The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-04
A PEASANTS Revenge,
Translated from the French.

The schoolmaster who was com nlsSloned |
to procure me night guardian sent me
the prince Of protectors, man who, 1t
appeared was afflicted with as little need
of sleep as possible. You will soon know
the reason Of this rare virtue, He spread
upon the ground, near the fire, his sheep
skin cloak, filed his pipe and lay down.
This was the real Carpathian peasant, with |
turquoise blue eyes and long auburn locks,
wearing still the national costume, kind
of sleeveless tunic reaching to the knee,
and a coat ordinarily Of plain blue with ara
besques upon the seams, living upon buck
wheat bread and cheese, drinking water,
bathing-never, limited to his cottage and
Enclosure, his right to fish IN the mountain
streams, respecting his lord, his priest,
and his vey7nin. His hard toll, like that
of beast of burden, ceased only upon
Sunday, when he shaved, went to mass,
and got dead drunk / talked of liberty to
Stepan this was the name of my guard
dian. He listened With profoundl indiffer-
ence. But the impassiveness of Stepan
to my discourse upon liberty was changed
to lively emotion as the evening advanced
"BatL;0" little father, he then said,
''it is damp o-night; you ought to go in;
or "Batko, the stars are sleeping; do like
wise"
At last every evening it was the same,
with the finale, "Allez- dormir." Evidently
/ disturbed him. What did he do if he
did not sleep2 One night made pre-
tence of retiring and posted myself behind
the curtain which closed my tent aud
watched him through the opening. l saw
him at first going and coming, picking up
dry branches Imperceptibly he APP
preached the wood and disappeared in the
shadow. / waited few moments; there
was no sound took few steps in the
direction which he had taken and stop
ped. The sound of words reached me-
Stepan was talking to some one. A
herdsman, doubtless who was asking for
the hospitality of our camp fire. | re.en-
tered, went to sleep, and thought no more
about the matter. Two or three nights
later l was in bed, unable to sleep. The
night was mild, very mild. with moon
whose fantastic beams defined, lighted, land
concealed everything in misty halo. Its
silvery softness was more beautiful than
light in its harmony. turned, land turned
again upon my couch; it was impossible to
sleep. drank some water; counted a
thousand; no sleep came; even the desire
to go to sleep departed, and opened my
eyes wide What had infamed my
blood? instantly noticed that the
moon was opposite me, and that she
was regarding me strangely with her
round, sulphurous face, as if distilling a
luminous poison. Oh, wicked moon 1t
was the same which hung above me
while slept as a child in the cradle. |
shut my eyes. but | felt her enveloping
me in haze; L could have annihilated
her. Why should she, the sorceress,
10 tha IL al
ness, the implacable craving for excite
ment, which followed me everywhere?
My heart beat heavily; | arose and went
out in order to breathe.
Istopped suddenly. A few steps from
the fire, by the side Of Stepan, a woman
was sitting. She was \ peasant-in the
dress of a peasant--yet her features had
nothing of the type. The two handker
chiefs, placed in contrary directions, form
ing the headdress of the women of this
valley, were united. In the peculiar light
her head was outlined with the distinct
ness of an antique cameo. There was ar
indescribable something in her expression
half-resolute, half thoughtful, which i:
rarely seen among her class. Her face
was pale, large eyes of yellowsh cast
like the eyes of cats, her graceful
figure in a scarlet bodice. Stepan wa.
looking at her, aid she was looking a
Stepan, and in the magnificent and ener
waiting glory OF the summer night it wa
no more than a rustic idyl, but the eternal
the brilliant, the magical poem of love.
The moon went down, and about the dy
ing fire long shadows lowered. The WON
an had disappeared, called Stepan, an
after having ordered him to rekindle tn
fire, began to walk about, Day dawned
laughed, and | equally rejoiced, and con
plmentedStepan upon his beautiful i
nance. lie sighed and turned away his hea
without replying. These dull mountain
GERS speak only when they will. repect
ed the silence and the sigh.
Baltic, it was Lonba, che wife of M
neighbor; do not speak of her in the va
ley"
was surprised. Morals are very pur
here, where the barriers of custom sep;
rate the sexes, They never mingle
the field, i'll the public house and at tt
church the men group themselves on or
side aud the women upon the other tn
children, even youths and maiden5. subm
to this custom. Chance, or perhaps til
inconsistent desire to investigate TO the DO
tom OF things, induced me to take the roa
to the cottage of Stepan. 1t was at tn
and separated from the market town
the torrent. There was another one b.
side il which until now, 1 had not observed
with court, a vegetable garden, and q
orchard. In the court were a heap
manure, pools in which ducks were spor
ing shed with handleless harrow an
other old worn worn out article
Ia the garden child was anu
ing himself in making the dew ia
from the hemlock branches. The orchar
on the slope reached to the wood on IL
mountain. The child entered the cottag
leaving the door open, Lonba, the wife
the neighbor, came to shut it. How ha
she strayed into this wrctched peasar
abode, she with her delicate, taper hand
her slender foru'. and especially that indie
cribable look, haif-resolute, half-though
full. And | comprehended that if Stepa
loved her it was for this particular featur
the elegance of her extremities, her uud,
lating carriage, that are not seen amor
her class. questioned the schoolmaste
lie told me that Lonba was the natur
daughter of rich lord of the vicinity ar
OF Popddidnkd, daughter of prizes
whom he had seduced and who died
giving her birth. Lonba was brought I
in the seignioral house until thirteen yea
OF age, at which period her father die
without leaving a will The hei
turned her out. For two years she We
from farm to farm, seeking employment
but she was the daughter of szLdchcidaL
daughter Of n noble in person I,,ouo,