Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1876-05-26
Srlettel Ssli5tellanp.
DEAD BUT STILL ALIVE.

1t was just before the opening of the
railway from Taganrog to Kharkof in
in 1869, and | was driving these dreary
distances in autumn For the first two
days and nights the weather was lovely,
but on the third morning, soon after sun
rise, the sky became covered with heavy,
torn, and Jagged clouds northerly
wind arose, and 1ith thunder, lightning,
cold gale, and snow the winter burst on
US as it yearly breaks on southern Rus
sia In half an hour the rich, black,
rolling plains had become an ocean Of
inky mud, and we reached the post sta
ton of Donski only to find the order
Impossible to proceed"
called for tea, and the samovar was
brought in by a fine, upright, gray
bearded man, whom, from his black vel
vet tunic and slashed sleeves, / took to
be the postmaster himself. He was fol-
lowed into the room by noble looking
Cossack woman Of his own age, who said !:
Little husband, why don't you ask the
lord if he will eat a partridge and bit
of bread ? The kurupatka is plump,
and the day will be long before his
troika can be harncssed to face the
storm She smiled sweetly as she spoke
he smiled lovingly upon her; then
she left US, looking lingcringly back.
"Your wife's in love with you still,
and you with her, postmaster" | said.
lyon must have beaten her well when
she was young for her to love you so.
How long is it since you were married 7"
II avn sixty" he replied II was mar
ried at twenty-five, thir.y-fve years ago
five years before | died" "What !"
said I. Five years before my death.
Is it possible that you don't know my
story ? You must have come from long
way off, for | have heard chat it is told
even upon the Azof"
And throwing his legs across chair,
without more ado, he spoke thus:
II was born in 1909, and can remem-
Der the return from Paris of my father
and unclc-Cossacks Of the Don. Those
were grand days, when every Cossack
was an officer by birth, and when the
Hetman Platof was king Of Europe, con-
queror Of the Turks and of the French,
and friend equal of the white Tsar
Now, this Petersburg Tsar says that
we're no better than his great Russian
slaves, and for years my saber and long
pistol have hung upon the wall unused
and when | have worn my red banded
cap and my red striped breeches I've al
ways hid as much as | could of the
stripe in my boots, for I'm ashamed Of
it now; and they're even going to take
away our privilege of the supply of
salt.
I'm 1884, as young postmaster, for
my father was dead, with a good place
and a handsome beard, | was the best
match in the two church villages around.
| could pick my wife, and | chose Olga,
that you saw just now"
There" said I.
"Ah, wait and see Wait, little lord.
Don't be impatient. Olga was as lovely
as she was good. You have seen her il
her sxtieth year; her goodness is what
it was, and, though may be an unsafe
judge, her beauty, ! think, is not yet
gone.
lie looked at me. | nodded.
1--WE we're happy at FIRST, but / was
young. / felt the chain. | was faithful
to Der as far as women went, but not
kind. We had no children. One day in
1899 she was in low spirits about me,
aud flung her arms upon a sudden about
my neck, with DO you really love me,
little Jobn?" e.You know do" "But