Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1859-01-27
Ettsrarp MtsttiIanp.
Prom grave to Gay-frOm lively 10 severe"
THE SNOW STORM.
A TALE FROM THE RUSSIAN OF pousHK

y
lived on his domain ofNenara dorf a ricl
proprietor named Gabrilovitch. He wa
noted for his kind disposition and liber
al habits. His house was at all time.
open to his friends and neighbors, who
resorted there in the evening-the elder
ones Ill order to enjoy quiet game o.
cards, with their host and his wife
Petrowna; the younger, in the hope Of
gaining the good graces of Mari, fail
girl of seventeen the only child and heir
ess of Gabrilovitch.
Mari used to read French romances
and, as the natural and necessary conse-
quences, was deeply in love. The OBJ
Ject OF her affections was an almost
pennlless young ensign belonging to the
nelghborhood, and then at home on
leave, who returned her love with equal
ardor. 1t is scarcely necessary to add
that the young lady's parents had strict
" forbidden her to think of such an al.
nance: whenever they met the lover.
they received him with about that
amount of friendliness with they could
bestow on an ex-collector of taxes. Our
young lovers, however, managed to
keep up correspondence, and used to
meet beneath the shadow of the pine
grove, or the old chapel. On these &C.
caslons they, of course, vowed eternal
constancy, accused fate Of unjust rigor.
and formed various projects. At length
they naturally came to the conclusion
that as the will of cruel parents opposed
their marriage, they might very well &C.
compllsh it in secret. 1t was the Young
gentleman who trstproposed this scheme
which was most favorably received by
the young lady.
The approach of winter pat stop to
their interviews, but their correspondent
went on with increased frequency and
tervor. In each of his letters Vladimir
Nlcolevich conjured his beloved to leave
ner nome and consent to a private mar
rage. GIVE will disappear he said,
Tor short time, and then, one day, we
VIII throw ourselves at your parents
feet, who, touched by our heroic con.
stancy, will exclaim "Children, come to
our arms !" For a long time Maria
hesltated. AT length it was agreed that
on certain day she should not appear.
at supper, but retire early to her room
on the pretext of a violent headache
Her waiting maid was in the secret, and
they were both to slip out through the
back door, near which they would find
s!edges waiting to convey them to the
chapel OF Jadrino, about five versts dis
tant, where Vladimir and the priest
would await their coming.
Having nodo har ,,roro.o4; - I
written a long letter of excuse to her pa
rants, Mari, retired at an early hour to
her room. During the day she had
complained Of headache, which was
certainly more than pretext, for ner-
vous excitement had made her really i'll.
Her father and mother watched her
tenderly and constantly askedner, "How,
do You do, Mari? are you still suffering?
Their fond solicitude went to the Young
girls heart, and with the approach Of
evening her agitation increased. At
dinner she ate nothing, and soon after
wards rose to take leave of her parents.
They embraced her, and according to
their usual custom gave her their bles-
sing. Mari could scarcely refrain from
sobbing. When she reached her cham
Der she threw herself into the arm chair
and wept aloud. Her waiting maid
tried to console and cheer her, and at
length succeeded.
There was snow storm that night.
The wind howle1 outside the house and
shook the windows. The young girl.
however, as soon as the household had
retired to rest, wrapped herself up in
thick mnfflings, and followed by her
maid carrying a valise, gained the outer
door. They found sledge drawn by
three horses awaiting them; and having
got into 1t they started off at rapid
pace. We will leave them to pursue
their journey, while we return to Val
dimir.
All that day he had been actively en-
ployed. In the morning he had visited
the priest of Jadrino, in order to arrange
with him about performing the ceremony
and then he set off to procure the neces-
sary witnesses, The first acquaintance
to whom he addressed himself was half
pay officer, who willingly consented to
what he wished. "Such adventures. -
he said, reminded him pleasantly of the
days of his youth. He prevailed on
Vladimir to return with him, promising
to obtain for him the other two witness
ses. Accordingly, there appeared at
dinner the geometrician Schmidt, with
mustaches and spurs and the son of
Capt. Ispavnik, a lad of seventeen, who
had just entered the Uhian corps. Both
promised Vladimir to stand by him to
the last, and the happy lover having
cordially embraced his three friends. re.
turned to his dwelling in order to com.
plete his preparations. Having de-
spatched servant on whom he could
rely, with sledge for Mari, he himself
got into one horse sledge and started
for Jadrino.
Scarcely had he set out, when the
storm commenced with violence. and
soon every trace of the road disappear
ed. The entire horizon was coved with
thick yellow cloud, whence fell mas
ses rather than flakes of snow and soon
all distinction between land and sky
was lost In vain did Veldimir try to
find his way. His horse went on at
random, sometimes climbing over heaps
of snow, and sometimes falling into "a.
vines. Every moment the sIedge was
in imminent danger of being upset and
, in addition, the unpleasant conviction
! forced itself on Vladimir that he had
lost his way. The wood ofJadrino was
D no more to be seen and after two hour.
: OF this sort of work, the poor horse was
: ready to drop from fatigue.
e At length sort of dark line became
visible IN front. He urged his horse on
e ward and found himself on the borders
. OF a forest. Oh" he exclaimed, 81
n am all rlOht NOW I shan .s.:I.. G.. j -,