The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-01-11
THADDEUS OF WARSAW:
Or, The Adventures of Polish Exile
BY MISS JANE PORTER.

b1 hllpO JANE IoblEh.
In the year 1892 Russian invasion
threatened Poland with all the horrors
OF mcrciless war. Foremost among the
patriots who rushed to their country's
defense were the noble Palatine of Ma
sovia, and his chivalrous grandson, Thad-
deus Constantine Sobieski.
For his mother Therese, the gentle
Countess Sobeslj, Thaddeus felt the
tenderest affection, but, although now
nineteen years of age, he had never
known even the name of his father.
Upon his twentieth birthday, however,
he learned from sealed packet, given
him by his mother, that she had been
secretly united at Florence to an Eng
- lshman, named Sackville, who had soon
after repudiated the marriage, and basely
deserted her. Since then she had passed
rs q widow, retaining her own family
name OF Sobieski, and living with her
father, the Palatine, by whom her son
had been carefully educate',.
The sensitive Thaddeus wept at this
discovery of his fathers treachery.
Forget him." cried the countess, who
witnessed this emotion.
"I VII ~ in9wered Thaddeus, land
allow my mind to dwell only on the VIZ
tues of Inv mother"
"You are right" said the Palntine,
"and I shall live to see you add glory to
the name of Sobieski -
This prophecy was more than fultilied
in the bloody contests that soon en-
sued. In one of these Ihaddeus saved
from slaughter some Russian carabineers,
who fell on their knees to thank his n,er-
cy. One very young man, however, WAS
refractory. and would have been killed
on the spot, il Thaddeus had not caught
@ye>L,w OF the sword. The youth
. ,tushel nnl surrendered his weapon,
Which ThaldGus directly returned, say
bg:
I " Brave sir, l consider myself enuobled
IN restoring this sword to him who has
so courageously defended it"
1t sool appeared that this brave young
man vas an English volunteer, named
Pembroke Somerset
A warm affection arose between him
/. aud Thaddeus, who invited his new
friend to Villanow, his grandfather
|. magnificent palace on the banks OF the
/ Vistula.
81 would follow you," said Somerset,
"all over the world"
After delightful experience of the re-
fined hospitality of Villanow, Pembroke
wrote two enthusiastic letters to his
mother, which he sent to his governor,
Mr.. Lotus, at ST. Petersburg, to be
forwarded to England. But as Mr..
LOTUS had been strictly charged to keep
his pspil out of Poland, and fearing the
displeasure of Sonerset's parents, hs
conjureL him 10 say nothing OF his
Polish adventures, at least for while.
Somerset reluctantly consented, and,
being suddenly summoned home. bade
an affectionate farewell to Thaddeus and
his mother, hoping to revisit them soon,
or to see them III England.
Misfortunes were already crowtGne
fast upon ill-fated Poland
The brave Palatine of Masovia waF
slain in battle, Prague was besieged ano
captured, and the palace of Villanow was
attacked by the savage Russian soldiery
Thaddeus, covered with wounds, hasten
ed from Prague to secure, if possible, his
mothers escape.
"My beloved son." said the countess
"before or cruel murders can arrive
shall have found refuge in the bosom
of my God Should Poland fall, [ be
seech you go that very hour to England.
Then tying a portrait of his father
round his neck, she added
"Prize this gift, my child try TO for
get his injustice, and, in memory OF me
never part with it."
A sudden yolley OF firearms made
Thaddeus spring upon his feet Lout
cries succeeded, and women screamed
The rUmpaIts are stormed y
4 h,1rcf az fnl1nua1 h, G
heavy crash and piercing shrieks. The
countess, expiring in the embrace OF hel
distracted son, fell from his palsied arms
back upon the sofa, and General Butzou
who had directed the defense Of the
palace, could scarcely force him away IL
place of safety.
Plunging into the Vistula, amid {
shower of musket balls, Thaddeus swan
with Butzou to the opposite bank
I, f merging from the water he pointed
back to Villanow, which was now en-
veloped in flames, and said, with smile
OF agony;
"See what funeral pile Heaven has
given to my dear mother p
The Russian general, Suwarrow, sool
compelled the ignominious surrender O.
Warsaw. Two hours before he entered
the city, Sobieslli left it, bedewing it
stones with his tears. Reaching the
frontier, he plucked a tuft of grass, and
! pressing it to his lips, exclaimed:
Farewell, Poland Farewell all my
earthly happiness /"
m Sailing from Dantzic to London
Ihaddeus naturally thought of Penn
ofohe Somerset, but as he had received
no reply to two letters addressed to him
the exile resolved, unfriended as he was
TO wipe him from his memory. Reach