American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-03-28
VOL. XXIV.

most, opening second Ortile. Anu MS
/ guests thanked him, and again drained
their glasses. Here toast followed upon
toast: the health of each guest was drank
separately; they toasted Moscow and an
entire dozen of little German towns, all
corporations in general, and each one in
particular; they drank TO masters, and
they drank to frremen. Adrian drank
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 the
health OF those we work for -uDserer
Rundleutet' This proposal, like all the
others, was joyously and unanimously
app,auded. The guests salu,ed each
other, the tailor bowed to the bootmaker,
and the bootmaker to the tailor, the
baker to both; all to the baker and so on
Yoorko, in the midst of these mutual
salutations, exclaimed, turning to his
neighbor:
=" What now! drink, sir. to the health of
thy dead ones"
| All laughed, but the undertaken, con-
sidering himself affronted, became sullen.
Nobody noticed him; the party continued
its carouse, and the bells had already
rung for vespers when all rose from the
table.
The guests dispersed at late hour, and
most of them were elevated. The fat
baker and the book binder, whose face
appeared as if bound in red morocco, led
| Yoorko. between them to his box, carry
| ing out in this case the Russian proverb
! Il debt Is rendered honoru6ie by pdynqent.
| The undertaken returned home tipsy and
wrathful. Why, indeed" reasoned he
aloud" why is my craft worse than any
| other? Is all undertaken then, brother to
an executioner. What had the heathens
to laugh at. Is an undertaken a Christ
mas harlequin? | meant to have asked
them to a hOuse-warming, to have given
| them feast; but let them wait till they
| get it. And l shall now invite instead
those for whom l work, my orthodox
! dead''
"What, sir?- said the maid, who was
pulling off his boots; what dost thou
talk about? Mike the sign of the cross
To ask the dead TO a house war ming
What horror,''
BY, l shall ask them" continued
Ad ian 90 l shall ask them at once for
tomorrow. Pray come, my benetactors
come TO feast with me tomorrow evening
l shall entertain you with what God has
| given me-" So saying the undertaken
tumbled into bed, and soon began to
snore.
1t was still dark when Adrian was
reused. The merchant Truhin's wife had
died that very night, and a special mes
senger had been sent en- horseback with
this intelligence. The undertaken gave
him tencopeck piece for a glass of
spirits, dressed in haste, took a droshky,
and drove 10 RasgOulai. The police
were already stationed at the gates of the
house where lay the defunct; trades
people were going in and out like
ravens at their prey. The corpse
lay on table, yellow as wax
bat not yet distigured by decomposition.
Relations, neighbors and friends crowded
around. All the windows stood open,
candles were burning, priests were read
! ing prayers. Adrian went up to Truth m
nephew, young merchant in Il fashion
able coat, and assured him that the coffin,
candles, pail, and other funeral furni ure
would be delivered with all punctuality
and without fail. The heir thanked him
absently, saying that he would not bargain
about the expense, but should trust implic-
lily to his conscience. The undertaken as
usual swOre that he would not overcharge /;
exchanged a significant glance with his
workmen, and started off In make the nee
essary arrangements. The whole day
was spent driving to and fro between
Rasgoulai and the Whisky gates; to-
ward evening, all being arranged, he set
tied with his driver and returned home
ward on foot. 1t was moonlight night.
The undertaken mad safely reached the
Nikitsky gates. AT the Church of the
4
and on recognizing the undertaken wished
him good night. 1t was getting late. the
undertaken was approaching his house
when he suddenly iancied he saw some
one nearing it, open the wicket, pass
through, and disappear. What can this
mean?" thought Adrian, who is it
wants me again? Can it be a thief? Do
lovers perhaps visit my silly girls? 1t
bodies evil!' And the undertaken was on
4 fI,a int of to
! come to his aid. Just then some other
person approached the wicket and was
about to enter, but, on becoming aware
that Adrian was nearing hurried1y, this
person stopped, and raised his cooked
hat; Adrian fancied he knew the face, but
was not, in his haste, able to examine il
closely. You were coming to me-" said
Adrian, breathlessly; do me the favor to
step in"
mo ceremonies, friend" said the
stranger, in a hollow voice; walk on
show thy guests the wayi"
There was no time to stand on cere-
mony. The wicket stood open. Adrian
went up the staircase, the person follow
ing him. Adrian fancied that people
were walking about his rooms. What
devilry is this!" thought he, and hurried
in-but here his legs gave way The
room was full of dead people. The moon,
shining through the windows, lit up their
yellow and blue faces, sunken mouths,
dull, half-closed eyes, and thin, protruding
noses. Adrian recognized i'll them, with
dread, people who had been buried with
his aid; and in the guest whom he had
preceded the Brigadier who had been in
tered during the pouring rain. All the
women and men assembled surrounded
! the undertaken, bowling, and greeting
| him all except one poor fellow, who had
quite recently been buried gratis, and
! who, shy and ashamed of his tatters, did
not venture to come forward, but stood
retiredly in a corner. The rest were re-
! specially dressed; the women wore caps
| with ribbons; those men who had served
| the State were in uniform, but their faces
| We're unshaven; merchants wore their
| holiday c1ft1nS. "Seest thou, ProhOrOtf,"
said the Brigadier in the name of tits
select company, show we have all risen
at thy invitation. Those alone have re-
manned at home who could not possibly
come, who had quite crumbled to pieces,
! or who had no skin, but only their bare
bones left; but even thus, one of them
! could not rest-so anxious was he to see
| theer'
At that moment small skeleton pushed
his way through the crowd and approached
Adrian. His skull smiled affectionately
| at the undertaken. Bits of light green
and red cloth and of old linen hung here
and there about him, as upon pole
| while the bones of his feet ratified in his
| Hessian boots like pestle in Il mortar
Thou dOst not recognize me, Prohoroff,"
! said the skeleton Dost thou remember
the retired Sergeant of the Guards, Piotr
, pefrovifci urilkin the same for whom