The Western advance., 1874-03-28
THE UNDERTAKEN.

THE UNDERTAKES.
from the Russian Of Alexander serguevitcl
Poushkin
The last of the goods and chattels of
the undertaken, Adrian Prohoroff, were
heaped into the hearse, and a pair of lean
horses dragged it along for the fourth
time from the Basmanaja to the Nikits.
kaja, for to the latter street the under
taker was removing with all his house
hold Having closed his old shop he
nailed notice to the door to the effect
that the premises were to be sold or let,
and started off on foot to his new abode.
He was surprised to find on approaching
the little yellow house, which had so long
taken his fancy and which he had at last
bought for a considerable sum, that he did
not feel in good spirits. Having crossed
the threshold and finding his new abode
in great confusion he sighed at the recol.
lection Of the old hovel, where during
Quoted with the strictest regularity, and
he scolded his daughters and the maid Of
all-werk for their dilatoriness, and set to
assisting them himself Order was soon
established; the sacred imago-ca e, the
dresser with the crockery, the table. sofa,
and bed occupied the corners assigned to
them in the back room; in the Kitchen
and the sitting-room was placed the mas
ter's handiwork, which consisted of cof-
fins of all sizes and colors, and the cup
boards were filled with mourning c]oaks
and torches. Over the gate appeared a
sign. board, representing a corpulent
Cupid holding a reversed torch, with the
inscription: Here are sold and orna-
mented plain and painted coffins; coffins
also let out on hire, and old ones re-
paired" The girls retired to their room,
and Adrian, having inspected his dwell
ing, sat down by the window and ordered
the samoan to be got ready.
The enlightened reader is aware that
both Shakespeare and Walter Scott repre-
sented their gravediggers as cheerful and
jocose persons, in order to strike our i'm
agination more forc1bl> by the contrast.
Out of regard to truth, however, we can
not follow their example, and are CON-
PEELED to admit that the disposition of our
undertaken fully correspondent with his
mournful calling. Adrian Prohorof was
habitually sullen and thoughtful. His
silence might occasionally be broken for
the sole purpose Of scolding his daughters
when he had chanced to find them idle,
gazing out Of the window at the passers~
by, or asking an exorbitant price for his
goods Of those who had the misfortune
(and sometimes also the good fortune) to re-
quire them. Thus it thappened that Adrian,
now slipping his seventh cup of tea, was
as usual sunk in melancholy reflections
He thought Of the pouring rain which
fell at the very outset of the retired Brig
adier's funeral the previous week. Many
mourning cloaks had shrunk in conse-
quence, and many hats had been spoiled.
lie foresaw unavoidable expenditure, for
his old stock of mourning attire had fallen
into pitiful condition. He hoped to
charge good round sum at the funeral
Of the merchant Truhin's old wife, who
had now been nearly a year at deaths
Rasgoulai, and Prohorof feared lest her
heirs, Notwithstanding their promise,
would neglect to send for him all that dis
ance and would come to terms with the
nearest undertaken.
These meditations were unexpectedly
disturbed by three Freemason.like taps at
"Who is there?" asked Prob off.
The door opened, and man in whom
the German artisan was recognized at a
SlduCc "alhcU Ill, anu CutcT1ully ap-
preached the undertaken.
"Pardon me, my dear neighbor," said
he, in that Russian dialect which we can
not listen to without a smile. "Pardon
my intruding upon y2u-I was anxious
to make your acquaintance. l am a
bootmaker, my name is Gottlieb Schulz,
and J. live across the street in the little
house facing your windows. Tomorrow
I 0o1ohroto INV ci1xyor xx,o1I;~~ T
to ask you and your daughters to dine
with us in a friendly way"
The invitation was accepted with good
will. The undertaken asked the boot
maker to sit down and take a cup of tea,
and thanks to the cordial disposition of
Gottlieb Schulz their conversation soon
became friendly.
"How does your trade prosper?" asked
Adrian.
Ah-he-he!" answered Schulz, $50
SO; l cannot complain, although my
goods are, of course, different from yours :;
live man can do without boots, but a
dead man cannot do without coffin"
"Very true," remarked Adrian; chow
ever, if the live man has not got where
with to pay for his boots one cannot take
IL amlss in him if he goes barefooted, but
dead oeggar has coffin gratis"
In this manner they conversed for some
time. AT last the bootmaker rose, and.
taxing leave OF the undertaken, renewed
his invitation.
The next day at twelve O'Clock precise
ly the undertaken and his daughters
passed through the wicket of the newly-
bought house on their way to Neighbor
Schulz. l shall not describe either the
Russian caftnn Of Adrian Prohoroff. or
the European attire of Akulina and Daria,
departing in this respect from the now
so prevalent custom among novelists. I
do not; however, consider it superfuous
to remark that both young ladies wore
yellow bonnets and red shoes; this they
did only on grand occasions
The small dwelling Of the bootmaker