Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-08-19
4 Terrible Revenge.

The following legend Win "hien lug
x-;,r- was diverted by travelling ac-
s.raintanre Al an English hosfelry one
ssT,rguy right In 1866, may also interest
Il fhe Is<ser par1 Of the seventeenth CEN
,u,rv : Frrarhwoman OF extraordinary
Sa.s,.v sssrtlca Florence, in Italy, by the
sr,lrudor az her eauip2ge and entertain,
rsspnfs Her husband, the CouEs mad
h,arn dead some two years, anu the DILL
;nnf widow made such attractive use OF the
miIfioas he had left her that she soon
,erasss,i \, number her courriers on her mn
rr-s 0Dc night she discovered man IN
The assembly 81 her palSce whom II was
her destinT 10 love He, too. was remark
ably handsome. ard for time the faireSt
rorfTyge whom the society Of Florence IN
those stately DAYS had looked upon were
,honght 10 BE destined 20 life Of mutual
happiness Bot one more puissant thal
the French Countess or more dexferons al
least suddenly descended from the north
and csptivated Adonis This was Rus
sian woman of high rank, whose resi-
dences and acres we're scattered through
every country in Europe She departed
with her bridegroom 81 the close OF q tri-
umphant season OF revels, after inviting
her Csallician rival 10 become her guest Tor
fortnight in the course of the approach
ing summer. The Frenchwon1an sur
prised the victor BY accepting the invita-
lion and in the brief July Of 1892, at a
superb summer residence on the southern
shore of the Gulf Of Finland, hard by
the site of the present splendid Perter-
hoff. the memory Of the antagonlsn at
Florence was apparently laughed and
whiled away.
The beautiful Countess did not leave her
friends without obtaining from them a
promise to visit her at her own fayorite re-
treat the very next year In the following
July she welcomed them to an immense an
Gent country seat on slope of the western
range of the Carpathian Mountains. From
the day of their arrival they were treated,
day and night, to succession of pleasures
far SURPRISING any that she had received
at their hands. Her retainers were numer-
GUS trained 10 perfection, and obeyed their
mility OF slaves. Her horses were Of the
noblest breeds, and the bridle-paths led
through wild and charming scenery. Her
suppers, laid with the glittering display
of that age, offered the dishes and the
wines of three countries. Harpers and
singers Joined at distance In giving the
zest of Martini's, Pedestrians, Gasparini's
music to these feasts, which were followed
almost nightly by theatrical representa-
tons, or performances OF magicians, or
dances by young men and girls, which
sometimes took on disheveled and be-
wildering gayety.
The last week of the visit was rendered
still more brilliant and delightful by the
presence Of large number of distin-
guished guests from various quarters of
Europc-friends of the Countess who sell
dom let a summer pass without accepting
her Bohemian hospitality. And the last
night before their departure was set for an
entertainment which promised to surpass
everything that had preceded it in the re-
spects of novelty and beauty.
The Countess had arranged series of
NEUROLOGICAL and Biblical tabl.aur riUants
and mum Der Of the guests Of both sexes,
including her former lover, the husband
of the Russian, had been prevailed on TO
take parts in them.
At the close of magnificent feast and
wassail the company separated. Those
who were to appear in the representations
were conducted to their firing
while the rest stayed 70 take seats or lie
at ease as an audience upon the vast
lounges, stuffed leather ottomans and heaps
Of skins by which hundred servants
quickly replaced the chairs and tables al
one end of the great dining hall. The
Russian bride occupied an elevated seat OF
honor in the front of this throng. and
when all was ready the hostess entered and
An,s Il. h.r Tho mt - tayy amt IA
with enthusiastic acceptance, and no won
der. The comeliest men and women whom
the Countess could entice from the circle
of her friends and select from her large
retinue displayed in postures initiated
from Ne most celebrated groups of Greek
and IdNian statuary and the best known
sacred paintings, likenesses breathing
with vulgar life, yet not unworthy, In the
enraptured eyes of the company, to be
| compared with their classic models.
AT last the heavy curtains were drawn
close after splendid allcgorical tableau
which had comprised more than one hun
bred human figures, and the company pre-
pared 10 disperse.
"Stayl" cried the Countess, rising with
a graceful and commanding gesture, "tht
last scene ought always to be the best, and
the best is yet to come. pray you, re-
sumo your seats"
All obeyed and an interval of few
minutes occurred, during which converse
ton gradually ceased, and the great hall
became profoundly silent Then the cur.
tains were slowly withdrawn, revealing,
agains' a background of stqNn- clouds and
darkness, an appallingly reaMtic represent
alton of the crucifixion Of Christ At the
foot Of a rugged cross, whose upright
beam reached nearly to the ceiling, were
clustered in every variety of attitude two
or three scores OF hooking Jews, all lift
ing fingers Of scorn and hatred, some gaz.
ing in each others faces with looks OF
triumphant glee, some gloating on the
spectacle above their heads. The figure
against the cross, on which, and on several
Of the upturned faces, a bright light was
cast from torches behind screen, was
seen to be actually spiked through hands
and feet. from which the blood had not
ceased triekling. The body dropped, the
knees were slightly bent, the head fell for
ward with its crown of thorns. The whole
figure, which was that of man in the
very flower of physical beauty, was ghast-
ly with the pallor of cruel death
A shudder and then murmur of horror
infected the spectators Of thissc From
the dais, on which she had been gayly
chatting with her hostess, the lovely Rus.
sian was seen to bend forward with ter
rlbie cry, and then to rush screaming down