmcnt.
Early one Sunday morning in the month
Of AuguSt,-, his worship Gaurila MichniI
"witch, with his hOn0Tcd lady, Parskovya
NCg"r0van, set off for the city, IN britschEa,
to transact sundry urgent matters Of business
viz: to 60 to church, 10 drink with his rev.
Crence anu protOpopc, to cat and bc convival
with TIE district attorney, to hear the town
news from the cOmmandant's lady, to read the
81 Petersburg papers at the district tTeaSur-
cr's, aud tO play boston at the governOr's-
Scarcely had the master and mistress driven
from thcir door, when all the servants follow.
I cd their example. and quilted the house. The
butler went to see hIS cousin in the village
the cook bctook himself to the public.housc to
l'ink brandy; the cookmald to the river to
catch CraytiSL Prochcr aud Daiia went nut
ting in the wood; Vaska and Natasha straycd
tO the heath to gather cranberrirs, &C.; Dnna
alone remained in the house. Duna, the pearl
Of the whole Va department, fair as a
lily, fresh AS rose, graceful aS cedar, Sprght-
". virtuOus 'lan'Ncl; by her cuiIing house
n'nid; by her natural good qualities, the ia
vo'itc OF her mistress, the grand object Of the
master "i the house to the wOnIanS apart
mcntS, the victim of an innrlinate propensity
Of the district clerks for kissing, the goddess
fpr whose sake the governors valct-whO, like
herself, had been brought H., in the great
world in the Ncv>ka PcrSpcctive-ncglcctcd
the polishing Of his masters boots, to the
great scandal and Indignation Of the whole
provincial administration; none but he could
appreciate her feelings; none but she could
duly estimate the grace Of his dcportmcmt--
They mutually adOrrd each other, as only
hearts can adore that have taken tire by the
KaSan Bridge in ST. PctcrSburgh, and tlicy
were as happy as none can bc but in the
country.
Girls shut up in house by themselves arc
always afraid Of thieves luna, therefore,
carefully fastened the outer doors, and 10 avoid
thinking Of thieves. she went TO lOOk at her
self in the glass while she waited for the valet,
whom she had given to understand that her
master and mistress were to spend the whole
day in the town. In the plcaSantcst possible
mood, Duna arranged her curls, set her neck
herchcf in order, frightened her gi:dlc, and
humncd tune, when suddenly there was a
gentle tap at the door. "Thnt is he!" and
like an arrow she tlc~ and opened it TO let
him in. "Ah! it is not he :"
"I am your man" replied deep husky
voice, rs there cautiously entered through the
open door a big'buit fellow, in n tattercd
fricEe cloak and faded cap, with q swarthy
face much in want Of the barber's Office, ter
ribly foxy nOuStacheS, and dusky red nose,
and scarlet forehead, blue lips, and blood
thirsty eyes; the very type Of tho chairman
ola city Pot.houSc, or one Of those diabOlical
figures tnat are only to be seen in Salvador
KoSa'S paintings.
The nStOniShcd Duna rccOilcd some steps,
and repeated with sigh from the bottom of
heart, Z" 1t is not hc!" Meanwhile the stran-
ger had stepped in, and with the utmost cool
ness closed the door again, locked it, put the
key in his pocket
"What do you want? Who arc your"
cried Duna. "Why do you put the key in
your pockct!"
"DOn't be alarmed, my little dear" he said,
smiling. IL am come to pay you a visit
The time must have hung heavy on your
hands, all alOnc here"
I" Not at all. But what do you mean by
pockcting the kcyS"
Instead Of answering, he went up to her,
and pattcd her on the check. She sprang
from him.
"Why do youlock the door? Give me the
key, or will cry out"
That will do you no good. know very
we'll there is no one in the house"
"A pretty thing indecdl Come in, without
With your leave, or BY your leave and
lock the door as il you were in your own
house y
IL always lock the door when have the
luck to be alone with so pretty girlNs you.
my angrlw and once more he pattcd her
check with his coarse, dirty band. The an
CRY DunA retreated into corner.
But who nr0 your 1t is very unhand-
some, SO It is, tO>inake fun Of a girl, and tease
her SO without any acquaintance."
81 never visit acquaintance" nc replied,
with an altered look, and tone that froxc the
poor girls blood.
In every A9tcchambcr and chancery Office,
Duna bore tho reputation Of girl Of spirit
She was no easy conquest Many presump.
tuous clerk had felt the print Of her nails In
his face to that degree that he was not likely
to forget It, though ho should live to be mas
| ter in chancery. Duna, in fact, did honor to
the virtue Of St Petersburg But baShful
provincial chancery clerk, with his inky fin
gers, is trifc to girl who has been brought
up in the best milliners shop IN the Neveska
Prospective! an unghayed, broad. d.sh0tIldeFed.