Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-06-01

| uONH, u"u "Shcu WIN nTcttNucU
roughncss, chow dare you disobcy
me, when forbade you to show
yourself on Russian ground p
"I haven't disobcyed YOU" an.
swercd Balakiref, coolly "I'am
not on Russian ground now -
"Not on Russian ground -
"No; this cart-load OF earth that
I'm setting on is Swedish soil.
dug it up in Finland only the other
day."
Patcr, who had doubtless begun
already TO regret the loss Of his jes.
ter, laughed at the evasion, and re-
stored him to favor. Some Russian
writer's cmbellished this story ca
German version of which figures in
the adventures of Tyll Eulonspic.
geD with tho addition that Peter,
on hearing the excuse, answered,
"If Finland be Swedish soil now, it
shall bc Russian before long'-a
threat wsich he was not slow to ful
fill.
Tho stories told of Marshal Su
voroff are of q different order, and
display, better than whole pages of
description, the wonderful way in
which he contrivcd to adapt him
self to the rude spirits with whom
no had to deal, without losing one
jot of his authority. What Napo-
leon was to the French army, Su.
voroff was to that of Russ. now
jcsting with u soldier, and now re e.
buking general; one day sharing
n ration of black bread beside Il
bivouac fire, and the next speaking
rs an equal to princes and potcn-
tatcs. In fact, the two great spon-
sors of Russian wit forma most pic
turcsquo contrast. Balakircff has
very much tho character of Il span
iel ina lions cage -admiring, even
while mocking his formidable pat,
ron behaving toward him with Il
halfwaggish, halfatlcctionate IA
miliarity-perpetually offending,
and pcrpetually forgiven. Suvor,
off comes before us an umcrownod
king, one whose authority needed
no outward symbol ); an autocrat of
Natures making, full ola rough,
hearty familiarity, that was in no
danger Of breeding contempt, and
surrounded by men who enjoyed
tho bonhomio, while they dreaded
tho displcasurc Of tho pug nosed,
grimy man, who was in their eyes
the incarnation Of earthly power
and grandeur.
1t must bo owned, however, that
in his own peculiar vein of pleas.
antry, the old marshal more than
once met with his match. Ono OF
his favorite jokes was to confuse n
man by asking him unexpectedly,
"How many stars arc there in the
sky?"
On one occasion ho put this ques-
ton TO his scntries, on q bitter
January night, such as only Rus
sia can produce. The soldier, not II
whit disturbed, answered cOolly,
"Wait alittlc, will tell you !" and
he deliberately began to count,
"Onc, two, three" etc. In this way
be went bravcly on to hundred,
at which point SuvorofI, who was
already half frozen, thought it high
time to ride off, not, however, with.
out inquiring tho name ofthis ready
reckoncr. The next day the latter
found himself promoted, and tho
story (Which Suvorotf told with
great glec to his staff sPecdil y
made its way through tho whole
army.
On another occasion one of his
generals of division sent him a ser
geant with dispatches, and re-
commencing the bearer to Suvo
roff"s notice. The marshal, rs usu
nj, proceeded to test him by scri
es of whimsical questions but The
catcchumcn was equal to the occa
sion. "How far is it to the moon ?
| asked Suvoroff.
"Two of your cxcellcncy's forced
Marches" answered tho sergeant.
"If your men began to give way
in a battle, what would you do?"
"Id tell them that just behind
tho enemy's there was wagon
load of corn brandy"
"Supposing you were blockade'
and had no provisions left, how
would you supply yourself"
"From the enemy"
GLOW many fish are there in the
sea 2"
"As many as have not beel
caught"
| And so the examination went on
till Suvoroff, finding his new aC
ouaintance armed at all points, Il
length asked him as a final poser
"What is the difference botweel
your colonel and myself?"
"The difference is this" replie'
the soldier, coolly; "my colone
cannot mako me captain, bu
Y ur exc, llency has only to say th
word T.
Suvoroff. struck by his shrcwd
ness. kept his eye upon the man
and in no long time after actuall.
gave him the specified promotion.
Suvoroff always affected tho ut
most brcvity both in speaking AM
writing, the terscness Of his de'
patches being almost unrivallet
Tho correspondence with Primo
Poiomkin, relative TO the assault
Ismail. is unique in military histo
ry. Potemkin, copying the brew
ty of his general, wrote TO hir
thus: Marshal, you will take /
mail within three days. at whatc'
err cost.-PoTENkIN heday afoe
the letter arrived Suvorof carrie
the town by storm, with loss
fifteen thousand men 10 himsel
and iriy-eight thousand to u
enemy-snmming up tho fearf'
tragedy in one doggrel couple
which. literally translated, runs