Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-06-29
0LINSKA;
THE ENCHANTRESS OF MOSCOW

The memorable plague, which raw
aged the interior of Russia to an appal
ing extent, occurred in It'll, the nintl
year of the reign of the celebrated
Catherine III. Owing to the strange
ignorance of the Russian physicians
and to the proportionate fanaticisn
of a superstitious people, this fright
ful and unparalleled scourge desolatet
whole provinces before it's dread eff
fects were staid.
The army of Catherine, triumphant
over the Turks, had quailed only be
fore this invisible foe, which assailec
them from its place of birth-the lane
of the unclean Ottoman. As they re
turned from their wonderful victories
they carried sadness as much as glad
ness into the bosom of their country
for they carried the pest-house with
them. The physicians of the empire
being unacquainted with the scourge
mistook it for an epidemical fever
Hence, hundreds of the towns and vii
lagos of Russia were depopulated.
In the suburbs of Moscow, abour
ten years before the advent of thi;
plague, dwelt the family of a mer
chant named Nearchus Salakoff, con
sisting of himself, his wife Paula, of
Circassian origin, their son Michel
twelve years of age, and their daugh
ter Phiera, two years younger. AS
sociated with Salakoff in an extensive
inland trade, was his brother Kartan
a man without enterprise or principle
and both in mental and moral attri
butes the reverse of Nearchus.
The tie of blood alone had induced
Nearchus to make partner of his
brother, whose inferiority, as we'll as
his per6dy, in their transactions often
threatened their business with shame
and ruin, only averted by the talents,
integrity, and popularity of the young
er brother, although with great losses
to himself. Quarrels were the natu-
raj result. Kartan each day increas-
ed in hate and envy of NearchuS, the
contrast of whose character made
more palpable and hideous his own
deficiencies.
"He appears to hate me-" one day,
said Nearchus to Paula, "but his own
misdeeds have made his means small
er than mine. | would cheerfully
share with him-though he has neith-
er wife or children were he honest,
but incapable. | made him a part.
ner wholly through brotherly feeling.
But his corrupt dealings, worthy on
ly of those dogs, the Turks, have time
and again been near running me. In
truth, he may thank me that his throat
as we'll as back have been preserved
from just punishment by indignant
victims. Now, henceforth, Kartan
must be content to have but a small
share in our business; and for Michel
and Phiera we will hoard these fruits
of fortune which kind heaven has Civ
en- u.s."
1t was not long ere this pleasant
dream was dispelled. The artifces
of Kartan had created a belief in the
minds of their creditors that Paula
had been instrumental In deceiving
them; that she had corrupted the
mind of her husband had persuaded
him to get largely in their debt, with
the purpose of a sudden departure
for CircasSia, her native land; that
her husbands expenses were made
useleSsly extravagant by this ambi-
uous woman; that she was an up
start foreigner, and that her willy in
trigues had been the main reason why
himself, Kartan, had been suspected
Of fraud: ga trait" he insisted, CSC
utterly repugnant to our own family.
"My poor brother !" he would say
81 pity him. AS yet, he knows not
that she is the very queen of perfdy
nor should wonder at any time to
hear of his death by poison or dagger
through her means. She hates Rus
sia and Russians, and while she pro
fesses to be a devout worshiper of
our holy church, she is in truth fol
lower of the creed of accursed Mo
hammed, having apostatized in the
day Of her captivity among the Turks
Would that my infatuated brother
had never brought her from the lanG
of the heathen Would that she haC
never borne him an offspring, YET
doomed to be his curse!
Thus working on the prejudices of
others, the insidious Kartan gradual
ly gained his end with the influential
and also with the throng of serfs
whose religious superstition in thai
benighted country has often, wher
aroused, burst forth in acts of fright
full and irresistible fury upon its vic
tins, regardless of rank, age, sex, ol
opposing numbers.
The unconscious Paula was one
day surprised, on her return home
ward with her children from a drive
through Moscow, to find that her car
riage was followed by crowd of the
citizens, who assailed her with sucf
shouts as these:
"a plague upon the apostate Cir
cassian A curse on the enemies of
st. Vladimir and St. Nicholas! Lee
them be torn to pieces 2
Missiles were hurled at the vehicle
and Paula, pale with terror. alightet
at the door of her residence, and es
capped into it with her two children
barely in time before the arrival OF
the pursuers.
The mob paused while before th'
door. Loud murmurs arose that, fol
the sake of Nearchus alone, they nov
refrained from sacrificing the mischiev
Gus enemy OF their country and thei
faith.
On the return of Nearchus, his in
dignant expostulations and inquire
about the origin of this public tumul