Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-02-01
TIE POLES STORY.

fine evening in January, to join q stag
hunt, the next morning, one hundred
and thirty versts distant. Five sleds,
occupied each by two hunters and
drawn by q troika, few one after the
other, like rapid caravan, over the
grand highway which led to Moscow,
through Novgorod. Onr Automedon,
his arms extended and his reins rolled
around his hands, standing like the
driver of an, antique chariot, directed
his three horses, which were. harnessed
abreast, one Of them trotting rapidly
between the two others, who galfoped
on each side. We were stretched on
the seat, lying rather than sitting, com.
tortably wrapped in our pelisses, and
we counted on sleeping there as well "a
on luxuriously, cushioned ottoman
But We had reckoned without those ter
rible oukhabi, . kind of furrows, or
rather ditches wide cutters followed
in the road, deep enough for an equi-
page to disappear entirely in them, like
q fishing boat between the billows of
the ocean. Thus kept awake by fire..
quent joltings, We watched-rassing on
each side Of the road, after the manner
OF the figures in the magic lantern
sometimes the pines or birch trees,
bending their branches like tired arms,
under the weight of the scintillating
hoar-frost ; sometimes the black and
uniform is0ah of sleeping village
The night was clear and serene, and
cold in proportion. Under the silvery
rays of tho full moon, which had Just
risen above the horizon, the snow
sparkled like cloth studded with dia.
monds, sending back even to the sky
the reflection Of the white eshroud which
covered the earth, and gave to all ma
ture its immaculate tint.
Ny bed-fellow, or rather nv CON-
panion in the sled, was Pole, or, at
least, Russian of Polish descent,
which was indicated sufficiently well by
the termination of his name ski, which,
as every one knows, is equivalent tt
the prefix dc of nobility. He had
smoked, without saying word, as many
cigars, one after the other, q our car
avan counted sleds; then he had turnei
over on his side, and I thought hin
sound asleep, notwithstanding tn,
pitching of the vehicle, when suddenly
he raised the visor of his otter.skin cap
and looking at the moon, said, with
burst Of hoarse laughter
.Ah ali There's Pan Twardow
"Who is this Pan Twardowski =" :
asked. -. -
DO you see, replied he, " that lit
tie black man on the face Of the moon
who raises his arms and opens his leg
like Punchinello p
swell, thut is Pan Twardowski,"
g Tell me the story, I" cried I immedi
ately. There is some legend unde,
meath this and am as impatient TO
your narrative as the Sultan Of Tn
Thousand and One Nights was for on
of the tales of Scheherazade."
:" Very. willingly" replied he, "if
can get TO the end oft but / fear tina
an, Qisk1abi will make mo bite off m
tongue i; or that the 10y wind will Rlu
my lips together as it has already glue,
my eye]ids. The night is diabolicall
cold, and my teeth are like Jumps Of ic
He lighted q new segar, to make u
the half dozen and as soon as the fir
puffs of smoke had warmed a little hi
stifened lips, he asked
! Have you read the s Faust (
Goeth.' r
II Yes, "1 answered t:ibut only in
translation, for have the 'mnisfortun
to be ignorant OF, German, rs am of
9 Thousand other things and none know
better than I, humble translator as
am OF some masterpieces, all the di
, tance which separates
mo matter" said he, interruptir
I me, "the form is of no Importance
the substance is understood. Since VI
have read Faust, either in the origin
, or iu the translation, you know Il
popular legend on which the great po
Of Weimar has founded his admirab
I drama. You know the history of tn
. famous doctor, John Faust, born at Il
same time, it is said, in Anhalt, Su
bia, and Brandenburg, who learned .
the sciences Of his time knew tragi
= and who, always pushed forward by q
n ardent desire Of knowing all things al
4 enjoying all things, ended by givi
Il himself to the devil, who appears in t
shape of little gray monk, on con,
n zion that this little monk would graft
70 him in all his caprices during "a yea
le at the end of which time, the soul
10 Faust, in It's turn the slave of the g
one, should go to roast in hell the r.
Of OF eternity This history is old in
n. land, where we have Faust, much {
a. tering to that of the Germans, who
~ neck the devil wrings toward the g
- Of the 18th century. Ours is called F
-. Twardowski, or, translating in Fren,
VI Monsieur de Twardow. He lived
OF Cracow, when this poor little repub
e. "a (our interview took place before 1
.le month of February, 1S48) was the pro
iii capital of Leoh the white, Lech
black, and the other Piasts, precurs
n Of the Jagellons. The Polish, like
r. German doctor, cultivated the ent
a. tree, of human science, was N
n neoromancer, far beyond any other,
o. in his despair at the Incompetence.
Il. his knowledge, ever realizing only
- ignorance at the end of all that he lea
nd ed, he also finished by signing ct
he pact with the devil. Then, know
ed everything and enjoying everything
NJ Nh exhausted the craving of his soul
III science and pleasure.
Until this point, everything cor