, 1874-09-06

Tho Russian Cou1lers, or pony e1prese1nao, Of
| ma1-car1iers, as you may choose to call them
| travel neither On foot nor on horseback. Ya
will find that in this NATTER as in almost eFc1
custom and habit Of every people, nature eour
pels man to alter lis arrangements to suit he
| conditions. In Tartary they have fine horeea
| great wide deserts, and splendid roads, aoa
naturally, tho courler3 thero ara mounted;
| England, whore the roads aro bad, running
| through bogs and marshes, the old cou11er3 Hesa
| footmen in Russia. where auow lies O. th:
ground nearly the whole year, sfeighs ire us'd
| by the courie-s- The '*Couriers of tho Cza,
as the mait-ca1riers calIoI, travel with sseu
rapidity. Frosh horses and drivers are res1Ta
stations every 20 miles apart; but the caar:sn
themselves sleep in the slegls. aild travail from
one end OF mail route to tho other. SfedA
messengers Of the Gar on public business us1a
by these sarna routes, and with greater rapid
ity than the ma1-c7rr1ers. During tho Crioe.a
Var there occurred an incident illustrating tSs
severity Of this service. Tho Russian General
Prince Mentchiko1, who defended Sebsssopa4
had occasion, during tho elege of that city,R
eend Al important message to tho Gar It =
Petersburg; and ordered 6 faithful officer 70
his messenger, giving lin directions not to hs1
Or delay until ho stood before tho Czar, aoa
above a1l, not to 1oso eight Of tho precious l1ae
sage which lie boro. AWAY went the oaicsr u
sleigh belonging to the Czar's canrio1s- A. t6t
end OF each 20 milcz he found fresh hoha
awaiting him; these we-a quickly haruossed y
his sleigh, in place Of the tyea:y animals, $st
tho servants AMI stable-men would cry cnt;
"Your Excellency. tho horssa :ro really. -.
"Axay tllcn!" the oiIcar would g=y to ~
driver and oil he would go again At the mon
rapid pace OF which the horses wer6 capA!oss
Riding in this way for se7eral days and n'gb4
suffering With cold, and pursued BY wolves =. =
tue forests. the officer, weary with watching 2.
dispatches d.y and night, At length reached W
palace Of tho Gar, and WAS Immediately uses,
cd into his presence. lie had no sooner haaasa
messenger sank ilto chair and fell fast asaeet
il tho royal prcacnco,-:n of1ouse which u
some ages would lia7o been Punished WITH y
stan5 Leath. Thca ho hal finished reading sas
disEat-h, tha Gar wished to ask tho officer
question, but found ne could not awaken hp,.
The at:oadauts called to him, touched nnd ahnoa
clareI the poor fellow was dead. ID.
Car WAS much yricvel theroas, and Nens =.
tho officer and examined his pulse, put hs ~ g.
down to his side, ar,l declared he could heaf -
heart thumpiug. uo vaa only asleep. b91 y :
Boon found that the exhausted officer codd ~. w.
bo 1oused bJ tho usual means. At lengA -.
Gar. gtoop.ng down, cried in his ears: 6
at the sound OF these words, which nn r. r. s s
heard every 20 mics OF his journey, and sos ouM
ones which he had listened to tor daJs, the iaA'
iul oliccr sprang to his feat sad cried:
"Awav thep!" ,x T
In3tead OF drivers and horses, he founa ~ -. 1
Gar before hic1, laughing heartily At h1a con.a
sion and dismay. fou may be sure his o1sE~ = &
Eas forgotten; ins.e:1 OF being p1nlsheo :" 5
sleeping when his work was done, tbs oid>oI ~, e
.evardod for his faitllfu1ness.-FTom ~ y
Pony Ezrre,s," in 81. AIchola, for 6tp9s7z'7' E