Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-04-09

/ Glle SUHlOCUT 10 DO you
The enlightened reader is aware tha
| both Shakespeare and Walter Scott repre-
| scented their grave-diggers as cneerIul and
| iocose persons, in order To strike our I'M
agination more forc1bly by the contrast.
| Out of regard to truth, however, We can
not follow their example, and are com.
| PEELED to admit that the disposition OF our
| undertaken fully Correspondent Win MS
mournful calling. Adrian ProhOrof was
habituallv sullen and thoughtful. His
silence MIGHT occasionally be broken for
the sole nnTnose of scolding his daughters
when he had CHANGED to find them idle,
gazing ont of the window at the passers-
bv. or asking an exorbitant price for his
goods of those who had the misfortune
land sometimes also the coed fOrtune) to re-
ouire them. Thus it happened that Adrian,
now SHINING his seventh cup of tea, was
as usual sunk in melancholy reflections
He thought of the pouring rain which
fell at the yerv outset of the retired Brig
adier's funeral the previous week. Many
mourning cloaks had shrunk in conse-
ouence. and many hats had been spoiled.
He foresaw unavoidable expenditure, for
his old stock of mourning attire had fallen
into a pitifu1 condition. He hoped to
charge a good round sum at the funeral
Of the merchant Truhin's old wife, who
had now been nearly a year at deaths
door But the old woman lay dying at
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
the door
"Who is there?" asked Prob off
The door opened, and man in whom
the German artisan was recognized at a
glance walked in, and cheerfully ap-
preached the undertaken.
Pardon me, my dear neighbour" said
he, in that Russian dialect which we can
not listen to without smile. Pardon
nv intruding upon you'll was anxious
to make your acquaintance. L am a
bOOtmaker, my name is GOttlieb Schulz,
and live across the street in the little
house facing your windows. Tomorrow
| celebrate my silver wedding, and I came
to ask you and your daughters to dine
with us in friendly way"
The invitation was accepted with good
will. The undertaken asked the boot
maker to sit down and take 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-hew answered Schulz, $50
so; | cannot complain, although my
goods are, of course, different from yours
live man can do without boots, but a
dead man cannot do without a coffin"
every true" remarked Adrian; chow
ever, if the live man has not got where
with to pay for his boots one cannot take
it amiss in him if he goes barefooted, but
a dead beggar has coffin gratis"
In this manner they cOnversed for some
time At last the bootmaker rose, and,
taking 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. | shall not describe either the
Russian cGftGn of Adrian Prohoroff, or
the European attire of Akulina and Dar1a,
departing in this respect from the now
so prevalent custom among nOvelists.
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
was filed with guests, who chiefly con-
sisted of German artisans, their wives,
and their workmen; of Russian employees
there was but one, the Esthonian, Yoorko,
he Waterman, who had, in spite of his
lowly calling, managed to secure the
special goodwill of his host. He had
| served in this capacity for five-and- twenty
years, faithfully and honestly, like the
postman of Pogarelsky. The fire of
1912, which destroyed the chief capital,
annihilated also his yellow Matchbox.
| But as soon as the enemy was expelled a
new one appeared in its stead; ii was
gray, with small white Doric pillars, and
/ GoOrkO was again seen pacing before it.
Almost all the Germans who lived in the
vicinity of the Nikitsky gates knew him,
and some had even CHANGED to spend the
night of Sunday to Monday morning
under his roof Adrian fastened to make
| his acquaintance as he would that of a
man of whom he might stand in need,
| sooner or later, and when the guests took
| their seats at dinner, they sat next to
each other. Monsieur and Madame
! Schulz and their daughter Lottchen, who
had seen but seventeen summers, while
dining with and entertaining their guests,
! assisted the cook to wait upon them.
Beer flowed. Yoorko ate for four; Adri.
an did not cede to him; his daughters
however, stood on ceremony. The con
versatiOn, kept up in the German Ian.
| guage, was becoming louder and louder
Suddenly the host begged for few mo-
ments' attention, and drawing the cork OF
a sealed bottle exclaimed in a loud voice
in Russian: THE health of my good
| Louisa!" The so-called champagne
/ sparkled. The host tenderly kissed the
fresh face of his forty -year-old helpmate
and the guests drank noisily to the
health Of the good Louisa. "The health
of my amiable guestsp' exclaimed the
host, opening a second bottle And his
guests thanked him, and again drained
their glasses. Here toast followed upor
toast; the health of each guest was dranE
separately; they toasted Moscow and al
entire dozen Of little German towns, al
corporations in general, and each one IL
particular; they drank to masters, anC
they drank to foremen. Adrian dranF
sedulOusly, and was so elated that he him
self proposed some jocular toast. SUD
denly one of the guests, a at baker
raised his glass, and exclaimed: TO thu
health OF those we work for--unsere
RundleuteP' This proposal, like all thu
others, was jOyously and unanimousl.
applauded. The guests saluted eacl
other, the tailor bowed to the boOtmaker
and the bOOtmaker to the tailor, th
ol-ar- r. hot Ill IL l., on