Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-16

I When he had walked about half mile
| from home he paused and questioned his
heart. He felt that he loved Tatiana.
and that it was impossible for him TO live
without her he resumed his walk and
went as far as the pond, where he was
certain that he would find his well-be-
loved.
She was there. He took her by the
hand without speaking, led her up to her
mother by adoption, and abruptly said to
the old lady:
- ask Tatiana of you in marriage
''' But your father.'' said Thecle Mar
tinovna, surprised. 'Tatiana has no
DOVER"
:. am twenty-four years of age he
replied, and have my uncle's estate
The good lady, weeping, gave them her
blessing.
Upon his return home Sergius told
his father what he had done Razoumof,
stupefed by this audacity in one who
had so long yielded to his tyranny, first
stepped back a pace or two and then
burst upon his son with terrible impreca-
tons. He cried out, howled, conducted
himself like maniac, threatened him
with Introduction by the law, and finally
seized an old gun and pointed it point
blank at the young man
:" Rogue, will you obey me-" he vocif-
Grated
" Sergius shook his head negatively,
for the first time looking his father full
IN the face Love had at last given him
courage and the consciousness of his
rights
- drive you hence, accursed! Go, I
drive you hence!'
- Sergius left his fathers presence. He
passed the night under a shed, and when
the day came he repaired to the farm
that he had inherited from his uncle
" Arrangements were soon made with
the lessee, who surrendered his lease,
and from that time Sergius devoted him
self to repairing, arranging and adjoining
the solitary house which was soon to be
filled with his love and with his Tatiana'S
presence
'On the eve of his marriage he wrote
to his father:
- My FAITH ERR am to be married tomorrow.
Your paternal consent would make nv happiness
complete. You will bear me witness that up to
the day when my love gave birth within me to
Will, which Is also meritoriOus impulse, / had
always rendered TO you the respect and obedience
that are due TO father. viii you pardon me if
you think that l have failed in my duty toward
YOU: VIII you see your again and permit
him to present to you her who also desires call
you by the name OF father! She is pure. loving
and devoted young girl She will love You and
VIII brighten your old DAVIS with her presence
For the sake of my mother. who was. I have been
told. a good soul and Christian: in the name Of
your chiid's happiness, do not refuse Us your
blessing.
Razoumof burnt his sons Ietteras he
had burnt his book, gave himself up to a
towering rage, beat his servants, who
fled in terror from his presence, and shut
himself in his room for three days On
ind IL,
first time, he extended his hand toward
that part Of the country where dweIt the
rebel and his wife, and exclaimed with a
threatening gesture:
"' will have them yet"
Y.
Sergius at last knew what it was to
live.
CA loving wife of sweet disposition
and sufficiently cultivated in mind to
share the thoughts Of her husband, who
went back to his cherished studies and
to the higher life which he had thought
lost forever; independence and solitude
for BOTH what a dream and |
yet made reality!
He took his wife to the house which
he had prepared for her. It was small
white cottage, covered on the outside
with virgins bower and WV A little |
glazed pOrtico, crowned with flowers, |
gave access to a diningroOm furnished |
with carved maple furniture and rush |
mating. To the right was the nuptial |
chamber, blue and white, a true silken |
nest. To the left was SeTgius' study, |
hung with brown drapery and the furni- !
ture OF which Was bound with old leather !
brOnZed. In the rear was small par
Tor, upholstered in white and gold, con
tanning Tatiana'S workable and two |
large rosewood bookcases filled with |
books. The two young people passed |
their evenings there beneath an alabaster |
lamp, Sergius reading aloud and Tatiana |
more absorbed in looking at Sergius than |
in using her needle. Flowers everywhere, |
and everywhere JOY.
"How unlike the gloomy paternal |
house was this!
"The garden was as yet only planned, |
but every day they received parcels of |
rare plants and seeds. SCrgius never left |
the house except to attend to necessary
matters about his estate, and if at times |
he hunted-for he loved the chase-it !
was in his garden.
As for Tatiana, who expanded with |
love into all those riches of heart which !
until then had been able to attach itself |
only by memories to her parents, who !
had died when she was very young, and |
by respect to her benefactress, Thecle !
MartinOvna-she had grown beautiful. |
AS in this solitude she lived for her hus- |
band alone, every day she dressed her I
self especially for their cherished even
ings, and thus offering him daily the re-
newed charm and feast of a new Tatiana. |
VI
Nevertheless, Sergius thought of his |
father. To endeavOr to see him once
more was absolutely useless. He knew
too well the severity of that nature; but
he inquired about him from the servants. |
They told him that he had grown more
mOrOse, harder and more misery than
ever
After having grieved over this rup-
ture, which seemed to be forever, Sergius
had finally decided upon MS course,
when one morning, exactly ten months
after his marriage, he received the fol
lowing note:
- My SON-I am growing old; I suffer from my
isolation Bring your wife TO me- l will warm
myself in your youth and happiness. wish now
to pardon and bless.
''Sergius uttered a cry of Joy, hear
ing which Tatiana ran to him He showed
her the letter. The two children fell
into each others arms There would be
no more clouds in their sky They felt
their hearts to be singularly lightened.
These good souls had suffered more from
the cruel severity Of the old miser than
had appeared on the surface.
ION the same day they fastened to
Irtche, and on leaving the carriage they